Morning Work Routine in Oaxaca

Bird calls awaken us bright an early as strong Oaxacan sun shines through our homestay windows. After tasty tortillas and pinto beans for breakfast, we open our front door and are bombarded by rainbow-colored homes lining our quiet street. The typical Oaxacan architecture — squared, modest two-stories with inner courtyards – is inspiring. Mexicans are certainly not afraid of color. We pass rose vendors and freshly sliced mango stands as we tread the cobblestone streets leading to our patio “office” below.

Juan Jose Consejo, the executive director– Ashoka Fellow, of The Institute for Nature and Society of Oaxaca INSO, lets us use his WiFi service during the week, making our lives much easier. This very fact alone saves us lots of time and money as we use our own Netbooks to do email, Skype calls and write letters. We all agree this is the must say this is the nicest office we’ve ever had, encircled by plants and tall columns under a blue sky. A few hours pass quickly as we type away, translate and prepare for community visits that happen most afternoons.