We took the 3-hour rooftop tamale cooking class with Clara. She did all the necessary prep before our class so we could focus in making, cooking and eating tamales. Clara spent three weeks (!) making the mole before class. She explained that letting the toasted ingredients rest for a couple of weeks before making the mole eliminates the bitter/smokey flavor that is often found in mole negro. She asked us to choose the tamales we wanted to make before the class: we chose mole negro with chicken, mole amarillo with vegetables, and black bean tamales. They were all delicious and we learned some skills, which we will employ making tamales for our friends when we get home.
In addition to a great educational experience, it was great fun. Our Spanish is weak and Clara is not an expert in English, but that didn't hamper our learning or enjoyment.

She limits the class size to 3-4 people, which is great. We made about size dozen tamales.

At just 500 pesos per person, it is also a real bargain.

We visited Oaxaca City for the first time this February 2019. It was a delightful and charming destination for two frozen Canadians from Ottawa. We stayed at Hotel Azucenas and wished we could have stayed longer. It is a small hotel with a beautiful roof terrace filled with flowers and all kinds of plants and greenery. Here is where breakfast is served each morning. The staff are helpful and always pleasant, doing their best to accommodate guests' requests and plans. It is excellent value for the price. Do try to reserve early as it fills up quickly. Some rooms are better than others (some have no windows) but all are clean and nicely appointed. We hope to return.