Origins Cacao & Culture Tour - Oaxaca / Day of the Dead 2024
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$1,851.17 USD
Join Soul Lift Cacao founder Nick Meador for an incredible journey to Oaxaca (pronounced wah-hah-cah) for Day of the Dead 2024.
Oaxaca City is known as a spiritual epicenter in Mexico for this unique holiday that connects the living to the afterlife during the transition from October to November.
This is also an opportunity to meet the people who make Mitla ceremonial cacao, which is grown in Chiapas and prepared east of Oaxaca City.
The villages and archaeology sites around Oaxaca City make for an epic adventure in themselves. And going for Day of the Dead allows us to show respect the local culture, connect with our own lost loved ones, and find more meaning from our living days.
Nick will be joined by assistant guide and translator Stephanie Álvarez. Stephanie is a native of Mexico City. In her childhood years her family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she continues to live. She considers herself a creative soul, adventurer, musician, educator, space holder, and lover of all things chocolate. She works professionally as a Choir Director in Northern California. Outside of her profession, she is committed to learning and practicing indigenous and ancestral practices that help decolonize herself and her community. Learn more about Stephanie on her website.
Woven into the texture of the tour will be Nick and Stephanie’s guidance on how to travel responsibly, so that we can have a positive impact in the places we visit.
Plus this tour is a collaboration with a group of local tour guides in Oaxaca City that's all about "conscious and respectful tours"!
TOUR DATES: Activities scheduled from Oct 27 - Nov 2, 2024
Arrive by Sat, Oct 26. The group separates on Sun, Nov 3.
Day-to-day itinerary will be shared in the Participant Guide after registration.
THIS TRIP INCLUDES: *
Visits to multiple indigenous groups working with cacao and chocolate traditions.
Day of the Dead cemetery tour and "Muerteada" parades
Markets in Oaxaca City (Central de Abastos) and Tlocolula de Matamoros (Zapotec village)
Visits to Monte Alban and Mitla archaeology sites
Learning about natural dyeing & weaving traditions, alebrijes (pronounced ah-ley-bree-hays... colorful animal spirits), and traditional black porcelain
Hierve el Agua (petrified waterfall) and Tree of Tule (approx. 1,400-year-old tree... stoutest in the world)
Meals from breakfast on Sun, Oct 27 to breakfast on Sun, Nov 3
Vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free/other dietary restrictions will be accommodated. However please note that Mexico is omnivorous leaning towards carnivorous, and that the tour will include visits to many meat-focused restaurants and markets.
Due to the unpredictable nature of travel in a developing country, organized meals will happen 2-3 times per day during the tour. Participants will have the option to bring snacks or find more food. There will be no refunds for missed meals.
NOTE 1: This tour doesn't include visits to cacao farms, which are VERY FAR from Oaxaca City.
NOTE 2: This tour doesn't include ceremonies in the way Westerners usually think of "cacao ceremonies," because that's not part of the local traditions. However, cacao is intertwined with Day of the Dead celebrations, and so the intention and expectation is for this to be a deep journey. We'll have daily sharing circles, and facilitators will be available to support.
ITINERARY: TO COME SOON
AREA OF TRAVEL: TO COME SOON
LODGING (scroll to the bottom of the page for photos):
Transportation to/from the Oaxaca International Airport (OAX) is included in the cost of the tour.
A private bus will take our group from one destination to the next each day.
REGISTRATION – LIMITED TO 14 PARTICIPANTS
Shared Lodging - $1,799 USD per person (whether you're a pair with your own room, or a solo matched by organizers in a room with your own bed)
Private Individual - $2,099 USD per person
• Payment can be all at once, or you can save your spot with a $599 deposit.
• Payments by credit/debit card, Venmo, or Paypal are subject to a 2.9% service fee. Prices in the drop menu above include that service fee. Options to avoid the fee include paying by Zelle or wire transfer.
• NOTE: ShopPay automatic installments are not an option for registration. Whichever option you choose, if starting with a deposit in advance, the full trip balance will be due by September 26, 2024.
• Because we have to pay deposits to reserve lodging and other activities, registration is non-refundable. Please look into trip insurance if you have any concerns.
ABOUT NICK MEADOR
Nick spent years traveling throughout Mexico and Central America connecting with cacao farms, collectives, and experts. He founded Soul Lift Cacao to create a positive impact in the world by helping indigenous collectives share their cacao in the U.S. and beyond.
On top of that, Nick has been on a path of facilitation, leadership, and self-development for more than a decade. He has trained in various traditions, schools, and lineages for healing and self-development, and looks for the parallels that tie them together.
Nick created the Soul Lift Cacao Method to provide an ethical and responsible way to share ceremonial cacao in modern settings, and to create safe containers for transformational journeys. He has been training people to share cacao on their own since 2017.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Extensive consideration will be taken for health and safety at every step of the tour.
Oaxaca is considered one of the safest parts of Mexico.
One factor to consider will be food and water. It’s important to only drink purified water and eat food in clean establishments. All arranged meals on the trip will take this onto consideration.
Please consult a medical professional if you are curious about potential inoculations and other health considerations for the trip.
ETHICS
Nick Meador is of mixed European heritage and not of indigenous or Latin American descent. So he puts a lot of effort into making sure his work is ethical and responsible. Nick works in close partnership with indigenous teachers and cacao workers in an ongoing effort to bridge cacao into the modern world. It's all based on direct, consensual relationship, and an attitude of curiosity about this special plant that has changed Nick's life so profoundly, particularly on his path of healing from chronic illness. As an American who has felt a deep appreciation for Mexican culture since the mid-1990s and who has a deep background in facilitation, Nick is in a fitting position to lead this tour for Americans and people from other Western countries. The intention is to bring positive impact for both visitors and our Oaxacan hosts, while minimizing or eliminating potential harm. Feel free to write to hello@soulliftcacao.com with any questions.
MEET NICK & STEPHANIE:
LODGING PHOTOS (subject to change)
Hospedaje Casa Plutarco - a small hotel in Oaxaca City that will be occupied only by our group.
I absolutely love this creamy TukTuk cacao paste. Not as chocolatey or rich as my beloved Heart of the Earth, but delightful with a slightly sweet caramel flavor. TukTuk is like treating yourself to a decadent, blissful dessert!
Without a doubt, Heart of the Earth is my favorite cacao paste for grounding, journaling, and spiritual work. I add it to rose tea, honey, and a little cinnamon. I find it very potent for at least three hours, so avoid doing anything which might need your full attention (like chopping vegetables) until the bliss has diminished. With its lovely heart-opening and earthy flavor, Heart of the Earth is perfect for private or public ceremonies.
This came up as a suggested add on when making my last purchase and I was hesitant at first, but soooo glad I did. We have fallen in love with this blend. It smooth tasting and at the end has a small pepper zing., but Not overbearing (I don't like spicy). We especially like this blend when sitting in front a fire, warms ya up, inside and out. A suggested add on has made us regular buyers. Thank you!
