Well, actually, they came, they saw, and they set the village straight.
Stay tuned…
Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category
The Viejitos are coming!
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Baile de Los Viejitos, Dance of the Old Men, mascaras, masks, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Teotitlán del Valle on April 24, 2017| Leave a Comment »
Holy Thursday in the kitchen
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Food, Holidays, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged Antoño Lazo Hernandez, chile relleno, cooking, Holy Thursday, Holy Week, Juana Gutiérrez Contreras, Jueves Santo, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Semana Santa, Teotitlán del Valle, white beans on April 21, 2017| 14 Comments »
After spending Holy Monday in Teotitlán del Valle, I returned on Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday, Maundy Thursday) to spend the day with Juana Gutiérrez Contreras in the home she shares with her husband, Antoño Lazo Hernandez, and their family. She and her husband are members of a talented family of Zapotec weavers. I’ve previously blogged about her brother Porfirio and am helping in a small way with a big project he is working on — and that is how I found myself spending several days during Semana Santa in Teotitlán.
Juana Gutiérrez Contreras and Antoño Lazo Hernandez – July 2016
However, this day, I wasn’t there for the weaving — as wonderful as it is. As with much of life in Teoti, there are culinary customs to be followed on Holy Thursday. After insisting I sit down for desayuno (my second of the day — I’d eaten breakfast before leaving home), we set to work preparing the traditional Jueves Santo comida of white beans.
Juana separating dried white beans.
I was tasked with grinding garlic and herbs used to season the beans.
Crushing garlic and herbs using a stone pestle in a clay bowl.
Halved tomatoes (another of my jobs), whole onions and whole jalapeños were added to the beans.
Yes, this watched pot did boil — or at least, simmer!
Our attention then turned to making chiles rellenos de queso, using Oaxaca’s own chile de agua. For this, we moved to the outside kitchen set up under the shade of fruit trees.
Chiles roasting roasting directly on top of wood coal.
Juana used her fingers to turn the the chiles. However, after one attempt on my part, she pointed to the tongs. Those coals were really hot!
Modern wire whisk meets traditional clay cazuela.
While Juana whipped egg whites to a stiff peek, before adding the yolks, I peeled and slit the chiles.
Epazote leaves and chiles await the quesillo.
I was also entrusted with stuffing the chiles — first a leaf of epazote, followed by a heaping helping of shredded quesillo (Oaxaca string cheese). Then Juana commenced to frying the chiles rellenos in another cazuela — gently laying each on top of a bed of egg batter and spooning more batter on top.
Cazuela and chiles rellenos amidst the flames.
She was masterful in her ability to withstand the heat of the fire while carefully turning the chiles.
Chiles rellenos about to be transferred to a waiting platter.
In timing known only to Juana and Antoño, comida was ready just as Antoño walked in the door from attending a reenactment of La Última Cena at the church — a Last Supper that featured the flavors of Teotitlán. During this Semana Santa, he portrayed Andrés el Apóstol (Apostle Andrew). So, only a few hours after we had all last eaten, we were again sitting down at the table. Alas, the food was SO delicious and I was having so much fun, I forgot to take pictures of our bowls of delicately flavored white beans and plates of chiles rellenos. Sometimes you just have to be “in the moment.”
Holy Monday in Teotitlán del Valle
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Music, Travel & Tourism, tagged band, chanting, comida, food, Holy Monday, Holy Week, Lunes Santo, Mexico, music, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, rugs, Semana Santa, tapetes, Teotitlán del Valle, video on April 16, 2017| 9 Comments »
As the last couple of posts hinted, this year, instead of the city, I spent much of Semana Santa (Holy Week) in one of my favorite places — Teotitlán del Valle.
This was only the beginning. It was a colorful, moving, and delicious experience!
Coats of many colors
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Holy Monday, Holy Week, Lunes Santo, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, rugs, Semana Santa, tapetes, Teotitlán del Valle, textile traditions on April 12, 2017| 3 Comments »
Well, actually not coats. These are the “casitas” (temporary homes) to house Jesús and María as they make their way through the streets of Teotitlán del Valle on Lunes Santo (Holy Monday).
The aforementioned streets include several blocks of Av. Juárez — the main street into town. Thus, I found myself being “let off” the Teoti bus by the panteón (cemetery), instead of the mercado.
How could I complain, when these guys (above) were so welcoming and offered this weary traveler a cup of agua de guanábana, a refreshing fresh fruit drink.
As I mentioned in Monday’s post, there are twelve casitas in all — each with “walls” of the colorful tapetes woven in this village known for the story-telling designs and striking colors of their rugs. Apparently, up until forty years ago, the casita walls were made of petates, the traditional woven palm mats that play a role from birth to death. But, times change, the tapetes are more colorful, and it’s good PR for this community of weavers.
As Jesús and María near, the ground is sprinkled with water and bougainvillea blossoms are scattered on the casita floor, copal incense is lit, and platters of food and drink await to feed the faithful and quench their thirst. More about that to come…
Jesús among the tapetes
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Holy Monday, Holy Week, Jesus, Lunes Santo, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, rugs, Semana Santa, tapetes, Teotitlán del Valle on April 10, 2017| 7 Comments »
Today, Lunes Santo (Holy Monday), found me in Teotitlán del Valle, as Jesús and María were carried on palanquins in a slow moving procession through town, from one temporary tapete (rug) adorned casita to another. They will make twelve stops in all.
This casita was erected by the family of the Vice President of the village Church Committee, Amado Gutiérrez, father of Porfirio Gutiérrez, of whom I have previously written.
There was food and drink and so much more to this solemn expression of faith, so please stay tuned…
Jesús among the jacaranda
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Food, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged bread, Christianity, Domingo de Ramos, fruit, herbs, Holy Week, jacaranda, Jesus, Mexico, Oaxaca, Palm Sunday, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, San Antonino Castillo Velasco, San Salvador image, Semana Santa, vegetables on April 9, 2017| 2 Comments »
Una muestra (a sample) from another sublime Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) in San Antonino Castillo Velasco.
Under the lavender canopy of jacaranda, Jesús (wearing his red cape) and his burro enter the church courtyard laden with the rich bounty of the village.
More to come…
Setting the Semana Santa scene
Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Creativity, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged decorations, Domingo de Ramos, Easter, Holy Week, Mexico, Oaxaca, Palm Sunday, popular travel destinations, Semana Santa on April 8, 2017| 1 Comment »
Tomorrow is Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) and the start of Semana Santa (Holy Week). In preparation, the palm weavers from the pueblitos of the Mixteca have come down to the city to work their magic and sell their wares under the watchful eye of the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.
Ladders have been hauled out onto the sidewalks, so windows and doorways can be decorated in purple and white. Why those colors? You might well ask.
According to The Color Symbolism of Lent and Easter, purple “is a deep, almost night-like color that focuses our attention on the fasting and repentance associated with the Lenten season…. As an act of derision toward Our Lord, Pilate placed a purple robe on Jesus, whom he called “‘King of the Jews’” and white “symbolizes both the bright light of the moment of Resurrection and the purity of God’s love for His People.”
However, the above mentioned website also states that the color of Palm Sunday, itself, is red, “.” I will take note tomorrow when I return to San Antonino Castillo Velasco for their very special way of celebrating Palm Sunday.
Sunday supermarket stroll
Posted in Churches, Culture, Flora, Music, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged arboles, Basilica de la Soledad, children, cross, Delonix regia, drum and bugle corps, flowers, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Royal Poinciana, trees on April 2, 2017| 2 Comments »
I had put off making the trek down to Soriana long enough. Supermarkets, even in Mexico, are not one of my favorite destinations and this is one of the smaller and less pleasing stores in the chain. However, I do enjoy the quiet of the streets on Sunday mornings and besides, I was curious about the drum and bugle corps I could hear practicing.
Stop number 1: Watching a little drummer girl and boy in the Plaza de la Danza.
Stop number 2: Noticing a newly installed cross in the atrium of the Basílica de la Soledad.
Stop number 3: Feeling like a queen strolling under a canopy of Royal Poinciana trees (Arbol de flamboyán) on calle Independencia.
A seven minute walk that took twenty seven — that’s how it is in Oaxaca.
Cultivating creativity
Posted in Agriculture, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged agave, art, Mexico, mezcal, murals, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, wall art on March 31, 2017| 4 Comments »
It’s good to be back in Oaxaca — land of mezcal. Even the walls sing its praises.
And, they are not alone — so does National Geographic, with their article, A Mezcal Boom Spurs Creativity.
Masks and more at Carnaval
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged bodypaint, Carnaval, Carnival, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, mascaras, masks, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, San Martín Tilcajete, Shrove Tuesday on March 27, 2017| 3 Comments »
Besides a mock wedding with men dressed as women, mentioned in my previous post, Carnaval (Carnival, Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday) in San Martín Tilcajete also means young men covered in motor oil (yuck!) and paint running through the village with belts of cowbells ringing.
And, it means muchas máscaras de madera — in this village famous for its fantastical hand-painted alebrije woodcarvings and masks.
Some of my favorite masks and body paint were done by Jesus Sosa Calvo, his talented wife, Juana Vicente Ortega Fuente, and their gifted children. (See the mask I gave to my son, carved by Apolinar, one of their sons.) If you are in San Martín Tilcajete, be sure to see their work at Matlacihua Arte (right across from the zócalo on the main street).
The Spanish brought this pre-Lenten tradition to Mexico and, like many other seasonal celebrations, it conveniently coincided with indigenous festivals celebrating the “lost days” of the Mesoamerican calendar, “when faces were covered to repel or confuse evil.” Apparently, it caught on “because it was one time when normal rules could be broken especially with the use of masks to hide identities from the authorities.”
Masks, motor oil, face and body paint, you name it, disguised and anonymous was the order of the day!
Guys as gals at Carnaval
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Black and white photography, Carnaval, Carnival, cross-dressing, Mardi Gras, men dressed as women, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, San Martín Tilcajete, Shrove Tuesday on March 25, 2017| 3 Comments »
Among other highlights, Carnaval/Carnival in San Martín Tilcajete features a mock wedding, quinceañera, and beautiful fabulously dressed and accessorized “women.”
The day before Lent in San Martín Tilcajete 2017. As they say in New Orleans, “Laissez les bons temps rouler!”
Little vochos that could
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, Museums, People, Transportation, Travel & Tourism, tagged automobiles, Efedefroy, Héctor Garnelo Navarro, Mexico, Mexico City, Museo de Arte Popular, museum, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, The Little Engine That Could quote, Vocho, Volkswagen Beetle, VW bug on March 17, 2017| 4 Comments »
Slowly the cars began to move. Slowly they climbed the steep hill. As they climbed, each little steam engine began to sing: “I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I think I can – I think I can – I think I can I think I can–” (The Little Engine That Could)
In this case, the little engines that could are Volkswagen Beetles, known in Mexico as vochos. These indomitable VW Bugs are ubiquitous on the streets of Oaxaca — in a rainbow of colors and in every stage of repair and disrepair imaginable.
They can even be spotted traveling along the walls thanks to artist, Efedefroy…
“Vocho art” isn’t limited to murals on street corners. Check out this Huichol beadwork “Vochol” I saw on exhibit at the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City last October. It is the work of Francisco Bautista, Kena Bautista, Roberto Bautista, Diego Díaz González, Emilio González Carrillo, Víctor González Carrillo, Alvaro Ortiz, and Herminio Ramírez.
And, that isn’t all… Mexican artist, Héctor Garnelo Navarro has covered a 1994 VW Beetle with “19,800 semi-precious stones (e.g., obsidian, jade) that form images of pyramids, animals, ancient deities (Quetzalcóatl [Feathered Serpent, Creator God] and the Mictlantecuhtli [God of the Underworld]).” It is known as the Vocho Teotihuacano (Teotihuacán Beetle) and according to this article, he is finishing a Vocho Maya and is considering a Vocho Alebrije — the latter inspired by the wood carvers and painters of Oaxaca. So, keep your eyes open!
View from the top
Posted in Buildings, Churches, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged bell towers, churches, El Picacho, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, Teotitlán del Valle on March 11, 2017| 2 Comments »
For years, I’ve gazed at the bell towers of Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo in Teotitlán del Valle and wanted to go up there. I mused that the views must be spectacular.
I struck it rich a couple of weeks ago when visiting gal pals and I were wandering around the church and were asked if (for a small donation) we wanted to go up to the top. We didn’t have to be asked twice.
It was well worth the climb up the narrow, winding, and steep stone staircase.
There I was, up close and personal with features I’d never before noticed.
Overcoming a moderate case of acrophobia, I even ventured out between the towers and the dome.
Despite a dry season haze that hung over the valley, the views in every direction were spectacular.
A bird’s-eye view!
It was great fun trying to pick out the homes of friends.
The icing on the cake: The bell-ringer emerged, grabbed a couple of ropes, and the bells began to chime.
It was really loud (bordering on deafening) and lasted a long time!!! But, we wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything.
Honoring a mentor
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged Björn Árnason, Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Chae Kihn, Ina Bernstein, James Carbone, Jody Watkins, Lori Barra, Mary Ellen Mark, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photography exhibitions, photos, Tim Porter on March 5, 2017| 4 Comments »
Oaxaca seems to invite and inspire creativity. Thus, for twenty years distinguished photographer, Mary Ellen Mark, who “considered Oaxaca her second home,” brought students here and conducted workshops at the Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo. Now, seven photographers, Björn Árnason, Lori Barra, Ina Bernstein, James Carbone, Chae Kihn, Tim Porter, and Jody Watkins, are honoring their late mentor with an exhibition, Nuestra Oaxaca, at the Centro Fotográfico.
The exhibition opened on January 20, 2017, but it was the coming together by the seven and their very personal remarks during the artist reception and panel discussion on February 25 that revealed the impact Mary Ellen Mark had on their lives and work. She was “a dedicated and demanding teacher” who pushed them to know themselves in order to authentically see and capture the people and places on the other side of the lens. They also offered glimpses into Mark’s playful side and wit, along with how meaningful her friendship was to each of them and their profound sense of loss at her passing in 2015. I wasn’t the only one who blinked away tears.
(L->R) Björn Árnason, Lori Barra, Ina Bernstein, Chae Kihn, James Carbone, Tim Porter, Jody Watkins, and translator, February 25, 2017.
In the words of Tim Porter, spoken at the opening of the exhibition on January 20, 2017:
We seven photographers are all different. Some of us are professionals who work for newspapers or do commercial work. Some of us are amateurs who simply love photography. Some of work in a documentary or journalistic style. Some of us make more interpretative images. We live in New York, in Los Angeles, in Iceland and in San Francisco. Some of us have been coming to Oaxaca for decades. Some of us for only a few years.
What we all share is Mary Ellen. She brought us together. Through her we became friends. Because of her we became better photographers. With her in mind, we come back – to pursue the work we started here, to become the photographers she believed we could be, to honor her passion and, perhaps, to find hope and inspiration in it.
If you are currently in Oaxaca or plan to be before the exhibition closes on April 7, 2017, I highly recommend paying it a visit; the images from each of the seven photographers will reveal Oaxaca in a new and thought-provoking light. In addition, you can also see the work of their mentor, Mary Ellen Mark, that is part of the Colección Toledo/INBA.
Jazz in the garden
Posted in Culture, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged bougainvillea, Casa Colonial, flowers, Mexico, mural, music, musicians, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on March 1, 2017| 3 Comments »
Sunday afternoon at Casa Colonial in Oaxaca: Sun filtering through the trees of a lush tropical garden, the smell of hamburgers and hotdogs grilling on a barbecue, a friendly bartender, and a great jazz combo. What more could anyone want?
Thank you to the Casa’s owner Jane Robison and manager Amado Bolaños. It was a lovely way to spend a Sunday.
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