Nina and Charlotte: Arrazola

Hola todos! This week’s Thursday activity was an adventurous one. Without maps or directions to guide us, we were paired off, given destinations of interest, and sent off to explore and find our way ourselves. The two of us were sent to find a pueblito called Arrazola, one of only a few small villages known for their production of Alebrijes, a type of folk art of elaborately carved and painted wooden animals, and Charlotte made  her enthusiasm for them very well known.

We got to practice our Spanish by asking strangers on the street for directions. We had a few false starts; after boarding a local bus headed to a different town, we had to de-board and wait for another. Luckily, the bus rides in Oaxaca are only $6 P, less than $0.30 USD. By a combination of helpful directions and pure dumb luck, we finally found our way to the correct waiting spot, and hopped in a colectivo, or a small town taxi. We met two friends and the driver Carlos who knew exactly where we were looking to go in Arrazola -- not that you could possibly get lost in such a quaint village.

Our first stop was the shop of Marisola and her husband, members of the Eco-Alebrije collective which is focused on sustainable harvesting and reforestation of the copal wood used to make the carvings. They were friendly and welcoming, eager to answer our questions and demonstrate the process of making Alebrijes: carving them, sanding them down, and painting them with bright colors and intricate designs. After spending a good deal of time learning about their work, we even had the chance to paint with them! We left with some keepsakes, a pair of lovely earrings for Nina and an armadillo Alebrije for Charlotte, which will always remind us of the time we spent getting to know this lovely family, we took off for a quiet lunch in the village center.

After a robust conversation with some migrant workers who we shared our lunch with, we bade farewell to our new friends and explored the town. Arrazola isn’t large, but on every street there is building after building filled with the colorful painted animals that the town is known for. There are dozens of families and artist collectives who make their livelihood painting Alebrijes, which are an iconic form of Mexican folk art. It’s hard not to fall in love with their intricate and whimsical designs.

While wandering the village, Nina spied some kids playing soccer in a field by the school and felt the itch to play, so she approached and asked to join in with their game. She showed some fancy footwork out there on the field, proof of her years’ practice on her school’s soccer team. She scored an impressive goal, and earned a standing ovation from her one-person audience.

At around mid-afternoon, our feet were beginning to grow weary and our minds were spinning from the events of our adventure that day, so we hopped on a bus that would take us back to the city. We bade Arrazola farewell, but not forever -- we hope to come back there soon, to talk to the artisans and see more of the delightful Alebrijes.

We returned home feeling tired but empowered: we had traveled miles outside of the city completely without guidance. It dispelled any anxiety we had and filled us with confidence when we realized how easy it is to pick up and go on an adventure somewhere new and exciting here in Oaxaca!

Hasta Luego,

Charlotte y Nina