Cheryl Teuton & Dan Brooke
Oaxaca, October 2020
“This Gusto México trip was a great opportunity to see a truly unique part of Mexico! From our welcome dinner with a beautiful view of the Church of Santa Domingo de Guzmán, to our exclusive use of the boutique hotel (El Diablo y La Sandia) the trip was unparalleled for the creation of lifelong memories.
On our first full day, Kaylee led us on a trip through downtown where we got our bearings and some great food and shopping opportunities. On the second day, we ambled to an exclusive cooking class (including a trip to a local fresh food market) with chef Oscar, which ended in a filling late lunch/early dinner, where Oscar shared Mezcal from his private collection. Thankfully, he also shared his recipes with all of us who shared an email with him.
We then had a couple of van excursions on two consecutive days, where on the first day, we experienced Zapotec Weaving which included spinning and dying yarn with traditional dyes, as well as the weaving process, Mezcal distilling (and tasting), and the Arbol Del Tule, the monstrous Montezuma cypress tree that has to be seen to be believed. A stop for lunch that day was intimate, ours was the only party in a marvelous restaurant. The second day, the van visited the studio of Jacobo and Maria Ángeles, masters of the colorful carved wood art known as Alebrijes (think of the beautiful colors in the movie Coco), a whole different kind of weaving (“backstrap” looms are used) and we witnessed the pottery skills of the studio of Doña Rosa, a famous potter who put the shine on the beautiful handcrafted pieces. Another great lunch at a local restaurant was another chance to try one of the regional specialty foods, mole, which has so many varieties and nuances that it needs extensive sampling!
In short, it was a great trip which still gave the participants for “down time” and exploration on your own. We can’t recommend it highly enough!”
