Well actually I said, “I’d love to go to Michoacán but there’s that dreaded state department warning and if textiles are the driving force then Guatemala it is.” Plus I did have that old huipile I wanted to find out more about.
So there we were - three weeks overland from Guatemala to Oaxaca City and then 10 days in Oaxaca before I started a tour. We never took the infamous chicken buses although I couldn’t get enough of their funky vibe and great names like La Princesita above.
But we took loads of tuk tuks and the time
in the gorgeous Lake Atitan involved lots of boat rides which alwayas feels like a special adventure to me.
Still who would have guessed that in just a few months the world would be shut down, my tuk tuk drivers would be texting me desperate for food and help, and the slow realization that I would be out of the tour business for a couple of years was creeping up on me
Not going to lie. It’s been pretty traumatic. I had to cancel my Oaxaca Art tour at the last minute which involved a flurry of emails, phone calls, cancellations and rescheduling. Technically it’s been rescheduled and we shall see. Then the state department said “Come home now” and so another flurry of uncertainty and stress. But at the end of the day, I fell in love with Guatemala, learned some of the Maya and their ways and generally had a fantastic trip. I’ve used my time in quarantine to read a slew of books on textiles, unpack and savor everything I bought, and do some writing. It has felt good to have the time to reflect. I know all of us are questioning what it means to have a life without travel. And I know many who depend on tourism for their income are suffering. For me, it’s hard but I know it won’t last forever and it’s making me savor the memories more.
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