Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Oaxaca’

My meditation for the day

Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 17, 2020| 5 Comments »

The flowers within and mountains beyond.

“I am large; I contain multitudes.” — Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

Read Full Post »

Missing mezcal

Posted in Beverages, Creativity, Culture, Flora, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 14, 2020| 14 Comments »

Conventional wisdom in Oaxaca: “For everything bad, drink mezcal; for everything good, you also should.”

Lest we forget, the walls of Oaxaca are always there to remind us.

My copitas (little cups) by maestro Vicente Hernandez are always ready for a gotita (a little drop) or two on good days, bad days, and especially days when friends stop by.

Day trips to my favorite mezcal making villages and their mezcaleros, like Berta Vásquez (above) in San Baltazar Chichicapam, were frequent enough to keep the liquor cabinet stocked with a variety of artisanal mezcal made from one or more kinds of maguey (AKA, agave) — arroqueño, barril, cuixe, espadín, jabalí, tepeztate, tobalá, and tobasiche, to name a few!

Alas, since Covid-19 hit the scene, many of the villages are closed to outsiders and, even if they were open, I wouldn’t go — for their health and safety and mine.

However, mezcal aficionado and tour guide Alvin Starkman came to the rescue. Through him, I was able to buy five bottles of mezcal from several different villages and he delivered!

In the event you are trying to read the labels, left to right: Tobalá, Manuel Méndez, San Dionisio Ocotopec; Mezcal destilado con mota (yes, it’s a thing), Rodolfo López Sosa, San Juan del Río; Arroqueño, Fortunato Hernandez, San Baltazar, Chichicapam; Tepeztate, Manuel Méndez, San Dionisio Ocotepec; Espadín, Celso Martinez, Santiago Matatlán.

¡Para todo mal, mezcal; y para todo bien, tambíen!

(ps) This just in! Mezcal Tour Supports Advancement of Indigenous Women — an article about the wonderful ongoing work the above mentioned Alvin Starkman, his wife Arlene, and Mezcal Educational Excursions of Oaxaca are doing.

Read Full Post »

Flowers and serpents

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 10, 2020| 24 Comments »

A mural in progress. Jorge kept working…

… while Javier paused to chat and pose.

Also seen August 4, 2020 in Barrio de Jalatlaco, this time on Alianza.

Read Full Post »

Song of water

Posted in Creativity, Culture, People, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 6, 2020| 6 Comments »

Oaxaca sings in the rainy season. Afternoon clouds gather, the sky darkens, wind picks up, thunder rumbles, heaven sinks closer to earth, and, if Cocijo is answering prayers, the sound of rain falling — El canto del agua; The song of water.

I knew the minute I saw this mural that it was the work of Fabián Calderón Sánchez (Sanez). Over the years, I’ve been captivated by and posted images of his thought provoking, creative, and powerful uses of indigenous imagery. The facade of El Armadillo Negro restaurant on Calle del 5 de mayo 307, Barrio de Jalatlaco, seen on August 4, 2020.

Read Full Post »

Ommm…

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 3, 2020| 8 Comments »

A moment of Zen…

Brought to you by a wall in Oaxaca.

Read Full Post »

Archiving the Pandemic

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Health, Libraries, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on July 30, 2020| 12 Comments »

Back in April, I received a message from my hometown library with the request, Help us tell the story of what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mill Valley. A light bulb turned on, my brain went into librarian/archivist mode, and I thought, we should do that here in Oaxaca. What better way to bring the Oaxaca Lending Library community, both here in Oaxaca and those currently scattered around the world, together and provide a venue to share thoughts and feelings, document daily life, and unleash creativity. And, when this nightmare is over, the OLL will have joined an international effort by public and academic libraries, archives, historical societies, and museums to preserve slices of life from this historic time for future community members and researchers to ponder.

Thus, we formed a small committee, met remotely, and issued our own call for submissions. Members and friends, be they here or there, have been asked to submit photographs, stories in prose or verse, and videos. The response has been beyond my wildest dreams and I invite you to view the most recent edition of Archiving the Pandemic in Oaxaca: How will this time be remembered? The contributions are revealing in a variety of happy, sad, challenging, generous, and talented ways.

July 30, 2020 – Calle de Adolfo Gurrión at 5 de mayo, Oaxaca de Juárez.

The project is ongoing; alas, the pandemic’s end is not in sight. However, my heart is lifted in seeing, reading, and sharing experiences with my Oaxaca Lending Library community and knowing we are part of an international effort to help shape the telling of a community story.

(ps) The QR codes on the image above link to the following articles exposing issues medical personnel are facing battling the virus in Oaxaca:

Read Full Post »

Missing July 2019

Posted in Beverages, Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 27, 2020| 9 Comments »

July 2020, living in the time of Covid-19, is almost in the rear view mirror. Oh, how I have been missing July 2019!

July 9, 2019 – Teotitlán de Valle, Patronal festival in honor of La Preciosa Sangre de Cristo.

July 10, 2019 – Teotitlán del Valle, Grupo de la Danza de la Pluma 2019-2021 dancing in honor of La Preciosa Sangre de Cristo.

July 12, 2019 – Teotitlán del Valle, Convite inviting everyone to the fiesta celebrating La Preciosa Sangre de Cristo.

July 13, 2019 – Teotitlán del Valle, Grupo de la Danza de la Pluma 2019-2021 dancing in honor of La Preciosa Sangre de Cristo.

July 14, 2019 – Tlacolula de Matamoros Sunday market, Kalisa Wells at the stall of doll maker, Armando Sosa.

July 16, 2019 – Santa Catarina Minas at the mezcal palenque of Félix Ángeles Arellanes, Mezcal El Minerito.

July 18, 2019 – Oaxaca de Juárez, Carina Santiago at a cocinera tradicional (traditional cook) demonstration.

July 19, 2019 – Oaxaca de Juárez, Mole Festival at the Jardín Etnobotánico (Ethnobotanic Garden).

July 20, 2019 – Oaxaca de Juárez, Guelaguetza parade of delegations.

July 21, 2019 – San Antonio Cuajimoloyas, Feria Regional de Hongos Silvestres (Regional Wild Mushroom Fair).

July 22, 2019 – Las Peñitas Reyes Etla, Guelaguetza.

July 25, 2019 – Oaxaca de Juárez, procession announcing the Guelaguetza Muy Especial by the Down’s Syndrome folkloric dance troupe.

July 26, 2019 – Oaxaca de Juárez, procession by the Asoc. de Juchitecos radicados en Oaxaca.

July 27, 2019 – Oaxaca de Juárez, young participants in the second Guelaguetza parade of delegations.

July 31, 2019 – Oaxaca de Juárez, making tejate at the Feria del Tejate y el Tamal in the Plaza de la Danza.

A reminder that we need to appreciate and be present to the present; it will never come this way again.

Read Full Post »

Greeting the dawn

Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Food, Gardens, tagged , , , , , , , , on July 24, 2020| 6 Comments »

This morning as dawn broke, a pitahaya bloomed in Oaxaca. Tipped off by my neighbor, I ran upstairs with my camera — before coffee, no less!

The eight inches across flower was definitely worth it because, alas, by late morning this beauty will have wilted. It will dry, eventually drop off, and fruit will begin to form on the section hiding behind the flower and from which it emerged.

In a few months, there will be a red luscious dragon fruit, like this one on a neighboring stalk. I miss the pitahayas that used to climb the chain link fence surrounding my terrace.

By the way, if you are confused about the difference between pitahaya and pitaya (as I used to be), this page from the Mexican government gives the most complete explanation I’ve seen. It’s worth running through a translator if you don’t read Spanish.

My entry in Cee’s Flower of the Day photo challenge.

Read Full Post »

Back in the red

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Health, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 21, 2020| 6 Comments »

After only two weeks of semáforo naranja (orange traffic light), as of yesterday, the federal government ordered the State of Oaxaca back to semáforo rojo (red traffic light) in the ongoing battle with Covid–19.

To tell the truth, the move to orange had many of us scratching our heads. Closely following the data released by the state health department, we wondered if Oaxaca really was experiencing a downward trend in the four metrics used to move from one traffic light to another: numbers of new cases, hospital occupancy trends, current hospital occupancy, and percentage of positive cases.

As for cubrebocas — a misnomer, if there ever was one for reasons to follow: Sunday’s stroll about town revealed 15% of people not wearing masks; 50% wearing them correctly; 35% wearing the “cubreboca” ONLY over their mouth, just like the name implies. In Cuba they are called “nasobuco,” indicating they need to cover both nose and mouth — a much better name, methinks!

By the way, according to Richard Grabman over at The Mex Files, “85% of Mexicans are wearing masks in public, compared to 67% of people in the US.”

Read Full Post »

Virtual Guelaguetza 2020 delegations

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on July 18, 2020| 2 Comments »

The Secretaría de las Culturas y Artes de Oaxaca (Secretariat of the Cultures and Arts of Oaxaca) and the Comité de Autenticidad (Authenticity Committee) have selected this year’s Guelaguetza delegations from video taken from the years 2017 to 2019. The performances will be broadcast by CORTV, both on television and on their Facebook page.

July 20, 2020 – Morning delegations and dances:

7-20 AM

July 20, 2020 – Evening delegations and dances:

7-20 PM

July 27, 2020 – Morning delegations and dances:

7-27 AM

July 27, 2020 – Evening delegations and dances:

7-27 PM

This year’s poster image is the work of Montserrat Alhelí Steck Ortiz and was chosen out of 67 entries. Titled, Trenzando Magía (Braiding Magic), according to this article the artist explained that she wanted to begin with the image of woman as symbol of mother earth and giver of all wealth — exemplified by the peasant working the land and tending Oaxaca’s iconic maguey. The image then illustrates the be-ribboned braids reaching out to capture the joy found in the colors, textures and dances of the eight regions of Oaxaca.

Read Full Post »

Guelaguetza gone virtual

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on July 15, 2020| 4 Comments »

It’s July, corn planting time and “Mes de la Guelaguetza” (month of the Guelaguetza) — a time when Oaxaca recognizes and celebrates the sixteen indigenous groups whose languages, traditions, and maize cultures long predate the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors and permeate the character of the state. However, all is quiet in the streets. Due to the dreaded virus, there will be no live and in-person Guelaguetza 2020.

All is not lost; the “máxima fiesta” and its ancillary activities have gone virtual — broadcasting on TV and online.

Donají

Fiestas Julio 20-24

Click on each image to read the dates and details for the book presentations, art exhibitions, lectures, and music and dance performances — including how to watch.

Villa de Zaachila is even holding a virtual Guelaguetza 2020, accessed from the Facebook page, “Guelaguetza Virtual Zaachila 2020”

It may not be up close and personal, but if you are missing the sights and sounds of la Guelaguetza, it’s better than nothing! And, if the above isn’t enough, you might want to scroll through my Guelaguetza blog posts from previous years.

Read Full Post »

At least I’m eating well!

Posted in Casita Colibrí, Food, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 12, 2020| 12 Comments »

Up until last week, under semáforo rojo (red stoplight), dining at Oaxaca’s much celebrated restaurants had been prohibited and food-to-go became a new and popular option. The Facebook group, Taste Of Oaxaca! soon was filled with restaurant takeout and/or delivery menu options. It was really quite wonderful to see how creative restaurants and chefs became in trying to maintain their businesses, keep staff employed, and meet the needs of their clientele. However, I was blessed with an alternative — mi amiga y vecina (my friend and neighbor), Kalisa, whose passion is cooking and sharing her flavorful fare.

Roast chicken with saffron rice
Homemade pizza with chorizo, cheeses, mushrooms, arugula, and more
Pork loin stuffed with prunes, jamón, spinach, and secret herbs and spices
And, leftovers in my freezer
Pork and beans (with the requisite) epazote
Chicken with broccoli, new potatoes, and olives
Grilled Mennonite cheese sandwich with argula and (Boulenc’s) kimchi
Goat cheese lasagne

While living in the age of Covid-19, at least I’ve been eating well — and this is just a small sample! By the way, rumor has it that tonight I will be going up and over the rooftop with my bowl in hand for pozole rojo. Yummm…

Read Full Post »

These streets are made for walkin’

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , on July 9, 2020| 15 Comments »

A sampling of sites seen from the streets that have saved my sanity while living in the age of Covid-19.

Barrio de Xochimilco

 

Marcos Pérez/Lic. José Vasconcelos neighborhood

 

Calle Independencia entrance to Mercado IV Centenario

 

Calle Santo Tomás at the corner of José Lopez Alavez

 

Calle Marcos Pérez

 

Casa de Barro, Av. Reforma

These streets are made for walkin’ and that’s just what I do!

Read Full Post »

Brightening my days

Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on July 6, 2020| 17 Comments »

When the rains come and the three African Tulip trees (Spathodea campanulata, Tulipán africano, Flame trees, Flame of the Forest) in my apartment complex begin blooming, even grey days are brightened.

As the name suggests, Tulipán africano are native to Africa and I was first captivated by them in the early 1980s when I watched the PBS series, The Flame Trees of Thika, based on the Elspeth Huxley memoir about her early years in Kenya.

Beginning the late 1800s, these ornamental beauties were introduced to other parts of the world — thriving and even becoming invasive in many areas of the tropics.

Bursting with brilliance and providing food and shelter to a multitude of hummingbirds battling for territory and mates, these creations of Mother Nature always beckon me to stop, gaze, and marvel.

Read Full Post »

Mask up!

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Food, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on July 3, 2020| 8 Comments »

Even if you’re just going out for coffee, mask up!

A reminder from the shutters outside Café Brújula in Plaza Santo Domingo on Macedonio Alcalá. Artist: Mister D.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »