Ancient temples, handcrafted carvings, legendary chocolate sauce and a beautiful green valley are just some things that NIU students and professors may experience next December.

NIU’s “Travel With a Professor” program originally planned a trip to Oaxaca (pronounced “wah-haka”), Mexico, this December. However, the trip has been postponed until December 2003.

“We’ve taken professors to Oaxaca, Mexico, for the past six years before Christmas,” said Steven Johnson, director of external programs for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Johnson said the trip was postponed because the program wants to send more people than those who signed up.

History professor Michael Gonzales originally was selected to lead the trip this year.

“I’ve been to Oaxaca a couple of times,” he said. “I’ve been to the region and know about its history.”

Gonzales is director of the Center for Latino and Latin-American Studies. He said although the trip’s been postponed, he still hopes to lead it next year.

“Oaxaca is a fascinating place,” Gonzales said.

The group will get a chance to tour some of the ancient palaces, tombs and temples in Oaxaca, as well as experience the modern city itself.

“We experience the culture, the food and the art of the Maya,” Johnson said.

Gonzales said Oaxaca is famous for its food. It is known for its mole sauce, which is made from chocolate.

“It’s a very picturesque region,” Gonzales said.

The city is located in a green valley surrounded by mountains.

“The people there are very friendly,” Gonzales said. “They’re used to seeing tourists.”

He said Oaxaca was home to two major pre-Columbian people: the Zapotec and the Mixtec. There also are two major pre-Columbian cities in Oaxaca. The city of Monte Alban was built by the Zapotec and the city of Mitla was built by the Mixtec.

“Oaxaca is the heart of Mexico,” Johnson said. “It is the only area left in Mexico with 19 indigenous tribes.”

Gonzales said Oaxaca is one of the most interesting places in Mexico to visit.

Associate anthropology professor Winifred Creamer led several “Travel With a Professor” trips to Peru, Guatemala and Mexico, before 1996.

“The group of people who go on these trips is a very interesting group of people,” Creamer said.

She said the program was good because the people she traveled with were knowledgeable about the places they visited. Many of them knew information that she said one doesn’t necessarily learn from a tour guide or guide book.

For information, call NIU External Programming at 753-5200.