Tapalpa Diaries

Apr 06, 2025 | by Yana Meydbray

Tapalpa, a small “pueblo mágico” nestled in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range, is located just a few hours south of Guadalajara, over 6,000 feet above sea level. This quiet town, far from the hustle of Mexico’s busy cities, offers a slow-paced, community-centered environment perfect for families and children. 

Our first trip to Tapalpa took place 15 years ago when Señora Cabrera and Ms. Davies took a group of 5th graders, including our very own Ms. Amelia as a student. In the following years, Señora returned with groups of 6th graders, joined by various teachers from our school. In Tapalpa, Señora built a strong connection with Genoveva Delgado, the director of Escuela Urbana 373. Year after year, Maestra Geno graciously welcomes us for two weeks of study.

I first joined Señora three years ago, and this year I returned for the third time, with Amelia, now a teacher. It was a full-circle moment: for Amelia, it was a return to a place she had visited as a student; for me, it was an opportunity to connect with the spirit of that first trip and reflect on how we continue the mission set by our founding teachers.

First class to visit Tapalpa, April of 2010
While the trip looked different this time, many of the original intentions and goals remain unchanged. Over the years, I’ve developed a habit of writing a brief summary of our daily adventures and reflections, which I share with parents in the evenings. If you're curious about how we spent our time in Mexico, read on as I take you on a short journey through our 14-day trip.

Sunday, 3/2 - Day 1: Tapalpa has been so welcoming! At almost every corner, people greet us with curiosity, kindness, and care. Everyone is so nice to the children and looks out for their well-being. They also, of course, don't really know what to make of us :) Are we the parents? Are these our children? What's going on? When we share that we're teachers and these are our students, the warmth and kindness we receive only deepens.

We arrived safely in Guadalajara at 5 a.m., and by 9 a.m., we were in Tapalpa at Posada Paulino. We've stayed at this hotel for many years, and our host, Sergio, is incredibly accommodating and attentive. The town is lively, warm, and buzzing with cheerful energy. We've had a few wonderful meals, and the kids exchanged their first $20 for pesos. We spent a good part of the day wandering around the town square, checking out all the sweet little corners and shops. We ended our evening with a gratitude circle, and while we are very, very tired (and some of us are a little homesick), overall, we are in good spirits! Tomorrow, we get up at 7 a.m. and head out to meet the local artisan who will share his clay work with us.

Monday, 3/3 - Day 2: This morning, after breakfast, we boarded a mini-bus that took us just outside of Tapalpa to Comunidad Rosa de Castilla, a small village where the artisan Don Andreas has worked as the local potter for the last 45 years.

Don Andreas shared his technique with us and explained how he grinds the powder for his clay. His style is unique in that he does not use a wheel but makes everything by hand. His kilns resemble those that have been used here for hundreds of years: large and round, with thick brick walls, no tops, and a fire that’s lit on one side. It takes about 8 to 9 hours for the pieces to finish. The children enjoyed his demonstration and then had the opportunity to make pieces of their own. They were eager to jump in and were completely immersed in the clay work. So much so, that when the bus came back to take us to town, many were begging to stay a little longer.

In the second part of the day, after lunch, at 2pm, we headed for our first day of school. We were greeted with tremendous warmth and enthusiasm. Our teacher, Maestra Paty, made sure our first day was smooth and fun. The 4th-grade children were incredibly sweet and curious. At recess, everyone ran down to play football (soccer), while those who didn’t play chatted with new friends. We are receiving love from all directions! At 6:30pm, after school ended, we made our way back to the square for dinner. We wrapped up the day with a sharing. One student shared that they felt the school had a “warm soul” and expressed gratitude for the welcome! So sweet!

Tuesday, 3/4 - Day 3: We began the day with a 7 AM wake-up. Everyone is sleeping relatively well and is ready to head out the door by 8 AM. After breakfast (oatmeal, fruit, OJ, ham [optional], and cheese croissants), we began our trek to Ataco. The road between Tapalpa and Ataco is about a 30-minute walk.

Ataco feels even more remote and pueblo-like. The town is said to be over 500 years old and is home to indigenous peoples. The exact location we visited this morning, now a place of worship, was once a herbal medicine hospital. Next to the temple hall is a small garden with many plots, each containing plants meant to heal different body systems. On the other side of the hall is a small apothecary. Many in this area still rely on traditional medicine for healing.

We came to Ataco to meet Señora Eva, who has been honing her craft for the last 20 years. She taught us how to weave dried pine needles to make sombreros and baskets (mini to start). The children were eager to learn, but the craft was challenging, so they had to rely on their Spanish skills to ask for help and clarify the instructions. More and more, they are making an effort to speak with the people they encounter and connect in Spanish.

In the second part of the day, we returned to school. The classroom environment is easy-going and Maestra Paty’s instructions are simple and clear. The children follow with ease. Today at recess, the children didn’t need much assistance. They made their way down to the field and quickly began to engage with the children around them. After recess, a boy from another class came and asked our teacher’s permission to speak with Ziyad and me. I thought something had happened, but it turns out he just wanted to know what position Ziyad wanted to play during recess tomorrow!

After school, Amelia and I let the children run ahead to the Square while we trailed behind them. When we arrived, about five minutes after them, they were already engaged in a football game with two kids they had just met. It’s amazing how quickly connections can be made! And so it is. Tomorrow we have another fabulous activity in store for the morning, but we’ll tell you all about it later.

Wednesday, 3/5 - Day 4: This evening, we asked the children to share anything that’s emerging for them—something they might be learning or connecting with in a way that’s different from before. Some children shared that they are, of course, learning Spanish! Others reflected that they’re discovering things about themselves through this journey. Then, almost in unison, they began talking about how fortunate they feel. Seeing what life is like here makes them realize how lucky they are to live where they do and have access to the things they have.

This morning, we had the pleasure of meeting Mario and Araceli, who run a BBQ restaurant here in Tapalpa and, every week, make and sell batches of "burachittos"—a traditional candy made from condensed milk and sugar. We had already tried these delicious treats and had incorporated them into our evening gratitude practice. So, when the children learned that we were going to actually make them ourselves, they were over the moon with excitement.

The process turned out to be fascinating. Most importantly, it's all done by hand. The milk and sugar are combined and cooked over an open flame for about three hours. The mixture is constantly stirred. We didn't have three hours, so we saw the process at the initial stage and then at the halfway point.

After the milk cooks down, what remains is a sugary, milky mixture that must be kneaded and turned into dough. The dough is partitioned into sections, and little balls of deliciousness are formed and rolled in another bowl of sugar. After they are thoroughly coated, they are ready to eat. Don’t worry—we only had a few, and we’re bringing the majority of them home for you to try! It was wonderful to learn about the process and chat with Mario and Araceli about their life here in Tapalpa and their business. What was most striking is that making this treat is truly a family affair. After the dough is prepared, the whole family washes their hands and gets to work on rolling!

The children were quite eager to dive in. Hands were thoroughly washed, and then many, many burachittos were created. It’s wonderful to see the genuine curiosity and excitement the children experience when working with their hands. Something they should all experience regularly!

It’s important to note that when we travel, we sometimes come across tricky situations. For the most part, here in town, we get around on foot. The children are getting to know Tapalpa and are able to run ahead when they know where they’re going. While things are very calm all around, we always remind the children to look both ways when they cross the street, and to look down to see where they are walking. Today, on the way home from school, Ziyad accidentally stepped on the tail of a dog. As dogs do, the dog reacted and nipped him on the thigh. Thankfully, the nip was superficial and did not require serious care. However, out of an abundance of caution, we went to urgent care to have a doctor take a look. After the examination, the doctor reassured us that all was ok and that there was nothing we needed to do apart from applying a bit of antibiotic ointment just in case. Ziyad was a bit frightened, of course, but was quite brave and held it together very well. The children reflected this evening on how grateful they are for everyone who came around to help us in that moment and for the fact that Ziyad is doing well. We are in turn grateful for the quick and attentive care we received at the clinic!

Before this, we very much enjoyed another wonderful day at school. Today, we got to experience PE class. Maestra Xicelli knows an impressive number of games. Time and time again, she has surprised us with something new. Today was no different—the kids truly enjoyed her offerings. 

Thursday, 3/6 - Day 5: Yesterday, we dropped off our dirty laundry at the laundromat and returned this morning at 10:30 to pick it up. Though we had to wait a few extra minutes, we were pleased to receive several bags of neatly folded clothes. We're heading to the beach tomorrow, so having clean clothes is helpful. In general, prices in Mexico are quite different than in the US, but a load of laundry is comparable in cost, about $5.50.

The children had homework this afternoon. We sat on the veranda to complete it. The assignment involved creating a budget for one person for one week’s worth of food, Monday -  Friday. We estimated about $100, what do y’all think :)

This morning, we visited CITAC, a non-profit center that supports community members with alternative educational needs. They work with people with neurodivergent profiles, as well as those struggling to earn a GED or striving to earn a college degree. Their goal is to promote healthy development and teach life skills through holistic and artistic methods. Above all, they strive to infuse their students with love. CITAC was founded by a family whose son suffered a traumatic brain injury at a young age. After moving to Tapalpa, the family began homeschooling their son and soon attracted other children with similar needs. The school and center grew from there and is largely funded by private donors. Visits like ours help contribute to their annual income goals.

One of CITAC’s most notable activities is an artisan craft called papel-malecho, which originated in the indigenous village of Ataco, the one we visited earlier this week. The craft evolved as people started using discarded materials, like tuna cans and Coca-Cola cans, to create toys and decorations. These items are cut, combined, covered with papier-mâché, and painted using traditional techniques. The children became increasingly engaged in this craft during our visit, coming up with new ideas and techniques as they worked. At the end, each child painted an object to take home and to share with you when we return. (Ms. Amelia and Ness were most engrossed and it was difficult to pull them away :)

The school day was lovely today. More and more, the children are finding ways to communicate with their new classmates. While language is still a barrier, they’re finding ways around that difficulty. The school is creating their version of a newspaper and have asked for contributions from our children. Each has written one (in English) and we’re helping them translate it. We will send a picture of the finished project when it comes together.

We just got back from dinner, and in circle we reflected on the following question. What’s the most interesting / surprising thing you’ve seen so far on your trip?

Boone: I am blown away by how beautiful everything is - like the buildings and streets.

Vincent: I was surprised when I saw a horse, pulling a donkey down the street.

Ness: can I say something that I’ve enjoyed? I’ve particularly enjoyed all of the activities we’ve been doing in the morning like weaving, sombreros & baskets out of pine and reusing old bottles to make flowers.

Ms. Amelia: The dog on top of the punch buggy driving down the street.

Kara: Something that struck me like lightning was that horse pulling a donkey! Vincent stole what I was going to say.

Sylvia: Large cobble-stone paved streets

Ziyad: how they communicated in the school and how they have such good hearts.

Ms. Yana: And I continue to be blown away by the kindness and generosity that we experienced day in and day out towards our group by everyone we meet.

Friday, 3/7 - Day 6: We will keep it short and simple today. We have arrived at the resort!

Saturday, 3/8 - Day 7: Queridos padres! We had a wonderful day at the resort today. We’ve had three solid meals, a zumba class, a few dozen virgin piña coladas, much fun at the pool, and a boat adventure (which included a dip in the ocean and dancing). Last night we got to see a traditional Mexican show. Not sure if we’ll make it to one tonight as we’re all quite tired. Tomorrow we head back to Tapalpa!

Sunday, 3/9 - Day 8: A very good evening to you all. We are back in Tapalpa. This evening, the children expressed an immense amount of gratitude for our adventure to the beach. Everyone enjoyed themselves, but it also seems that everyone’s happy to be back. Tapalpa feels like home away from home at the moment. Perhaps you noted in the pictures two people you did not recognize. Maestra Geno and her granddaughter accompanied us on the trip. Nicole does not speak any English, but the children found many ways around the communication difficulty and it feels like by the end they became good friends. We’re looking forward to another week of adventure here.

Monday, 3/10 - Day 9: Piedras Bolas is a natural landmark located near Tapalpa. The name "Piedras Bolas" translates to "Ball Stones" in English, which refers to the unique round boulders scattered throughout the area. These large, round stones are the result of millions of years of erosion. They are a popular tourist destination here and offer a wonderful opportunity for climbing and rappelling. The children ALL enjoyed themselves while at Piedras Bolas today. Rappelling down was a bit difficult, but they all got through it.

Regular life in Tapalpa has resumed. We wake up around 7:30 and have an hour to get ready before breakfast. A delicious breakfast is lovingly prepared for us by the kitchen staff at Don Juan’s kitchen. After, we head out for the morning activity. This week, the majority of our activities are a little bit more active. No matter the activity, before heading to school for the second part of the day, we always have an hour to shower, change, and enjoy a bit of downtime. At school, the children chat with their compañeros - a mix of English, Spanish, and “sign language”. If we were to stay here for a month, most would be able to engage in short dialogue or more. Today, we created an English lesson for the class. Our students particularly enjoyed that part, helping their new friends pronounce difficult English words like “butterfly.” The first picture included in today’s update shows the little announcement board near the principal’s office. On it, there are six texts from our students. If you speak Spanish, zoom in to see the text up close. We’re off to bed and are in good spirits! Sending all of you hugs.

Tuesday, 3/11 - Day 10: Today, with their hands and feet, our children mixed earth and straw to make the material for and shape Adobe bricks. Most were very excited to kick off their shoes and dive in. The mixture was surprisingly cool but indeed quite messy!

There are many homes and structures in town built out of Adobe bricks. The benefit of using this material is that it helps keep the home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It takes about 10,000 Adobe bricks to build a small home. Each brick is sold for 14 pesos. The workers make about 100 bricks each day. Making a few bricks is quite fun, of course, making hundreds week after week, month after month, year after year - is incredibly hard work. This is what we try to convey to the children. Much of our world is built by the hands of people, and this work is not easy to sustain for long periods. This is an important idea to grapple with, one worth considering deeply. How fortunate are we!? We happily leave about 1,500 pesos for those workers who help facilitate this 2-hour activity. A day’s worth of work…

School went by rather quickly today. All the kids continue to speak very highly of our teacher and their time with her. Indeed, she is so lovely. At the end of the day today, we again taught an English lesson. We ended up with about 20 new vocabulary words. Many children from the class were eager to come up to the board to demonstrate what they had learned. Our children, in turn, were happy to come up to the board and identify the same words in Spanish.

For dinner, we went to the restaurant owned by the parents of the family that hosts us at the hotel. It’s so wonderful to come into a place and be greeted with enthusiasm. For dinner, some had hamburgers, some had Carne Asada, some had chicken fajitas, and others had nuggets with rice and fries. Kara reflected that she feels grateful for all the yummy food we get to eat three times a day.

I must say that our gratitude practice has turned out to be a wonderful way to end the day. It’s grounding, and there’s always a little bit of a sweet treat afterward. I love hearing all of the children’s gratitudes every night. I encourage you to incorporate this practice into your evening routines if it isn’t already something you all do!

Wednesday, 3/12 - Day 11: ¡Buenas Noches! We hope you’re well. We are a bit tired but very well. Today we got to experience a three hour hike and see the second largest waterfall in Mexico. We will let our pictures speak for themselves.

Thursday, 3/13 - Day 12: This morning we exchanged another $20 each and spent the first half of the day running around town looking for gifts and souvenirs to bring home. The children know the town well by now and are able to run around the center with confidence. Amelia and I gave them an hour to run around and then asked to meet and check in before giving them a little more time. They arrived at the meeting spot before us, each with an ice cream cone in hand feeling happy as can be.

The school day was also a bit special today. The PE teacher created a scavenger hunt of sorts around town, split the students into groups of four or five, and stationed each of us teachers at the specific destinations. It was quite fun to have the children come and go, participate in various games or riddles and then decipher a puzzle which revealed the next destination. Between children coming and going, I sat on a little bench patiently waiting. A head popped out of a store next-door and the gentleman there said - Maestra, would you like to come in and sit with us while you wait, perhaps have some coffee? I did not know this gentleman, but he understood exactly who I was and what I was doing! It was so touching and such a kind gesture. Teachers here are treated with great respect! And in general, people are incredibly friendly and welcoming.

The children are noticing this themselves. Each day they remark on the kindness of our teachers, Maestra Paty and Maestra Geno. They also express great gratitude for the cooks and servers who we see daily. We are gonna miss all the friends we’ve made!

One more thing, the very last picture is that of Ziyad, Vincent and then also Boone playing soccer in the town square with the kids from class. While some of us were ready for dinner, others asked to stay a little later to play a little more! We sat in the restaurant and watched their game :)

Friday, 3/14 - Day 13: Today was a magical day! Many tears were shed and many, many hugs shared. Our class gave us a heartwarming goodbye party with gifts and kind words. We in turn made little gift bags with 19 colorful cards, one for each student. We also presented gifts to Maestra Patty, Maestra Geno, and the school as a whole. The children read out loud words of gratitude to the entire school. At the end, we treated all the children to ice cream and many, many, many hugs were given all around. After, Maestra Geno welcomed us to her home for a delicious BBQ with her entire family. We are a very lucky group. I promised all the children they can come back here in 10 years and be my helpers! Tomorrow we begin our journey back to you. I’ll write more details as we make our way.

Saturday, 3/15 - Day 14: Photos from our last morning in Mexico.

We returned to Oakland Airport on Saturday evening. The children hugged their parents with joy. We held our final circle and congratulated the children on completing their first international trip with the school. It was bittersweet! We will all hold the trip near and dear to our hearts. 

P. S. From Ms. Amelia: Having the chance to return to New Village as a teacher has been such a wild, wonderful experience. Having the chance to essentially do the same trip I did as a 5th grader again as a teacher, that was simply unimaginable, incredible, inspiring! On our last day in Tapalpa, as our children shared many hugs with their new friends and many tears were shared, many questioned if at 11 years old I ever thought I would return to Tapalpa 15 years later, giving them some sense of peace that this might not be the last time they see this place or these people. And my answer was no. Never in a million years did I think that I would be back on this trip, seeing some of the same sights, even seeing some of the same people that I met when I was there 15 years ago. It truly was, for the second time, a life changing, wonderfully impactful trip, for me, Ms. Yana, and each of the 6th graders that wholeheartedly leaned into the experience and life in Tapalpa. I am crossing my fingers, just like the children, that that was not my last trip to Tapalpa with New Village:) 

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