Back in the land of putting TP in the wastebasket and non-potable tap water. However, grocery shopping at my local mercado more than makes up for it with warm greetings from my favorite vendors and its rich bounty of fruits, vegetables, tortillas, salsas, tamales, and cheeses.
The larder has been restocked with the above high quality essentials, all for only 230 pesos — that’s $12.18 (US) at the current exchange rate. It’s good to be back!
Posted in Food, Travel & Tourism | Tagged alimentos, grocery shopping, Mercado Sánchez Pascuas, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations | 4 Comments »
It’s been a wonderful Bay Area visit, but Saturday at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass the performance by Los Cenzontles with Max and Josh Baca of Los Texmaniacs brought a wave of homesickness for Mexico.
Guess it’s time for me to go… Next stop, Mexico City!
Posted in Culture, Music, Travel & Tourism | Tagged Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2016, Los Cenzontles, Los Texmaniacs, Max & Josh Baca, music festival, photographs, photos, San Francisco | Leave a Comment »
It’s been two years since that tragic night in Iguala, Guerrero when busloads of students (normalistas) from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers College were violently attacked. Six students were killed, 25 were injured, and 43 disappeared. It’s been two years of agony for families and friends. It’s been two years of questions and discredited answers for the people of Mexico. And, it’s been two years of artists around the world doing their part to not let us forget.
Images of some of the missing by Asamblea de Artistas Revolucionarios de Oaxaca (ASARO) seen June 18, 2016 on Av. Morelos in Oaxaca, including 18-year old Cristian Tomás Colón Garnica from Tlacolula de Matamoros, Oaxaca.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, People, Politics, Tragedy, Violence | Tagged Asaro, Ayotzinapa, Cristian Tomás Colón Garnica, Escuela Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos, graphic arts, Iguala, Mexico, normalistas, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, student teachers | 2 Comments »
Despite 2000 miles between here and there, similarities abound between the two places I call home.
Art on walls. (Left) A massive new mural in Mill Valley, above the side wall of the Sequoia Theater, by Zio Ziegler. (Right) One of the many murals by Sanez (Fabián Calderón Sánchez) in Oaxaca. By the way, I’ve previously posted murals by both artists: click Sanez and/or Zio Ziegler.
Agave. (Left) Of course in Mill Valley (California), it’s solely ornamental for those meticulously landscaped gardens. (R) Whereas in Oaxaca, it’s vital crop — land without agave means life without mezcal!
Fluttering swags of flags. (Left) Cloth Tibetan prayer flags flying outside the 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley welcome patrons to the Mountainfilm festival. (Right) Ubiquitous papel picado found inside and out in Oaxaca, in paper or plastic, for events special or just because.
Sacred mountains. (Left) Mt. Tamalpais, the Sleeping Lady and mountain of my childhood dreams, teen driving lessons, and adult peace, joy, and renewal. (Right) Cerro Picacho (in Zapoteco, Quie Guia Betz), brother/sister mountain — the sacred mountain in Teotitlán del Valle, where, among other times, villagers make a pilgrimage to the top on Día de la Santa Cruz (Day of the Holy Cross).
And, last but not least, colorfully costumed couples. (Left) Soon after arriving at the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, I ran into this twosome. Turns out, in the “it’s a small world” universe, they are actually friends of a couple I know in San Miguel de Allende. (Right) During July’s Guelaguetza in Oaxaca, the delegation from Putla de Guerrero representing their celebration of Carnaval, is garish and gaudy and wild and wacky — in other words, fantastic!
Creativity is a challenge. It requires us to be fully human — autonomous yet engaged, independent yet interdependent. Creativity bridges the conflict between our individualistic and our sociality. It celebrates the commonality of our species while simultaneously setting us apart as unique individuals. —Greg Graffin
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Flora, Science and Nature, Travel & Tourism | Tagged agave, California, Cerro Picacho, costumes, Mexico, Mill Valley, Mount Tamalpais, murals, Oaxaca, papel picado, photographs, photos, Zio Ziegler | Leave a Comment »
I know, it’s been a week since a new post has appeared on this blog. My excuse is that I flew up to the San Francisco Bay Area last Saturday — an all day event that, under the easiest of circumstances (and this was), is exhausting. However, an email this morning from Margie Barclay (formerly of Oaxaca Calendar) alerted me to the next Waje dinner.
What is Waje, you ask? It is a monthly pop-up dining experience created by two young (early 20s) Oaxacan chefs, José Daniel López Delgado and Maday Alexander Luis Garfias — both recent graduates of Universidad Anáhuac.
With an appreciation of, and dedication to, the bounty and traditions of Oaxaca, they create themed dinners that fill the senses, educate, and encourage communication.
Traditional ingredients are married in new and innovative ways and artfully presented.
With amazing energy and pride, both chefs emerge from the kitchen to describe the ingredients, preparation, and thought behind each course.
Their creativity and attention to flavors extends to the beverage pairings. For the July dinner, a different flavored pulque was presented with each course and in August, mezcal cocktails were served.
The venue for the dinners was a secret and, in both instances, we were picked up at a pre-arranged location and taken to the final destination. The photos are from the July dinner, which was held on the front lawn of a stunning private home in San Andrés Huayapam.
Their next offering, September 24, 2016 at 7 PM, is to be a cena of six desserts paired with coffee cocktails in a collaboration with Axiom Coffee Ventures and Viajero Café Arte. Seating is limited and prepayment is required. Reservations can be made by calling 951 236-868 or 951-124-9090 or sending a message from the Waje Facebook page.
By the way, both times, my friend and I were the only gringos and oldest people in attendance. You will definitely meet some young hip and very eloquent Oaxaqueños. I wish I could be there… Alas, I’ll still be in el norte. ¡Buen provecho!
Posted in Creativity, Food, Travel & Tourism | Tagged fine dining, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Waje | 3 Comments »
Mexico’s El Mes de la Patria (the month of the homeland) is upon us and overnight, as August turned to September, the streets erupted in green, white, and red.
Mexico celebrates September 16, 1810 as the beginning of its fight for independence from Spain.
Flags are flying everywhere and are for sale on every other street corner, along with all manner of patriotic tchotkes.
From buses in the city to moto-taxis in the villages, everything is decked out in the green, white, and red of the Mexican flag.
As for Oaxaca? The five-month renovation project at Mercado Benito Juárez has been completed and vendors have moved from their temporary stalls on the surrounding streets back into the market; Sección 22 teachers have returned to their classrooms and 80% of the encampment in the zócalo has been disassembled; the governor will give his final Grito de DoloresGrito de Dolores at 11:00 PM on September 15th; and the annual patriotic parade will fill the streets of the Historic District with participants and observers on the 16th.
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism | Tagged El Mes de la Patria, Mexican flag, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street vendors | 4 Comments »
While waiting for yesterday’s convite to begin, the Danza de la Pluma subalternos, Florentino Martínez Ruiz and Juan Bautista Ruiz, knew how to keep young, old, all those in between, and the photographers entertained.
A little “splendor in the grass” for Juan?
And, the fun didn’t stop there, once the convite began, Florentino snatched a marmota from one of the little boys to give it a try.
And, everyone laughed, especially the boy! That’s entertainment, Teotitlán del Valle style!
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Travel & Tourism | Tagged convite, Danza de la Pluma, Fiesta a la Natividad de la Virgen María, Mexico, Oaxaca, Subalternos, Teotitlán del Valle | 2 Comments »
For ten years, since the 2006 teacher uprising in Oaxaca, with scissors, paper, paint, and talent, the Lapiztola collective has been cutting through propaganda and meaningless phrases to lead, provoke, and inspire with their art. Looking across the Alcalá from Santo Domingo, a new stenciled mural in front the Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca (IAGO) caught my eye…
There she was, beckoning, much like the beautiful and haunting mural, We sow dreams and harvest hope on the Tinoco y Palacios wall of Museo Belber Jimenez (before it, along with others, was unceremoniously ordered removed by the city government). Another mural by Colectivo Lapiztola.
The symbolism of the corn, the bandana, and a young indigenous girl is rich in the layers of rebellion and resistance of modern-day Oaxaca. And so I went up the stairs of IAGO and into the courtyard where Benito Juárez presided over the entrance to the exhibit, Corte Aquí (Cut Here), by the Lapiztola collective.
Lapiztola consists of three artists: Rosario Martínez, Yankel Balderas, and Roberto Vega. This small exhibit (3 stencils and 7 graphic works), with its larger-than-life images, covers three rooms and stimulates our hearts and our minds.
Over the past ten years, as the exhibition demonstrates, Lapiztola has taken on the issues of social protest, disappearances, the protection of natural resources, and drug-trafficking — the latter, as evidenced below.
Also included, is one of the first Lapiztola images that fascinated me. It covered the front of the Espacio Zapata in 2012 and speaks volumes about modern society.
If you go to the exhibition, don’t miss the third room; in it hangs the three massive stencils (below) used to produce the brilliant mural I named the Art of Agave, celebrating the human face of agave cultivation. It once educated and enlivened the wall of Piedra Lumbre on Tinoco y Palacios, before it, too, was painted over.
I’m not sure how long the exhibition will last. However, if you are in Oaxaca, I encourage you to pay it a visit and to all, when you are in Oaxaca, make sure to pay attention to the walls — they have something tell you.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism | Tagged exhibitions, Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca (IAGO), Lapiztola, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, urban art | 4 Comments »
It’s here!!! Sam messaged me Saturday night to say that my Tree of Life tapete was finished. So, my trusty blogger buddy Chris (he had an ulterior motive) and I drove out to Teotitlán del Valle to pick it up.
This very unique Tree of Life was designed by Sam Bautista Lazo (above on the left) and I had been immediately drawn to the use of a corn stalk, instead of a tree. After all, this is the valley where corn was thought to be first cultivated. Sam’s father, Mario Bautista Martínez chose the colors and, as I recounted in my Yagshī for my Tree of Life blog post, Sam’s mother Leonor Lazo González (above, second from right) dyed the wool.
The plan had been for Sam’s father to weave the rug, but farm work was taking the bulk of his time, so he turned it over to Jacinto (above left), a weaver in the village who specializes in the Tree of Life. Sam was incredulous that Jacinto didn’t draw the design on the warp and, instead, just did it “free hand” — weaving from a photo of the larger rug Sam had provided. And, if you are wondering, it took 72 hours to complete.
Here it is, up close. As you know, the moss/celery green color came from the yagshī plant. The brown was made from dried granada (pomegranate) skins and the yellow came from bejuco (dodder), a parasitic plant that can be seen draping itself over the branches of the Piru tree in Teotitlán. Añil (indigo) supplied the blue and the reds came from cochinilla (cochineal). While the other dyes can be gathered in the village, these latter two must be purchased and can be quite expensive.
Here it is, hanging in its new home at Casita Colibrí. I am SO grateful to Sam, Leonor, Mario, and Jacinto for their creativity, talent, and hard work in bringing my tapete to fruition and to Mother Nature for the resources she provides Teotitlán del Valle. It takes a village to make a Tree of Life!!!
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Creativity, Culture, People, Textiles, Travel & Tourism | Tagged Oaxaca, photographs, rugs, Samuel Bautista Lazo, tapetes, Teotitlán del Valle, Tree of Life | 19 Comments »
Five days ago, Norma Schafer blogger at Oaxaca Cultural Navigator and moderator of the Facebook group, Mexico Travel Photography, issued a 5-day “Mexico Colors” photo challenge to the Facebook group — one photo a day for five consecutive days. I think she was giving us a gentle prod, because up until then, most of us had been pretty lax about posting photos. However, with her challenge, the floodgates opened. Unsurprisingly, my five entries were all about the colors of Oaxaca.
Day 1: Naturally dyed yarn hanging to dry at the family home of Porfirio Gutiérrez and his sister, Juana Gutiérrez Contreras.
Day 2: My empty wine bottles hand painted by Isabel in San Antonio Arrazola, Oaxaca — waiting to be filled with mezcal!
Day 3: Danza de la Pluma in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca — during this year’s patronal festival honoring Preciosa Sangre de Cristo.
Day 4: The “only in Oaxaca” celebration of Día de la Samaritana in Oaxaca city.
Day 5: Flor de Piña dancers from San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec at this year’s second Guelaguetza desfile in Oaxaca city.
Norma has hinted that there may be more challenges to come. We shall see!
Posted in Celebrations, Challenges, Culture, Travel & Tourism | Tagged colors of Mexico, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations | 16 Comments »
Today was supposed to be the first day of school in Mexico, but not for most in Oaxaca. According to Sección 22 of the CNTE (teachers’ union), 90% of public schools did not open today. The Instituto Estatal de Educación Pública de Oaxaca (the government’s Institute of Public Education) puts the number at 52% of public schools in the state that remained closed.
Classrooms may have remained empty, but from the Monumento a Juárez to the Plaza de la Danza, teachers and their allies filled several of the main streets of the state’s capital in a mass march that took over an hour and a half to pass –part of the ongoing protests against the federal government’s education/labor reform.
Today, there are no winners, only losers — the kids. The weather provided a metaphor for the day — grey and depressing.
While not specific to Oaxaca, a new documentary by Al Jazeera, Child labour in Mexico, adds some context to the issue of education in Mexico, especially in the poorer regions of Mexico. At 16:36, the focus of the conversation turns to relating child labor to the problems of education, corruption, and poverty.
Posted in Education, Labor, Protests | Tagged Black and white photography, education, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Seccion 22, Teachers union | 2 Comments »
Yesterday morning, as I made the rounds bidding each of my plants a “muy buenos días,” peeking out from the bottom of one of my garden pots…
A star looked up and wished me a very good morning.
A Quaqua mammillaris flower for Cee’s photo challenge.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens | Tagged cactus, flowers, garden, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Quaqua mammillaris | 4 Comments »
Murals seen in mid July on Garcia Vigil, between Independencia and Morelos. A month later, they have been painted over, but in Oaxaca, god and resistance never die…
The public school fall semester is scheduled to start Monday, August 22 and, as you can see from the Oaxaca-The Year After blog post, for good reason, no one is holding their breath.
So, while we wait, take a deep breath, exhale, and watch Lila Downs performing Dios Nunca Muere live HERE.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Education, Labor, Politics | Tagged graffiti, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art | 2 Comments »
Rainy season means wind, rain, and fallen Flor de Mayo flower petals. What to do?
Nothing like the scent of Plumeria to perfume the room.
My entry in Cee’s photo challenge.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Travel & Tourism | Tagged Flor de mayo, flowers, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, plumeria, popular travel destinations | 2 Comments »
The morning of August 12: Almost continuous explosions of cohetes (rockets), shrill incessant traffic whistles, honking horns, and the distant sounds of a band (or two or three). What in the world? I had errands to run, so out into the cacophony to confront the unknown, I went. It only took walking to the end of my block to realize what I’d forgotten.
It’s Día del Taxista, the day when cab drivers and their families decorate their taxicabs and process en mass through the streets of the city, accompanied by bands, monos, and pirotecnicos (hence the booms and bangs).
I not only forgot what day it was, but I also forgot my never-leave-home-without-it little Lumix, so the above were taken with my iPhone — something I almost never do and which explains the “creative” image below.
I have NO idea how it happened, but I’ve got to say, it does illustrate what riding in a taxi in Oaxaca often feels like!
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Transportation, Travel & Tourism | Tagged Día del Taxista, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, taxis, taxistas | 4 Comments »
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 