Pretty in pink on the streets of Oaxaca…
And, this doesn’t even include the pink and lime green of Correos de México (Mexican post office).
Posts Tagged ‘Oaxaca’
Pretty in pink
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Transportation, Travel & Tourism, tagged automobiles, bus, cars, catrina, graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, Vocho, Volkswagen Beetle, VW bug, wall art on November 10, 2015| 5 Comments »
Loving hands of San Antonino
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged cemetery, Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, Día de Muertos, flowers, hands, Mexico, Oaxaca, panteón, photographs, photos, San Antonino Castillo Velasco, tombs on November 5, 2015| 6 Comments »
Young and old, male and female…
it’s a family affair, labor of love…
as the tombs of San Antonino Castillo Velasco are painstakingly decorated on November 3.
Calacas & calaveras for Leo
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged calacas, calaveras, Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, Días de Muerto, decorative skulls, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, skeletons on November 1, 2015| 7 Comments »
This year, around and about Oaxaca during Día de Muertos, especially for my skeleton loving grandson. (Click on images to enlarge)
Besos y abrazos, Abue. 😉
Veruche vendor
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Flora, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged cempasuchitl, Day of the Dead, Día de Muerto, flor de muertos, flowers, marigolds, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, veruche on October 30, 2015| 4 Comments »
Today I ventured down to Calle de Ignacio Rayón (the block between the Benito Juárez and 20 de Noviembre mercados) to purchase flowers for my Día de Muertos ofrenda (an altar of offerings). On the list was cockscomb (cresta de gallo or borla de Santa Teresa), marigolds (cempasúchitl), and veruche (also known as flor de muertos). I wasn’t alone, the sidewalks were crowded with other shoppers in search of the same traditional flowers, fruits, nuts, copal, and other items to place on their ofrendas.
Veruche is a tiny relative of the marigold that grows wild in the valley of Oaxaca at this time of year. Yellow was the color of death in southern Mexico, long before the Spanish set foot on the continent and, along with the scent of the flowers and smoke from the candles and copal, it is thought to attract the difuntos (spirits of the dead) to bring them to the ofrendas prepared for them.
Muchisimas gracias to Shawn D. Haley for his informative presentation at the Oaxaca Lending Library on the Zapotec celebration of Día de Muertos. Needless to say, I also purchased the book he coauthored with photographer Curt Fukuda, The Day of the Dead: When Two Worlds Meet in Oaxaca.
It’s beginning to look a lot like…
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged calacas, calaveras, Día de los Muertos, decorations, Mexico, Oaxaca, ofrendas, photographs, photos, sugar skulls, Tlacolula de Matamoros on October 27, 2015| 6 Comments »
To borrow from Meredith Willson, it’s beginning to look a lot like Muertos…
Everywhere you go.
No “five and tens” here…
Just a street stall set up in Tlacolula de Matamoros.
Beginning to shop for my Día de Muertos ofrenda.
Visitors are coming…
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Casita Colibrí, ceramic faces, Colima, Mexico, Oaxaca, popular travel destinations, wall art, wall hanging on October 26, 2015| 2 Comments »
The difuntos (departed) will be returning on November 1 and 2, but it’s the impending arrival of my very-much-alive friends from el norte who have inspired last minute painting and decorating.
New outside entrance color to highlight wall hanging from Colima, gifted by my neighbor.
Getting ready for Señor del Rayo
Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Catedral de Oaxaca, flowers, La catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, lilies, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Señor del Rayo on October 21, 2015| 6 Comments »
I love going into Oaxaca’s cathedral at this time of year, when the fragrance of thousands of flowers, especially lilies, perfumes the air.
The Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is being readied for October 23, the day Oaxaca celebrates Señor del Rayo.
Like Guelaguetza, Noche de Rabanós (Night of the Radishes), and Día de la Samaritana (Good Samaritan Day), this is an “only in Oaxaca” celebration.
This carving of Christ on the Cross was brought to Oaxaca during the 16th century and was placed in the temple of San Juan de Dios, a church which had adobe walls and a straw (or possibly wood) roof.
Legend has it that lightning struck the church and everything was destroyed, save for this figurine. A miracle!
The statue became known as Señor del Rayo (Lord of Lightning), was placed in his own chapel (the furthest capilla from the main entrance on the left) in the newly built cathedral, and has been much venerated ever since.
October 21, in anticipation of his special day, the cathedral is festooned with lilies and Señor del Rayo is moved out of the glass case in his chapel, to the main altar of the cathedral.
October 22 will be filled with religious and cultural events and at midnight, when the calendar day changes, the cathedral bells will peal and cohetes (rockets) will announce the arrival of Señor del Rayo’s special day.
In honor of His day, on October 23, there will more spiritual and cultural festivities, culminating in a castillo and fireworks.
As the color and scent of the lilies fade, on October 24 Señor del Rayo will be returned to his chapel.
The end of eleven days of festivities celebrating Señor del Rayo.
Art of agave
Posted in Agriculture, Culture, Flora, Travel & Tourism, tagged agave, Lapiztola, mescal, Mexico, mezcal, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art on October 18, 2015| 3 Comments »
Before a “suspendida” order is slapped on this stunning piece by the Lapiztola collective celebrating the human face of agave cultivation, here is another moving work of art for the people, seen on Tinoco y Palacio on the wall of Piedra Lumbre, near the Sanchez Pascuas mercado. It tells a story…
The wisdom of cultivation handed down from generation to generation.
From the agave comes mezcal.
There are 199 “recognized” species of agave. How many can be used to make mezcal? The Mezcal PhD explores the answer. And, for an illustrated guide to many of the more popular varietals, click The Many Varieties of Mezcal.
Color and culture, unwelcome?
Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged art, Central Connecticut State University, Chiquitraca Colectivo, Color y Cultura Empresa Comunitaria, Lapiztola, Mexico, murals, Museo Belber Jimenez, Oaxaca, obra suspendida, photographs, photos, stores, street art, urban art, wall art, work suspended on October 15, 2015| 12 Comments »
As many of you already know, one of my favorite things about living and being in Oaxaca is, you just never know what you will stumble across. Rounding a corner, one might come upon a calenda (parade) with band, marmotas, monos, and dancers; a street artist or payaso (clown) entertaining a gathering of nin@s to abuel@s; street art; or a newly opened store.
So (no surprise), a few months ago, walking up Tinoco y Palacios enroute to the Sanchez Pascuas mercado (in need of a few staples like quesillo, aguacates, and tamales), a stunning new mural caught my eye.
Positioned to entice potential customers into Color y Cultura, a newly opened artisan community shop, the mural is the work of Chiquitraca Colectivo from Juchitán. It worked, I was hooked, and later returned to browse and eventually buy a pair of earrings carved from a gourd. However, during a return trip to the mercado, I was rather shocked to see unsightly papers defacing the mural.
Usually, street murals are “hands off” zones for vandalism. However, closer inspection revealed official notices declaring, “Suspendida” (suspended) and going on to say that the mural violates regulations on the conservation of the historic district.
And, if this weren’t egregious enough, remember the stunning We sow dreams and harvest hope mural on the side of Museo Belber Jimenez?
It too now has appalling “Suspendida” notices plastered on it. WTF is going on??? A little research revealed that a law was recently passed to “criminalize” wall art. Yes, yes, yes… I understand that the “powers that be” and even ordinary residents are sick of graffiti on historic buildings. BUT to lump the anarchist “A” spray-painted on the side of the Cathedral with magnificent murals painted on ugly decaying walls and beautiful works of art privately commissioned by businesses and museums to decorate their buildings, is the height of absurdity, never mind assigning a “criminal” aspect to it. Believe me, Oaxaca has a laundry list of more important issues that it needs to address.
If in their “infinite wisdom” they are attempting to “clean up” the city to better appeal to tourist dollars, euros, yen, etc., then I think they are barking up the wrong tree — we extranjeros (foreigners) love the street art! To that end, below is a copy of a letter I sent to the president of Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) last year, when officially authorized murals painted by art students as part of their course work were ordered removed by the university administration.
Dear President Miller:
I am writing to you from the city of Oaxaca de Juárez in southern Mexico, nestled in the valley where corn was first cultivated. I have the privilege of living in culture that has a deep respect for, and appreciation of, communication through all forms of art.
Oaxaca is filled with museums and public art. In addition, her walls are covered with murals, both officially sanctioned and unauthorized. An example of the latter: My current neighbor, previously lived next to a concrete bench built into a wall along her street. It’s primary function seemed to serve as a gathering place for garbage and graffiti. Being an artist, she painted a living room scene around the bench, replete with, a lamp, bouquets of flowers, pillows on the sofa/bench, and a framed painting with the image of a smiling creature holding a sign that quotes Oaxaca’s favorite son and former Mexican president, Benito Juárez: “El respecto al derecho ajeno es la paz.” (Respect for the rights of others is peace.) It is a quote that every Mexican school child learns and in the eighteen years since the bench and mural were first painted, it has become a beloved icon of the street and very little graffiti and garbage have reappeared.
Oaxaca would lose much of her character and lessons would be lost, if we were to wake one morning and find all her murals disappeared. The story is the same at CCSU and it would be shameful if the beautiful and thought-provoking student murals at CCSU were to be needlessly destroyed.
Galaxy of gastronomy
Posted in Culture, Food, Travel & Tourism, tagged barbacoa, barbecue, cuisine, culinary traditions, dining. El Saber del Sabor, food, food festival, gastronimic festival, gastronomy, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on October 11, 2015| 2 Comments »
Can you believe it? It seemed that no sooner had last month’s Oaxaca Sabe culinary adventure concluded, than the seventh annual Saber del Sabor: Festival Gastronómico 2015 kicked off. This past Friday, the Plaza de la Danza was tented and decorated for a buffet dinner prepared by cooks from the eight regions of the state of Oaxaca.
For only 300 pesos (approximate $18.50), one could feast on a mind-blowing and waist-expanding galaxy of gastronomic delights.
The dinner seeks to recognize and promote Oaxaca’s traditional cuisine. Always a highlight are the maestros of barbacoa, who brave blistering heat and eye-stinging smoke as they turn and tend the spit-roasted piglets, lambs, and chickens. Alas, this year by 8 PM the line was too long and I elected to miss these always succulent and mouth-watering delights. However, I was in no danger of starving!
1:15 PM – skewers hoisted onto the makeshift barbecue
6:56 PM – another hour of roasting left
Of course, the chefs were the stars of the show and young and old alike savored their creations.
This year El Saber del Sabor is honoring two regional chefs: Young chef, Ixchel Ornelas from Tlaxiaco, in the Mixteca Alta region of Oaxaca and Teotitlán del Valle’s own, Abigail Mendoza, who has done so much to promote and bring respect for Oaxaca’s traditional indigenous methods and flavors.
The festival continues with lectures, workshops, and gourmet meals prepared in the kitchens of Oaxaca’s top restaurants by celebrated chefs from all over Mexico — as well as a couple from Spain and the USA.
Speaking of critters…
Posted in Animals, Casita Colibrí, Flora, tagged Casita Colibrí, caterpillar, flowers, garden, hibiscus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos on October 9, 2015| 11 Comments »
When I moved to the new and improved Casita Colibrí two and a half years ago, there was a sorry looking hibiscus in a huge green clay pot (probably from Atzompa) on the balcony. It was obvious the plant had been water deprived for quite some time. I made it my mission to bring it back to life and this year it has rewarded my efforts with a continuous procession of peachy pink flowers.
However, yesterday I noticed it was playing host to a caterpillar having comida.
I looked in the aforementioned, Butterflies and Moths book, but it doesn’t provide many caterpillar stage photos with which to identify this incredibly decorative guy/gal and, after a couple of pages of Google images, I gave up. However, I did learn enough to know those flower-like hairs ringing its body probably sting like nettles, so I’ve kept my distance. Anyone have any ideas as to my fuzzy friend’s identity?
Wall hangings in my ‘hood
Posted in Animals, Casita Colibrí, tagged Chapulines, Giant Leopard Moth, grasshoppers, insects, lizards, Mexico, moths, Oaxaca, photographs, photos on October 8, 2015| 2 Comments »
One night, several weeks ago, one of my neighbors called me to come outside to see a beautiful moth on the wall. Searching my trusty Butterflies and Moths book, it looks to me like a Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia). Whatever it was, beautiful it is!
Earlier that same day, while walking home, I discovered this little grasshopper. It was the first day of Oaxaca Sabe and I’m sure he was glad to have escaped winding up as an appetizer. Perhaps he will find fame and fortune as an alebrije model.
And, then there are the lizards that skitter along my terrace and around on its walls doing “push-ups,” munching on less welcome insects, and entertaining me as I putter in the garden.
Just some of the city “wildlife” in my neighborhood!
Rosario’s Castle
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Banda Herencia Musical, C. Rigoberto y Dagoberto Morales, castillos, celebrations, culture, El Picacho, festivals, Fiesta de la Virgen del Rosario, fireworks, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Teotitlán del Valle, video on October 6, 2015| 4 Comments »
Festival fireworks in Oaxaca are usually 3-part affairs, consisting of toritos (little bulls) and/or canastas (baskets) wired with fireworks and worn on top of the head by daring-do guys (toritos) and gals (canastas). This is followed by a castillo (castle) and then the more familiar rockets-exploding-in-the-sky fireworks most of us have craned our necks and oooh-ed and ahhh-ed over since childhood. Sometimes the order of the latter two is reversed.
The subject of today’s blog post is the castillo that was constructed and executed this past Saturday by “los maestros pirotécnicos los C. Rigoberto y Dagoberto Morales” for the festival in honor of the Santisima Virgen del Rosario (Sainted Virgin of the Rosary) in Teotitlán del Valle. They and their crew went about the business of constructing and wiring this “Erector Set” type castillo out of wood and carrizo in the church courtyard.
I couldn’t resist playing with the saturation on this photo. In my mind’s eye, this is the way it looked.
And, de-saturating this one against the backdrop of El Picacho, the sacred mountain that watches over the village.
The result of the work by these maestros and their crew? A spectacular castillo, accompanied by the band, Herencia Musical. It was quite a show!!!
And, if you want to see some inside action from a torito, check out the video Chris made, Torito Danza – Dancing with Fireworks. He actually attached a POV (Point of View) camera to the torito!!!
Shift change, marmota style
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged calenda, Fiesta de la Virgen del Rosario, marmotas, Mexico, Oaxaca, parades, popular travel destinations, Tlacolula de Matamoros, Virgin of the Rosary on October 3, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Yesterday, we slowly but surely wound our way around a major blockade and made our way 20 miles southeast of the city to Tlacolula de Matamoros. The reason for our tenacity? Their calenda (parade) in honor of la Virgen del Rosario (Virgin of the Rosary) was happening. A major feature, not to mention highlight, of Tlacolula festivals are the marmotas.
Little boys begin by carrying little marmotas; big boys carry big marmotas; and men carry gigantic marmotas. As for the latter, the guys definitely must rely on a little help from their friends.
Time for change of shift…
New guy is helped into position.
That didn’t last long…
Time for another shift change.
All right!!!
Honoring the sacred corn
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Food, Travel & Tourism, tagged agriculture, Coral Saucedo, corn, Día Nacional del Maíz, food, Francisco Toledo, graffiti, maíz, Mexico, mural, National Day of Corn, Oaxaca, Ocote, photographs, photos, Ricardo Aeme, Seasons of My Heart, street art, Susana Trilling, wall art on October 1, 2015| 6 Comments »
September 29 was Día Nacional del Maíz (National Day of Corn) in Mexico. Corn was first cultivated approximately 8,000 years ago in the valley of Oaxaca and native varieties are still grown by the descendants of those original farmers. This was a day to, not only pay homage to Mother Corn but, as Mexican painter Francisco Toledo reminded those along Oaxaca’s Alcalá, to continue the struggle to defend native corn against impending invasion by Monsanto and its genetically modified seeds.
The year revolves around the cycle of corn, which is planted in the same fields as beans and squash to make a perfect growing environment.
The cornstalk grows, the bean plant crawls up the corn, and the squash vine sprawls out and shades the ground to keep it moist… Some of the corn is harvested in August and eaten fresh, while the rest is left on the stalks to dry.
All parts of the corn plant are used — kernels, husks (for tamales), cobs (pig feed), and stalks (cow feed). The dried corn is stored and used in many ways throughout the year.
Text in italics is from the Seasons of My Heart cookbook by Susana Trilling.
The artists of the above, used the signature “olote” which is derived from Nahuatl word, olotl. In English, it translates to “corncob” and “a nobody.” Thank you to a couple of “nobodies,” Coral Saucedo and Ricardo Aeme, for such an expressive and beautiful piece of art honoring the sacred corn.
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