Oaxaca! Part Three: Artesanal Factory Tour

 Saturday, November 7th:

Spirit animal carved and painted, our last factory stop

One of the most touristica activities of any major city in Mexico seems to be making the rounds of the "fabricas" of traditional art in the outskirts of the cities. The particular tour I took on this date make for a long but interesting day. 

I have gotten used to the fact that, even though I am emphatic about needing translation, it is rarely forthcoming. Or, as in the case of my temperamental tour guide, it will be grudgingly offered--albeit in broken English barely better than my own pathetic Spanish--only he feels like it. As a result, I am forced to rely on other, bilingual folks participating in my tour. In this case, my impromptu translator was a lovely young woman from San Diego by the name of Jennifer. 

However, as willing as Jennifer was to help me out, it soon became clear that much was omitted at each stop; a 20 minute demonstration and explanation was typically whittled down to a 5 minute summary by her. Such as it was, most of the enjoyment had to come from the purely visual gratification. Happily, on this tour, I was not disappointed. I had fun and bought a modest amount of knickknacks. 

Most importantly, however, the gringos amongst us celebrated the end of the insanely drawn out--and stressful!--election week back in the homeland. And, well...needless to say, were overjoyed by the outcome! No more wall or intimations of one, y'all! The Mexicans rejoiced with the Americans....

Anyhow, regarding the tour: it was truly challenging narrowing my selection of photos down to a few from each stop, but I did my best. I also had to include some photos of the countryside we passed through, as it was a thoroughly beautiful and scenic day. 

First stop: a candle-making "factory". All of the candles made at this family-run, country shop were done by hand and from all natural products: beeswax, naturally derived colorants, and so forth. This small operation has been passed down for generations, and every family member contributes. It was fascinating and lovely!

Incredibly laborious: the wax has to be poured on each candle, one at a time. What patience surely must be required! 

My favorite subject of this visit: The 84 year old "abuela"--(grandmother)--mostly blind and still at work, measuring out and cutting the hundreds of wicks required for each candle. 

The final products: exquisitely beautiful, no?!!? Traditionally given as gifts for special (often religious) occasions. All the flowery add-ons had to be crafted with molds one by one, then adhered to the candle with more soft, warm wax. 

The delicate nature of this creation captivated me--I purchased this lovely candle for 100 pesos, or about $5.00, as a gift for Carolina, my delightful new friend (Airbnb host's daughter) whose 19th birthday is in a week. 

Of course what would any shop be if they didn't include the skulls for El Dia de Los Muertes? Even though the holiday only lasts for two days in November, the icons of this important occasion can be seen throughout the year. 

Second stop: Home of a carpet weaver. Although, that is not quite accurate... another artesanal family business, passed down through successive generations, the primary artist did it all: culling and dying the wool; creating the strands of yarn in myriad different colors; then finally operating the old-fashioned loom used to weave the phenomenal rugs and other such creations. If they all hadn't been so expensive, I would have been tempted to buy an armload! I refrained, and was happy to simply admire the beauty and stellar craftsmanship of them. 

The first demonstration consisted of showing us how the various dyes for the wool were derived from all natural sources: mostly from plants, but not always....

...fascinatingly enough but also rather disgusting, this particular cactus is home to the proliferation of a type of parasite favored by many artisans. The parasites--white spots you see here on the cactus leaf--are picked off and smashed. The result is a red, bloody mash that is used to make the red color! Yuck! The red liquid is also mixed with other natural products--such as lemon juice--to make orange and other, similar colors. 

Here, you see the various powders and potions used to make the extraordinary rainbow of colors. (As you can see by the yarn hanging on the wall behind, Every shade and variety is possible, using all of these products from nature! Wonderful!) 

Spinning the wool into the skeins of yarn.... 

Weaving the yarn on this massive loom... To make a large carpet takes about 4 days, 8 hours per day. 

A room full of looms.... yes, it rhymes!

And then you have the gorgeous, final products:

This one was my favorite...of a Zapotec warrior. At $150 for a small rug, I could not justify purchasing it on my very modest budget! (No one else made any purchases... I bought a very small piece as a gift for a friend....) 

Third stop: a conglomeration of mezcal-making factories! (And time to get a little tipsy before lunch!) 

What, exactly, IS mezcal? A strong liquor, apparently as popular as tequila, at least in the state of Oaxaca. It is absolutely EVERYWHERE! The straight stuff is extremely potent and rather nasty, if you ask me. However, I had no idea that they doctored it up with hundreds of varieties of fruit, nuts, coffee, etc...sweetening and rendering it quite palatable! (And of course, the more you sample, the better it ALL tastes!!!) 

What does this photo have to do with mezcal-making, you might ask?! Nothing at all. This remnant of El Dia de Los Muertes was just hanging out on a bench outside the factory and, taking a moment's repose, I decided to keep him/her company... 

There seem to be almost an infinite number of brands of mezcal... we sampled just one brand. The bottles were as colorful and numerous as the various flavors they contained! 

View of the countryside behind the mezcal factories. How I longed to just wander off into those beautiful fields and hills! Eh well, another time...

Below: the agave plant, from which the mezcal is obtained. Apparently, indigenous people were the first to produce it, using it in ceremonies to invoke visions and other spiritual experiences. Not surprisingly, the Spaniards who discovered it amongst these native peoples capitalized on the find and began mass producing it, though still at least mostly sticking to a largely natural way of processing the plant-based product. 

The harvested agave plants are roasted on hot stones in large pits. 

After roasting, the plants ooze a gooey, sweet substance which will then be mashed down to extract a mushy liquid. Here, you see me sampling the substance: smokey and sweet, not particularly tasty, though....

This giant wheel, pulled by a horse or mule, mashes the roasted plants to a pulpy mess, which is then fermented in large barrels (which can be seen in the background.) 

After fermentation, the liquid is extracted, boiled, and bottled... and, as mentioned, mixed with many other ingredients to produce something palatable for wimps like myself! Yes, I did buy a bottle... one with something pleasantly fruity inside...another gift, of course!

Next: 

A break to rest and eat lunch: we landed at a rural hacienda-- a fancy establishment with a live band, a lush garden and some farm animals... a colorful place, indeed!

Front of the Hacienda: the gorgeous garden entrance! 

Above video: fabulously fun dancing along with the three piece band playing some Mexican classics! I celebrate the outcome of the election with my compadres! 

I had actually already eaten my own (vegetarian) meal in our van before we arrived at the Hacienda--good thing, too... we got there late afternoon and I would have been totally starved by then! So...while others ate, I took a walk into the heart of this charming country "pueblo to see the sites. I was pleased to find the ruins of an old convent. Here, you see the lovely stone steps I had to climb to reach it.

The gates were locked because of Covid so I could not get closer than this... but it was a lovely stone shell of what used to be an extensive cloister. 

Gorgeous view of the countryside as I strolled along....

By the time we headed out from the Hacienda, evening was upon us. We were graced with this impressive sunset.

Factory number four: Pottery! As with the others (besides the mega-mezcal factory conglomerate), it was a family-run business passed down through generations, amassing additional artists to help out along the way. 

Though some molds are used, most of the pieces of pottery are hand-built on small pottery wheels which also get spun by hand. Having dabbling in pottery myself back in my college days, I can fully appreciate the amount of time and labor that goes into one item. This "hombre" was of course a master! 

Displaying the products pre and post firing. The blackness is derived both from the type of clay as well as the length of the firing process and the temperature of the kiln. None of the pots were glazed; all the finishes were totally natural, as you see here and in the following photos. 

A cat with holes in it?!?! Go figure...!

Rather than glaze, these traditional pots were instead decorated with the kind of patterns you see here. 

Last, but certainly not least: A wood carving factory with thousands of amazingly colorful, wildly painted "spirit" animals. Yes, as far as I was concerned, the best was definitely saved for last!

By the time we got back into Oaxaca, we were a van load full of tired but happy folks... was a really great day overall!

Next and final blog about Oaxaca: a hodge podge of different adventures and experiences in my remaining days of this two week adventure. (After this, I head for the Caribbean coast and the Yucatan!)