lindsay traveling

En Vía is a microfinance organization serving the villages surrounding Oaxaca City . I had the pleasure of taking their tour and meeting several of their inspirational borrowers. The tour costs about $45USD, 100% of which becomes microloans. Allow me to share my experience in the hopes that, after this virtual tour, you might be moved to fund a microloan as well! On the road to San Miguel, Andrea, an En Vía volunteer, introduced us to the program. She explained that the founders of En Vía did a lot of research before committing to the model they use today. And it shows. The program has been hugely successful -- they have a 99% loan repayment rate!! The basic model is this: three women form a triad of trusted peers, then enroll. They take a business course that covers everything from basic money management to business development. They then receive their first loan. This loan is relatively small, and must be paid off within 15 weeks. All the while, they continue to attend mon...

After exploring Oaxaca for four weeks so far (plus four days last year), I don't claim to be an expert. But I've found a handful of places that I absolutely love! If you find yourself in Oaxaca, I highly recommend you check out... Restaurants and Bars Calabacitas Tiernas is a charming little hole in the wall. Always vegetarian, often even vegan, the four-course menu del dia is a steal at 90 pesos. Instead of relying on rice, beans, and tortillas to satisfy us vegetarians, Calabacitas Tiernas stuffs their dishes to the brim with fresh produce. Each course is much more fruit and veg than it is filler, and all of it is both delicious and disinfected. My favorite combination! Biche Pobre was recommended by locals, and is a little light on tourists due to its location slightly outside the city center. The restaurant has two stories filled with plenty of tables, but even still, a line out the door is commonplace. My chilaquiles were delicious -- although that's ki...

I fell in love with Oaxaca the first time I visited, so it was an easy choice for 5 weeks of language school. Now, one week in, I know I made the right decision! I've settled into an awesome routine... Breakfast and coffee in my cute apartment (usually while scrambling to finish my homework), then a 30 minute walk to school. 9:00-1:00, class with a genuinely skilled educator and a handful of new friends. 1:00-3:00, wander around until I find a (relatively) indulgent restaurant for a leisurely lunch. 3:00-4:00, "intercambio," conversational language exchange with a super interesting woman from Oaxaca. 4:00-6:00, cooking class (in Spanish) with a friendly and talented woman who even lets us eat the yummy food afterward! After that, too full for dinner and too brain-fried for much more Spanish, I've either been going out with classmates and/or locals, or going straight home to rest my brain. I'm having a great time, and hopefully I'm even learning ...