Village Stay: San Antonio Arrazola

March 30- April 3rd

Shana, Charlotte, Spencer & Madeleine

¡Hola a todos!

All in all, the village stays were amazing! What a treat it was to get out of the hustle and bustle of Oaxaca City and dive into the rhythm of a smaller community.



We arrived to Arrazola on Monday morning, and after a short introduction we split up into our host families.  We were definitely a little nervous, but it soon proved to be an unforgettable experience.  We immediately felt the tightness of the community, as well as the tranquility of life in the pueblo.  Almost all of the families know each other, and the friendliness you receive while walking in the streets in unparalleled.  The first day, we all just became acquainted with our new temporary residence, families, and lifestyle.


On Tuesday and Thursday, we planted little copalitos (Copal tree seedlings) as part of the reforestation project by the organization EcoAlebrijes.  This is the tree whose wood used to make the alebrijes that Arrazola is famous for. After getting down in the dirt all morning long, we were treated to some down time at the local alberca (swimming pool) after planting almost 100 trees.  It was an incredible experience to participate in something that is so important to both the livelihoods of the Arrazola residents as well as replenishing the depleted forests of the area.

La Alberca -- The best place to chill out!

On Wednesday morning, we adventured up to Monte Alban, the historic ruins that we all visited as a group during the first few weeks.  We were all grateful for the opportunity to move our bodies and quench our souls with a hike through Oaxaca's natural landscape.  

We spent some time up at Monte Alban, and though we had all been there before, it was good to see the ancient ruins once again -- even more magical and breathtaking than we remembered.

An awesome three-headed dragon at the expo.

The town of Arrazola is famous for its exotic painted wooden animals called alebrijes, and more than 80% of families in the town make their livelihoods by creating these beautiful artworks and selling them to tourists. During the week, there was an alebrije exposition in the center of town, where many families presented and sold some of their best work. The variety of works is amazing; all kinds of animals are represented, from cats and lizards to chapulines, chupacabras and even stranger stuff!

Techniques vary from artist to artist, but each piece can take hours to carve, sand, and paint with intricate details, and is often the work of several people or even an entire family.

Shana: My family was not part of the exposition because their shop was right in the center, so I spent a lot of time there. I had the opportunity to paint a little owl with my host mom, Marisol.  It is way harder than it looks!  The amount of detail and precision that goes into them is truly astonishing.  Before I left, my family gave me a small painted mezcal bottle with their name and the dates I was with them.  In exchange, I gave them a painting I had made while here in Oaxaca.  We also exchanged addresses and e-mail addresses to stay in touch.  I'm looking forward to returning in a few years and visiting my Arrazola family.  This was an enriching and unique experience for us all!

Plantin' some trees.

Berta Mandarin Gomez

Charlotte: During the week, I stayed at the house of Antonio and Berta Mandarin Gomez. Antonio was very welcoming and generous, and allowed me to use his paints in his workshop to paint a dragon of my very own. He and Berta also had a table at the expo, so I visited them there frequently. I spent much of my time exploring the town, making artwork, and researching the issues faced by the community. One problem that Alebrije artisans face is finding customers: since their income is based entirely around tourism, if they can't reach out to tourists than they won't be able to earn a living. Antonio told me about a problem with the tour guides who bring tourists through Arrazola: they charge a steep fee (30% of all sales) in order to bring customers to artists' workshops. If an artist doesn't want to pay, then they miss out on customers and can't earn a living. Antonio was very upset about the exploitation that was going on. "These people aren't artists," he told me, "they are only interested in making money."

Living in Arrazola was a wonderful experience in a slow, beautiful sort of lifestyle, and I will certainly return there some day soon!

Spencer: My house had seven cats, four dogs and a duck. They all roamed around the house all week, but one dog in particular stretched his paws out beyond the rest and saw to be the most loyal hound I’ve ever spent five days with. He stayed close to my heels as we strutted around the town together, jumping and dancing the whole time (both of us). His name was Mordisco, his silky fur was blacker than mole Oaxaqueño and his company truly humbled me down to my most primitive state. I would walk the Great Wall of China with that dog. I'd climb the pyramids of Egypt with that mut. I would sell all my belongings and travel to Space with that loyal piece of pup if I could. I love him.

Madeleine: I stayed with the host family of Betsa and Max, excellent Alebrije carvers and painters. .  I spent a lot of time with Marilda, their 7 year old daughter. I think she and I got along the best. We had fun climbing trees and playing tag. One night, my family took me to a celebration called Martes de Brujas in Xoxocotlan, a bigger pueblo nearby, to sell Alebrijes at a table. There were boundless tamales for sale, carnival rides, and live music. It was interesting to experience things from the other side of the table. While spending time at the table, I got to paint an elephant Alebrije! My family told me that people tried to buy it while I was walking around. Maybe they were just saying that to make me feel good, or maybe I have a calling for painting animalitos... I could get used to the artisan life!