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The Huichol people are one of the few indigenous people in Mexico who maintain their independence and live to their traditional ways and customs. They are fiercely independent and cautious of strangers. Experience Mexico offers you the opportunity to live within one community and experience one of the purest ethnic groups. You will hear their language, learn their customs and learn their distinctive arts and crafts methods. This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone willing to see and live in a very different world.

The village associated with Experience Mexico is located at Potrero de la Palmita, three hours from Tepic and accessible by a 40 minute boat trip across a lake formed by the Aguamilpa Dam, the biggest in the country of its kind.

The project offers:

• A beautiful setting near the Aguamilpa Dam
• A unique experience to live with this wonderful indigenous group and to learn their customs and traditional ways of working

The project involves:

• Learning this unique way of life
• Studying the Huichol culture – the language, activities, diet etc

This project is for people with anthropologist or artistic interest, willing to submerge themselves in a fascinating culture very different to live in the UK. Volunteers must be aware they will be expected to be extremely careful and respectful in relating to the villagers and have respect for the customs of these people.

The village is very remote and most of the buildings are wooden huts and very basic. The Huichol people speak their own language, which is close to Spanish in many ways and has no written form. Most villagers speak a little Spanish and communicating in Spanish usually means you can make yourselves understood.

The village is relatively primitive with no access to the telephone or internet. Transportation in and out is by boat and volunteers will have to wait by the lake to catch the taxi as it passes by. The boats run only once or twice a day so most of your time will be spent in the village, though you are free to spend time travelling and visiting the other projects too. Taxis run several times a day from the other side of the lake to the nearest big town of Tepic. This is the place many of the Huichol people go to sell their crafts.

The city itself provides for many activities. There are opportunities to do several sports, visit the cinema (most films are shown in English with Spanish subtitles – a brilliant way to learn the language), shopping and cultural activities.

Just outside Tepic there is the beautiful Lagoon Santa Maria and the village of Santa Maria del Oro where meteorites are fabled to have landed and can be seen. It is also easy to travel to fantastic cities such as Mazatlan and Guadalajara from Tepic.

Volunteers are likely to be placed in a pair, due to the remoteness of the project.

Accommodation will be living with a family in the village and sharing meals with the family, but applicants should be aware that the facilities are rudimentary.

The Huichol village accepts volunteers all year round, and Experience Mexico prefers applicants to commit to three months in order to gain acceptance by the villagers and learn about this wonderful group.

Preferred project dates:

• The Huichol village project operates all year round and therefore preferred departure dates may depend on when current volunteers or applicants intend to leave the project.

Cost:

• £2500 for three months
• Additional months available, please contact us for details.
• As usual costs include flight, travel insurance, accommodation, food allowance and support and advice both in the UK and from our Mexican representative during your time in Mexico.

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