November | 2015 | View From Casita Colibrí

Archive for November, 2015

Pineapple grows on my terrace

Posted in Agriculture, Casita Colibrí, Flora, Food, Gardens, History, Travel & Tourism, tagged fruit, garden, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, piña, pineapple on November 26, 2015| 4 Comments »

A year and a half ago, I cut off the top of a pineapple (piña, en español), stuck it in a ten inch pot in full sun, watered it very occasionally during the dry season, and it actually began to grow. This member of the Bromeliaceae family is thought to have originated in the area between southern Brazil and Paraguay and spread throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Reaching Mexico, it was cultivated by the Mayas and Aztecs. Spanish, Dutch, and Portuguese conquerors took it across the pond, and the rest is history. No surprise, as the fruit (which resembles a pine cone — hence the name) is sweet, succulent, and ridiculously easy to grow!

A symbol of home: warmth, welcome, friendship and hospitality. — The Welcoming Pineapple

Grown in the Papaloapan region of Oaxaca, the pineapple has inspired elaborate embroidery designs and the crowd-pleasing Flor de Piña dance. What’s not to love?!

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Sidewalk safety 1.0

Posted in Challenges, Creativity, Transportation, Travel & Tourism, tagged Grupo Salvando Vidas Oaxaca, Manuel Chávez Nuñez, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, safety, sidewalks, volunteers on November 24, 2015| 4 Comments »

Ahhh… the joys of navigating Oaxaca’s sidewalks.

And, this is nothing compared to manholes minus their covers! I tell visitors they must ALWAYS watch where their feet are going; if they feel compelled to look up at the bell towers of a colonial church or at a gal balancing a basket of sweets on her head — STOP, then look!

However, in the absence of municipal action to remedy these hazards to one’s health and safety, Grupo Salvando Vidas Oaxaca (Saving Lives Oaxaca Group), an organization of concerned citizens, has come to the rescue. According to this news report, the volunteer group was born last year after the founder of the group, Manuel Chávez Nuñez saw a disabled person fall into an uncovered sewer drain.

Yesterday, the group, which numbers around 15, set up a display of the wooden covers they use to replace gaps and holes in sidewalks around the city. In addition to showcasing their work and recruiting volunteers, they were collecting donations for materials and giving away free books. What’s not to like?!!!

“Everything that is done is for love… We put ourselves in the place of the other person and get down to work.” (translated from article in today’s Noticias) Grupo Salvando Vidas Oaxaca, those of us negotiating the sidewalks of Oaxaca offer you our very grateful muchisimas gracias!

Now if only someone could do something about vehicles making right and left turns without stopping or signaling. Sigh…

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Saturated in Guadalajara

Posted in Buildings, Churches, Culture, Holidays, Transportation, Travel & Tourism, tagged Cathedral of Guadalajara, Día de la Revolución, Guadalajara, Instituto Cultural de Cabañas, Jalisco, Mexico, photos, TAR airlines on November 21, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday, 20 de noviembre, was el Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day), but you wouldn’t know it in Oaxaca. For the second year in a row, the parade was canceled — last year it was due to protest threats by Sección 22 of the teachers union and this year because the governor declared that it was a work and school day, so there should be no desfile to distract students and their maestros.

Besides, in 2005, Article 74 of Mexican labor law established the third Monday of November as the “official” holiday — thus following the USA’s “time-honored tradition” of creating 3-day holiday weekends and setting the stage for 3-day shopping frenzies. Mexico is following the latter also — we got caught up in the crowds of “Buen Fin” shoppers in Guadalajara last Sunday. However, Monday, I was en route from the Guadalajara to Oaxaca aboard the new non-stop flight by TAR airlines. Upon my return in the afternoon, I didn’t see or hear of anything special happening in Oaxaca city and there weren’t even any fireworks from the zócalo or Plaza de la Danza that night.

So, in lieu of a revolution-related blog post, I’m returning to the above mentioned visit to the state of Jalisco for a few super-saturated scenes from my seven hours in Guadalajara.

View from a courtyard at the Instituto Cultural de Cabañas

Cathedral of Guadalajara

View from the old bus terminal in Guadalajara

It’s great to be back under Oaxaca’s spell! However, though not enchanted with Guadalajara (hence the desire to add pixie dust to the photos), it has some spectacular Orozco murals at the Palacio de Gobierno and the Instituto Cultural Cabañas.

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Music to shop by

Posted in Culture, Music, Travel & Tourism, tagged markets, Mercado Sánchez Pascuas, mercados, music, Oaxaca, popular travel destinations, video on November 18, 2015| 2 Comments »

Monday, I returned to Oaxaca following a mini-vacation to the state of Jalisco to visit mi amiga J in Ajijic and to attend the annual Feria Maestros del Arte in Chapala. It’s a nice place to visit, but I must admit, its appeal escapes me. I guess I’m spoiled by Oaxaca’s countless charms, like today’s “music to shop by” at Mercado Sánchez Pascuas.