Many of the following words have a socio-historical meaning; others you will not find in the usual English–Spanish dictionary.

abarrotes groceries, grocery store

aguardiente Mexican “white lightning”: cheap distilled liquor made from sugarcane

aguas watch out!

alcalde mayor or municipal judge

alebrije fanciful wooden animal, mostly made in Arrazola and Tilcajete villages

alfarería pottery

andador walkway, or strolling path

antojitos native Mexican snacks, such as tamales, chiles rellenos, tacos, and enchiladas

artesanías handicrafts

artesano, artesana craftsman, craftswoman

asunción the assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven (as distinguished from the ascenc-ión of Jesus into heaven)

atole a popular nonalcoholic drink made from corn juice

audiencia one of the royal executive-judicial panels sent to rule Mexico during the 16th century

autopista expressway

ayuntamiento either the town council or the building where it meets

balneario hot springs; can refer to a natural feature, a recreational spa, or a resort

barrio a town or village district or neighborhood, usually centered around its own local plaza and church

bienes raices literally “good roots,” but popularly, real estate

bola small crowd of people

boleto ticket, boarding pass

brujo, bruja male or female witch doctor or shaman

caballero literally “horseman,” but popularly, gentleman

cabaña ecoturísticas bungalow lodging for tourists

cabercera head town of a municipal district, or headquarters in general

cabrón literally, a cuckold, but more commonly, bastard, rat, or S.O.B.; sometimes used affectionately

cacique local chief or boss

calenda procession, usually religious, as during a festival

camionera bus station

campesino country person; farm worker

canasta basket, traditionally made of woven reeds, with handle

cantera local volcanic stone, widely used for colonial-era Oaxaca monuments

Carnaval celebration preceding Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the fasting period called Lent. Carnaval is called Mardi Gras in the United States.

casa de huéspedes guesthouse, often operated in a family home

cascada waterfall

caudillo dictator or political chief

centro de salud health center/clinic

charro gentleman cowboy

chingar literally, to “rape,” but also the universal Spanish “f” word, the equivalent of “screw” in English

Churrigueresque Spanish baroque architectural style incorporated into many Mexican colonial churches, named after José Churriguera (1665–1725)

científicos literally, scientists, but applied to President Porfirio Díaz’s technocratic advisers

coa (estaca) digging stick, used for planting corn

Cocijo Zapotec god of rain, lightning, and thunder

cofradia Catholic fraternal service association, either male or female, mainly in charge of financing and organizing religious festivals

colectivo a shared public taxi or minibus that picks up and deposits passengers along a designated route

colegio preparatory school or junior college

colonia suburban subdivision/satellite of a larger city

comal a flat pottery griddle, for cooking/heating tortillas

comedor restaurant

comida casera home-cooked food

comida corrida economical afternoon set meal, usually with four courses–soup, rice, entrée, and dessert

compadrazgo the semi-formal web of village and barrio compadre and padrino relationships that determine a person’s lifetime obligations and loyalties

compadre a semi-formalized “best friend” relationship that usually lasts for life

comunal refers to the traditional indigenous system of joint decision-making and land ownership and use

Conasupo government store that sells basic foods at subsidized prices

correo mail, post, or post office

criollo person of all-European, usually Spanish, descent born in the New World

Cuaresma Lent (the 46 days of pre-Easter fasting, beginning on Ash Wednesday, and ending on the Saturday before Easter Sunday)

cuota toll, as in cuota autopista, toll expressway

curandero, curandera indigenous medicine man or woman

damas ladies, as in “ladies room”

Domingo de Ramos Palm Sunday

ejido a constitutional, government-sponsored form of community, with shared land ownership and cooperative decision-making

encomienda colonial award of tribute from a designated indigenous district

farmacia pharmacy or drugstore

finca farm

finca cafetelera coffee farm

fonda food stall or small restaurant, often in a traditional market complex

fraccionamiento city sector or subdivision, abbreviated “Fracc.”

fuero the former right of Mexican clergy and military to be tried in separate ecclesiastical and military courts

gachupín “one who wears spurs”; a derogatory term for a Spanish-born colonial

gasolinera gasoline station

gente de razón “people of reason”; whites and mestizos in colonial Mexico

gringo once-derogatory but now commonly used term for North American whites

grito impassioned cry, as in Hidalgo’s Grito de Dolores

hacienda large landed estate; also the government treasury

hamaca hammock

hechicero a “wizard” who often leads native propitiatory ceremonies

hidalgo nobleman or noblewoman; called honorifically by “Don” or “Doña”

hojalata tinware, a popular craft of Oaxaca

huarache popular dish consisting of a fried masa base with a variety of toppings

huipil traditional emroidered dress

indígena indigenous or aboriginal inhabitant of all-native descent who speaks his or her native tongue; commonly, but incorrectly, an indio (Indian)

jacal native label for thatched, straw, and/or stick country house

jaripeo bull roping and riding

jejenes “no-see-um” biting gnats, most common around coastal wetlands

judiciales the federal “judicial,” or investigative police, best known to motorists for their highway checkpoint inspections

jugería stall or small restaurant providing a large array of squeezed vegetable and fruit jugos (juices)

juzgado the “hoosegow,” or jail

lancha launch (a small motorboat)

larga distancia long-distance telephone service, or the caseta (booth or office) where it’s provided

licencado academic degree (abbrev. Lic.) approximately equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in the United States

lonchería small lunch counter, usually serving juices, sandwiches, and antojitos

machismo; macho exaggerated sense of maleness; person who holds such a sense of himself

manañita early-morning mass

mano a hand, or the stone roller used to grind corn on the flat stone metate

mayordomo community leader responsible for staging a local Catholic religious festival

mescal alcoholic beverage distilled from the fermented hearts of maguey (century plant)

mestizo person of mixed native and European descent

metate a slightly concave, horizontal stone basin for grinding corn for tortillas

milagro literally a miracle, but also a small religious wish medal, often pinned to an altar saint by someone requesting divine intervention

milpa a small, family-owned field, traditionally planted in corn, beans, and squash

mirador viewpoint, overlook

molcajete a stone mortar and pestle, used for hand-grinding, especially chilies and seeds

mordida slang for bribe; “little bite”

olla a pottery jug or pot, used for stewing vegetables, meats, beans, coffee

padrino, padrina godfather or godmother, often the respective compadres of the given child’s parents

palapa an open, thatched-roof structure, usually shading a restaurant

panela rough brown cane sugar, sold in lumps in the market

panga outboard motor-launch (lancha)

papier-mâché the craft of glued, multilayered paper sculpture, centered in Tonalá, Jalisco, where creations can resemble fine pottery or lacquerware

Pemex acronym for Petróleos Mexicanos, the national oil corporation

peninsulares the Spanish-born ruling colonial elite

peón a poor wage-earner, usually a country native

periférico peripheral boulevard

petate all-purpose woven mat, from palm fronds

piciete native tobacco, widely cultivated in Northern Oaxaca state

piñata papier-mâché decoration, usually in animal or human form, filled with treats and broken open during a fiesta

plan political manifesto, usually by a leader or group consolidating or seeking power

Porfiriato the 34-year (1876–1910) ruling period of president-dictator Porfirio Díaz

Las Posadas Christmas, especially on Christmas Eve, procession, in which participants, led by costumed Holy Mary and Joseph, knock on neighborhood doors and implore, unsuccessfully, for a room for the night

pozahuanco horizontally striped hand-woven wraparound skirt, commonly worn in the Oaxaca’s coastal Mixtec district

pozole stew of hominy in broth, usually topped by shredded meat, cabbage, and diced onion

presidencia municipal the headquarters, like a U.S. city or county hall, of a Mexican municipio, county-like local governmental unit

preventiva local, state, or federal police, especially charged with directly foiling crooks

principal, anciano a respected elder, often a member of a council of elders, whom the community consults for advice and support

pronunciamiento declaration of rebellion by an insurgent leader

pueblo town or people

puente literally a “bridge,” but commonly a long holiday weekend, when resort hotel reservations are highly recommended

pulque the fermented juice of the maguey plant, approximately equivalent in alcoholic content to wine or strong beer

puta whore, bitch, or slut

quinta a villa or upscale country house

quinto the colonial royal “fifth” tax on treasure and precious metals

ramada a shade roof, usually made of palm fronds; in coastal Mexico, ramadas often shelter homes or restaurants

regidor a community official, often a town council member, responsible for specific government functions, such as public works

retablo altarpiece, often of ornately carved and gilded wood

retorno cul-de-sac

ropa típica traditional dress, derived from the Spanish colonial tradition (in contrast to traje, traditional indigenous dress)

rurales former federal country police force created to fight bandidos (bandits) and suppress political dissent

Sabi Mixtec god of rain

sabino “Mexican” or “Montezuma” bald cypress tree, Taxodium mucronatum

Semana Santa Holy Week, the week preceding Easter Sunday

servicios the indigenous ladder of increasingly responsible public tasks that, if successfully performed, leads to community approval, prestige, and leadership for a given individual by middle age

tapete wool rug, made in certain east-side Valley of Oaxaca villages

taxi especial private taxi, as distinguished from taxi colectivo, or collective taxi

telégrafo telegraph office, lately converting to high-tech telecomunicaciones (telecom), that also offers computerized telephone and public fax services

temazcal traditional indigenous sweat room, rock-enclosed and heated by a wood fire, usually used for healing, especially by women after childbirth

tenate basket of woven palm leaf, with tumpline instead of a rigid handle

tepache a wine, fermented from panela (sugarcane juice)

tequio an obligatory communal task, such as local road work, street sweeping, or child care, expected of all adult villagers from time to time

tianguis literally “awning,” but now has come to mean the awning-decorated native town market

tlacoyos fired or toasted cakes made of masa; similar to corn tortillas but fatter

tono a usually benign animal guardian spirit

topil lowest municipal job, of messenger, filled by youngest teenage boys

traje traditional indigenous dress

vaquero cowboy

vecinidad neighborhood

yanqui Yankee

zócalo the popular label originally for the Mexico City central plaza; now the name for central plazas all over Mexico, including Oaxaca

Spanish Phrasebook

Your Mexico adventure will be more fun if you use a little Spanish. Mexican folks, although they may smile at your funny accent, will appreciate your halting efforts to break the ice and transform yourself from a foreigner to a potential friend.

Spanish commonly uses 30 letters–the familiar English 26, plus four straightforward additions: ch, ll, ñ, and rr, which are explained in “Consonants,” below.

PRONUNCIATION

Once you learn them, Spanish pronunciation rules–in contrast to English–don’t change. Spanish vowels generally sound softer than in English. (Note: The capitalized syllables below receive stronger accents.)

Vowels

a like ah, as in “hah”: agua AH-gooah (water), pan PAHN (bread), and casa CAH-sah (house)
e like ay, as in “may:” mesa MAY-sah (table), tela TAY-lah (cloth), and de DAY (of, from)
i like ee, as in “need”: die dee-AYZ (ten), co-mida ko-MEE-dah (meal), and fin FEEN (end)
o like oh, as in “go”: peso PAY-soh (weight), ocho OH-choh (eight), and poco POH-koh (a bit)
u like oo, as in “cool”: uno OO-noh (one), cuarto KOOAHR-toh (room), and usted oos-TAYD (you); when it follows a “q” the u is silent; when it follows an “h” or has an umlaut, it’s pronounced like “w”

Consonants

b, d, f, k, l, m, n, p, q, s, t, v, w, x, y, z, and ch pronounced almost as in English; h occurs, but is silent–not pronounced at all.
c like k as in “keep”: cuarto KOOAR-toh (room), Tepic tay-PEEK (capital of Nayarit state); when it precedes “e” or “i,” pronounce c like s, as in “sit”: cerveza sayr-VAY-SAH (beer), encima ayn-SEE-mah (atop).
g like g as in “gift” when it precedes “a,” “o,” “u,” or a consonant: gato GAH-toh (cat), hago AH-goh (I do, make); otherwise, pronounce g like h as in “hat”: giro HEE-roh (money order), gente HAYN-tay (people)
j like h, as in “has”: Jueves HOOAY-vays (Thursday), mejor may-HOR (better)
ll like y, as in “yes”: toalla toh-AH-yah (towel), ellos AY-yohs (they, them)
ñ like ny, as in “canyon”: año AH-nyo (year), señor SAY-nyor (Mr., sir)
r is lightly trilled, with tongue at the roof of your mouth like a very light English d, as in “ready”: pero PAY-doh (but), tres TDAYS (three), cuatro KOOAH-tdoh (four).
rr like a Spanish r, but with much more emphasis and trill. Let your tongue flap. Practice with burro (donkey), carretera (highway), and Carrillo (proper name), then really let go with ferrocarril (railroad).

Note: The single small but common exception to all of the above is the pronunciation of Spanish y when it’s being used as the Spanish word for “and,” as in “Ron y Kathy.” In such case, pronounce it like the English ee, as in “keep”: Ron “ee” Kathy (Ron and Kathy).

Accent

The rule for accent, the relative stress given to syllables within a given word, is straightforward. If a word ends in a vowel, an n, or an s, accent the next-to-last syllable; if not, accent the last syllable.

Pronounce gracias GRAH-seeahs (thank you), orden OHR-dayn (order), and carretera kah-ray-TAY-rah (highway) with stress on the next-to-last syllable.

Otherwise, accent the last syllable: venir vay-NEER (to come), ferrocarril fay-roh-cah-REEL (railroad), and edad ay-DAHD (age).

Exceptions to the accent rule are always marked with an accent sign: (á, é, í, ó, or ú), such as teléfono tay-LAY-foh-noh (telephone), jabón hah-BON (soap), and rápido RAH-pee-doh (rapid).

BASIC AND COURTEOUS EXPRESSIONS

Most Spanish-speaking people consider formalities important. Whenever approaching anyone for information or some other reason, do not forget the appropriate salutation–good morning, good evening, etc. Standing alone, the greeting hola (hello) can sound brusque.

Hello. Hola.

Good morning. Buenos días.

Good afternoon. Buenas tardes.

Good evening. Buenas noches.

How are you? ¿Cómo está usted?

Very well, thank you. Muy bien, gracias.

Okay; good. Bien.

Not okay; bad. Mal or feo.

So-so. Más o menos.

And you? ¿Y usted?

Thank you. Gracias.

Thank you very much. Muchas gracias.

You’re very kind. Muy amable.

You’re welcome. De nada.

Goodbye. Adios.

See you later. Hasta luego.

please por favor

yes sí

no no

I don’t know. No sé.

Just a moment, please. Momentito, por favor.

Excuse me, please (when you’re trying to get attention). Disculpe or Con permiso.

Excuse me (when you’ve made a boo-boo). Lo siento.

Pleased to meet you. Mucho gusto.

How do you say…in Spanish? ¿Cómo se dice…en español?

What is your name? ¿Cómo se llama usted?

Do you speak English? ¿Habla usted inglés?

Is English spoken here? (Does anyone here speak English?) ¿Se habla inglés?

I don’t speak Spanish well. No hablo bien el español.

I don’t understand. No entiendo.

How do you say…in Spanish? ¿Cómo se dice…en español?

My name is ... Me llamo ...

Would you like ... ¿Quisiera usted . . .

Let’s go to ... Vamos a . . .

TERMS OF ADDRESS

When in doubt, use the formal usted (you) as a form of address.

I yo

you (formal) usted

you (familiar) tu

he/him él

she/her ella

we/us nosotros

you (plural) ustedes

they/them ellos (all males or mixed gender); ellas (all females)

Mr., sir señor

Mrs., madam señora

miss, young lady señorita

wife esposa

husband esposo

friend amigo (male); amiga (female)

sweetheart novio (male); novia (female)

son; daughter hijo; hija

brother; sister hermano; hermana

father; mother padre; madre

grandfather; grandmother abuelo; abuela

TRANSPORTATION

Where is ... ? ¿Dónde está ... ?

How far is it to ... ? ¿A cuánto está ... ?

from…to ... de…a ...

How many blocks? ¿Cuántas cuadras?

Where (Which) is the way to ... ? ¿Dónde está el camino a ... ?

the bus station la terminal de autobuses

the bus stop la parada de autobuses

Where is this bus going? ¿Adónde va este autobús?

the taxi stand la parada de taxis

the train station la estación de ferrocarril

the boat el barco

the launch lancha; tiburonera

the dock el muelle

the airport el aeropuerto

I’d like a ticket to ... Quisiera un boleto a . . .

first (second) class primera (segunda) clase

roundtrip ida y vuelta

reservation reservación

baggage equipaje

Stop here, please. Pare aquí, por favor.

the entrance la entrada

the exit la salida

the ticket office la oficina de boletos

(very) near; far (muy) cerca; lejos

to; toward a

by; through por

from de

the right la derecha

the left la izquierda

straight ahead derecho; directo

in front en frente

beside al lado

behind atrás

the corner la esquina

the stoplight la semáforo

a turn una vuelta

right here aquí

somewhere around here por acá

right there allí

somewhere around there por allá

road el camino

street; boulevard calle ; bulevar

block la cuadra

highway carretera

kilometer kilómetro

bridge; toll puente; cuota

address dirección

north; south norte; sur

east; west oriente (este); poniente (oeste)

ACCOMMODATIONS

hotel hotel

Is there a room? ¿Hay cuarto?

May I (may we) see it? ¿Puedo (podemos) verlo?

What is the rate? ¿Cuál es el precio?

Is that your best rate? ¿Es su mejor precio?

Is there something cheaper? ¿Hay algo más económico?

a single room un cuarto sencillo

a double room un cuarto doble

double bed cama matrimonial

twin beds camas gemelas

with private bath con baño

hot water agua caliente

shower ducha

towels toallas

soap jabón

toilet paper papel higiénico

blanket frazada; manta

sheets sábanas

air-conditioned aire acondicionado

fan abanico; ventilador

key llave

manager gerente

FOOD

I’m hungry Tengo hambre.

I’m thirsty. Tengo sed.

menu carta; menú

order orden

glass vaso

fork tenedor

knife cuchillo

spoon cuchara

napkin servilleta

soft drink refresco

coffee café

tea té

drinking water agua pura; agua potable

bottled carbonated water agua mineral

bottled uncarbonated water agua sin gas

beer cerveza

wine vino

milk leche

juice jugo

cream crema

sugar azúcar

cheese queso

snack antojo; botana

breakfast desayuno

lunch almuerzo

daily lunch special comida corrida (or el menú del día depending on region)

dinner comida (often eaten in late afternoon); cena (a late-night snack)

the check la cuenta

eggs huevos

bread pan

salad ensalada

fruit fruta

mango mango

watermelon sandía

papaya papaya

banana plátano

apple manzana

orange naranja

lime limón

fish pescado

shellfish mariscos

shrimp camarones

meat (without) (sin) carne

chicken pollo

pork puerco

beef; steak res; bistec

bacon; ham tocino; jamón

fried frito

roasted asada

barbecue; barbecued barbacoa; al carbón

SHOPPING

money dinero

money-exchange bureau casa de cambio

I would like to exchange traveler’s checks. Quisiera cambiar cheques de viajero.

What is the exchange rate? ¿Cuál es el tipo de cambio?

How much is the commission? ¿Cuánto cuesta la comisión?

Do you accept credit cards? ¿Aceptan tarjetas de crédito?

money order giro

How much does it cost? ¿Cuánto cuesta?

What is your final price? ¿Cuál es su último precio?

expensive caro

cheap barato; económico

more más

less menos

a little un poco

too much demasiado

HEALTH

Help me please. Ayúdeme por favor.

I am ill. Estoy enfermo.

Call a doctor. Llame un doctor.

Take me to ... Lléveme a ...

hospital hospital; sanatorio

drugstore farmacia

pain dolor

fever fiebre

headache dolor de cabeza

stomachache dolor de estómago

burn quemadura

cramp calambre

nausea náusea

vomiting vomitar

medicine medicina

antibiotic antibiótico

pill; tablet pastilla

aspirin aspirina

ointment; cream pomada; crema

bandage venda

cotton algodón

sanitary napkins use brand name, e.g., Kotex

birth control pills pastillas anticonceptivas

contraceptive foam espuma anticonceptiva

condoms preservativos; condones

toothbrush cepilla dental

dental floss hilo dental

toothpaste crema dental

dentist dentista

toothache dolor de muelas

POST OFFICE AND COMMUNICATIONS

long-distance telephone teléfono larga distancia

I would like to call ... Quisiera llamar a ...

collect por cobrar

station to station a quien contesta

person to person persona a persona

credit card tarjeta de crédito

post office correo

general delivery lista de correo

letter carta

stamp estampilla, timbre

postcard tarjeta

aerogram aerograma

air mail correo aereo

registered registrado

money order giro

package; box paquete; caja

string; tape cuerda; cinta

AT THE BORDER

border frontera

customs aduana

immigration migración

tourist card tarjeta de turista

inspection inspección; revisión

passport pasaporte

profession profesión

marital status estado civil

single soltero

married; divorced casado; divorciado

widowed viudado

insurance seguros

title título

driver’s license licencia de manejar

AT THE GAS STATION

gas station gasolinera

gasoline gasolina

unleaded sin plomo

full, please lleno, por favor

tire llanta

tire repair shop vulcanizadora

air aire

water agua

oil (change) aceite (cambio)

grease grasa

My…doesn’t work. Mi…no sirve.

battery batería

radiator radiador

alternator alternador

generator generador

tow truck grúa

repair shop taller mecánico

tune-up afinación

auto parts store refaccionería

VERBS

Verbs are the key to getting along in Spanish. They employ mostly predictable forms and come in three classes, which end in ar, er, and ir, respectively:

to buy comprar

I buy, you (he, she, it) buys compro, compra

we buy, you (they) buy compramos, compran

to eat comer

I eat, you (he, she, it) eats como, come

we eat, you (they) eat comemos, comen

to climb subir

I climb, you (he, she, it) climbs subo, sube

we climb, you (they) climb subimos, suben

Here are more (with irregularities indicated):

to do or make hacer (regular except for hago, I do or make)

to go ir (very irregular: voy, va, vamos, van)

to go (walk) andar

to love amar

to work trabajar

to want desear, querer

to need necesitar

to read leer

to write escribir

to repair reparar

to stop parar

to get off (the bus) bajar

to arrive llegar

to stay (remain) quedar

to stay (lodge) hospedar

to leave salir (regular except for salgo, I leave)

to look at mirar

to look for buscar

to give dar (regular except for doy, I give)

to carry llevar

to have tener (irregular but important: tengo, tiene, tenemos, tienen)

to come venir (similarly irregular: vengo, viene, venimos, vienen)

Spanish has two forms of “to be”:

to be estar (regular except for estoy, I am)

to be ser (very irregular: soy, es, somos, son)

Use estar when speaking of location or a temporary state of being: “I am at home.” “Estoy en casa.” “I’m sick.” “Estoy enfermo.” Use ser for a permanent state of being: “I am a doctor.” “Soy doctora.”

NUMBERS

zero cero

one uno

two dos

three tres

four cuatro

five cinco

six seis

seven siete

eight ocho

nine nueve

10 diez

11 once

12 doce

13 trece

14 catorce

15 quince

16 dieciseis

17 diecisiete

18 dieciocho

19 diecinueve

20 veinte

21 veinte y uno or veintiuno

30 treinta

40 cuarenta

50 cincuenta

60 sesenta

70 setenta

80 ochenta

90 noventa

100 ciento

101 ciento y uno or cientiuno

200 doscientos

500 quinientos

1,000 mil

10,000 diez mil

100,000 cien mil

1,000,000 millón

one half medio

one third un tercio

one fourth un cuarto

TIME

What time is it? ¿Qué hora es?

It’s one o’clock. Es la una.

It’s three in the afternoon. Son las tres de la tarde.

It’s 4 A.M. Son las cuatro de la mañana.

six-thirty seis y media

a quarter till eleven un cuarto para las once

a quarter past five las cinco y cuarto

an hour una hora

DAYS AND MONTHS

Monday lunes

Tuesday martes

Wednesday miércoles

Thursday jueves

Friday viernes

Saturday sábado

Sunday domingo

today hoy

tomorrow mañana

yesterday ayer

January enero

February febrero

March marzo

April abril

May mayo

June junio

July julio

August agosto

September septiembre

October octubre

November noviembre

December diciembre

a week una semana

a month un mes

after después

before antes

HISTORY

Blanton, E. Richard, Gary M. Feinman, Stephen A. Kowaleski, and Linda M. Nicholas. Ancient Oaxaca. Cambridge, New York, and Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 1999. A scholarly account of pre-Columbian Oaxaca history, for the serious reader.

Brunk, Samuel. Emiliano Zapata: Revolution and Betrayal in Mexico. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 1995. A detailed narrative of the renowned revolutionary’s turbulent life, from his humble birth in Anenecuilco village in Morelos through his de facto control of Mexico City in 1914–1915 to his final betrayal and assassination in 1919. The author authoritatively demonstrates that Zapata, neither complete hero nor complete villain, was simply an incredibly determined native leader who paid the ultimate price in his selfless struggle for land and liberty for the campesinos of southern Mexico.

Calderón de la Barca, Frances. Life in Mexico, with New Material from the Author’s Journals. Charleston, SC: Bibliobazaar, 2006. A new copyright and printing of the humorous original 1843 book, by the brilliant, celebrated Scottish wife of the Spanish ambassador to Mexico.

Casasola, Gustavo. Seis Siglos de Historia Gráfica de Mexico (Six Centuries of Mexican Graphic History). Mexico City: Editorial Gustavo Casasola, 1978. Six fascinating encyclopedic volumes, in Spanish, of Mexican history in pictures, from 1325 to the present. Now out of print, but large city and university libraries may have copies.

Chance, John K. Conquest of the Sierra. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1989. Professor Chance uses archival sources to trace the evolution of colonial society, principally the northern Sierra Zapotec communities and how they adapted their religion, customs, and settlement patterns in response to the pressures of Spanish rule.

Collis, Maurice. Cortés and Montezuma. New York, NY: New Directions Publishing Corp., 1999. A reprint of a 1954 classic piece of well-researched storytelling, Collis traces Cortés’s conquest of Mexico through the defeat of his chief opponent, Aztec Emperor Montezuma. He uses contemporary eyewitnesses—notably Bernal Díaz del Castillo—to revivify one of history’s greatest dramas.

Cortés, Hernán. Letters from Mexico. Translated by Anthony Pagden. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1986. Cortés’s five long letters to his king, in which he describes contemporary Mexico in fascinating detail, including, notably, the remarkably sophisticated life of the Aztecs at the time of the conquest.

De las Casas, Bartolome. A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1992. The gritty but beloved Dominican Bishop, renowned as Mexico’s “Apostle of the Indians” writes passionately of his own failed attempt to moderate and humanize the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

Díaz del Castillo, Bernal. The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico. New York, NY: Da Capo Press, 2003. A fascinating, still-fresh soldier’s tale of the conquest from the Spanish viewpoint.

Garfias, Luis. The Mexican Revolution. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985. A concise Mexican version of the 1910–1917 Mexican revolution, the crucible of present-day Mexico.

Gugliotta, Bobette. Women of Mexico, the Consecrated and the Common. Encino, CA: originally published by Floricanto Press, 1989. Lively legends, tales, and biographies of remarkable Mexican women, including several from Oaxaca. Libraries, Amazon.com, and others have used copies.

León-Portilla, Miguel. The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico. New York, NY: Beacon Press, 1992. Provides an intriguing contrast to Díaz del Castillo’s account.

Meyer, Michael, and William Sherman. The Course of Mexican History. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2003. An insightful, interestingly written 700-plus-page college textbook in paperback. A bargain, especially if you can get it used.

Novas, Himlice. Everything You Need to Know About Latino History. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2007. Chicanos, Latin rhythm, La Raza, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and much more, interpreted from an authoritative Latino point of view.

Ridley, Jasper. Maximilian and Juárez. London: Orion Pub. Group, 2001. This authoritative historical biography breathes new life into one of Mexico’s great ironic tragedies, a drama that pitted the native Zapotec “Lincoln of Mexico” against the dreamy, idealistic Archduke Maximilian of Austria-Hungary. Despite their common liberal ideals, they were drawn into a bloody no-quarter struggle that set the Old World against the New, ending in Maximilian’s execution, the insanity of his wife, and the emergence of the United States as a power to be reckoned with in world affairs.

Ruíz, Ramon Eduardo. Triumphs and Tragedy: A History of the Mexican People. New York, NY: W. W. Norton, Inc., 1992. A pithy, anecdote-filled history of Mexico from an authoritative Mexican American perspective.

Shorris, Earl. Life and Times of Mexico. New York, NY: W. W. Norton, 2006. A grand 750-page narrative of the divided soul of Mexico, driven by 3,000 years of history, as told by Mexicans, from the ancient Olmecs, Benito Juárez, and Emiliano Zapata, to maquiladora laborers, prostitutes, and a movie director.

Simpson, Lesley Bird. Many Mexicos. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1962. A much-reprinted, fascinating broad-brush portrait of Mexican history.

ARCHAEOLOGY

Flannery, Kent, and Joyce Marcus. The Cloud People. New York, NY: Academic Press, 2003. Eminently authoritative authors trace the divergent evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec peoples as revealed by the archaeological record.

Marcus, Joyce, and Kent Flannery, contributor. Zapotec Civilization. London and New York, NY: Thames and Hudson, 1996. The distinguished authors elegantly illustrate and trace the evolution of Valley of Oaxaca civilization, from 10,000 B.C. to the conquest, using the results from recent finds and hundreds of maps, drawings, and photos.

Winter, Marcus. Oaxaca, the Archaeological Record. Mexico, D.F.: Minutiae Mexicana, 1992. A distinguished Oaxaca resident archaeologist skillfully traces a concise history of Oaxaca’s pre-conquest inhabitants, based on finds at Monte Albán, Mitla, and many other sites. Dozens of maps and site descriptions make this 100-page pamphlet an especially useful guide.

UNIQUE GUIDE AND TIP BOOKS

American Automobile Association. Mexico TravelBook. Heathrow, FL: American Automobile Association, 2003. The American Automobile Association (1000 AAA Drive, Heathrow, FL 32746-5063, www.aaa.com, 800/922-8228) offers short but sweet summaries of major Mexican tourist destinations and sights. Also includes information on fiestas, accommodations, restaurants, and a wealth of information relevant to car travel in Mexico. Available in bookstores, or free to AAA members at affiliate offices.

Church, Mike and Terry. Traveler’s Guide to Mexican Camping. Kirkland, WA: Rolling Homes Press (order by tel. 800/922-8228, or through www.rollinghomes.com). This is an unusually thorough guide to trailer parks all over Mexico, with much coverage of the Pacific Coast in general and Oaxaca region in particular. Detailed maps guide you accurately to each trailer park cited and clear descriptions tell you what to expect.

Forgey, Dr. William. Traveler’s Medical Alert Series: Mexico, A Guide to Health and Safety. Merrillville, IN: ICS Books, 1991. Useful information on health and safety in Mexico. Out of print, but available through Amazon. com.

Franz, Carl. The People’s Guide to Mexico. Emeryville, CA: Avalon Travel Publishing, 13th edition, 2006. An entertaining and insightful A-to-Z general guide to the joys and pitfalls of independent economy travel in Mexico.

Gilford, Judith. The Packing Book. New York, NY: Ten Speed Press, 2006. The secrets of the carry-on traveler, or how to make everything you carry do double and triple duty. All for the sake of convenience, mobility, economy, and comfort.

Graham, Scott. Handle With Care: Guide to Socially Responsible Travel in Developing Countries. Chicago, IL: The Noble Press, 1991. Should you accept a meal from a family who lives in a grass house? This insightful guide answers this and hundreds of other tough questions for people who want to travel responsibly in the third world. It’s out of print, but available through Amazon.com.

Jeffrey, Nan. Adventuring with Children. Ash-land, MA: Avalon House Publishing, 1996. This unusually detailed book starts where most travel-with-children books end. It contains, besides a wealth of information and practical strategies for general travel with children, specific chapters on how you can adventure—trek, kayak, river-raft, camp, bicycle, and much more—successfully with the kids in tow.

Werner, David. Where There Is No Doctor. Berkeley, CA: Hesperian Foundation (1919 Addison St., Suite 204, Berkeley, CA 94704, tel. 888/729-1796, www.hesperian.org), 1992. How to keep well in the tropical backcountry.

Whipperman, Bruce. Moon Acapulco, Ixtapa & Zihuatanejo. Berkeley, CA: Avalon Travel, fourth edition, 2008. The most comprehensive guidebook, with an abundance of detail of not only the famous resorts, but the little-known untouristed treasures, from the mountains to the sea, of Oaxaca’s neighboring state of Guerrero.

FICTION

Bowen, David, ed. Pyramids of Glass. San Antonio, TX: Corona Publishing Co., 1994. Two dozen-odd stories that lead the reader along a month-long journey through the bedrooms, the barracks, the cafés, and streets of present-day Mexico.

Boyle, T. C. The Tortilla Curtain. New York, NY: Penguin-Putnam, 1996; paperback edition, Raincoast Books, 1996. A chance intersection of the lives of two couples, one affluent and liberal Southern Californians, the other poor homeless illegal immigrants, forces all to come to grips with the real price of the American Dream.

Cisneros, Sandra. Caramelo. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002. A celebrated author weaves a passionate, yet funny, multigenera-tional tale of a Mexican-American family and of their migrations, which, beginning in Mexico City, propelled them north, all the way to Chicago and back.

De la Cruz, Sor Juana Inez. Poems, Protest, and a Dream. New York, NY: Penguin, 1997. Masterful translation of a collection of love and religious poems by the celebrated pioneer (1651–1695) Mexican feminist-nun.

De Zapata, Celia Correas, ed. Short Stories by Latin American Women: The Magic and the Real. New York, NY: Random House Modern Library, 2003. An eclectic mix of more than 30 stories by noted Latin American women. The stories, which a number of critics classify as “magical realism,” were researched by editor Celia de Zapata, who got them freshly translated into English by a cadre of renowned translators.

Doerr, Harriet. Consider This, Señora. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace, 1993. Four expatriates tough it out in a Mexican small town, adapting to the excesses—blazing sun, driving rain, vast untrammeled landscapes—meanwhile interacting with the local folks while the local folks observe them, with a mixture of fascination and tolerance.

Finn, María, ed. Mexico in Mind. New York, NY: Vintage Books, 2006. The wisdom and impressions of two centuries of renowned writers, from D. H. Lawrence and John Steinbeck to John Reed and Richard Rodríguez, who were drawn to the timelessness and romance of Mexico.

Fuentes, Carlos. Where the Air Is Clear. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1971. The seminal work of Mexico’s celebrated novelist.

Fuentes, Carlos. The Years with Laura Díaz. Translated by Alfred MacAdam. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2000. A panorama of Mexico from Independence to the 21st century through the eyes of one woman, Laura Díaz, and her great-grandson, the author. One reviewer said that she, “as a Mexican woman, would like to celebrate Carlos Fuentes; it is worthy of applause that a man who has seen, observed, analyzed and criticized the great occurrences of the century now has a woman, Laura Díaz, speak for him.”

Jennings, Gary. Aztec. New York, NY: Atheneum, 1980; reprinted by Forge Books, 2006. Beautifully researched and written monumental tale of lust, compassion, love, and death in pre-conquest Mexico.

Nickles, Sara, ed. Escape to Mexico. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2002. A carefully selected anthology of 20-odd stories of Mexico by renowned authors, from Steven Crane and W. Somerset Maugham to Anaïs Nin and David Lida, who all found inspiration, refuge, adventure, and much more in Mexico.

Perez-Riverte, Arturo. Queen of the South. New York, NY: Plume Books, 2005. In a gripping good read, the author tackles the dangerous world of Mexican drug trafficking. The story immediately races along with protagonist Teresa Mendoza, fleeing for her life from Mexico, to Morocco. There, learning from her every step, threading her way through a snake nest of dangerous men, she finally triumphs as the ringleader of a big drug trafficking ring.

Peters, Daniel. The Luck of Huemac. New York, NY: Random House, 1981. An Aztec noble family’s tale of war, famine, sorcery, heroism, treachery, love, and, finally, disaster and death in the Valley of Mexico.

Traven, B. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. New York, NY: Hill and Wang, 1967. Campesinos, federales, gringos, and indígenas all figure in this modern morality tale set in Mexico’s rugged outback. The most famous of the mysterious author’s many novels of oppression and justice in Mexico’s jungles.

Villaseñor, Victor. Rain of Gold. New York, NY: Delta Books (Bantam, Doubleday, and Dell), 1991. The moving, best-selling epic of the gritty travails of the author’s family. From humble rural beginnings in the Copper Canyon, they flee revolution and certain death, struggling through parched northern deserts to sprawling border refugee camps. From there they migrate to relative safety and an eventual modicum of happiness in Southern California.

ARTS, CRAFTS, AND ARCHITECTURE

Baird, Joseph. The Churches of Mexico, 1530–1810. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1962. Mexican colonial architecture and art, illustrated and interpreted, with many monumental examples from Oaxaca.

Chibnik, Michael. Crafting Tradition: The Making and Marketing of Oaxaca Wood Carvings. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2003. Authoritative study of the phenomenally popular growth of alebrijes, Oaxaca’s fanciful wooden animals. This carefully researched work covers all you need to know about the history, crafting, artistry, and the social and economic ramifications of Oaxacan woodcrafts in particular and handicrafts in general.

Fishgrund, Andrea Stanton. Zapotec Weavers of Teotitlán. Santa Fe, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 1999. Authoritative, richly color-illustrated description of the history, economics, and techniques, both traditional and contemporary, of the textile weavers of Teotitlán del Valle, in the Valley of Oaxaca.

Martínez Penaloza, Porfirio. Popular Arts of Mexico. Mexico City: Editorial Panorama, 1981. An excellent pocket-sized exposition of Mexican art and handicrafts.

Morrill, Penny C., and Carol A. Berk. Mexican Silver. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing Co. (4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310), 2001. Lovingly written and photographed exposition of the Mexican silvercraft of Taxco, Guerrero, that was revitalized through the initiative of Frederick Davis and William Spratling in the 1920s and 1930s. Color photos of many beautiful museum-quality pieces supplement the text, which describes the history and work of a score of silversmith-ing families who developed the Taxco craft under Spratling’s leadership. Greatly adds to the traveler’s appreciation of the beautiful Taxco silvercrafts.

Mullen, Robert J. The Architecture and Sculpture of Oaxaca, 1530s to 1980s. Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University, 1995. An informative stone-by-stone guide to Oaxaca’s monumental buildings, mostly churches. The author’s solid commentary vivifies visits to every church of note in Oaxaca and transforms what might be humdrum sightseeing for the reader-traveler into recognition, understanding, and appreciation.

Sayer, Chloë. Arts and Crafts of Mexico. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 1990. All you ever wanted to know about your favorite Mexican crafts, from papier-mâché to pottery, toys, and Taxco silver. Beautifully illustrated by traditional etchings and David Lavender’s crisp black-and-white and color photographs.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

Castillo, Ana, ed. Goddess of the Americas. New York, NY: Riverhead Books, 1997. Here a noted author has selected from the works of seven interpreters of Mesoamerican female deities to provide readers with visions of the Virgin of Guadalupe that range as far and wide as Sex Goddess, the Broken-Hearted, the Subversive, and the Warrior Queen.

Casumano, Camille. Mexico, a Love Story: Women Write About the Mexican Experience. Berkeley, CA: Seal Press, 2006. A dozen-odd writers share stories, some poignant, some entertaining, and all endearing, that express their love for Mexico and its people.

Chinas, Beverly Newbold. Isthmus Zapotecs: A Matrifocal Culture of Mexico. Forth Worth, TX: College Publishing, 1997. In a detailed academic study, the author explains how an indigenous, female-dominant culture functions in Oaxaca.

Cohen, Jeffrey. Cooperation and Community: Economy and Society in Oaxaca. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2000. A pithy, authoritative account of the history, economy, politics, and folkways of the Santañeros—the people of the weaving village of Santa Ana del Valle, in the Valley of Oaxaca. Here, time-honored customs—compadrazgo, guelaguetza, promesas—fuse with latter-day realities to produce a culture simultaneously modern and traditional.

Cordrey, Donald, and Dorothy Cordrey. Mexican Indian Costumes. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1968. A lovingly photographed, written, and illustrated classic on Mexican native peoples, including many Oaxacan groups.

Edinger, Steven T. The Road from Mixtepec. Fresno, CA: Asociación Cívica Benito Juárez (P.O. Box 12320, Fresno, CA 93706), 1996. A compassionately researched and photographed account of the people of San Juan Mixtepec, in the Mixteca Alta region of Oaxaca. The author, through his solid anecdotal narrative, relates the story of how a people whose means of existence have been gradually degraded for the past 400 years maintain their lives, spirit, and traditions only by repeated emigration to work as marginal farm laborers in northern Mexico and the United States.

Finerty, Catherine Palmer. In a Village Far From Home. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press, 2000. After a successful Madison Avenue career, the author packed up and eventually found herself the volunteer nurse in an isolated western Mexico village. From her eight-year diary, she shares the joys and sorrows of a cast of village characters, from a valiant Catholic padre and his frowning bishop, to Chuy, her indigenous housekeeper, and Chila, her landlord.

Greenberg, James B. Blood Ties: Life and Violence in Rural Mexico. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press, 1993. The author reveals, with a wealth of personal anecdotes, the cultural underpinnings beneath decades of deadly feuding between two leading Chatino towns in Oaxaca’s southern Sierra.

Haden, Judith Cooper, and Matthew Jaffe. Oaxaca, the Spirit of Mexico. New York, NY: Artisan, division of Workman Publishing, Inc., 2002. Simply the loveliest, most sensitively photographed and crafted coffee-table book of Mexico photography yet produced. Photos by Haden, text by Jaffe.

Leslie, Charles M. Now We Are Civilized. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press, 1960. A now-classic anecdotal study of the worldview and ways of the Zapotec people of Mitla, Oaxaca.

Martinez, Zarela. The Food and Life of Oaxaca. New York, NY: Macmillan, 1997. Martinez, a New York restaurateur, leads her readers on an intriguing tour of Oaxacan folkways by way of the palate. Features chapters on Oaxaca’s seven moles, 150 recipes, and two dozen photos of finished gastronomical creations.

Nader, Laura. Harmony, Ideology, Justice, and Control in a Zapotec Mountain Village. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 1990. How some northern Sierra Zapotecs solve disputes, using religion-based ideas of harmony to achieve justice and social control.

Palmer, Colin A. Slaves of the White God: Blacks in Mexico. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1976. A scholarly study of why and how Spanish authorities imported African slaves into the Americas and how they were used afterward. Replete with poignant details taken from Spanish and Mexican archives describing how the Africans struggled from bondage to eventual freedom.

Romney, Kimball, and Romaine Romney. The Mixtecans of Juxtlahuaca. Huntington, NY: Robert E. Krieger Publishing Co., 1973. The authors study the contemporary Mixtec culture of the western Mixteca. Pithy examples, especially of the organization of fiestas, still ring true despite the two generations that elapsed since the research was done.

Stephen, Lynn. Zapotec Women. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2005. Study of how women run much of the local economy and a significant fraction of the politics in the Oaxaca Isthmus districts of Tehuántepec and Juchitán.

Toor, Frances. A Treasury of Mexican Folkways. New York, NY: Bonanza Books, 1947; reprinted 1985. A lovingly illustrated encyclopedia of vanishing Mexicana—costumes, religion, fiestas, burial practices, customs, legends—compiled during the celebrated author’s 35 years’ residence in Mexico in the early 20th century.

Sabina, María. María Sabina Selections. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2003. María Sabina (1894–1985) was the celebrated traditional healer and tutor to an entire new age generation, from mellow hippies, to straight-laced psychiatrists, seeking cures through María’s magic mushrooms. Although she was not a poet, she has nevertheless left behind a poetic legacy of essays and chants, compiled by her family and followers in her Northern Oaxaca mountain-top hometown of Huautla de Jiménez.

Trilling, Susana. Seasons of My Heart. New York, NY: Ballantine Publishing Group, 1999. The celebrated Oaxaca author, chef, and cooking teacher leads her readers on a culinary journey of the seven regions of Oaxaca. Along the way, they stop by market towns, mountain hamlets, shoreline villages, and lush highland valleys, visiting the friends with whom she refined the dozens of recipes that introduce the best of Oaxacan cooking. Seasons of My Heart is the companion volume to Trilling’s National Public Television series on Oaxacan cooking.

Wauchope, Robert, ed. Handbook of Middle American Indians. Volumes 7 and 8. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1969. Authoritative, fascinating, but aging studies of important native-speaking groups in northern, central (vol. 8), and southern (vol. 7) Mexico.

GOVERNMENT, POLITICS, AND ECONOMY

Campbell, Howard. Zapotec Renaissance: Ethnic Politics and Cultural Revival in Southern Mexico. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 1994. A history of how the Zapotecs around Juchitán, Oaxaca, fought city hall and won.

Dillon, Samuel, and Preston, Julia. Opening Mexico: The Making of a Democracy. New York, NY: Farrar, Strauss and Geroux, 2005. Former Mexico City New York Times bureau chiefs use their rich personal insights and investigative journalistic skill to tell the story of the latter-day evolution of Mexico’s uniquely imperfect democracy. Their story begins during the 1980s, tracing the decay of the 71-year-rule of the PRI, to its collapse, with the election of opposition candidate Vicente Fox in 2000.

Murphy, Arthur D., and Alex Stepick. Social Inequality in Oaxaca. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 1993. A sociopolitical history of grassroots underclass activism in Oaxaca City during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Poleman, Thomas T. Agricultural Development in the Mexican Tropics. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 1964. The successes, failures, and consequences of Mexico’s great dam project in Oaxaca’s Papaloapan basin.

Rubin, Jeffry W. Decentering the Regime. Winston-Salem, NC: Duke University Press, 1997. Ethnicity, radicalism, and democracy in Juchitán, Oaxaca.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Goodson, Gar. Fishes of the Pacific Coast. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1988. More than 500 beautifully detailed color drawings highlight this pocket version of all you ever wanted to know about the ocean’s fishes (including common Spanish names) from Alaska to Peru.

Howell, Steve N. G., and Sophie Webb. A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern America. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995. All the serious bird-watcher needs to know about Mexico’s rich species treasury. Includes authoritative habitat maps and 70 excellent color plates that detail the males and females of around 1,500 species. (For a more portable version, check out Steve Howell’s Bird-Finding Guide to Mexico, 1999.)

Mason Jr., Charles T., and Patricia B. Mason. Handbook of Mexican Roadside Flora. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press, 1987. Authoritative identification guide, with black and white illustrations, of all the plants you’re likely to see in the Oaxaca region.

Morris, Percy A. A Field Guide to Pacific Coast Shells. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1974. The complete beachcomber’s Pacific shell guide.

Pesman, M. Walter. Meet Flora Mexicana. Globe, AZ: D. S. King, 1962. Delightful anecdotes and illustrations of hundreds of common Mexican plants. Out of print.

Wright, N. Pelham. A Guide to Mexican Mammals and Reptiles. Mexico City: Minutiae Mexicana, 1989. Pocket-edition. Lore, history, descriptions, and pictures of commonly seen Mexican animals.

Internet Resources

A number of websites may be helpful in preparing for your Oaxaca trip.

GENERAL TRAVEL

Internet Travel Sites
www.travelocity.com,
www.expedia.com

These are major sites for airline and hotel bookings.

Travel Insurance
www.travelinsure.com,
www.worldtravelcenter.com

Both sites are good for general travel insurance and other services.

Mexico Car Insurance
Sanborn’s Insurance
www.sanbornsinsurance.com

Sanborn’s Insurance is the long-time, very reliable Mexico auto insurance agency, with the only north-of-the-border adjustment procedure. Get your quote online, order their many useful publications, and find out about other insurance you many have forgotten.

SPECIALTY TRAVEL

Go Oaxaca
www.go-oaxaca.com/overview/gay.html

A small page that lists a number of gay-friendly bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and a few gay-friendly hotels in Oaxaca City.

Mobility International
www.miusa.org

Site of Mobility International is expertly organized and complete, with a flock of services for travelers with disabilities, including many people-to-people connections in Mexico.

Purple Roofs
www.purpleroofs.com

One of the best general gay travel websites is maintained by San Francisco–based travel agency Purple Roofs. It offers, for example, details about several gay-friendly Oaxaca hotels, in addition to a wealth of gay-friendly travel-oriented links worldwide.

Road Scholar
www.roadscholar.org

Site of Boston-based Road Scholar, Inc. (formerly Elderhostel, Inc.), with a very popular program of ongoing study tours, includes a Oaxaca program of Spanish Language and Oaxacan culture.

U.S. GOVERNMENT

U.S. State Department
www.state.gov/travelandbusiness

The U.S. State Department’s very good travel information site, includes lots of headings and links to a swarm of topics, including Mexican consular offices in the United States, U.S. consular offices in Mexico, travel advisories, and links to other government information, such as importation of food, plants, and animals, U.S. customs, health abroad, airlines, and exchange rates.

MEXICO IN GENERAL

MexConnect
www.mexconnect.com

This is an extensive Mexico site, with dozens upon dozens of subheadings and links, especially helpful for folks thinking of traveling, working, living, or retiring in Mexico, including Oaxaca.

Mexico Desconocido
www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx

This is the site of the excellent magazine Mexico Desconocido (Undiscovered Mexico) that often features unusual, untouristed destinations, many in the state of Oaxaca. It links to a large library of past articles, which are not unlike a Mexican version of National Geographic Traveler, featuring solid, hard-to-find information, in good English translation, if you can get it. (The site is so voluminous that the automatic translator tends to bog down at the effort.)

On the initial home page, find the small magnifying glass and dialog box, labeled “buscar” (“find”) at the upper right. I typed in “Oaxaca” and got 206 informative hits about places and things in Oaxaca, each linked to an article in the magazine.

Mexico Online
www.mexonline.com

Very extensive, well-organized commercial site with many subheadings and links to Mexico’s large and medium destinations, and even some in small destinations. For the state of Oaxaca, they cover Oaxaca City, Huatulco, and Puerto Escondido. For example, for Oaxaca, their linked page www.mexonline.com/cityguideoaxaca.htm is typical, with manifold links about many dozens of accommodations, from luxury hotels to modest bed-and-breakfasts. It’s excellent.

Mexico Tourism Board
www.visitmexico.com

The public-private Mexico Tourism Board (Consejo de Promoción Turítica de Mexico) maintains a moderately helpful general site for destination travel information. It has lots of summarily informative sub-headings, not unlike an abbreviated guidebook. If you can’t find what you want here, call the toll-free information number (tel. 800/446-3942) or email contact@visitmexico.com.

If you can read some Spanish, its Spanish-language version, www.cptm.org.mx, is much more specific and detailed.

On the Road in Mexico
www.ontheroadin.com

This helpful site, with regularly updated information and photos of Mexico trailer parks and campgrounds, includes accurate and very usable maps to lots of out-of-the-way locations, many along the Pacific coast, including Puerto Escondido, Puerto Ángel, and Huatulco.

OAXACA CITY AND OAXACA IN GENERAL

Ecoturism in Oaxaca
www.ecoturismoenoaxaca.com

A good up-and-coming site with broad partial coverage of outdoor recreation sites, ripe for hiking, climbing, rapelling, bicycle riding, rafting, and more. Includes hotels, cabins, camping sites, and restaurants.

Oaxaca Bed-and-Breakfasts
www.oaxacabedandbreakfast.org

Modest but helpful site of the Oaxaca Bed-and-Breakfast Association. The dozen-odd accommodations, of English-savvy owner-operators, run $65–100 per night. A number of them are recommended in this book.

Oaxaca Mio
www.oaxaca-mio.com

Excellent commercial site, with lots on history, culture, sights, hotels, and services in Oaxaca City and Valley. Oaxaca coast coverage, including Puerto Escondido and Huatulco, is still informative, but not so extensive.

Oaxaca Secretary of Tourism
www.oaxaca.travel

Very detailed website of the Oaxaca Secretary of Tourism. Good Tourist Guide section with archaeological sites, recipes, churches, museums, festivals, myths and legends, murals, handicrafts, and more. The site goes the extra step farther and provides extensive detailed information. (Accessible by clicking on the homepage interactive Oaxaca map symbol, bottom of the homepage, left side. This gets you to an interactive Oaxaca City map. On the right of that, select the Valles Centrales map, for selections for off-the-tourist-track outlying villages.)

Oaxaca Times
www.oaxacatimes.com

The website of the Oaxaca Times newspaper has links to restaurants, galleries, handicrafts shops, services, plus a handy classified section usually including a long list of Oaxaca City apartment, house, homestay, and bed-and-breakfast rentals.

Planeta.com
www.planeta.com

Superb life project of Latin America’s dean of ecotourism, Oaxaca resident Ron Mader, who furnishes a comprehensive English-language clearinghouse of everything ecologically correct, from rescuing turtle eggs on the Oaxaca Coast to preserving the cloud forests in the Oaxaca’s northern Sierra Juarez. Contains dozens of pages competently linked for maximum speed. Check out www.planeta.com/oaxaca.html for a block-long list of information-packed links to everything you need to know about Oaxaca.

Vacation Rentals
www.vrbo.com, www.choice1.com

A pair of very useful sites for picking a vacation rental house, condo, or villa, with information and reservations links to individual owners. Prices vary from moderate to luxurious. Coverage extends over much of the Mexican Pacific, and, especially in www.vrbo.com (Vacation Rentals by Owner), many listings are in Oaxaca City, Puerto Escondido, and Huatulco.

OAXACA COAST

El Sol de la Costa
www.elsoldelacosta.com

Extensive and authoritative commercial site of the excellent Puerto Escondido bilingual tourist newspaper El Sol de la Costa (Warren Sharpe, editor and publisher). It’s especially useful for restaurants, sights, and services and also includes much cultural background, especially on local indigenous culture and traditions. A handy classified section usually lists a number of vacation rentals by owner.

Huatulco Hotel Association
www.hoteleshuatulco.com.mx

Useful site of the Huatulco Hotel Association, with links to about four dozen hotels, ranging from modest to plush (but mostly plush), including prices for some of the hotels. The remaining information (restaurants, events, tour operators, water sports, and land sports) would be more useful if it were in English.

Huatulco Magazzine
www.huatulco.magazzine.net

Site of the reliable local free tourist magazine, with a plethora of links to its advertisers, from real estate and rental cars to handicrafts shops and three-, four-, and five-star hotels.

Puerto Real Estate
www.puertorealestate.com

Very good website of Puerto Escondido Real Estate; besides home sales, it lists and photo-illustrates many vacation rental villas, condos, and apartments ($300–3,000/week) and offers trip-planning services.

Tomzap
www.tomzap.com/oaxaca.html

This project of Mexico lover Tom Penick is a very informative site, especially for downscale corners of Oaxaca. It’s unusually detailed about Puerto Escondido, Puerto Ángel, Zipolite, Mazunte, and the Bays of Huatulco. Information includes hotels, travel, history, surfing, scuba and snorkeling, and much more, with much helpful advice on what to enjoy and what to avoid. It’s very Good. (Note: Be aware, however, that some information is out of date.)

Zicatela Properties
www.zicatelaproperties.com

Excellent site of Puerto Escondido’s Zicatela Properties real estate company. It’s especially good for moderately priced apartment, condo, and vacation home rentals (as low as $250/ week). It also lists a number of services to help newcomers settle into Puerto Escondido.

RESOURCES

Glossary