What Makes The Gastronomad Experience So Special?

I'm writing this while sitting in the living room of our friends' home in Sydney, Australia. Mike and I feel so blessed for getting to meet so many incredibly genuine, intelligent, kind and beautiful human beings during each and every Gastronomad Experience. In fact, that's where we met our friends hosting us here in Australia.

Those of you who have joined us on a Gastronomad Experience know exactly what I'm talking about. You encounter wonderful people and forge deep and genuine friendships that will last a lifetime. Our family of friends keeps growing. And we're overwhelmed with gratitude for this remarkable and exceptional Gastronomad community.

The good fortune to meet so many kindred spirits who share the same passion for delicious food, exquisite wine, real culture and unique culinary travel adventures is the best kind of serendipity. That is the common thread of our connection during every Gastronomad Experience.

The gift of these friendships is not our doing, but yours. You're the gift to us — and to each other. The Gastronomad Experiences' guests are self-selected, and always turn out to be kindred spirits.

To sign up for a culinary travel experience, where the details are kept secret and every activity is a surprise, on the other side of the world takes a rare combination of courage, trust and a driving obsession with good food and wine.

Your trust in us and in our secret itineraries speaks volumes about your open mind, trusting soul and true sense of adventure. And your passion for gastronomic discovery is what inspires us to create the most beautiful, delicious, dreamy and enchanting culinary travel experiences in the world. It's a true honor for us to welcome you as friends in our most favorite corners of the world where we feel proud to introduce you to our local visionary artisan friends who also become your friends.

And as I return to finish writing this journal, we're now in Tasmania where we're glowing from all the natural beauty, textures, scents and tastes we've enjoyed thanks to the hospitality of our wonderful friends.

Having seen a bit of Australia and some of Tasmania, I can unequivocally say that I find myself enamored of the warmth of the people we've met and the natural beauty of these landscapes.

Traveling to new and unique places fill us with awe and wonder. It drives us to create ever more magical experiences that foster human connection, inspire joy and nourish the soul.

When we gather around a table in a beautiful place to celebrate the joy of living, enjoying delicious food and exquisite wine with kindred spirits — that's when we understand and discover how good and sweet life can be. It’s you and your trusting nature that makes The Gastronomad Experience extraordinary!

Whether you’re one of our Gastronomad friends, or a future Gastronomad, please let me know if you'd like to join us for one of our Gastronomad Experiences in 2024. We have a handful of spots available this year. You’re always welcome at our table!

Joy and adventure,

Amira

Mexico City, Oaxaca or El Salvador? (The answer is: Yes!)

The greatest and most consequential event in all human history was the “discovery” of the Americas by Europeans.

While Polynesians, Vikings and other outsiders beat the Europeans to the Americas, their cultural impact was nil. They changed nothing.

But the cultural impact of Christopher Columbus discovering, well, the Bahamas on October 12, 1492 was global and total.

Before that day, Asia, Africa and Europe constituted one world, and North and South America constituted another.

The Americas were populated by a few thousand stone-age wanderers from Siberia whose overachieving descendants would (independent of external innovations) invent the wheel, the abacus, the concept of zero, the calendar and the pyramid.

The arrival of Columbus was the first event in the “Columbian Exchange” — where people, ideas, diseases, animals and plants from each world flooded the other.

And food!

The so-called “old world” gave the “new world” foods it never encountered before: rice, sugar, wheat, citrus fruits, bananas, apples, yams, onions, chicken, beef, cheese, coconuts, grapes and hundreds of other foods.

In return, the Americas gave the rest of the world chocolate, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, avocados, chiles, pineapples, pumpkins, cranberries, green beans, maple syrup, papayas, peanuts, turkeys and vanilla.

The Columbian Exchange made possible countless foods and dishes worldwide. We don’t think of Italian tomato sauce as Mayan food, or Swiss Chocolates as Mayan food or Korean kimchi being spicy because of Mayan food. It's all Mayan food.

Not so in Latin America. There, the Columbian Exchange is real and conspicuous. But the expression of this fusion between the old world and new world varies wildly from place to place.

That’s why we love exploring Columbian Exchange fusion culture in Mexico City, Oaxaca and El Salvador during our Gastronomad Experiences. These three locations represent the extremes of food culture within the world of Spanish North America.

What this extraordinary trio have in common is that they were all part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain for 300 years (from 1521 to 1821). During those centuries, the mighty Spanish empire held territories throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia, and served as a global conduit for people, ideas, technologies and food. And the impact is still present.

Mexico City, the biggest (and best) city in the Americas is a gastronomic paradise, where you can find foods from all regions of Mexico and the world expressed in exquisite and singular form. I hope you read our post on why Mexico City is the center of the chocolate world, but that’s one example of why CDMX is a mind-blowingly great food city. (And don’t even get me started about the cocktails.)

We know some of that city’s greatest chefs, chocolate makers, wine specialists and ultra-foodies, and the Mexico City Gastronomad Experience is a life-changing, top of the bucket list adventure.

Funny thing about those Mexico City chefs — they love Oaxaca. The greatest fine-dining restaurants in the city, such as Pujol, obsess over their Oaxacan ingredients and influences.

Oaxaca is unique in Mexico because of the influence of indigenous culture there. Around half the population of the state of Oaxaca is indigenous peoples, many of whom don’t even consider themselves part of Mexico, but their own unconquered nations. The food in Oaxaca is incredible — unlike anywhere else on Earth.

And the cuisine of El Salvador shatters expectations. It’s a tropical paradise where we can have it all, the softest black sand beaches, magnificent scenery including majestic volcanoes and stunning lakes, the unparalleled cuisine -- and coffee and cacao farms!

The country is largely devoid of fully indigenous communities, but goes totally old-school on basics like tortillas — always made purely by hand and never with tortilla presses — and its famous pupusas, which the pre-hispanic Lenca and Pipil people would recognize in every way but the cheese. In some ways, El Salvador is more modern — more American, actually — than Mexico City. But in other ways, more indigenous than even Oaxaca.

Our Gastronomad community craving Latin America’s delicious food cultures often ask us: Which of these experiences do you recommend? Which is best? Which to choose?

Impossible questions. We cannot choose, and we love them all. Flip a coin. You can’t go wrong. We promise you will love them all as much as we do!

2023: The Good, the Sad and the Beautiful

Reflecting on the state of the world in general and my life in particular (as one is often inclined to do this time of the year) I have to say that 2023 has been a year of extremes — extremely joyful and extremely sad.

I’m still grieving the loss of my mother, whom I lost in January. I feel heartbroken for the inordinate suffering by those I love. I cry tears of sadness when I see people on the streets without a home, without privacy or dignity or even heat to keep them warm. I feel distraught over the many innocent children, women and men around the world who suffer because of the actions of terrible people who make war and commit unspeakable crimes against others. I feel terrible for people killed and those affected by the devastation of the natural disasters that occurred this year around the world. I worry about the planet that our younger generations will inherit after all the damage we continue to do. It’s been sad to witness the many negative changes in the world and in our humanity since Covid.

There are endless things to feel sad and worry about. But there are also endless reasons to celebrate life and culture and the beauty we can find all around the world.

I feel profoundly grateful and beyond lucky that Mike and I get to live an adventurous and meaningful life doing our favorite things. My heart rejoices deeply for all the magical travel adventures and the enormous privilege of doing work that doesn't feel like work and the infinite joy of loving and being loved unconditionally by my favorite people. And I’m endlessly grateful that all the joy I get to experience nourishes my heart and soul so profoundly that, in spite of the sadness I carry with me, I continue to feel hopeful for a brighter future.

And with another year about to end, I’m reminded that our time on this planet is not only finite but brief. The present moment is the only time that truly counts. It’s the reason I try to enjoy the experience of living each and every day as if it were my last.

I know that I cannot let the troubles of the world consume my life. And I know that I cannot fix them personally. But I believe that we can make a difference by each doing our part as individuals within our families, our communities and wherever in the world we find ourselves.

And with this last Gastronomad Journal of 2023, Mike and I would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for joining us on this journey — whether you’ve done it in person or vicariously by following us through our writings and photos. We appreciate your support and trust more than words can say.

Sending you and yours our heartfelt wishes for joy, love, health, prosperity and peace on Earth in the new year.

Joy and adventure,

Amira

Merry Everything!

Mike and I would like to express our deepest gratitude for your trust and support this year. We are grateful to have you as part of our gastronomad family of friends. Thank you!

For those of you who joined us this year: Our shared travel adventures and culinary gatherings, along with the memories we've created together, have made this past year a very happy one for us.

May this Christmas and holiday season fill your home with light, peace, love, laughter, delicious food, joy and cherished moments.

Wishing you a joyful holiday season, and looking forward to new culinary adventures in the new year.

Love,

Amira and Mike

The beauty and meaning behind Moroccan tea

On a beautiful morning recently, we sat with our lovely guests and Moroccan friends during our recent Morocco Caravan Experience on the outdoor terrace of a Moroccan farmhouse sipping Moroccan mint tea. Surrounded by stony ground and argan trees, blue skies and white clouds, I was filled with awe by the beauty and perfection of it all.

We were learning about the artful ritual of making Moroccan mint tea in Morocco.

Though I can’t quite find the words to describe what the scene, the surroundings and the gathering evoke, I can tell you that it felt like magic. That feeling of overwhelming joy and wonderment that elevates the soul and uplifts the spirit.

There was something very sweet and heart-warming sitting on that terrace sipping on tea with that enticing and mouth-watering aroma of freshly made Moroccan mint tea. The ritual of serving mint tea is not only the art of tea perfected, but also an intentional act of kindness and hospitality.

But beyond that, what adds to the beauty of it all is the simple and aesthetically pleasing ceremony in the manner that the tea is made, presented and served. From the traditionally handcrafted and beautiful Berber tea pot to the traditional terracotta stand for holding the boiling water above coals, the serving tray and Moroccan-made glasses and even tea pot holder, the entire experience evokes old-world hospitality.

The tea ceremony and ritual require skill. Stretching the arm holding the tea pot as high as it can go, often while holding a tray and perfectly pouring tea with a constant and perfect stream of the golden tea without spilling any of it outside the glass. It’s always amazing to witness such skill, precision and grace.

Moroccans serve mint tea to their visitors not only as a gesture of warmth and hospitality but also kindness, appreciation and gratitude. There’s is so much beautiful intention and meaning behind it all.

Drinking mint tea is an essential part of Moroccan daily life. It has no boundaries. It’s not predicated by socio economic status and it’s as universal as drinking water, if not more prevalent. The serving of tea in Morocco always comes before business or social interaction and always at the end of a meal.

Humans need rituals and traditions. But our busy lives and packed schedules often convince us to sacrifice those rituals in place of practical expediency.

But the ritual of Moroccan tea is a great reminder that there are more important things in life than rushing around and getting down to business.

The ritual of serving Moroccan mint tea for every occasion of encounter in Morocco is the epitome of the warmth and beauty of Moroccan hospitality. It’s a wonderful and purposeful demonstration of the joy of gathering as you welcome visitors, friends or family into your space.

— Adventure and joy, Amira

How to experience timeless Morocco in the midst of change

(FROM THE NEWSLETTER): The world is changing faster than ever. And while all places evolve and adapt over time, Morocco’s pace of change is sudden and jarring.

I’ll admit that it’s odd to talk about change in Morocco when you’re sitting in a house that is centuries old in a city founded 1,200 hundred years ago.

The city is Fez, an ancient and awe-inspiring wonder in a country brimming with history, culture and other-worldly landscapes.

But lately, even Fez is changing. It's becoming a bit more like Marrakech, which is not necessarily good. Many of the changes are making Morocco harder to visit, especially for people looking to explore Morocco’s real food culture and ancient traditions.

We blame the pandemic. And the recent earthquake made things worse.

Learning to make traditional Moroccan food from our wonderful Berber friends in a remote village.

The Moroccan government declared a covid State of Health Emergency on March 19, 2020, and imposed some of the most severe lockdown rules in Africa (often enforced by armored vehicles) until it ended on February 28, 2023. During that time, the government imposed on again, off again curfews, restrictions of movement not only into and out of the country, but between cities.

Tourism represents 7% of the Moroccan economy and employs 5% of its workers. All that economic activity stopped. Workers stayed home and tourist business owners suffered catastrophic losses.

A huge number of workers outside the tourism industry also couldn't work for months. Businesses downsized or closed. The unemployment rate skyrocketed.

The loss of income sent a ripple through the Moroccan population, driving up debt and causing other financial problems.

As the pandemic waned, tourism started crawling back. But then a 6.9 level earthquake struck on September 8 in the Atlas Mountains fairly close to Marrakech. Visitors canceled their plans and many buildings were damaged.

And since we arrived in Morocco a month ago, war broke out in between Hamas and Israel. And more people canceled their trips to Morocco.

In Fez, they still process leather the old fashioned way.

During The Morocco Caravan Experience, we got to spend a night in a remote ancient village in an old rammed earth house built in the 17th Century. Although that house was safe for our stay, it suffered superficial damage. Our initially intended riad in Marrakech was damaged as well, and we found an alternate (and equally stunning) accommodation. Buildings all over Marrakech were destroyed or damaged and currently many are scaffolded or walled off. Beyond even the human toll, the earthquake delayed Morocco's hopes for recovery.

The pandemic and earthquake accelerated negative trends already in progress in the country, including the replacement of local crafts by cheap, made-in-China knockoffs, adulterated argan oil and fake honey as well as the further industrialization of the food supply. Street merchants are selling more aggressively than ever. Goods for sale are much lower quality, and prices much higher, in general. Prices are soaring. Lodging, transportation, food and other traveler expenses have doubled or tripled in some instances. Local businesses are desperate to pay off their pandemic debts, and are trying to gouge their way to solvency.

ATM withdrawals limits have been lowered for locals and tourists alike, while more sellers and service providers are insisting on cash. And so visitors often can’t get enough money to buy the things they want to buy, further reducing income for Moroccans.

And there's construction everywhere.

And added to all this, there’s greater government controls throughout the country, including police checkpoints.

Some experienced, skilled people in hospitality have left the industry, and young, new and inexperienced people have taken their place. Many of the better conventional tourist activities and cooking classes and day trips have been replaced by the herding of busloads of tourists into rushed, soulless, cookie-cutter "experiences" that are rampant all over Morocco.

Damage to buildings and construction materials are visible all over Marrakech.

Our signature exclusive bespoke and totally authentic gastronomad experiences are still possible, but only because of our deep, long-standing relationships with the local chefs, winemakers, artisans and others who enable them.

Before the pandemic, The Morocco Caravan Experience was the only way we're aware of to experience the true, authentic, best version of Morocco's exquisite food culture and traditions. Now, in the aftermath, that's truer than ever before.

It’s not all bad news. Positive changes abound as well: A few promising new restaurants have popped up here and there. A very small number of holdouts are still selling better traditional objects, fabrics and clothing in the Medinas. Internet connectivity is faster and more ubiquitous. The road through the Atlas Mountains, which had been under construction for years, is mostly finished and is now smoother and safer. The government is sprucing up some areas with landscaping and other improvements in major cities.

It’s clear that Morocco is making a big effort to build the country’s infrastructure to attract mass tourism as a way to provide more jobs and increase revenue. But there are always unintended consequences to the rapid growth and changes caused by mass tourism. Something that’s more evident and palpable this year than ever before.

Real Moroccan food is gloriously delicious.

We love Morocco, and believe in the Moroccan people. But it has become a more challenging and less rewarding country for nearly all tourists, and also the locals who have to endure the overly crowded medina streets, soaring prices and loss of income because of the pandemic, earthquake and war in the Middle East.

Now more than ever, The Morocco Caravan Experience represents the antithesis to the mass and rapidly increasing industrial tourism spreading in Morocco. We take you outside of the ordinary tourist bubble saturated with run-of-the-mill activities. Instead, we immerse you in the true Moroccan culture with the extraordinary warmth of genuine Moroccan hospitality in the most remarkable places.

During our Moroccan Caravan Experience you enjoy the warm embrace of our local Moroccan friends as we gather and break bread around the table. We transport you right into the heart of authentic hospitality while enjoying the most exquisite and exceptional food and wine through magical culinary gatherings.

Our goal is that you can enjoy one-of-a-kind unforgettable travel adventures that are meaningful and transformative, creating memories you can cherish for a lifetime.

— Adventure and joy, Amira

Come home with me to El Salvador, the undiscovered gem

(FROM THE NEWSLETTER): I've lived in different countries around the world for the past 17 years. This experience has been meaningful and deeply gratifying. It has also given me a profound sense of belonging in all the places I've spent a lot of time. Ironically, I didn't have this sense of belonging in the country where I was born. But something has changed. Now I feel like I've come full circle and have that sense of belonging in my home country, too.

I fled El Salvador because of the civil war. And I returned many times since to a country beset by crime. That war and that crime mostly kept travelers from discovering one of the most beautiful and traditional countries in the world.

But now everything is different. Because of a large and controversial crackdown on crime in the last five years and on gangs in the past year (called the "State of Exception," where due process has been suspended for anyone with gang tattoos), El Salvador has transitioned from the "murder capital of the world" to the safest country in Latin America. Salvadorans are generally ecstatic about the change, and can walk in their own neighborhoods without fear for the first time since the 1970s.

I have visited El Salvador three times just this year, and have another trip there planned in the very near future. And I can tell you, it's an entirely new place. For the first time since my childhood, I feel more than just safe, but a real sense of freedom in the country where I was born. Rediscovering El Salvador has been a transformative experience for me.

My childhood in El Salvador was wonderful. I was very lucky to have had a paternal grandmother who was a formidable woman and role model. Her name was Lucia Serrano (or: Doña Lucía Montoya de Serrano Piche). I called her Mama Lucia. She was the first female mayor of her town of Zacatecoluca and the first female governor of her Department (which is like a US state) of La Paz. In fact, she was the first female to hold an official office of any kind in Latin America. She was also asked to run for President of El Salvador during the war, but declined the offer. (During a trip to Oaxaca this year, we met a well known German retired war correspondent who covered Latin America, and he knew my grandmother. It was surreal.)

Doña Lucía Montoya de Serrano Piche, my grandmother.

My grandmother was an ethical person with a big heart. She and I shared the same birthday and she always made me feel so loved and special. My grandmother was loved and admired by many. Her politics were famous for staunch anti-corruption policies. But she broke her own rule to never use her influence or power for her own benefit only once that I'm aware of — she pulled strings to rapidly get visas for me, my little brother and my mom to emigrate to the US legally as the civil war was getting out of control in 1980. Of the many grandchildren she had from her 5 children, she bestowed this gift upon me and my family. And for that, I will forever be grateful.

My grandmother as Mayor in 1956, with her city council.

I have a theory as to why she did it: My grandmother lost her infant grandson (my dad's nine-month-old baby and my youngest half-brother) due to an accident by the child's nanny. Then she lost her son, my father, due to complications from alcoholism. He was 41.

In 1980, Bishop Óscar Romero was assassinated while celebrating mass at a church in San Salvador. Opposition guerrillas started forcibly recruiting both adults and children as soldiers. I was with my grandmother in her car when rebels tried to assassinate her. It was all going bad quickly, so my grandmother used her influence to get us visas fast. We flew to the United States where I became a citizen a few years after arriving.

I feel incredibly lucky to have been spared from that horrendous war. My grandmother probably saved my life, and definitely gave me a better life.

El Salvador’s Pacific coastline is truly stunning.

I have been lucky and feel blessed for my good fortune. Moving to the US is what many people in the world would love to do. Most of the lucky Americans born in the US might not realize how billions of people around the world would love nothing more than to visit and, preferably, live in the US for a chance to realize the American dream. I’m proud to be an American Citizen and I love the United States. I would never take for granted how lucky I am for all that the US has meant in my life.

Surprisingly, traveling around the world has made me even more appreciative of the United States. It’s a privilege to be an American Citizen. Talking with others around the planet and learning about their struggles and how they live is always eye opening. Although the US is far from perfect, I’ve gained an important perspective about how much freer and easier life is in the US generally, relatively speaking.

I have been traveling to El Salvador on and off since 1996 (when I first brought my kids to visit the place where I was born and meet my grandmother). But my realization of what I’ve been missing didn’t begin until 2019, during a family reunion there. I was embraced by loving relatives and began to unearth something beyond poignant family stories: my childhood identity.

In many ways, losing my mom early this year brought me back on a journey of literal discovery. We wanted to honor my mom by spreading her ashes on her favorite beach, in her beloved country. In the process of searching for my mom's roots and, subsequently, my own, I got back many memories I had forgotten and recovered a part of my life I had left behind that had remained mostly dormant.

My mom’s death this year has been challenging. But losing her well before she died due to Alzheimer’s left a huge void in my heart that I don’t think will ever close. But my mom left me with the gift of a newfound appreciation for my native land bringing me back full circle to the place I came from. I feel at home again in my beloved El Salvador.

Salvadorans, among them extended family, suffered through a deadly civil war and unspeakable gang violence for over four decades. But El Salvador is safe again and now being described as an undiscovered travel gem.

Kept unexplored by tourists due to 40 years of internal turmoil, El Salvador is a hidden tropical paradise. With soft black sandy beaches, warm Pacific waters, world renown surfing waves, lush nature, majestic volcanos, welcoming people, stunning lakes, charming colonial villages, ancient Mayan ruins, delicious food (including its famous pupusas), sopa de res, pan con pavo, nuegados y chilate, pan dulce, Salvadoran quesadilla, amazing dairy products, infinite types of delicious tropical fruit and incredible seafood. El Salvador is a travel destination marvel unlike any other!

The widely diverse Salvadoran cuisine is second to none in flavor, ingredients and uniqueness. And don’t even get me started with Salvadoran horchata! Made from a gourd seed called morro, Salvadoran horchata is exquisite.

El Salvador is also known for producing some of the finest coffee and cacao in Latin America and even the world — it’s a little piece of heaven for coffee and chocolate lovers!

Nothing in the world like the food in El Salvador.

I’m deeply excited to be hosting our first ever El Salvador Tropical Experience in January. I have so much gratitude for those of you who immediately signed up to attend. I appreciate your trust and support more than words can ever say.

Sharing my place of birth, the delicious cuisine I grew up with and the wonderful soft sandy beaches I ran on as a little girl in my beloved El Salvador with you is truly an honor and a dream come true. It will be an unforgettable journey of a lifetime filled with unparalleled adventures!

We have one last room available for this first and one-of-a-kind epic culinary tropical exploration! It will be an honor for me to welcome you in my native land.

Joy and adventure, Amira

Moroccan eggs for breakfast in Marrakech

Amira fell in love with this dish for cooking eggs in an oven. It’s cracked, but still in use.

An update on the earthquake In our beloved Morocco

We said good-bye yesterday to our long-time friend (and veteran of several Experiences) and the new lovely additions to our family of Gastronomad friends after an epic week during The Venice Prosecco Experience, then were heartbroken to find out about the devastating earthquake that struck Morocco Friday.

We reached out immediately to dozens of our Moroccan friends throughout the different regions of Morocco and were relieved to learn that every single one of them and each member of their families is safe and sound.

We thank you and appreciate all the thoughtful texts and emails many of you sent us sharing your concern.

As most of you know, we host The Morocco Caravan Experience once or twice per year and the next one is happening in a month — October 9 - 22, 2023.

We also reached out to our friends due to attend next month's Experience. We gave them the option to postpone or proceed as planned. They unanimously decided to continue with The Morocco Caravan Experience as planned. We feel so lucky and grateful for all the remarkable people who join us on these singular culinary adventures and who are always ready to embrace it all with such a brilliant sense of adventure.

The Morocco Caravan Experience is a journey through not only the country of Morocco, but through time. Many of the ancient places, villages, medinas and buildings we visit were undamaged in the quake.

Unfortunately, one of the properties we were planning to stay at in Marrakech (a beautiful and stunning centuries-old riad) suffered some damage, although fortunately no one got injured. The "back up" accommodation we would have used also suffered damage, with some cracked walls. We’ve seen many videos and pictures from Marrakech that friends have shared with us and, though the damage seems messy at first glance, mostly doesn’t seem structural. But we wouldn't stay at any property that’s not perfectly safe.

It's not clear yet whether or not the properties will be repaired in time for our sojourn. Engineers still need to conduct inspections and provide a report on the findings. In any event, we’re ready to find alternate options, which we’re confident we can do with the help of our wonderful local friends.

That said, Marrakech suffered significantly in general. Many houses completely collapsed. Alleyways are filled with rubble. And some of the ancient medina walls crumbled. But the most severely affected areas include the mountain villages Southwest of Marrakech in the High Atlas Mountains, where many lives were lost because of the relative fragility of traditional earthen buildings so close to the epicenter.

Moroccans are resilient and hard-working people. Although this catastrophic event is costing thousands of lives, even as they mourn their loved ones, Moroccans are united in this challenging time and are resolved to rebuild their lives and persevere. It’s possible this is going to take years to overcome, so help is needed.

I know this can all be unsettling for many of us. But life goes on. If anything, this is a good reminder that we each have a responsibility to do our part the best way we can. Living life and enjoying the experience of living, even within challenging circumstances, is part of our common humanity during our short time on this beautiful planet.

Life happens. And it never waits for everything to be perfect or for us to retire or achieve milestones or goals, for that matter. We have to embrace the good and the bad together, find the silver lining and make the most of all we can in this moment.

The Gastronomad Experience is designed to be a meaningful way to explore other lands, learn about how others live and, especially, immerse ourselves in the cultures we encounter. As we try to capture the authentic heart and soul of each place, we focus not only on the beauty and deliciousness of it all, but also the true reality of our surroundings.

The impact of the earthquake will be very much a part of what we'll have the somber privilege to encounter in Morocco as we gather around the table, break bread with locals and enjoy once-in-a-lifetime magical moments in our celebration of life and human connection.

Mike and I will be heading to Morocco soon. And we can hardly wait to embrace our friends there, stand with them in solidarity and also enjoy and celebrate the privilege of living. And we’ll be ready to wholeheartedly welcome our guests for The Morocco Caravan Experience and together embrace the joy, the beauty and the sadness all at once with respect, humility and empathy.

We’ll also be filling our luggage with needed personal items and scarce necessities to donate upon arrival in Marrakech.

In the meantime, some of you have asked how you can help. If you’d like to make donations, here are five reliable organizations that we recommend:

• Doctors Without Borders

• CARE

• Global Giving

• UNICEF

• The Moroccan Red Crescent Society

Please share these links with your friends. And thank you for your kindness and for being part of our family of Gastronomad friends.

With love,

Amira and Mike

The Mexican influence in Europe

Mexican food and culture is slowly making its way into the collective European consciousness. I stumble into evidence here and there without even looking for it, including this Frida Kahlo blouse and jacket in a Venice store window, this Mexican restaurant in Venice and a painted sign for a Mexican restaurant in London. After 500 years, it's about time.

Oaxaca: the city of art

One of the many joys of living in Oaxaca is the city's dazzling, colorful street art. Just walking from our apartment to a restaurant down the street gives us an amazing look at more than 30 incredible works of art. And the total number in the city must be in the thousands.

Public art is everywhere in Oaxaca — on the streets in temporary installments, a near infinite variety of artistic crafts for sale in markets, stores and workshops all over the Oaxaca Valley and in the many art galleries in the city center.

The murals tell stories, register protest, recall history and bring indigenous religion and mythology to life.

Rebels, critics and insurgents who have spoken out or fought against repression are plainly memorialized. The iconography of pre-hispanic mythology is everywhere — skeletons and the content of the Aztec afterlife — hummingbirds and spirit guide dogs. And the beauty of indigenous clothing and traditions make up blazingly colorful murals all over the city. Some murals exist to decorate businesses like shops, restaurants and bars.

Every time we return to Oaxaca, dozens more have been painted. Because of all those incredible murals, Oaxaca is a fascinating place to just walk around.

In short, the murals reflect the thoughts, feelings, anxieties and fever-dreams of this amazing city.

We just added a new Oaxaca Mezcal Experience for this year!

Greetings from Oaxaca!

I’ve got some great news! By popular demand, we've added a new Oaxaca Mezcal Experience this year! It happens December 3-9.

We’ve been in Oaxaca enjoying our own personal “Gastronomad Experience” with our local friends. This place is magnificent and truly inspiring! I can’t wait to share this new Oaxaca Mezcal Experience with you!

There’s something truly magical about Oaxaca — its deep blue skies, puffy white clouds, colorful buildings, cobblestone streets, friendly people, delicious food and ever-present history. It fills your heart with joy and happiness.

And the food!! This isn’t the Mexican food that you already know and love. Oaxaca is its own gastronomic universe, with some of the world’s most delicious flavors and ingredients.

The Wall Street Journal called Oaxaca the “Mexican city every food-loving traveler should visit now.” And Travel + Leisure magazine named Oaxaca the Best City in the World to travel to for the last two years in a row!

And these publications are talking about mere tourism!

Imagine the unimaginable — skip right past the tourism and go directly into the heart of the real, authentic Oaxaca. We lovingly craft a bespoke itinerary full of fun and delicious surprises. Get to know our brilliant friends, some of whom are the city’s top chefs and food makers. Experience magical gatherings in breathtaking settings with the most exquisite foods and drinks this region has to offer.

This isn’t just travel. It’s time travel. It’s travel beyond the world that you know and into a world you never imagined.

And while we do enjoy some of Mexico’s greatest wines, we also deeply explore the Oaxacan tradition of mezcal. (Because of US import restrictions, most of Oaxaca’s best mezcal cannot legally be sold in the United States. You can find it only in Oaxaca.)

The Oaxacan Mezcal Experience is more than an experience. It’s a magic spell. And you’ll be enchanted completely.

But space is limited. Secure your spot today and prepare for a transformative culinary experience! Get pricing and book now!

Why Mexico City is the Center of the Chocolate World

Everybody loves chocolate. The intoxicating aroma of freshly roasted cacao. The decadence of a deep, dark chocolate dessert that melts in your mouth. The joy of hot chocolate.

When people associate the idea of chocolate with a place, they usually think of a European place — Switzerland, Belgium or Vienna, for example.

But Mexico City is by far the greatest city in the world for exploring chocolate — especially during our Mexico City Cocktail Experience. And here’s why.

Europe’s relationship with chocolate began in the 19th Century when, in 1828, Dutch chemist Conrad van Houten invented the cocoa press, separating cacao butter from the solids and, in doing so, invented cocoa powder. The commercial availability of cocoa powder enabled pastry chefs and home cooks alike to buy, store, cook and bake with chocolate far away from where it's grown or roasted.

Van Houten’s work also enabled the invention of chocolate bars by Joseph Fry in 1847, as well as chocolate candies.

Today, Europe produces a dizzying array of delicious chocolate foods and drinks —pralines, chocolate truffles, chocolate bonbons, chocolate cakes, mousses, custards, cookies, chocolate tarts, soufflés, milk-based hot chocolate, chocolate liqueurs like crème de cacao, chocolate covered nuts, chocolate spreads like Nutella, and, of course, chocolate bars.

Every kind of cocoa powder-based European treat is available in exquisite form in Mexico City as well, both in the most traditional European form, and also in a Mexican flavors-infused variation (like chocolate candies with chiles). The city’s restaurants, pastry chefs, bakeries and confectionaries make all the European chocolate foods, often matching European quality.

While Europe’s relationship with chocolate began 200 years ago, Mexico’s began 5,000 years ago. That’s when the Olmec civilization starting using and eventually domesticating the cacao bean in Southern Mexico, which was used by Olmecs and later Mayans, Aztecs and other Mexican civilizations as both an important beverage and a currency.

Our word “chocolate” is from the Aztec word “xocolātl” (pronounced something like show-ko-LA-tull), which means “bitter water.” Mesoamericans typically mixed chocolate with corn and spices (but no sweetener) and drank it.

Because chocolate has served as an important food in Mexico for millennia, regions, indigenous groups and even small villages have their own unique ways to prepare and consume chocolate.

Mexicans in various parts of the country enjoy ways to consume chocolate that few Europeans have ever even heard of, such as chocolate atole (made with corn and milk), chocolate tamales, chocolate-dipped chiles, chocolate-covered fruit and, of course, the ultimate use for chocolate — black mole. Mexicans also use species of cacao never used in European chocolate.

The most common way for Mexicans to consume chocolate, though, is water-based hot chocolate containing sugar, almonds and cinnamon mixed and frothed with a molinillo — (a mixing stick introduced by the Spanish).

Mexico City is also great with American chocolate ideas like chocolate beer and chocolate cocktails, chocolate chip cookies, brownies and chocolate muffins.

Markets throughout Mexico offer custom chocolate blending and grinding. While European cooks mainly use industrially produce cacao powder from cacao grown in Africa, Mexicans buy freshly roasted and ground-to-order chocolate with custom mixes of sugar, cinnamon and other ingredients from cacao grown in Mexico. The quality of Mexican chocolate is far higher than European chocolate, on average.

But Mexico City is the greatest city in the world for chocolate for one simple reason. It’s the only place on Earth with all styles of European chocolate, all styles of American chocolate and all styles of Mexican chocolate. (If there’s an obscure style of chocolate in some remote Mexican region, you can also find it somewhere in Mexico City.)

And while everything we do during the Mexico City Cocktail Experience is a secret surprise, it’s a safe guess that there may be chocolaty deliciousness involved. - Mike

You can taste Mexico City, Oaxaca and Baja in every great Mexican dinner

“Get dressed! We’re going to an oyster tasting,” Amira told me.

It was late afternoon in November of 2020. I was in our apartment in the city center of Oaxaca, Mexico, and had just settled down to work.

But this is Oaxaca. Resistance is futile. Great food events happen almost constantly, it seems. (The night before, Amira had been invited to a chef’s roundtable dinner with several of the city’s prominent chefs and food producers, plus a special guest chef from Japan. The night after, we would enjoy the anniversary of a restaurant called Oaxacalifornia.)

But tonight, an “oyster tasting” at Casa Oaxaca Hotel.

What all these events had in common was Chef Alejandro Ruiz, the Godfather of Oaxacan cuisine. He organized all three events, has run Casa Oaxaca Hotel and co-owns Oaxacalifornia (as well as several other fantastic restaurants in Oaxaca). In addition to organizing dozens of incredible food events in the city, Chef Alex also trains on, consults over and represents Oaxacan food to Mexico and the world. Over the years, he’s also become a close friend of ours (and a major ingredient in our Oaxaca Mezcal Experience).

We arrived at the “tasting” to discover that we were among only around eight or so people — a few local chefs, plus Amira and me. Leading the event was a guest: Mexico’s leading supplier of seafood to the country’s best restaurants, including Mexico City’s Pujol. His name is Ezequiel Hugo Hernandez Zúñiga. He brought oysters and PowerPoint.

Chef Alex’s staff served our tiny gathering wave after wave of oysters on the half-shell, each a different type and accompanied by all kinds of spicy and flavorful sauces, all the while Mr. Zúñiga delivered a master class on the world of oysters. After the half-shell oysters, we were treated to incredible oyster soups and tacos.

All the while, we drank paired wines, beers and cocktails, plus mezcal, of course.

The lecture lasted three hours. The dining around six hours. But the conversation continued late into the night — all about oysters, food, restaurants and cooking.

At some point, probably around 1am, the kitchen staff (which had been standing by the whole time) figured we must be getting hungry again, and started bringing out tlayudas (a kind of giant Oaxacan tostada folded in half and eaten like a sandwich) and other Oaxacan comfort foods.

I told Chef Alex that I really enjoyed the mezcal we had been drinking. “You want to try some really great mezcal?” I said “of course!” and he rang up (OK, woke up) a man named Chucho Espina — another serial food entrepreneur, restaurant owner and mezcal maker and mezcal expert.

And so around 2am, we followed Chucho to an art gallery to taste mezcal. So we sat in one of the gallery rooms surrounded by photography, with its gravel dirt floor, around a hastily assembled table, and tasted some of the most incredible mezcales I had ever tried until the sun came up. (Chucho has since also become a friend, and he always seems to show up at every Oaxacan gathering, and at his own bars and restaurants, offering surprising, amazing and unique mezcales.)

The evening (and night, and morning) was unforgettable, totally unique and quintessentially Oaxacan.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that almost every incredible high-end dinner in Mexico involves three locations: Mexico City, Oaxaca and Baja California. In fact, we had been exploring the Mexico City food scene for years before visiting Oaxaca for the first time, and noticed how enamored Mexico City chefs were about Oaxacan flavors, herbs and other ingredients. Oaxaca is considered the epicenter of Mexican mole, for example. And 80% of the world’s mezcal is produced in the state of Oaxaca.

Great Mexican fine dining almost always involves Mexico City chefs or culinary culture, Oaxacan flavors and ingredients and Baja seafood and wine (The main wine country of Mexico is Valle de Guadalupe near Ensenada).

Mexico City is one of the world’s greatest places for food, which is why we love our Mexico City Cocktail Experience. Mexico is the only country in the world with two restaurants currently in the Top Ten of the World's 50 Best Restaurants list — Pujol and Quintonil, both in Mexico City. And both these restaurants specialize in Oaxacan flavors, dishes and ingredients and Baja seafoods (supplied by Mr. Zúñiga) and wines.

Our “oyster tasting” was no different, bringing together Mexico City, Oaxaca and Baja for the ultimate Mexican food experience.

Of course, Mexico has 31 states and thousands of distinct food cities and areas, and it’s all delicious. But the secret sauce of high-end Mexican cuisine almost always bring together Mexico City, Oaxaca and Baja. -Mike

Death reminds us to live

Death. An inevitability we dread and a subject we avoid. But death should not be scary to face or talk about.

We never miss Mexico’s Day of the Dead. It’s such a healthy and endearing tradition. Instead of confronting death only at funerals then never speaking of it again, everybody in Mexico thinks about, and talks about death, and lost loved ones, for a few days every year. Instead of feeling sadness over those lost, they invite the dead to epic celebrations and parties with beautiful ofrendas created to honor their dead. These ofrendas are lovingly and beautifully arranged altars paying tribute to their deceased loved ones with flowers, candles, fruit and all their favorite foods and drinks, as well as pictures of the departed. During Day of the Dead, the dead are celebrated for the life they once had. And with this tradition, they’re kept alive in the hearts and memories of their loved ones in the world of the living.

I was reminded of all this recently because my mom died last week. And as heartbreaking as her death has been, she died peacefully with grace and dignity. As my mom would have wanted it, instead of a wake to mourn her death, we had a gathering at her home with family and friends to celebrate her life. We ate lots of food and played her favorite music as we shared stories with each other about my mom and her endless acts of kindness and unconditional way of loving everyone in her life. She was loved, and even revered, as the remarkable woman she was.

My mom was passionate about good food. She was an amazing cook. She loved gatherings and dancing and was always the life of the party. Growing up, my life was a perpetual celebration, with fun parties and joyful family gatherings every week for special occasions or no reason at all. And we always had music and lots and lots of delicious food. I have such fond memories of it all.

She loved life. But she never traveled. Not really.

Outside the United States, as an adult, my mom visited only her native country of El Salvador, and her partner's native country of Mexico. She traveled only to visit with family. She never saw Paris. Never experienced the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. Never rode a camel. Never set foot in the Sahara Desert. Never saw Petra or the Great Pyramids. Never witnessed the sun set over a Greek island. Never enjoyed the food of Oaxaca. Never got lost in Venice.

On a recent trip to Mexico City with Mike, plus my brother and an old friend, my brother and I cried together, saying how much our mother would have loved an adventure in Mexico City like the one we were experiencing at the time.

My mom always wanted to, intended to, planned to. But Alzheimer's got hold of her before she could do it.

The real tragedy is that my mother's situation is nearly universal. Most would-be world travelers wait far too long to see the world and to experience the long list of places and things we'd like to see and do in our lives. Some wait for retirement before traveling. Some wait beyond that. And many, like my mom, die never having experienced the joy of travel and other cultures.

Death is a reminder to look life in the face, and ask ourselves: What is the meaning of our lives? What are we living for? Death reminds us that the best way to cope with death is to live. Not just biologically, but culturally, socially and spiritually live — not in 10 years, but today.

And so as I mourn the loss of my mother so profoundly — and lament the life she could have had, but didn't — I just want to remind everyone: Don't wait to travel. Don't wait to be the person you really are. Don't wait to live your life and truly enjoy the experience of living.

Here’s to making 2023 the year of enlightenment filled with renewed perspective with healthy doses of gratitude, compassion, generosity, forgiveness, kindness and joy! Oh, and some epic travel adventures and celebrations!

With love, Amira

Seasons feelings: What is the meaning of our lives?

‘Tis the season for reflecting on the year we leave behind, when we aspire to do better and live a more deliberate life in the new year to come.

We ask ourselves: What is the meaning of our lives?

The answer is different for each of us, if we can find an answer. A better question might be: How do we find more meaning in life? Or, better still: What do we live for?

The beauty of a new year is that it represents a new beginning. It gives us hope. It might be a delusion. But it also might be true that our normal expectation that life will grind on as usual is the delusion.

I’m profoundly grateful for the happiness in my life. On the internet, it may seem that I have a perfect life full of joy and adventure, roaming the world and exploring different cultures.

While I feel fortunate to live the life I enjoy — it's true that my life is often filled with joy and adventure — it's far from perfect. My heart aches every single day for people I love deeply and who suffer beyond hope. And I know that most of us carry heavy burdens and sadness in our hearts and souls.

As human beings, we have to endure all sorts of pain, suffering and broken hearts. This is one reason why Gastronomad Experiences exist. They were created to provide a place for joy and wonder beyond what most people can even imagine. During experiences, quotidian existence vanishes, replaced by constant beauty, unmitigated fun and abundant delicious food and drink, magnificent landscapes and endless laughter, joy and wonder. Time stops. And history is all around us.

Traveling is wonderful and, I believe, essential for our overall wellbeing. Travel done right takes not only to a different place, but a different time, which we can experience as a different self. This is why we crave stories — to live another life, if only for a moment.

The Gastronomad Experiences are designed to make you feel truly alive, the way nothing else can.

Each Gastronomad Experience is unique. Even those in the same location are never the same, which is why we’ve been having guests signing up to repeat the same locations.

The Gastronomad Experience was created to celebrate food, life, human connection and sustainability through joyful gatherings with locals. It is a slow travel culinary experience in the most beautiful spots on Earth with some of the most wonderful artisans in the world. But it's really about looking at life from a beautiful new perspective that changes your view about the whole world.

Mike and I strive to explore and learn from other cultures and the different ways others live around the world. With The Gastronomad Experiences, we do this through hosting immersive and meaningful culinary travel explorations that celebrate life, honor our common humanity and help us cherish the threads that connect us all.

We find that the more we enjoy fun and celebration with other like minded people around the world, the more productive and creative we become, which in essence is part of the art of cultivating joy and living life fully.

Our mission is for our guests to rediscover the beauty, joy and love within each of us — and the incredible depth of traditional human cultures.

Gastronomad Experiences are the food that sustains us in all aspects of our lives so that we can enjoy the experience of living. In other words, it's what we live for.

Wishing you all a joyful season with magical gatherings and the happiest of new years! May you find more meaning and joy near and far.

From the bottom of my heart, much love to you all.

Big hugs and kisses,

Amira

A Gastronomad Experience: The Ultimate Gift this Holiday Season!

Make 2023 the greatest year of your life — and the life of your loved one — by gifting a life-changing Gastronomad Experience in France, Italy, Spain, Morocco or Mexico! Or, make a New Year’s resolution to experience life as a temporary local in one of the world’s greatest wine countries or gastronomic hotspots, where you’ll be greeted like family and experience local culture from the inside, not as a tourist.

What are you waiting for? 2023 is the year! This holiday season is the time! Got any questions? Drop us a note — we’d love to hear from you!

What is it about Provençal cuisine that makes it so irresistible?

Great farmers, highly skilled chefs, a long tradition of country cooking, a brilliant Mediterranean fishing coastline in the South of France, the world’s greatest farmland and the double influences of French cooking specifically, and Mediterranean cooking generally. And truffles!

Provence is also one of the world’s great wine countries.

Like Italian and Greek food culture, Provençal gastronomy is a “cuisine du soleil,” a profoundly Mediterranean cuisine based on seafood, olive oil, beans, herbs and plenty of vegetables.

Provence dishes favor the world’s tastiest lamb; most amazing produce like tomatoes, cherries, berries and more; a delicious salmon-looking trout called the Sorgue trout; and many other incredible ingredients.

But it’s also specifically French, with the world’s greatest cheese, wine and bread.

Happily, cherry season overlaps with lavender season, and so during a few weeks of the year these exquisite flavors appear on Provençal plates (and, uncoincidentally, that’s when our Summer Provence Rosé Experience takes place!).

Many of the world’s favorite French dishes are specifically Provençal. Bouillabaisse, ratatouille, tapenade and niçoise salad all come from Provence.

Other classic and tasty dishes include:

• Soupe au Pistou, a vegetable and bean soup.

• Tarte Tropézienne, which is a brioche cake filled with sweet cream, was actually named by actress Brigitte Bardot.

• Daube, a beef stew, flavored with onions, carrots, mushrooms, olives, garlic, herbes de Provence and a red wine sauce.

• Pissaladière, which is Provençal pizza served as an appetizer, made with caramelized onions, black olives, and pissalat — a salty sardine and anchovy paste.

• And many other dishes.

Provençal cuisine is bright, colorful, beautiful and tasty beyond belief — especially as prepared by our friends — Provence’s most visionary and talented chefs, including some of France’s most beloved Michelin Star chefs.

If you want to taste the greatest food Provence has to offer — truly some of the best food in the world — sign up now for The Provence Rosé Experience!

The cuisine of Provence is the result of all the stars lining up to create the world’s most sumptuous food — farming, history, climate, geography and unbelievable culinary skill. That’s why Provençal cuisine is so irresistible!

At home in Morocco

Life in Marrakech always feels fast and slow, new and old — all at the same time. One moment you’re overwhelmed by the city’s hustle and bustle — the loud motorcycles racing through the narrow alleys of the ancient medina, dodging pedestrians — and the next moment you feel like you’ve traveled back in time when you happen to encounter a peaceful hidden alley with hardly any passersby. Every ancient archway feels like a path into the past.

Time becomes a blur in this part of the world. I wake up to the first call to prayer and go to sleep after the last of the day. And the time in between vanishes like the smoke that rises from the many cooking fires in Jemaa el-Fna square.

Life for us nomads is different everywhere we go. It changes with the environment. It changes with the time zones. And it changes with every culture we encounter and try to adopt as our own. Nothing ever gets stale. The life of a nomad is filled with novelty, serendipity and adventure. These are the built-in gifts and joys of living a nomadic life and exploring this magnificent world.

That's the good. What's the bad and the ugly? Not much turns out to be bad when you're a seasoned traveler and are of the mind that every experience is an opportunity for new adventure. What may seem like a negative thing often comes with a silver lining when you intentionally look for it. As far as ugly, the world is complicated and that’s reflected everywhere. No place on this planet is immune to the ugliness created by humans. We accept the world as it is.

The biggest downside of our lifestyle is how much we miss our loved ones. Doing FaceTime or Zoom with them helps but I still want that human touch with them. I still want those embraces and kisses -- especially our granddaughter's. Frankly, the hardest thing for me is that no matter the distance, I still feel the pain and suffering of those I love as my own pain and suffering. And though I can always catch a flight on a moment’s notice, I can’t always be with them when they need me and when I need to be with them.

In some ways, the sadness I carry with me keeps me grounded. Because of it I can genuinely and profoundly feel the joy bestowed upon me in all the different corners of the world I love so much. I've learned not to take anything or anyone for granted. I'm mindful of the fact that we only have one life to live so I focus on what matters most to me. I try to live life with intention, grace and mindfulness because anything else would waste the most valuable thing we all have: our precious time.

As full-time digital nomads, Mike and I are citizens of the world. But it's curious to me how those who have homes in a permanent house often tell us that they cannot comprehend how we can live without our own bed, our own kitchen or a daily routine with the same people in the same place. It's unfathomable and inconceivable to them. My mind instantly wonders how can they? But I know that's just me. It's the way I was probably born — born to explore.

My response: My lifestyle is not for everyone. But it's perfect for me. There are some trade-offs. But living in the same place permanently, sleeping on the same bed, cooking in the same kitchen, having the same daily routine and being attached to all the material possessions that come with a house are no longer tradeoffs for me. They used to be for a time many years ago.

Someone recently described us as "homeless" in the context of trying to describe the fact that we don't have a permanent residence address or live in a permanent house.

Obviously, we're not vagrants. And we actually own property. We don’t own or live in a permanent house by choice. We make a living doing what we love. But it's true we don't have a house that's a permanent residence other than sometimes we use our son's and daughter-in-law's address to ship things to. But we're not homeless — far from it. We rent our homes — sometimes for as little as for one week, most often for a month or two.

We are nomads. We move around a lot. Wherever we happen to be is our home. Right now, our home is Marrakech.

We're staying in a beautiful ancient Riad that's owned by a friend of ours. And it's magical to live here. Even after 16 years of this lifestyle, we fall in love with it all over again every time.

The more of the world we see, the more we realize how little of the world we’ve seen. The more we learn about other cultures, the more we realize how little we know. I reckon we'll spend the rest of our lives wandering around the world with the humbling understanding that we will never live long enough to see it all or learn enough about it. Some say ignorance is bliss. I find bliss in being confronted with my own ignorance. Because it's an invitation to learning something new.

Mike and I are of one mind when it comes to travel — and our gastronomadic lifestyle. We travel for the thrill of living everywhere and eating everything. We're not homebodies, I'm not even sure I can understand what that means but I do feel a certain aversion to the word.

I love roaming around and wandering aimlessly in every place we live -- that's my nirvana. It brings me immense joy, which produces enormous gratitude and happiness within my heart and soul. So much so that it feels like my heart beats a thousand times a minute from the exultation in every fiber of my being. But I could never feel this way if I were doing this alone. My secret ingredient is that I get to do it with the love of my life. Mike is the reason this is possible for me. I'm forever grateful to the universe for my good fortune.

Mike and I are always ready to go anywhere on a moment's notice. Packing is not a big deal. Changing plans and being flexible is part of the thrill. A canceled flight. A sudden invitation. It's all just another opportunity for serendipity. Extending our travels for an event is something we're always ready to do. Acting on a whim is all part of the joy of discovery.

For us, the world is too big to stay in one place. Home is wherever we happen to be. -Amira

The Guelaguetza: Oaxaca’s epic indigenous cultural event of food, dance, music and spectacle

The Guelaguetza: Oaxaca’s epic indigenous cultural event of food, dance, music and spectacle

Each summer, the city of Oaxaca dresses up in retina-searing colors and transforms itself into the most important indigenous cultural event anywhere in the Americas.

We've had the privilege of attending this year's Guelaguetza Festival for the first time, thanks to the help and courtesy of Oaxacan friends. And we have loved every minute of it.

Oaxaca’s Guelaguetza is a big deal because Oaxacan culture is inseparable from indigenous culture. The event showcases the roots and traditions of the spectacularly diverse indigenous cultures in Oaxaca through dances in group-specific costumes, big parades, gatherings, musical events, artisanal crafts and indigenous-forward (pre-Hispanic) food festivals. 

Although loosely based on pre-Spanish traditions, the modern Guelaguetza began in 1932 on the 400th anniversary of the founding of the City of Oaxaca by the Spanish empire.

Since 1969, the Guelaguetza has been celebrated on the two Mondays immediately following July 16 (except when that first Monday lands on the birthday of indigenous Oaxacan former president Benito Juárez, which is July 18.) But the informal, citywide festivities begin days before the official start and continue throughout the two weeks, ending today. It’s an endless, crowded, festive, happy party.

The word Guelaguetza is Zapotec for “reciprocal exchanges of gifts and services” or “offering.” (The Guelaguetza also integrates ceremonies around Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or “Virgen del Carmen.”)

Because this cultural exchange is so beautiful and delicious, the Guelaguetza has evolved into a performance spectacle and feast for everyone's eyes, which is a source of ongoing controversy in Oaxaca. Some indigenous leaders say the celebration is being commercialized and performed for outsiders, mainly visitors for elsewhere in Mexico. And that’s obviously true for some of the centrally planned activities in the City of Oaxaca, but not at all true in the many events that take place in the surrounding villages. Many of the different villages or municipalities hold their own local Guelaguetza celebrations.

The Guelaguetza is a fraught cultural event for Mexico. Commercial aspects infringe on the inherent traditions and meaning behind the rituals and the objective of cultural exchange. Despite the differences and controversies, the Guelaguetza has managed to amalgamate cultural and identity expressions in its idea of unity and coexistence between ethnic groups and the general population. As each ethnic group celebrates their specific identity as well as their ethnic differences, despite the inequities within the society at large, Guelaguetza fosters conviviality and convergence in a genuine community celebration that exalts coexistence between diversified lifestyles. On the whole, the event is all about love for indigenous Oaxaca, both by the locals and for visitors as well.


The Guelaguetza is significant for indigenous Oaxacans, as its diversity of language and culture make it important and meaningful to the survival of their cultures. Everyone comes together for this once-a-year super fiesta to share and celebrate the diverse world of Oaxacan indigenous communities where they can bond and connect with each other.

The Guelaguetza Festival brings together delegations that represent the eight regions of Oaxaca (Cañada, Costa, Istmo, Mixteca, Papaloapan, Sierra Sur, Sierra Norte y Valles Centrales.) Only 21 delegations represented the state's 590 municipalities this year. The participants are selected through a lottery system from the hundreds of groups and municipalities who are members of the different ethnic groups from different regions and who speak mutually unintelligible languages.

The language landscape reveals the cultural diversity in Oaxaca. More than one-third of all people in the State of Oaxaca speaks an indigenous language, and many do not speak any other language, including Spanish.

The largest group alone, called the Zapotecs, speaks more than 62 distinct and often mutually unintelligible languages. The Mixtecs speak dozens. There are 14 other distinct ethnicities in Oaxaca (in order of population: Mazateco, Chinanteco, Mixe, Chatino, Trique, Huave, Cuicateco, Zoque, Amuzgo, Oaxacan, Tacuate, Chochotec, Ixcateco and the Popoloco and these groups each have their own languages or language families.)

While the Guelaguetza draws visitors from all over Mexico, other countries and indigenous peoples from all over Southern Mexico, the main state-sponsored festival events (which happens on El Cerro del Fortín in a purpose-built, 11,000-seat facility called the Guelaguetza Auditorium) take place on the two consecutive Mondays towards the end of July. Less than 3,000 tickets were sold to the general public in 2022, which sold out in a matter of minutes. The few tickets sold online can only be purchased using a specific local credit card. 

The remaining tickets are free to Oaxacans who wait in line overnight to get them. Generally, it's not easy for tourists and foreigners to attend the Guelaguetza. The ticket system is geared for ensuring that most, if not all, tickets available for purchase and for free go to local Oaxacans. 

During the main Guelaguetza event performances, at the end of each dance, the dancers throw food into the audience, ranging from cookies and bread to candy and tamales. After the famous annual Flor de Piña dance, the performers actually throw whole pineapples into the crowd -- we caught one of them, took it home and ate it. We also caught all kinds of breads and cookies.

The Guelaguetza events involve music, singing, dancing and costumes. Dancers wear exquisite hand-made traditional outfits that span the range from totally Spanish to totally indigenous and everything in between. Additionally, there are other concerts and events that are separately scheduled as part of the festivities with big name Mexican artists including Lila Downs, Maná and Los Angeles Azules (all of which we attended!).

We were invited by a local Zapotec friend to a village with a population of 2000 Zapotecs. The celebrations included the dance performances, food festivals, fireworks, rituals at the local church and even their own version of bullfighting, which didn't involve any harm to the bulls, as no knives or swords were used.

We’ve always wanted to attend the Guelaguetza, and we feel so privileged to take part this year — which is a special one, as the event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of covid.

The existence of the Guelaguetza in Oaxaca turns the entire city into a massive cultural gathering and nearly state-wide fiesta that lasts for two weeks. Experiencing the profound jubilation and joy of Oaxacans, nationals and all visitors coming together has been unforgettable. Seeing all the delegations from the different municipalities from the various regions of the state share their cultural roots, traditions and customs has been transformative.