On chairs in Reyes Etla.
On people’s backs in the city.
Wherever… especially during Guelaguetza!
Archive for the ‘Celebrations’ Category
Music is wherever you find it…
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Music, Travel & Tourism, tagged desfile, Guelaguetza, Mexico, music, Oaxaca, parade, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, sheet music on August 17, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Need a taxi?
Posted in Celebrations, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged cab drivers, cars, Día de los Taxistas, Día del Taxista, Mexico, monos, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, taxis, taxista, taxistas, transportation, travel, Virgen de Guadalupe, Virgin of Guadalupe on August 12, 2012| 2 Comments »
Hmmm… hope you didn’t need a taxi in Oaxaca today. It’s not that they weren’t around; they were everywhere! August 12 is Día del Taxista and, instead of picking up fares, taxis are decorated and parade through the city, accompanied by banners, bands, monos, and the Virgen de Guadalupe.
I think I managed to capture one of each of the (color-coded) taxi organizations participating — 13 by my count. However, the procession didn’t seem as long this year and I’m thinking some of the organizations were missing. Charges of corruption, going back to the previous governor have been ramping up and the July 25th blockade that paralyzed transportation into and out of the city, by some taxistas, seemed to put the issue on the front burner. But, who knows??? Certainly not this gringa!
¡Viva México – Viva El Tri!
Posted in Celebrations, Sports & Recreation, tagged El Tri, fútbol, futbol Mexicano 2012, Gold Medal, Mexico, Mexico national football team, Oaxaca, Olympics 2012, photographs, photos, San Francisco Ixhuatán, soccer on August 11, 2012| 2 Comments »
Congratulations to the Gold Medal winning Mexican fútbol team!!! With all the bad press Mexico continues to be subjected to, El Tri, as they are known down here, has provided México with a much-needed and well deserved win.
Reuters photo
The TV is showing celebrations in the streets of Mexico City, Guadalajara, and other major cities, but (surprisingly, at least to me) all is quiet in Oaxaca. I watched much of the game while eating breakfast with my neighbor at Del Jardín, on the zócalo. We arrived 10 minutes before the game began and were able to sit right in front of one of the televisions. The restaurants had been packed for the Mexico vs Japan game — maybe it was today’s 9 AM start. I watched the end of the game at home, but no bells rang, no horns honked, and I only heard one shout. After the medal ceremony, I went back out. The streets still were still emptier than usual. A few buildings had hung flags.
And, these guys were driving around waving a flag and beeping their horn, but that was pretty much it.
Maybe tonight there will dancing in the streets…
By the way, if you watched the game, you heard the name of midfielder Javier Aquino Carmona (#11) frequently mentioned. Aquino is from San Francisco Ixhuatán, in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region of Oaxaca.
Update: This just in from Noticias… apparently some celebrating was being done up at the Fuente de las Ocho Regiones, 25-30 blocks NE of the zócalo, and gathering point for many marches into the city center.
Before the parade passes by
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, tagged calenda, Guelaguetza, Mexico, Oaxaca, parade, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, travel, waiting on August 9, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Waiting is a way of life down here and we all do it in our own way. Right now Oaxaca is waiting for Tropical Storm Ernesto to “break on through to the other side.” These guys were waiting to “get in step,” before the parade passes by.
A peso for his thoughts…
(Mixing The Doors and Barbra Streisand lyrics — what was I thinking???)
A very special Guelaguetza
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Parks & Plazas, tagged costumes, dance, dancers, Down's Syndrome, Guelaguetza, Los Angeles de Luzy, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, pineapple dancers, traditional dances, traje on August 6, 2012| 5 Comments »
I’ve got to admit that up until yesterday, I was suffering from Guelaguetza burn-out. In fact, I still have 1000+ photos that need to be weeded down to a more manageable number.
However, then yesterday happened — “Una Guelaguetza muy especial” presented by the very special people of Los Angeles de Luzy. Sixteen young people with Down’s Syndrome, from the Yucatan, Campeche, and Oaxaca danced the traditional dances of the eight regions of Oaxaca in the Plaza de la Danza.
Part of Oaxaca’s first Down’s Syndrome festival, it was an inspiring, moving, and incredibly joyful experience — and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. ¡Muchisimas gracias a Los Angeles de Luzy!
It’s in the braiding…
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged braiding, braids, dancers, Flor de piña, Guelaguetza, hair, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, pineapple dancers, popular travel destinations, Reyes Etla, style, travel, Tuxtepec on August 3, 2012| 7 Comments »
Oh those beautiful braids of many of the dancers in Guelaguetza! How do they do it? In Reyes Etla, trapped between a yellow caution tape barrier and the folding chairs of the Tuxtepec delegation (the pineapple dancers), the answer was revealed…
Number 1: You can’t do it yourself!
Number 2: Hair extensions! (Who knew???)
Number 3: Practiced hands.
Number 4: Patience.
But, it’s well worth the effort!
Now for something different…
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Politics, tagged gays, Gente Diferente, homosexuality, Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Istmo, Juchitan, lesbians, LGBT, Mexico, Muxes, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, third sex, transgender, Vinnii Gaxhee on August 1, 2012| 4 Comments »
Saturday night, a spur of the moment invite from my indomitable 86-year-old neighbor had us hailing a taxi at 10:30 PM, en route to attend the 13th Gran Vela and coronation of the queen of Vinnii Gaxhee (Zapotec for “different people” — gente diferente, en español). Vinnii Gaxhee was born, according to their website, in “July 2000, when a group of people in Oaxaca, whose sexual preferences were different, met and created a group whose members were not afraid to stand up to society and publicly accept their sexual preference or orientation.” (my loose translation)
The venue, in an area of the city neither of us was familiar with, proved to be unknown to the taxi driver, as well. After a few blocks, with much conversation back and forth re the location, and a call to his dispatcher, he asked (hopefully) if we would like to find another driver. Yes, we said and crawled out, hailed another taxi, and successfully headed out to Colonia Primavera Santa Lucía del Camino.
The “suggested” per person entry donation was the purchase of a case of beer. A case of beer, we asked? Even though they were small bottles, there was no way the two of us could drink a case, let alone two cases! Well, the issue was settled when we schlepped our cases over to our assigned (not sure how or why) seating area, where we were relieved of our boxes and where they joined stacks of others. However, chilled cervesas and food were offered without charge for the duration of the evening — and into the early morning! Besides, the floor show was worth the price of admission; a banda playing traditional music of the Istmo and hot Latin rhythms had people up and dancing, a runway-style procession of contestants (at least I think that is who they were), a Rockettes-like production number, and the crowning of the queen. What more could anyone want for about $15 (US)?
On a serious note… A little background on the name of the organization, Vinnii Gaxhee. Zapotec culture has historically acknowledged a “third” sex. These are men who from childhood, “consider themselves women and live in a socially sanctioned netherworld between the two genders,” according to a 2008 New York Times article. This has been traced back to pre-Columbian times, but was mostly wiped out by the Spanish colonists, except in the region around Juchitán de Zaragoza, on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca.
As Vinnii Gaxhee, explains on its website, “it is as a tribute to all those in the region of the Isthmus, who fought for a place in society, regardless of sexual preference, making this region a place where homosexuality worldwide is accepted without any remark, first by the family after by society.” (my loose translation)
(ps) I still don’t understand how anyone can walk in those high, high heels!
Saving textile traditions: Oaxaca to Lebanon
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, Museums, Textiles, Travel & Tourism, tagged Alfredo Harp Helú, Ana Marie Lucas, Costa region, costumes, Fundación Alfredo Harp Helú, Guelaguetza, Jamiltepec, Lebanon, Mexico, Museo Textil de Oaxaca, Now Lebanon, Oaxaca, photography, photos, popular travel destinations, preservation, San Andrés Huaxpaltepec, silk, Textile Museum of Oaxaca, textile traditions, textiles, The End of the silk road, traje, travel on July 29, 2012| 1 Comment »
The textiles of Oaxaca are currently on center stage, both literally and figuratively, during these 10 days of Guelaguetza festivities. And perhaps, besides drawing in much-needed tourist pesos, the Guelaguetza plays an important role in the appreciation and preservation of Oaxaca’s textile traditions.
Delegation from San Andrés Huaxpaltepec, District of Jamiltepec, in the Costa region of the state of Oaxaca.
However, the textile traditions of Lebanon have not fared so well. According to the article, The End of the silk road, by Ana Marie Lucas and posted to Now Lebanon, silk production, which dates back to the Middle Ages, is on death’s doorstep. Only two artisanal workshops remaining today. However, along with the Italian Embassy, the Mexican Embassy, Alfredo Harp Helú Foundation, and Textile Museum of Oaxaca are coming to the rescue.
“We wanted to share our experience with the Lebanese,” Mexican Ambassador Jorge Alvarez Fuentes told NOW Extra. “When I saw the House of the Artisan closed and in need of more attention I thought this was the perfect place to exhibit both Mexican and Lebanese items,” he explained.
“Aside from the exhibition, we wanted to organize two conferences and a workshop of how to dye the silk with natural pigments. This way many people will be able to see how the Phoenicians could extract the purple dye from the Murex shell,” he added.
According to Héctor Meneses, head of the Textiles Museum in Oaxaca, there are surprising similarities between the Lebanese and Mexican traditions in terms of pigment extraction. Mexicans extracted the red dye from a species of snail, very similar to the purple dye extracted by the Phoenicians from the Murex shell. “The difference is that in Mexico, this process is still alive and it’s being used,” he said during a conference. [Read full article HERE]
FYI: Alfredo Harp Helú is a Mexican businessman who, like his cousin Carlos Slim Helú (world’s richest man), is of Lebanese extraction. Harp Helú maintains a residence in Oaxaca and, besides his foundation funding the Textile Museum, he and his foundation are involved in several other philanthropic projects in the state of Oaxaca.
h/t to Margie Barclay for the article.
Mezcal and cheese, anyone?
Posted in Beverages, Celebrations, Culture, Food, Travel & Tourism, tagged cheese, Feria Internacional del Mezcal, food, mescal, Mexico, mezcal, Oaxaca, popular travel destinations, quesillo, queso, Queso y Quesillo Expo Feria, Reyes Etla, travel on July 28, 2012| 1 Comment »
Besides mushrooms, tejate, tamales, and mole, there is cheese and mezcal… and last Monday I hopped in a colectivo bound for Etla; my destination was Reyes Etla (about 20 km. from the city) for the 2nd annual Queso y Quesillo Expo Feria. Oaxaca is known all over Mexico for its cheese and, without a doubt, the best comes from the municipalities around Etla — and Oaxaca’s department of tourism is on a mission to promote its position globally.
Vendors tempted with artistic displays and tastings of, among others, queso fresco, queso crema, and quesillo. Yummm…. It is a dark day around Casita Colibrí when there isn’t a ball of quesillo in the refrigerator.
FYI: Quesillo (aka: Oaxacan string cheese) was first made in Reyes Etla in 1884 — supposedly by mistake! According to one legend, a young girl from Reyes Etla disobeyed her mother and allowed the cheese curds to expand into a spongy mass. She attempted to correct her mistake by pouring boiling water over the curds, then she kneaded it and pulled it into the first strip of what is now known as quesillo.
And, now, we turn to the 15th annual Feria Internacional del Mezcal… After years of languishing in tequila’s shadow, being considered a “poor relation” — that is, if it was considered at all — mezcal’s profile has risen dramatically in the past several years.
In August 2010, none other than Eric Asimov wrote about, Mezcal, Tequila’s Smoky, Spicy Cousin in the New York Times. A year later, a NYT ‘s article advised, Move Over, Tequila, It’s Mescal’s Turn to Shine. (You say mescal, I say mezcal.)
And, sheesh, I was flipping channels the other night and stumbled on Tim and Tim in Oaxaca, being instructed on the art of making mezcal by my landlord, on an episode of the TV program ROAM! Then there is the No Reservations “Obsession” episode, where Anthony Bourdain explores Ron Cooper’s obsession with mezcal.
Back to the feria, where over 40 vendors displayed their wares…
poured generous tasting shots…
and sold their mezcals.
.
In addition, there was an exhibit showing the various types of maguey, from which mezcal is made…
and the equipment used and processes they undergo to become this smoky and complex distilled spirit.
As the old Oaxaqueño saying goes, “For everything bad, drink mezcal, and for everything good, you also should.”
Of clouds and mushrooms
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Food, Travel & Tourism, tagged Feria Regional de Hongos Silvestres, food, hongos, Mexico, mushrooms, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, San Antonio Cuajimoloyas, travel on July 26, 2012| 4 Comments »
Sunday, we headed up into the clouds of Oaxaca’s Sierra Norte to San Antonio Cuajimoloyas. At 10,433 feet above sea level and nestled in a forest of pine and oak trees, the setting has an ethereal feel and seems a world apart from the valley below — almost like being in an alpine village in Switzerland.
Getting up there wasn’t easy, thanks to the bumpy and winding dirt road. However, reaching our destination, the Feria Regional de Hongos Silvestres (fair of wild mushrooms) was well worth it!
Once there, baskets, buckets, and boxes filled with freshly gathered mushrooms greeted us.
Not only was there a bounty of raw mushrooms, the aroma of sautéed mushrooms, mushroom tamales, and mushroom empanadas stimulated our appetites and we tried them all, and washed it down with an atole rojo made by this beguiling gal.
And no, these were not “magic mushrooms” but the experience was, indeed, magical.
Food porn: tejate & tamales
Posted in Beverages, Celebrations, Culture, Food, Travel & Tourism, tagged Diosa Centéotl, Feria del Tejate y el Tamal, food, garrafon, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, San Andrés Huayapam, tamales, tejate, travel on July 25, 2012| 2 Comments »
Oaxaca is a foodie paradise, in major part, because much of its cuisine draws on and honors its pre-Hispanic roots. And, right now, during this time of Guelaguetza, various food and beverage ferias and festivals are also happening throughout the city and central valleys of Oaxaca. Today, on the Plaza de la Danza, the Feria del Tejate y el Tamal, celebrating these specialties of San Andrés Huayapam, opened with the usual fanfare — music, monos, a marmota, and speeches.
Present were a number of local dignitaries, including Evelyn Acosta López, the recently elected corn goddess, la Diosa Centéotl 2012, who presides over the Guelaguetza.
Tejate is a foamy, refreshing, and nutritious non-alcoholic pre-Columbian beverage made from Nixtamal corn, mixed with tree ash, and toasted cacao beans, mamey seeds, and Rosita de Cacao flowers.
One frequently sees tejate, served in these colorfully painted gourds, in the mercados of Oaxaca, at festivals, and street side stands.
And, yes, it is safe to drink. The water and ice that are added…
come from garrafons of “pure” water.
And, please, don’t be put off by the women, up to their elbows, mixing the ingredients. Just think about it… Chefs often use their hands when preparing food and arms are generally much cleaner than hands! Believe me, these women take great pride in their expertise and product.
Oh, right, there were also tamales! Once I finished taking photos and drinking a tall cup of tejate, I made my day’s tamal purchase; chepil, chichilo, and mole. Tomorrow, I will be returning for more.
The Feria del Tejate y el Tamal runs today and tomorrow at the Plaza de la Danza, then moves up to San Andrés Huayapam for Saturday and Sunday. You can find a little more information about the feria in last year’s blog post, Tejate and tamales.
And, sheesh, I still haven’t blogged about the cheese feria, mushroom feria, not to mention, the Feria Nacional del Mezcal — all of which I’ve attended during the past several days!
Guelaguetza live streaming
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Donají, Guelaguetza, Guelaguetza Auditorium, Internet streaming, La Leyenda, Legend of Donají, Live streaming, Mexico, Oaxaca, popular travel destinations, travel on July 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Live and direct from Oaxaca’s Guelaguetza Auditorium; see what all the fuss is about! Watch the July 23 and 30 Guelaguetza performances, along with the July 29 production of the Legend of Donají, stream live on the internet at:
View from the terrace… The Guelaguetza Auditorium during last night’s Legend of Donají show.
Going Guelaguetza, 1
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, tagged desfile, Desfile de Delegaciones, Guelaguetza, Mexico, Oaxaca, Parade of Delegations, photographs, photos on July 22, 2012| 4 Comments »
A slideshow from yesterday’s Guelaguetza Parade of Delegations.
There is so much going on!
A perfect day, part 1
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, Travel & Tourism, tagged baskets, canastas, exhibition, exhibits, flor inmortal, Guelaguetza, Las Chinas Oaxaqueñas, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, San Antonino Castillo Velasco, San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya, San Mateo Macuilxóchitl, Zimatlán de Álvarez on July 20, 2012| 4 Comments »
It didn’t start that way; I awoke to horrifying news from Colorado. Thank goodness blogger buddy Chris called and the heart that beats in Oaxaca beckoned.
First stop was the “Al Son del Valle,” an exhibition of canastas from 17 villages in the central valleys of Oaxaca. These are baskets that are carried on the heads of women during calendas (parades); you may remember them from previous posts on the convites in Teotitlán del Valle. The art of crafting canastas and the traditions and culture they represent have been proudly and lovingly passed down through the generations.
San Antonino Castillo Velasco canasta decorated with Flor Inmortal, the flower that never dies.
Canasta from San Mateo Macuilxóchitl
From San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya, these canastas are lit and become pinwheels of fireworks at the end of a calenda.
Canasta of Las Chinas Oaxaqueñas of the city of Oaxaca
Canasta from Tlacolula de Matamoros.
Canasta from Zimatlán de Álvarez made of crepe paper.
Muchas gracias, Oaxaca, I needed that!
Let the festivities begin!
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged costumes, festivals, Government Palace, Guelaguetza, Mexico, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Xaba Lulá, photographs, photos, traje on July 19, 2012| Leave a Comment »
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the modern Guelaguetza festival in Oaxaca. The calendar is filled with official Guelaguetza activities and other events that take advantage of the massive annual influx of tourists (especially from other parts of Mexico). The colorful and distinctive costumes worn by the Guelaguetza delegations from each of the 8 regions of the state of Oaxaca play a major role in wowing visitors and residents — including, me!
Huipil de San Andrés Chicahuaxtla, Putla Villa de Guerrero, Oax.
As a result, the “Oaxaca Xaba Lulá” exhibition has been mounted in the Government Palace.
Traje de la Villa Sola de Vega, Oax.
These are only a fraction of the items on exhibit and the photos were chosen primarily because they showed the least amount of reflection on the plexiglass display cases. It is a beautiful, but challenging to photograph, setting!
Huipil de San Bartolomé, Ayautla, Teotitlán, Oax.
The collection of trajes típicos (typical costumes) representing the 8 regions of Oaxaca runs through the end of the month.
Rebozo de San Juan Colorado, Jamiltepec, Oax.
The dresses, hats and accessories were donated by Oaxacan citizens from different regions of the state and were made in the traditional way, with many using natural dyes.
Huipil de Gala de San Lucas Ojitlán, Tuxtepec, Oax.
At the July 6 opening, José Zorrilla de San Martin Diego (Minister of Tourism and Economic Development), explained that they reflect a cultural essence that has prevailed for centuries in customs and traditions of the people of Oaxaca.
Funda de San Jerónimo Tecoátl, Teotitlán. Oax.
He observed that the Oaxacan costumes are a reflection of the depth of the culture, traditions, and ancestral weaving techniques that have been passed from generation to generation of Oaxacan hands.
Traje de Santa María Tlahuitoltepec, Mixe, Oax.
“The huipiles display in all their splendor the details that form a labyrinth of colors, a tiny universe that reflects the vastness of fertile nature and the symbolism that characterizes our native land and which graces the greatest festival of Oaxacaños,” Zorrilla de San Martin Diego very poetically suggested.
Huipil de Jalapa de Díaz, Tuxtepec, Oax.
Needless to say, during the next two weeks, I’m going to try to hit as many of the fairs, parades, dances, and exhibitions as possible. Stay tuned…
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