Those of us who grew up in the 1950s or earlier recall Watkins, Fuller Brush, and if it was in a semi-rural community, the milkman, iceman and bakery truck. Today in Oaxaca door-to-door sales and services continue to thrive, perhaps less so in the centro histórico (historic downtown) apart from propane and water. But venture beyond and you’ll be amazed at the multitude of benefits available at one’s doorstep… in Third World Mexico we still have conveniences long lost in so-called “modern society,” and yes, Avon.
It may not …

While sightseeing in Oaxaca, if you don’t keep your ear to the ground your stay in the city will not be as culturally complete and informative as it could be. Here’s a sampler of the range of sounds you might hear emanating from car-top loudspeakers, truck horns, steam whistles, and stereos and live bands … and explanation of what each signifies.
It’s not necessary to venture off into the small towns and villages to experience the diversity of rich sounds, which themselves provide a greater understanding of life in Oaxaca. …

Well, it appears as though the effects of the mortgage crisis in the US which began in March, 2008 followed by the collapse of the stock market in October, 2008 are finally being felt in Puerto Vallarta. Thanks to the strong Canadian Dollar, tourist expenditures in Vallarta for goods and services, including retirement real estate, held up fairly well for most of 2008. However, during the September/October timeframe, the Canadian Dollar plunged by more than 20%, thus reducing the Canadian purchasing power accordingly. Consequently, both the Americans and Canadians are …

Alvin Starkman M.A., LL.B.
It’s been said that the reason most Oaxacans hold down two jobs is that they need one to meet the financial demands of their day-to-day lives, and the other to attend to their social obligations. While at first blush such a statement seems if not incomprehensible then certainly exaggerated, after careful analysis within the context of how the lives of most expats in the city are expected to unfold as compared to their collective existence in the US or Canada, one finds a clear understanding and the …

Alvin Starkman M.A., LL.B.
From the roadside it appears to be a Georgia-style prison chain gang, working away with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows, lacking only the supervision of a shotgun toting warden on horseback à la Cool Hand Luke. Such an assessment is not far off, based on the Oxford definition of tequio: “Forced labor, imposed on the Indians by the Spanish.” But here in modern Oaxaca the occasional Sunday tradition is more in the nature of moral suasion or civic responsibility.
In a society still based largely on a cash …

Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
Travelers’ checks, ATM machines or cash…
You don’t need to take travelers’ checks, ATM’s are common, safe and reliable, and while pesos and American cash rule, a VISA card will get you through your trip to Oaxaca. But there innumerable other tidbits of advice to heed before heading out the door to the airport, questions you’ll have after landing, and issues around money which will arise in the course of your vacation.
Getting ready for the trip
ATMs
There are several ATM machines in the downtown core alongside almost every …

Alvin Starkman M.A., LL.B.

Large trucks regularly wending their way through the streets of Oaxaca with signs stating “agua para uso humano” (water for human consumption) are not transporting drinking water. And what they are in fact carrying might be a yellow shade of beige.
Usually these pipas, as they’re commonly known, contain between 2,500 and 20,000 liters of water. Throughout the year they supply commercial establishments such as hotels and restaurants, for their washrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms. They also provide water to many residences which are hooked up to city …

Alvin Starkman M.A., LL.B.
First-time travelers to Oaxaca, as well as return visitors and snowbirds, can all help to improve the financial lot of many struggling residents, aside from simply visiting the city and spending.
It’s a fact that tourism has indeed returned to the central valleys of the state of Oaxaca. But as a result of the US economic crisis in 2008, so have many Oaxacans: Oaxacan immigrants, documented and otherwise, had previously been eking out a modest existence north of the border, often wiring money back to their motherland …

Alvin Starkman M.A., LL.B.
Those accustomed to vacationing in Mexico and expats residing here may be tempted to rent or buy a motorcycle without any or very much cycling experience, wrongly believing that all they have to do is hop on an automatic scooter and off they go, with knowledge of how to drive a car enough to assure their well being. It’s easy enough to do given that in Oaxaca, and possibly in other Mexican states, you don’t need special licensing to ride a motorcycle. Having taken a motorcycle …

Alvin Starkman M.A., LL.B.
Where else but in Mexico can you park two blocks away from the ballpark, buy a pair of field level seats beside the dugout, eat a personal size pizza, have a beer, pastry, lollipop and tic-tacs, and be entertained for more than three hours during a warm, breezy evening, all for about $15 USD.
The Mexican baseball season begins each March, with Oaxaca’s team, the Guerreros (one of 16 in this two division league), playing at the Lic. Eduardo Vasconcelos stadium, a short walk from downtown. When …