Insider's introduction and orientation to Oaxaca

Long-time Oaxaca resident Stan Gotlieb offers an invaluable service to anyone curious about visiting, spending time in or considering living in Oaxaca. Every Monday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Oaxaca Lending Library he provides a free, informal introduction/orientation to Oaxaca. Stan and his wife, Diana, have lived in Oaxaca for many years, and can provide anyone from a first-time visitor to someone who has spent many months or even years here, with useful, in-depth information and insights. You can learn more about Stan and Diana at their website, http://www.realoaxaca.com/. You'll see there that Stan also offers private, individualized orientation sessions to individuals or small groups for a nominal fee.

Stan Gotlieb and Diana Ricci                                   with permission

Day trip to the Sierra Norte

Many residents and visitors love to leave the hustle and bustle of Oaxaca to experience the crystal-clear air and tranquility of the Sierra Norte, the mountain range north of the city. The region is dotted with indigenous pueblos, including Gueletao, where Mexico's only indigenous president, Benito Juarez, was born. The region supports a lot of eco-tourism, with simple cabins to rent, hiking trails, zip lines and other nature-oriented activities. It's also home to a number of trout-raising enterprises and rustic restaurants specializing in fresh trout.

Here's a quick log of a recent visit to the area:

Statue of Juarez, Gueletao, Oaxaca

Brigida Garcia, Benito Juarez's mother

Death mask of Juarez, Museum, Gueletao, Oaxaca

Charming pond next to Juarez museum, Gueletao, Oaxaca

Farmed trout at Truchas Cuachirindoo, above Ixtlan

Lunch on its way--could not be fresher!

                                                              Side view of the Church of Santo Tomas, 1734,  Ixtlan, Oaxaca    

Altar, Santo Tomas, Ixtlan, Oaxaca

The church is full of fascinating religious iconograpy

Photos by Robert Adler. use with attribution per Creative Commons

One of Oaxaca's most striking celebrations centers on the statue called El Señor del Rayo, a depiction of Jesus carved in Spain in the 16th Century. Legend has it that a stroke of lightning--un rayo--started a fire that destroyed everything in the church where it stood, except for the statue itself. That initial miracle has given the statue the reputation of working miracles for petitioners. The statue is venerated every October 23 with prayers inside Oaxaca's Cathedral where it now stands, which overflows with flowers for the occasion, and with a huge procession, or calenda. Here are some photos from the 2012 celebration:

 The miraculous statue surrounded by flowers

Devotees waiting under flower-decked columns to approach the statue

Part of the procession, or calenda. This crucified Christ is not a statue!

A more joyful part of the calenda

Up-to-the-minute new Kindle edition of Viva Oaxaca now available.

We've just published the 2012-2013 Kindle update of Viva Oaxaca. You can find it here.
Like the new paperback version, it has our latest recommendations for destinations and activities, places to stay, where to enjoy Oaxaca's cuisine, plus all the information you'll need to plan and enjoy a trip to or an extended stay in Oaxaca.

New edition of Viva Oaxaca available as of April 3, 2012

We've just published the brand-new 2012-2013 edition of Viva Oaxaca: An Insider's Guide to Oaxaca's Charms.

The updated new version of our guidebook to the city of Oaxaca and surrounding attractions can be purchased in Oaxaca at Amate Books, or by mail order on Amazon.com, or via our publisher, CreateSpace.

You can read more about Viva Oaxaca, and about traveling to Oaxaca, on our website: si-oaxaca.com.

Viva Oaxaca now available on Amazon Kindle

The Kindle edition of our guidebook to Oaxaca, Viva Oaxaca: An Insider's Guide to Oaxaca's Charms, is now available on amazon.com, as is the print edition.

You can find the Kindle edition of Viva Oaxaca here.

You can find the print edition of Viva Oaxaca at this URL.

The print edition of Viva Oaxcaca has become Amazon's leading guidebook to Oaxaca.

Kindle edition of Viva Oaxaca about to appear

Viva Oaxaca, the leading guidebook to Oaxaca, will be available in a brand-new Kindle edition within a day or two, by the 10th of September, 2011. This special edition for Kindle users has all the information in the print edition, plus extra photos. The Kindle list price will be $7.50 U.S.