Savvy Travel Hub

  "You're going to be in town for the Guelaguetza!!!", the local people excitedly exclaimed when we visited Oaxaca in July. Posters with the words Guelaguetza are plastered about town and it appears to be an event involving dancing, music and costumes. Since everything in Oaxaca seems to involve dancing music and costumes we asked the question:   What is special about the Guelaguetza? The Guelaguetza is special for two reasons. It lasts an entire week. You get to experience a variety of indigenous music, dance and food of Oaxaca all in one place What is the Guelaguetza celebrating? The purpose of the modern day Guelaguetza is to showcase and celebrate each region's indigenous culture. This is something you will find only in southern Mexico and not in the north. The southern states of Mexico continue to maintain many of their indigenous cultures because the south was relatively untouched by the invasion of Hernan Cortes, the S...

Native English speakers OF ANY AGE can easily get a job teaching English in almost any country throughout the world. I'm going to tell about our experiences teaching English in foreign countries beginning in Mexico.  Mexico is our first international teaching experience, but not our last. We will continue traveling and teaching in more countries. Click here to learn how to secure a teaching job in your preferred country. English language schools can be found in all large Mexican cities and also in many smaller towns. Are foreigners allowed to teach English in Mexico? Yes, but the government has restrictions. The English schools who employ expats are required to also have a percentage of the teachers to be native Mexicans. This is in order to keep employment equitable and not have a bunch of foreigners taking over.  What are the requirements to teach English in Mexico? The requirements depend on the school. Top tier schools require a teaching credenti...

  How we made a difference and you can too! Have you taken short vacations but now are becoming interested in staying in one place for a couple weeks or even a couple months? Are you looking for opportunities for longer-term travel where you can form a more intimate connection with the local culture. You know that won't happen if you just stay in a hotel and do touristy things. Consider volunteering! That's what we did. How do I meet local people and form relationships? You have a couple choices Rent a guest bedroom in the home of a local person Stay in a local neighborhood and wait for the locals to invite you into their lives Volunteer Volunteering is the perfect first step toward longer-term travel. You may be surprised to find that some of your friends have connections to volunteer opportunities in other countries. Start telling everyone about your travel plans and ask if have connections or suggestions. If you don't have a des...

  Finally we understand how the ticketing and paying of traffic fines functions in Mexico. If you live near the Mexican border as we do, you've probably driven in Mexico and are somewhat fearful of your vehicle being stopped by a police officer. We'd always heard that you would be stopped randomly and expected to pay a bribe.  Although this is true in some countries, it's not necessarily the norm in Mexico. Let's dispel the bribe rumors and reveal the logic about how traffic tickets are handled in Mexico. The first week in Oaxaca, we noticed a car illegally parked near our restaurant.  While watching out the window, a police officer approached the vehicle to check for a driver. When one could not be found, the officer returned to his vehicle to retrieve some kind of tool which we couldn't make out.  He proceeded to bend over near the front bumper. Do you have an idea of what he was doing? Soon, the police officer ascends holding the car's li...

  Are these words in your vocabulary: Opening bid, call, contract, rubber, trick, book, pass, trump and dummy? You may qualify to get a stipend to teach Bridge at home or internationally. How can I get a job teaching Bridge? In many places around the world, the World Bridge Federation is promoting Bridge by offering stipends to instructors willing to teach Bridge to children. As the popularity of the game of Bridge has waned since its heyday in the1930s and 1940s, the IBF has a goal to bring another generation into the fold with the intent of keeping the game alive. How much will I get paid to teach Bridge? The World Bridge Federation offers stipends in three-month increments. Check the World Bridge Federation website to find the amount of the stipend. Depending on the economy of the country in which you would be working, the stipend may or may not be enough to support you in the foreign country or at home. How does the teaching Bridge program work? ...

  Why are all the taxis wrapped in bows and ribbon today? There is a good reason. All the taxis are in a parade. it's a taxi parade! Decorated taxis snake through the streets of Oaxaca because today is the official Day of the Taxi. The bows and ribbons stay on all day in celebration. It's a perfect time to talk about how taxes operate in Oaxaca.  Not all taxis are created equal in Oaxaca. It took me a long time to figure this out. Many times I would flag down a taxi, give my destination and be told no. I didn't know why this was happening until the collectivos were explained to me. What is the difference between taxis and collectivos? Collectivos follow a fixed-route, most of them traveling from the heart of Oaxaca to the outer villages.. You can recognize them by their burgundy and white color. The regular taxis are yellow. Are taxis safe in Oaxaca? Taxis in Oaxaca are safe. Tourists towns must offer safety on their streets as w...

  Most tourist activities launch from Macedonio Alcalá which is the main tourist street in the City of Oaxaca. The Alcala is where you can book your tours, buy local crafts from street vendors, visit museums and art galleries, eat, drink and be merry. Referred to as The Alcala , this is a typical tourist street like you will see in tourist cities around the world with the added benefit of art, music and dancing which permeate everything in Oaxaca. Your stroll along The Alcala is accompanied by tourists from all parts of the world. Oaxaca is truly an international tourist destination. Artisans line the street displaying their craft. If you are like us, you'll have a hard time resisting the alebrijis. Alebrijis are small hand carved and colorfully painted wooden animals. They are so pretty and cute that we try to not look at them in fear of purchasing every one! Alebrijis are very inexpensive and make great souvenir gifts. Artisans will make custom anim...

 Do you long to travel internationally but don't know where to begin? Are you inkling to visit a destination that is rich in culture? Are you looking for a place that has a myriad of activities to keep you entertained? Oaxaca, Mexico has culture and entertainment, and a seamless transition from your airplane, through customs and  onto your hotel. As a bonus, most of the entertainment is by street performers so there is no cost! Perhaps fear of the unknown is keeping you from your travel dreams. Do you want to begin traveling internationally but are apprehensive about what awaits you. You are intimidated by big airports and afraid that you won’t know what to do once you exit the plane . Perhaps you feel intimidated about landing in a country where you don't know the language, or maybe you are concerned about safety. We recommend Oaxaca, Mexico as the #1 destination for first time travelers. Oaxaca, Mexico is safe, highly cultural, fun, small enough to ...

  Visit or stay at The Oaxaca Learning Center if you want to connect with the local community and a community of volunteers from throughout the world. Many patrons return to the bed and breakfast year after year and often stay for months at a time either volunteering or just enjoying the bed and breakfast. You can choose if you want to take part in the volunteer opportunities or just soak in the local culture. Welcome to The Oaxaca Learning Center. This tutoring / bed and breakfast facility places you smack dab in the center of the local culture.  The Oaxaca Learning Center (TOLC) features an open-air courtyard surrounded by bed and breakfast rooms, as well as classrooms. Upstairs you can find an entire apartment to rent. The Oaxaca Learning Center is first of all a volunteer organization. It is also a bread & breakfast. If you are tentative about traveling to a foreign country because you’re worried about being lonely and afraid, book a room at the Oaxaca...

Many American expats who like parties make their home in Oaxaca, Mexico. As if there are not enough parties and celebrations in Oaxaca, why not add American holidays into the mix. It's not surprising that an American Independence Day celebration is planned for the 4th of July and it was to become quite the mad-cap adventure in the hills above Oaxaca. The celebration is planned in a town called Huajuapan. Here is the set up: 4th of July is Independence Day for the United States of America, so a USA expat potluck is being held in the village of Huajuapan high up in the hills above Oaxaca. The party is held in the headquarters of a charity called Casa Linda. Casa translates as house. Linda translates as pretty, AND, here is where the trouble begins, Linda is also a common female English name. Printed directions go something like this: Take the road up into the hills, turn left at the first building, go past two fields of agave plants, turn right onto the sec...

Locating a rental apartment in a foreign country can be difficult but not impossible.  Step by step, this is how we found the affordable, centrally located apartment that we rented in Oaxaca, Mexico for a 6 month stay. 6 steps to rent an apartment in a foreign country Contact a local bilingual real estate agent View the classified ads Connect with the local expat group Walk the neighborhood and find For Rent signs in windows Check prices for month long stays at hostels Ask your hotel staff for recommendations We used all of 6 these steps. Guess which one yielded the best results!?? Step by step how we found the perfect rent by the month apartment in Oaxaca, Mexico. Step 1: Contact a real estate agent Real estate agents who speak your language can be found easily on the internet. Although we have found realtors online in other countries, we have a realtor recommended to us by a relative who had been to Oaxaca last year to take a ...