Rain has been falling in the city for over 24 hours, as Tropical Storm Beatriz slowly moves up Oaxaca’s coast and up and over Sierra Madre del Sur mountains. According to the National Hurricane Center, “over a foot of rain is possible in Mexico’s Oaxaca state through Friday with isolated amounts up to 20 inches possible.”
At various times in her past, because of the native green stone used to construct her buildings and pave her sidewalks, Oaxaca has been known as la Verde Antequera — the Emerald City.
Walking through the streets on a rainy day, it’s easy to see where she got her nickname.
While Beatriz may be causing headaches on the coast, the campesinos (and all who depend on them) in the Valle de Oaxaca, are rejoicing.
After almost two weeks of 90º+(F) temperatures, late this afternoon lightening flashed, thunder rumbled, gusty winds replaced still humid air, and on Tlaloc’s command, torrential rain and hail pounded Oaxaca city. Water began coming in closed doors and windows, plants and chairs overturned on the terrace, an empty concrete bag flew up and over a ten foot fence and across the forty-five feet of my terrace landing at my doorstep, and power went out for almost two hours.
This evening, at Casita Colibrí, plants have been righted, chairs have been retrieved and stacked, and flooded floors have been mopped. However, in other parts of the city, there are reports of trees and power lines down, massive flooding, and a roof collapsed at Central de Abastos. Initial news reports (en español):
This year’s “like it used to be” rainy season has brought Morning Glories climbing their way to my doorstep and adding a little color to an otherwise grey morning.
Obviously, I’m not the only one who enjoys the green of their heart-shaped leaves.
The rainy season has come and with it, the emergence of chicatanas (also known as, tzicatanas) — a pre hispanic insect delicacy in this corner of the world. My first experience with these giant “flying ants” was at the Oaxaca airport five or six years ago, where I was greeted with, what can only be characterized as, an infestation. They were flying through the terminal, crawling on the floor, and being chased by toddlers to teens, as adults watched in amusement. Since then, I’ve come to know and even love these little critters — especially in salsas and mole.
Two years ago, I awoke to my own infestation on the terrace. However, yesterday morning only a lone female chicatana put in an appearance. Darn, just when I’d actually considered gathering them up like these children and attempting to make chicatana salsa!
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn’t it a pity
Doesn’t seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head…
Two and a half months of 10º F above average temperatures. This is getting ridiculous!!!
Today, Santo Domingo de Guzman served as a backdrop to the red/orange of the Flamboyán trees (aka, Delionux regia, Tabachín, Poinciana, Árbol de fuego) that line her front entrance.
Their fiery brilliance provided a much-need antidote to the malaise brought about by two months of temperatures in the nineties (Fahrenheit) almost every single day. I can assure you, this is NOT the norm. However, today it’s only 86º F — as the Weather Underground forecast announced, “much cooler” than yesterday!
We had spectacular electrical storms Sunday and Monday nights, with thunder rumbling continuously, lightening flashing in all directions, and torrential rain. And, today, I awoke to a rare early morning downpour — 8 inches of pergola runoff collected in my buckets. Noticias, the Facebook group Bloqueos y Accidentes en Oaxaca, and Reportes en Oaxaca, Mexico all show major flooding throughout the city from this morning’s surprise.
This morning’s view of Templo de San José and Basilica de la Soledad. Where did Monte Albán go?
All of this has me asking, is this the beginning of an early rainy season? Then, there is the report from Conagua (Mexico’s national water commission) that, due to El Niño, there could be a significant increase in the number of Pacific Coast hurricanes this season. Hmmm… it looks like we may be in for a bumpy and wet ride!
Last week, while in Mexico City, I paid my respects to Tláloc, the Aztec rain deity, both at the Templo Mayor and Museo Nacional de Antropología (National Anthropology Museum).
Tláloc — Templo Mayor, Mexico City
I’m now back in Oaxaca and, for the third day in a row, Tláloc is making his presence known. And, rain is in the forecast for the next several days.
Fragments of a Tláloc brazier — Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
Thunder is rumbling and, out of the corner of my eye, I see flashes of lightning to the east. It may be the “dry season,” but Tláloc is speaking and we are listening.
Pot with image of Tláloc — Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
Perhaps drought-stricken California might want to build a temple to this supreme god of the rains — not to mention, institute mandatory water rationing!
Finally over the flu, I flew to the east coast, arriving along with an arctic cold front. Brrr… it was -14ºF early yesterday morning!!! However, here on a frigid New York Friday…
Yesterday, the Virgen del Rosario convite beckoned us to Tlacolula (more to come). After an hour and a half of photographing and relishing in the music, marmotas, monos, impossibly cute kids, and hospitality, we began losing the light as a dark and threatening sky began moving in. However, Mother Nature put on quite an extravaganza for our drive back to the city — towering clouds, sheets of rain, lightening streaking towards the ground, brilliant sun, and rainbows.
Last year the rainy season was almost non-existent and the campesinos were worried. Four years ago it rained almost everyday from early July to late September and landslides and major flooding resulted. This year the rains have been on again, off again, and on again. But Mother Nature always manages to paint rainbows all over your blues.
View from Casita Colibrí of the bell towers of San Felipe Neri and the Indian laurels in the zócalo.
The rainy season has definitely arrived in the city, bringing several hours of lluvia every night for the past five nights. The first rains of the season also bring (drum roll, please) chicatanas! Early this morning, I went out onto the terrace with my coffee to be greeted with these not-so-little insects. Flying (into my hair, eeek!) and crawling all over the place!
Female chicatana on a very wet table.
What, you may ask are chicatanas? They are giant flying ants that emerge with the first rains of the season — and by giant, I mean about 4 cm from the head to the tip of the wings for the females. (As in much of the insect world, males are smaller and wingless.)
Male chicatana on the deck.
This occurs early one morning each year and lasts only a few hours. My first experience with them was a couple of years ago, when I arrived at Oaxaca’s airport for my 8:30 AM flight one May morning, to find, yikes(!) an infestation of insects. I had no idea what they were, but nobody seemed to mind, and kids were running around collecting them. The answer came after I boarded the plane and began talking with a Oaxaqueña across the aisle. She explained that the arrival of the chicatanas was a much-anticipated event because they are a delicacy. As the video below documents, they are soaked, cleaned, toasted on a comal, ground, seasoned, and made into a salsa.
According to this post in a Chicago based culinary chat site, it has been almost “500 years since Bernardino de Sahagun reported to Europe on the tzicatana [chicatana in Nahuatl] in his Nueva Historia, from its divine associations to its swarm ethology (mirroring the movements of the Aztecan armies) to its apparent deliciousness to the Nahuan-speaking people in the region.” And, long before that, tzicatanas were mentioned in the Florentine Codex.
Female chicatana doing the back stroke on the table.
By 9:30 this morning, they were gone. However, should you find yourself in Oaxaca during a brief visit by the chicatanas, here is a recipe for Chicatana Salsa.
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 