Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged costumes, Guelaguetza, Mexico, Mixe, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Santa María Tlahuitoltepec, traje on July 22, 2013| 1 Comment »
Remember my recent posts from Santa María Tlahuitoltepec up in the mountains of the Mixe? They are one of the 13 delegations who will be dancing at this morning’s Guelaguetza performance on Cerro Fortín.
To watch today’s and next Monday’s 10 AM and 5PM performances, click HERE or HERE. Enjoy!
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Food, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged Alejandra Robles, Diosa Centéotl, Expo Feria de Queso y Quesillo, Festival de los 7 Moles, food, Guelaguetza, Jimena Santiago Vasquez, Laura Esquivel, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Reyes Etla on July 20, 2013| 10 Comments »
Yesterday, we began the marathon than is Guelaguetza in Oaxaca. First on the day’s agenda was a morning trip to Reyes Etla.
The Señor de las Peñas church sits atop at hill and views of the lush green fields (gracias, rainy season) and the mountains were breathtaking.
Impossibly adorable children danced and shared, in the spirit of Guelaguetza.
We were in the heartland of Oaxaca cheese country for the crowning of Jimena Santiago Vasquez, as queen of the third Expo Feria de Queso y Quesillo.
Did I say cheese? Oh, yes — stalls and stalls of yummy cheese. The fair runs through Monday and we will be back!
Next on our itinerary was a return to the city for a little (?) gluttony — the Festival de los 7 Moles opening banquet on the grounds of the Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca. Botanas Oaxaqueña (cheese, chicharrón, chiles rellenos), followed by Sopa de Fandango, 15 (not 7) Moles, 4 Tipos de Arroz, followed by a platter of pastries and scoops of Leche Quemada and Tuna nieves (sorbets). Oh, and did I mention, cervesas and mezcal?
We even got a little culture, as author, Laura Esquivel (Like Water for Chocolate) spoke, though it was a little hard to hear her, with all the eating, drinking, and related conversations!
Moving rather slowly, we pushed back from the table and headed down to the Alameda (oh, it felt good to walk!) to take in the last stage of the Diosa Centéotl competition — the chosen “Goddess” presides over Guelaguetza. However, the area surrounding the tented stage was a mass of people by the time we arrived and the best I could do was see the backs of the magnificent traje. (See Chris’s blog for close-ups from the stage one competition.) And, the winner is… Dulce Yanet Grijalba Martínez, from the Zapotec community of San Pablo Villa de Mitla.
After a brief siesta, I rendezvoused with some young friends and we walked over to the Plaza de la Danza for a free performance by Alejandra Robles, one of my favorite Oaxaqueña singers. (For video from the last time I saw her, click HERE.)
The night was still young for my young friends and they were off to get a nieve at Jardín Socrates. I was off to bed, because I’d already had my day’s allowance of nieve AND we’ve only just begun!
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, History, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Danza de la Pluma, Doña Marina, Feather dance, festivals, fiesta, Fiesta de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, Malinche, Mexico, Moctezuma, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Subalternos, Teotitlán del Valle on July 13, 2013| Leave a Comment »
We returned to Teotitlán del Valle on Tuesday and Wednesday for performances of the Danza de la Pluma, a ritual re-enactment of the battles between the Aztec and Spanish. According to OaxacaWiki:
The origin of this dance goes back to the spiritual and physical conquest of Mexico by the Spanish – La Guerra de Conquista. The dance originated in the town of Cuilpam de Guerrero where Martin Cortes (son of Cortes) celebrated the first baptism of his child. Martin played the role of his father and the locals played the roles of the conquered indigenous peoples.
The story is told in 41 bailes (dances) and lasts from early afternoon into the night. Selected years in advance, it is an honor to be a dancer and they perform their roles for 3 years. This week, during the multi-day fiesta honoring Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, we saw the first performances by the new cast and they looked great!
Presenting the Cast of Characters
Montezuma
Doña Marina (hat) and Malinche (headdress)
2 Subalternos
16 Danzantes: Teotiles (2), Capitánes (2), Reyes (4), and Vasallos (8)
They are going to be fun to watch during the next 3 years. (By the way, the costumes may change from day-to-day, but the cast remains the same.)
Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged convite, El Picacho, festivals, fiesta, Fiesta de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, Mexico, Oaxaca, parades, photographs, photos, ritual procession, sacred mountain, Teotitlán del Valle on July 11, 2013| 9 Comments »
Monday, we returned to Teotitlán del Valle for the Fiesta titular a la Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo — the pueblo’s most important festival of the year. While special masses have been celebrated at the Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo (the village church) since June 30, Monday’s convite (procession) by the unmarried women in the village, kicked off the more public events.
Lovingly decorated canastas (baskets) waited in the church to be reclaimed by their owners, placed on their heads, and carried through the streets.
Crowds gathered in the plaza in front of the church and sidewalks and streets along the route.
And then it began — with solemn drum beats, fireworks, church bells, marmotas (cloth balloons on a pole), and a band.
Little boys (and a few girls) carrying model airplanes (don’t ask me why), paper mache lambs, and turkeys followed.
And then came the neatly organized rows of girls and young women.
For over an hour they wound their way up and down and around the streets of Teotitlán del Valle. The weather was perfect, no late afternoon thunder showers this year, and it was glorious.
Stay tuned, the festivities continue all week. And, check out Oaxaca-The Year After this week for blogger buddy Chris’s photos and commentary.
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Sports & Recreation, Travel & Tourism, tagged basketball, basketball court, Día de la Santa Cruz, El Picacho, Fiesta de Mayo, Hoop Dreams in Oaxaca, Mexico, Mixe, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Santa María Tlahuitoltepec, sierra norte, sports, Teotitlán del Valle on July 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Basketball is big in Oaxaca and was big news to me!
In Teotitlán del Valle, located in the valley Oaxaca, there is a tradition of climbing El Picacho on Día de la Santa Cruz (May 3). I’d also heard celebrations also included an annual basketball tournament. Sure enough, the sound of a play-by-play announcer, ref’s whistle, and buzzer occasionally floated up to our perch on the top of the mountain. When we descended El Picacho via a different route, we came to a basketball court a few blocks from the village center, and an intense game in progress, with other teams waiting in the wings — in this case, the road!
Eight days later, we drove up into the Mixe in Oaxaca’s Sierre Norte for the Fiesta de Mayo in Santa María Tlahuitoltepec. Once there, we were directed to a basketball court (did we hear correctly?) at the center of town — the mercado off to one side; church on another side; municipal buildings off to another. We had expected folkloric dancers or ceremonial presentations, but were surprised to find a basketball tournament in progress. It eventually ended and the expected dancing began.
According to Hoop Dreams in Oaxaca:
Any proper town in Latin America has a church facing a plaza — except the towns of the Sierra Norte region of Mexico, where Jorge Santiago is from.
“In my part of the Sierra, the basketball courts are like the zócalo in the colonial city,” Mr. Santiago said, using a Mexican word for “plaza.” “It’s really the most important part of the town. A respectable town has a church, and a basketball court in front of the church.”
Read full article HERE.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged California, celebrations, graffiti, Guelaguetza, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Santa Rosa, urban art, wall art on June 25, 2013| 8 Comments »
Oaxaca’s annual Guelaguetza festival honoring the traditions of costume, dance, and sharing of the eight regions of the state of Oaxaca is less than a month away. There will be competitions leading up to the choosing of Goddess Centeotl to preside over the festival and parades by the delegations through the city on the two Saturdays that precede the July 22 and 29 programs at the Guelaguetza Auditorium on Cerro Fortín.
There will official and alternative celebrations in the city and surrounding villages. According to yesterday’s press conference, more than 70 events are scheduled and Lila Downs will be the official Guelaguetza 2013 ambassador. Hmmm… I wonder what that means? Surprise Lila Downs performances? It’s Oaxaca, so you just never know!
To get everyone in the spirit, here’s a few photos from another of Oaxaca’s wonderful urban art covered walls. It celebrates the heritage of Oaxaca and can be found at José López Alavez 1406, in the Xochimilco neighborhood of the city.
By the way, this past Sunday, San Francisco’s North Bay residents got an early and small flavor of Guelaguetza. Oaxacan dances, dishes and costumes in Santa Rosa entertained over 1,000 spectators and, no doubt, the hearts of the Oaxaqueños participating and in the audience swelled with pride. If I’d only known about it in advance, I would have gladly extricated myself from the complexities and minutiae of getting my grandparents’ house ready to sell and driven up there for a taste of Oaxaca. They were even serving tlayudas!
Oh well, this time next month I will be happily back in Oaxaca and, no doubt, be exhausted, exhilarated, and pouring through hundreds of photos from the first week of Guelaguetza activities.
Posted in Celebrations, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged California, city by the bay, photographs, photos, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay, San Francisco Embarcadero, Summer Solstice on June 20, 2013| 1 Comment »
One of the things I always notice when in El Norte this time of year is the longer length of the day — and today it’s at its longest. Light came through the curtains to wake me at 5:45 AM and the sun won’t dip behind Mt. Tamalpais and into the Pacific until 8:30 PM. The further north one goes, the longer this day lasts. Of course, the reverse is true in the winter. No wonder the Summer Solstice is such a big deal in the northern latitudes!
As much as I miss Oaxaca, this really has been a spectacular spring in the Bay Area — perfect for strolling along the San Francisco Embarcadero with a Oaxaca buddy.
The City By the Bay at her best!
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Día del Padre, Father's Day, fathers and children, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos on June 15, 2013| 6 Comments »
It’s the annual fathers (and a couple of grandfathers) of Oaxaca slideshow… I never tire of seeing these guys with their hijas and hijos.
To loving and responsible fathers everywhere, may you continue to do what you do. And a special shout-out to my son!
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Fiesta de Mayo, fiestas, Mexico, Mixe, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Santa María Tlahuitoltepec, sierra norte on May 15, 2013| Leave a Comment »
The Fiesta de Mayo in Santa María Tlahuitoltepec lasted three days, though we were only there for a few hours on day two. There was to be a rodeo that night — a corral had been set up and bulls were arriving as we were leaving.
A timeless quality… but, not to be mistaken for being frozen in time. We are already making plans to return.
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Ceremonia del Tepache, Fiesta de Mayo, fiestas, Mexico, Mixe, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Santa María Tlahuitoltepec, sierra norte on May 14, 2013| 11 Comments »
Saturday, we drove up into the Sierra Norte, to the Mixe region of the state of Oaxaca. Our destination was Santa María Tlahuitoltepec and its Fiesta de Mayo. We had been attracted to their unique women’s traje (costume) by the work of one of the vendors at an artesanía feria in the city a couple of months ago. She invited us to the fiesta and so we went.
After winding our way up mountain roads filled with switchbacks and potholes, we turned off on a dirt road for the final ten minutes of our seventy-six mile journey from the city. We had climbed from 5,100 feet to over 7,800 feet above sea level on our three-hour drive up into pines. The name Tlahuitoltepec is made up of two Nahuatl words — Tlahuitol translates as “arched” and Tepec as “hill.” I can attest, Santa María Tlahuitoltepec is definitely built on a (very steep) “arched hill.” This is the same village that, at the end of September 2010, was hit with a devastating landslide that killed 11 residents, following record rainfall. And, as we drove up to the village, engineering work to repair and reinforce the hillside and road was visible and ongoing.
We weren’t exactly sure where we were going, stopped to ask, and were told to follow the signs to “el centro.” Our first indication that we were headed in the right direction was the sound, quickly followed by the sight, of a band playing and walking in the same direction we were. It was one of three youth bands we saw and heard during our brief stay; music is obviously very important in this remote mountain village. The pueblo plays host to the Center for Musical Training and Development of Mixe Culture and according to this article, an estimated 70% of the population can read music and many who can’t, play by ear.
And, along with music comes dance. Santa María Tlahuitoltepec will be participating in this year’s Guelaguetza in July — and its Ceremonia del Tepache is featured in one of the promotional videos. While there, we watched as a youth exhibition group performed three traditional dances to the appreciative crowd that filled the stands of the municipal court.
The uniqueness of each village never ceases to delight and impress me. You know when you are there, because you couldn’t be anywhere else.
Check out Oaxaca-The Year After for more photos from Saturday’s excursion.
Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Día de la Santa Cruz, El Picacho, Mexico, Oaxaca, popular travel destinations, Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, Teotitlán del Valle on May 4, 2013| 7 Comments »
Yesterday (May 3) was Día de la Santa Cruz and in Mexico it is the feast day of construction workers. Crosses are erected on building sites and decorated. The tradition has its origins with the guilds during the colonial era.
However, in Teotitlán del Valle, tradition calls for hiking up to the top of El Picacho. A tall aqua colored wooden cross stands at the top of the peak.
There were two crosses, but apparently one was hit by lightning a week or two ago. It lies in splintered pieces below where it stood.
Mountain and custom beckoned, and so we headed out to Teotitlán yesterday morning to climb the mountain. The trek began and our eyes were on the prize as we passed by irrigated fields…
Along the steep and winding trail, there were signs…
in Zapoteco.
Bromeliads and other epiphytes clung to branches.
All along the way, the views were spectacular.
As we climbed, Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo grew smaller and smaller.
And, our destination grew closer and closer.
Almost two hours later (we stopped a lot!), we encountered the tethered burros that brought the tamales, aguas, and cervesas that awaited us at the top.
Besides sustenance, there were fireworks…
and expansive and even more spectacular views.
There were parents, teens, toddlers, abuelos…
and abuelas.
Muchisimas gracias to the people of Teotitlán del Valle, who never fail to warmly welcome us and, again, generously offered us food and drink.
They are very special people who live in a very special place.
FYI: The trip down took less than an hour, I returned home exhausted, sore, sunburned (even though I’d slathered on sunscreen), and thoroughly exhilarated.
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged basili, children, Children's Day, Children's Guelaguetza, costume, culture, Día de los Niños, Guelaguetza, Infantil Guelaguetza, Mexico, Mixteca, Oaxaca, parade, photographs, photos, traje on April 30, 2013| 8 Comments »
Today is Día de los Niños (Children’s Day) and it’s a big deal here. Oaxaca began her celebrations days ago. The 6th Festival of Children’s Story Telling opened on Saturday, yesterday an exibition of traditional toys (Colección Hanni Sager Juguete tradicional) had its inauguration at the Museo del Palacio, and Friday, the Guelaguetza Infantil calenda filled the streets from Santo Domingo to the Basilica de la Soledad.
As several bands played, the children from Oaxaca’s preschools wearing the traditional costumes from the 8 regions of the state of Oaxaca waited, posed, walked, danced, and threw candy to the appreciative crowds gathered on the sidewalks along the ten-block long route. (Note, some of the little girls already practicing holding canastas (baskets) on their heads!)
Parents and teachers, many also wearing traje from the Cañada, Costa, Istmo, Mixteca, Papaloapan, Sierra Norte, Sierra Sur, and the Valles Centrales regions, proudly walked alongside the children. Vive Oaxaca concluded their article,
With such events from the early years of life are taught to love our Oaxacan culture, traditions, music and preserve the best legacy we have: our roots. Congratulations to the teachers and parent to correctly perform with great momentum this holiday culture. [Google translation]
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Baile de Los Viejitos, Carnaval, Carnival, Holy Week, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Semana Santa, Teotitlán del Valle on April 10, 2013| 4 Comments »
Sometimes color seems like a distraction, so an experiment in de-saturation from the last day of Carnaval in Teotitlán del Valle.
For some outstanding up-close and full color photos, head over to Oaxaca-The Year After.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Food, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Baile de Los Viejitos, Carnaval, Carnival, Holy Week, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Semana Santa, Teotitlán del Valle on April 9, 2013| 3 Comments »
Friday we returned for another extraordinary day — the last day of Carnival.
Again, muchisimas gracias to the gracious and generous people of Teotitlán del Valle.
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Baile de Los Viejitos, Carnaval, Carnival, Holy Week, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Semana Santa, Teotitlán del Valle on April 6, 2013| 2 Comments »
I’m playing catch-up with blog posts. After the Good Friday Procession of Silence, I thought life would slow down a little. That’s what’s happened in years past — I caught up on the “to do” list on the home-front, leisurely plowed through the hundreds and hundreds of photos from Semana Santa, did a little research and a lot of thinking about what I’d just seen and experienced, and then crafted a few blog posts.
That was before we found out that Teotitlán del Valle celebrates 5-days of Carnival after Easter, not before Lent! A little levity after the solemnity of Semana Santa and in one of our favorite places was not to be resisted. And so, blogger buddy Chris and I set out on Monday afternoon in search of the house in Sección 1 (the village is divided into 5 geographic areas) that was hosting the daytime fiesta that precedes the evening festivities in the Municipal Plaza.
We returned yesterday for the Sección 5 fiesta, so more to come. Now it’s off to Tlacolula for the Nieve, Mezcal y Gastronomia Festival.
FYI: For a more detailed explanation of this Carnival celebration and photos from last year by a professional photographer, check out Ann Murdy’s website.
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 