Posted in Creativity, Culture, Sports & Recreation, Travel & Tourism, tagged baseball, California, Ex-Vandals, graffiti, North Beach, photographs, photos, San Francisco, San Francisco Giants, street art, urban art on February 13, 2013| Leave a Comment »
It may not be Oaxaca, but there is some major league urban art celebrating Major League Baseball’s 2012 World Series champion, San Francisco Giants. The mural, by the Ex-Vandals, currently can be seen at Columbus at Union Street in San Francisco’s, North Beach neighborhood.
But, did the city’s Planning Commission have to deface the mural with its Notice of Public Hearing? Couldn’t they have posted their notice in a more discrete location? Honestly, have they no respect?!!
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Sports & Recreation, Travel & Tourism, tagged football, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, red and gold, San Francisco 49ers, sports, street art, Super Bowl, urban art, wall art on February 3, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Super Bowl madness in the Bay Area. Can’t find any San Francisco 49er-Oaxaca connection, except scores of fanáticos. So, here’s a little red and gold from the walls of Oaxaca…
¡Vamos Niners!
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.
Posted in Culture, Sports & Recreation, tagged baseball, beisbol, Guerreros de Oaxaca, Linda Oaxaca, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, sculpture of baseball players, seventh inning stretch on July 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »
MLB All Star Game is on Cablemas (Lo siento mi maestra, el idioma es el Inglés.) and players from my San Francisco Giants are kicking “you know what!” I’d hoped to take the ferry (a very civilized way to go) to a Giants’ game when I was in the Bay Area last month, but, alas, time got away from me.
Oaxaca has a Minor League team, the Guerreros de Oaxaca, a Triple-A team in the Mexican League and their stadium is within (long) walking distance. Alas, I haven’t been to one of their games this season, either! However, last week I did wander by their office; the door was open and revealed this wonderful sculpture…
By the way, during the seventh inning stretch, fans rise and sing, “Linda Oaxaca” (Beautiful Oaxaca). It always brings a smile and I’ll take it over “God Bless America” every time!
Posted in Buildings, Food, Markets, Parks & Plazas, Places, Sports, Sports & Recreation, tagged boxing, Boxing ring, Jardín Morelos, market, Mercado IV Centenario, mercados, Mexico, Oaxaca, parks, Plaza de la Danza, renovation project on June 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Last night, under starry skies, I returned to Casita Colibrí. The streets were wet and potholed (more than usual) and even in the dark, my garden looked green and lush, all thanks to the rains Hurricane Carlotta brought and a storm track that continues to have Oaxaca in its sights.
After a verrry slow morning spent renewing my apartment’s acquaintance (remember, no TP in the toilet), gazing at the view, and unpacking, armed with two shopping bags, I headed down to Mercado IV Centenario (my local mercado) for some much-needed restocking, only to find doors locked. Ooops! I’d forgotten, as of mid May it was temporarily relocated to Jardín Morelos, due to a long overdue renovation project. So, down the stairs and across Independencia to the new site, I went. How nice it was to see the familiar faces of my favorite vendors and what warm greetings I received. Ahhh… it’s good to be back!
The route home took me up through the Plaza de la Danza. And, what to my wondering eyes did appear? A boxing ring, boxing fans, and a boxing match in progress. Darn, I neglected to bring my camera. Hey, it was just supposed to be a grocery shopping trip! However, this from my iPod Touch camera.
Concerts, dance exhibitions, fireworks staging site, ferias and now boxing in the Plaza de la Danza. As I’ve said, the public spaces in Oaxaca are well used!
Posted in Nature & Science, Sports & Recreation, Travel & Tourism, tagged adventure, articles, Blazing Trails in Mexico, California, Marin County, Mexico, mountain bikers, Mountain biking, nature, Oaxaca, travel, Trevor Clark on April 15, 2012| 2 Comments »
I’m from the cradle of modern mountain biking; Marin County, California. In fact, it has become so popular in Marin over the past 30+ years, traffic jams have ensued at trail heads and battles between hikers, horseback riders, and mountain bikers over safety and environmental issues frequently make the headlines of local papers.
With this recent article in the Wall Street Journal, it looks like mountain biking has “officially” come to Oaxaca. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the wise Zapotec elders up in Oaxaca’s Sierra Norte will find a way to keep the peace. And, more than that, I’m hoping all you mountain bikers out there will be respectful of this beautiful land and her people.
From Friday, April 13, 2012 online Wall Street Journal…
![[mexbike]](https://i0.wp.com/si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OD-AQ543A_mexbi_G_20120412220756.jpg)
IT WAS EARLY. Hours from sunrise kind of early. My wimpy headlamp struggled to break through the predawn drizzle, and I could barely see my front tire or the trail ahead. Roots, rocks and stumps all seemed to be in cahoots, working together to upend me.
WHEEL WORLD | Riding out of the village of Benito Juárez in Oaxaca – Trevor Clark
I tried to become one with the bike. I tried to feel out the trail with my other senses. I tried to anticipate obstacles, but I am no Zen master. My mountain biking skills are rough under the best conditions, and I was in the jungle in the dark.
My mate’s more powerful headlamp suddenly provided a snapshot of a sharp turn and a wooden footbridge ahead. Then, lights out. I made an educated guess, went straight and took a hit that emptied my lungs: “Huhhhhh!” Cold water rushed into my clothes and pack as I lay in the stream, bike still on my feet, straight up in the air.
For a few moments, I laughed hysterically at my predicament and the fact that I was OK after missing the bridge. Then I picked myself up and kept moving.
We made it to the peak of Piedra Larga, a 10,761-foot-high lookout, for breakfast, corn-based hot chocolate and sunrise. As the sun slowly emerged from a thick layer of fog, we found ourselves hovering above a golden sea of clouds. The scenery was worth every blind pedal stroke.
Seven of us had come to the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, Mexico, a forested mountain range in the northern part of the state. Oaxaca is known as the country’s culinary and cultural center, and many visitors experience it through cooking classes and gallery walks in the capital city. We, instead, were mountain-biking part of an ancient Zapotec network of walking trails that have connected eight villages to each other and the rest of the world for eons.
Mountain biking is fairly new to Mexico…. [Read FULL ARTICLE]
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 