Breakfast:
At the hotel restaurant, choices include Mexican and international cuisine with a variety of hot and cold dishes plus fruit, yogurt, pastries, bread, coffee, tea, water.
Morning:
Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. An instructor conduct classroom sessions, a certified expert will lead field trips, and transportation will be via bus unless specified otherwise. We will provide suggestions for restaurants and on-site visits for personal independent exploration and some of the meals on your own to enjoy the cuisine of your choice. Group Leader can offer suggestions. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Our first lecture will begin with a presentation at the hotel given by our Study Leader on Day of the Dead and how it has been celebrated through time. The holiday combines the beliefs of the indigenous people with the Catholic Spaniards that arrived in the 15th century. Indigenous peoples believed that each year, the souls of the dead return to eat and drink with the living as they would have before their deaths. This belief was combined with the Catholic holidays of All Saints Day and All Souls Day.. We will then walk with our local expert to the historic district and visit the Santo Domingo church and museum. Once the Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, founded by the Dominican Order, the rooms that constituted the monastery now house the Cultural Center of Oaxaca. Began in 1570 and constructed over a period of 200 years, it underwent a complete restoration that was finished in 1999.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant, enjoy a three course meal plus coffee, fruit water, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon:
We will then walk with our local expert to the famous Mercado Benito Juárez where we’ll feast our eyes on the rich colors of the fruits and vegetables, the smells of the aromatic herbs and exotic spices, the sounds of the vendors calling out “Tortillas! Tamales! Chocolate! Chapulines!” Right in the middle of it all, we’ll take in the hustle and bustle of the local chefs picking ingredients for their evening masterpieces of culinary delights, browse the high quality leather bags and sacred hearts of hammered tin or beaded jewelry, and watch artisans weave rugs, put finishing touches on pottery, and create amazing paintings. After these visits, we will return to the hotel for a social hour and a great opportunity to get to know your fellow Road Scholars.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant, we’ll have a 2-course meal with coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening:
We will continue celebrating Día de los Muertos as we walk downtown and attend presentations sponsored by different cultural organizations.