Coatepec is listed in a 1987 guide to handicrafts as a major center for the production of ponchos. Today (11/2005) there remain as few as 5 weavers of these beautiful ponchos. When I arrived in town I went directly to the municipal government offices and asked in the Post office. Yes this town is large enough to have a post office and on top of it he was helpful. The postmaster thought about it and then he drew me a map, indicating where I could find two of these weavers.

Following the map was easy and soon I was talking with Graciano Mercado Martinez. He has been weaving for 50 years and is one of the last. According to him there are five weavers left. If you visit the town he lives on Calle Mariano Abosolo. The designs he weaves are the traditional designs for which the town in known, they include “greca de flor”, “cruz blanca”, “cubo”,and butterfly and also weave horses and other animals. These ponchos are woven on Spanish looms and are very heavy weight.