The course includes two half-day excursions outside of the city to places you wouldn't find on the usual tour route. We'll decide on where to take you closer to the time of the trip, but one strong possibility is San Augustin Etla, an arts center outside of town, made up of a recently-restored mill, beautifully designed and housing exhibitions of contemporary Mexican artists. (these photos are of San Augustin Etla)

On another day, we'll may go to an ex-hacienda in the tiny town of Tlacachuaya, which has become a different kind of arts center, where local craftspeople work to create more updated art that will be more marketable to tourists---thereby finding better ways of supporting themselves and their communities.