Day of the Dead, Oaxaca, 2012 with Jim Cline – Trip full, wait list available.
Experience the most Mexican of holidays in beautiful Oaxaca in southern Mexico. Many of the local people believe that on these special nights the spirits of the dead come to visit. We’ll photograph their parties for the dead in cemeteries, and the elaborate altars they prepare, as well as costume parades, colorful markets, splendid colonial churches, and the people and their daily life in Oaxaca. We’ll also explore villages in the surrounding area, and their colorful markets, as well as the ancient Zapotec ruins at Monte Alban.
Since ancient times the indigenous peoples of Mexico observed a day each year when the spirits of the dead came back to visit the living on earth. When the Spaniards arrived in the 1500′s they attempted to eradicate most of the beliefs and customs of the Indians, but The Day of the Dead traditions remained, though somewhat fused with Catholicism and All Saints Day.
In the days leading up to The Day of the Dead, many signs begin to appear in the homes, shops, markets, and throughout the city. Craftsmen create many imaginative wooden figures depicting skeletons engaging in various activities. In homes, shops, and restaurants, people prepare altars dedicated to the dead decorated with marigolds and other flowers, candles, and the deceased’s favorite foods and drinks. The markets are full of skulls made of sugar or chocolate, called calaveras, and bread and other foods are decorated with skeletons and skulls. Also large tapetas de arena, or sand carpets, are designed in tribute to the dead.
On November 2nd, and other nights in some villages, the cemeteries are full of people celebrating the dead. The gravesites are covered with flowers and thousands of candles placed on the graves light the whole graveyard. Many generations within a family sit around the gravesite and have a party for dead family members. They eat their favorite foods, drink their favorite beverages, including mescal, a liquor made from the agave cactus, and they all join in singing while the mariachis play the deceased’s favorite songs. Thses parties go on until late at night, then when most of the people depart, only the most traditional older women remain to sit in silent vigil at the gravesites until dawn.
We will photograph all of these traditions, and meet many of the local people along the way. You will not only come away with photos, but hopefully with new friends and memories, and a better understanding of the ancient cultures and traditions of Mexico.
| Day 1 (Oct 28): | Arrive from your flight to the city of Oaxaca. You will be transported from the airport to our hotel. We will have an orientation meeting and go to dinner at a nearby restaruant. |
| Day 2: | In the morning we'll visit a traditional village on their market day, and photograph the local people buying and selling an amazing array of products. We will then continue on to visit local crafts villages, where we will visit artisans in their homes, where they will give us demonstrations of their traditional techniques. We'll have lunch at a nearby restaurant, then go to the ancient Zapotec ruins at Monte Alban, and capture the last light at sunset there. |
| Day 3: | We'll have a city orientation, visiting the central park, beautiful colonial churches and market places. We'll see some of the wonderful arts and crafts that make Oaxaca famous, and you will be introduced to some of the traditions of the Day of the Dead, such as the elaborate sugar skulls and other foods. We'll have dinner at a restaurant with a view overlooking the plaza and the Cathedral, where we can shoot twilight scenes. In the evening after dinner, those who want to will attend the Ballet Folklorico, an exhibition of traditional regional dancing. There we can photograph the dancers in their colorful costumes as they dance. |
| Day 4: | In the morning we'll see the children's parades in and around the plaza. Then we'll shoot more altars and special foods prepared for The Day of the Dead, as well as the bustling flower market. On this night The Day of the Dead tradition is observed at a cemetery in a nearby village. Families visit loved ones' grave sites and bring food and drink as Mariachis stroll, playing the favorite songs of the deceased. We'll stay there until late at night when some of the more traditional people sit in silent vigil at the grave sites. |
| Day 5: | Free time in the morning for photographing the beaautiful altars and more kid's parades. That afternoon we'll visit local villages to observe and photograph some traditional village comparsas. We'll go to a local home for a traditional dinner of home-made tamales, hot chocolate, and try some local mezcal, a libation similar to tequila. After dinner we'll observe and photograph more comparsas. |
| Day 6: | El Dia de los Muertos: During the day we'll venture out to the General Cemetery, which is full of people all day paying tribute to the dead. The music of mariachis is in the air, as people have parties at the graves of dead family members. In the evening we'll go to a small town cemetery for more festivities. |
| Day 7: | Free time in the morning (sleep for some). Before lunch we'll visit the Iglesia Santo Domingo, one of the most beautiful churches in all of Mexico, and the adjoining Ex-Convento Santo Domingo, a beautifully restored monestary that houses the Museum of Oaxacan cultures, which holds many of the treasures discovered in the ruins of Monte Alban and other archeological sites. Later in the afternoon we'll venture out to a little-known village where the Day of the Dead celebrations take place on this day. |
| Day 8: | We'll visit several villages in the surrounding valleys. First we'll visit El Tule with its famous 2000 year old tree. We'll then continue to the village of Teotitlan de Valle, where the finest rugs in all of Mexico are made. We'll have lunch at a nearby restaurant, then go on to the village of Tlacolula with its 16th century church. We'll then visit Yagul, with it's ancient ruins perched high on a hill. Finally we'll go to Mitla, where we'll capture the last light of the day on the church and the nearby Zapotec ruins. We'll then return to town, where we'll have our celebration dinner. |
| Day 9: (Nov 5) | We'll catch our flights for home (some loaded down with souvenirs). |
Jim Cline
An award-winning photographer based in San Diego, California, Jim especially enjoys exploring and photographing less-traveled areas, avoiding the typical tourist destinations. He takes particular interest in the indigenous peoples and traditional and tribal cultures of developing nations, and in documenting these disappearing cultures.
Through his photographs he strives to portray the dignity and timeless beauty of these people living in harmony with nature. Jim’s wanderlust and search for compelling images has brought him to 30 countries around the globe, but his area of special interest is in the countries of Latin America. He is known for his willingness to shoot all around the edges of light, creating images with tremendous impact that capture the essence of a place or culture.
As well as winning numerous awards, Jim’s work has been displayed in galleries and in the San Diego Natural History Museum and published in numerous publications including books, magazines, annual reports, brochures, and CD covers. To see some samples of his published work
| Dates | Oct 28 - Nov 5 2012 |
| Costs | $3575. The price is based on double occupancy. A single supplement of $395 applies. The trip will be limited to 9 participants. |
| Cost Include | includes all ground transport, all 8 nights hotel accommodations, breakfasts and dinners, entrance-fees at tourist sites, model fees, guides, and drinking water. The price is based on double occupancy. |
| Cost does not include: | international flights, passport & visas fees, travel insurance, vaccinations and medical cover/treatment, accommodation on the night prior to starting, and personal expenses such as beverages/snacks, internet access fees, laundry fees etc. |
| *All prices subject to change without notice, owing to the variable nature of international currency exchange rates and sudden changes in local costs |
To see a gallery of Jim’s 2007 Oaxaca images click here and 2005 here
Deposit and Final Payment
A deposit of $600 per person is required at time of booking. Full payment is due 90 days prior to departure.
Cancellation
- On cancellations more than 120 days prior to departure, all monies are refunded less a $275 administrative fee.
- Less than 120 but at least 90 days prior, total deposit amount is forfeited.
- Less than 90 but at least 75 days prior, 50% of trip price is forfeited.
- Less than 75 days prior to departure, 100% is forfeited.
Notification by phone or email is acceptable, but please follow with written notice. In the unlikely event we have to cancel a tour, a full refund will be given.
Responsibility
Jim Cline Photography, and their agents act only in the capacity as agents in all matters pertaining to hotel accommodations, sightseeing tours, and transportation, and are not responsible for any loss, damage, theft, or injury to person or property resulting from a defect in any vehicle, or the actions of any persons who provide services for this tour or for the action or inaction of any third party. Baggage is at the owner’s risk entirely. The tour operator reserves the right to withdraw the tour at any time, to decline any person as a member of the tour for any cause at any time. All prices are based on current rates of exchange and, while every effort will be made to hold them firm, they are subject to change.
Health
It is the responsibility of each tour member to inform the tour operator of any possible health problems or handicaps upon registration. By forwarding a signed reservation form and trip deposit, you certify that you do not knowingly have any physical or other conditions of disability that would create a risk for you or other trip participants. Once a trip has been confirmed, medical circumstances will not be considered as exceptions to our cancellation policy. We assume no responsibility for medical care or for special dietary requirements.
Trip Insurance
To allow for any unexpected contingencies, all participants are strongly urged to purchase trip cancellation and interruption insurance.
Itinerary
While Jim Cline Photography endeavors to make the itinerary as accurate as possible, it should be considered as an approximate schedule of activities rather than a rigid schedule of events. Trip itineraries are subject to revision due to weather, ocean or trail conditions, government restrictions, and other reasons beyond our control. The tour leader has the right to make changes in the published itinerary whenever in his sole judgment conditions warrant, or if he deems it necessary for the comfort or safety of the tour.
Health Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC website. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the infectious diseases section of the World Health Organization (WHO) website. The WHO website also contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information.
Money: Currency exchange rates
ATMs, Credit Cards, Travelers Checks:
Internet Access
Electricity in Vietnam: Converters & Adapters Required
Suggested equipment: Digital SLR with lenses offering a focal length from wide (24mm or wider) to telephoto (100mm or longer), laptop or netbook computer running image viewing software such as Breeze Browser or Photo Mechanic and an image editing program such as Adobe Photoshop, or a combintation softward program similar to like Lightroom. Additionally we strongly recommend a back-up device such as external hard drive.
An award-winning photographer based in San Diego, California, Jim especially enjoys exploring and photographing less-traveled areas, avoiding the typical tourist destinations. He takes particular interest in the indigenous peoples and traditional and tribal cultures of developing nations, and in documenting these disappearingcultures.
Karl is a humanitarian photojournalist specializing in the photographic documentation of relief efforts and development work of NGOs worldwide. Over the last ten years, Karl has worked in over 50 countries, covering stories from the Indian Ocean Tsunami, to HIV/AIDS, malaria and Micro-Finance.