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Posts Tagged ‘Oaxaca’

Angelic behind bars

Posted in Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I don’t know about these two hanging out on a balcony above Independencia, yesterday.

Two kneeling statues of Mary behind balcony railing on either side of a door

But, who could resist these two???  Waiting for the convite in Teotitlán del Valle last week.

Smiling girl holding smiling small boy behind decorative iron bars

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Zooming in at twilight

Posted in Buildings, Churches, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 14, 2012| 5 Comments »

Yesterday, standing on the terrace, playing with the zoom on my new camera.  Looking southeast, as the sun was about to disappear behind the sierras to the west.

Terracotta dome of San Felipe Neri

Templo de San Felipe Neri, a couple of blocks from Casita Colibrí.

Two yellow domes of Templo San Francisco

Templo de San Francisco, about twelve blocks away.  Going to keep working on it, but liking my little Lumix!

h/t  Chris

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Live theater lives in Oaxaca

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , on October 12, 2012| 3 Comments »

While Oaxaca is filled with music, art, and dance, it hasn’t been known for its contribution to live theater.  However, there are signs that this may change.  In August, the cultural monthly journal, El Jolgorio featured theater in Oaxaca.  One of the articles explained, that thanks to the work of Teatro Juárez and the Fundación Cultural Crisol, a drama workshop was established in Oaxaca and in three years, fifteen plays have been written, with eleven being presented in Oaxaca and Mexico City.  As ex-pat playwright Kurt Hackbarth asked at the press discussing his newest play, El Ostrakón, “Oaxaca is a destination for art.  Oaxaca is a destination for music.  Why not now make Oaxaca as a national destination for original theater…?”

By the way, you may remember Kurt Hackbarth from my post on his comedy, La [medio] diezmada.  This time around he penned a well received drama, El Ostrakón, that premiered on August 29, 2012 and ran through September 2 — a long run here!  It “is a contemporary tragedy which, by using elements of farce and social criticism, tells the story of Gabriel, a homeless youth, and his attempts to avoid the traps laid by the chameleonic narrator, the incarnation of a hostile society.” (translated from El Ostrakón Facebook page)

El Ostrakón home web page screenshot.

If you missed it the first time around (or would like to see it again) and will be in Oaxaca on Monday, October 15 at 6 pm, you are in luck.  El Ostrakón will be performed at the beautiful Teatro Macedonio Alcalá as part of the inauguration of the Oaxaca State Theater Festival.  And, the performance is free, though a 5 peso (that’s only about 40¢ US!!!) donation is requested to help support the festival.  El Ostrakón is in Spanish, but English-only language speakers can download an English language synopsis from the website.

Full disclosure:  I designed the El Ostrakón website.

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Danza de los diablos?

Posted in Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , on October 10, 2012| 1 Comment »

Today, in my mind, I was working on a different blog post.  And then, walking home from my Spanish lesson, I came across these guys — and whips were cracking!

3 young men, one helping another with his boot.

Hmmm… they weren’t there an hour (plus) before.  As I’ve said before, you just never know what you may find when you round a corner.

Young man sitting on ledge holding a devil mask

Darn, before I had a chance to ask what was going on, the sky opened and everyone ran for cover — including me!

Man wearing a devil mask and holding a lavender colored bandana.

However, I’m thinking somewhere in the city, a Danza de los Diablos is happening!

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Undying flowers and traditions

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on October 8, 2012| 3 Comments »

It’s that time of year, again.  Daylight doesn’t last quite as long, the large red-orange blossoms of the African tulip trees have mostly fallen (onto my terrace!), and the hummingbirds have mostly departed, leaving the airspace to the dragonflies and butterflies.

Decorated canasta with religious scene.

However, the season of yellow marigolds (cempazuchitl) and the yellows, oranges, and purples of flor inmortal (immortal flower) has begun and that means Días de los Muertos and Noche de Rabanos  can’t be far behind.

Decorated canasta with image of Virgin Mary.

In the meantime, during the past week, Teotitlán del Valle celebrated La Santísima Virgen del Rosario and early Friday evening, the unmarried girls and women gathered with their canastas for the traditional convite (holy procession).

Decorated canasta with image of bandaged head of Jesus.

And, given the season, flor inmortal played a prominent role in the decorations of many of the canastas.Flor inmortal surround a crucifixion scene on a canasta.

And, as always, I’m amazed and captivated by the girls and women who, with arms raised, balance these sizable baskets on their head, as they navigate the sacred route along the cobbled (and, this day, rain-slicked) streets of Teotitlán del Valle — for almost an hour!Young women wearing dark red wool wrap skirts and embroidered white blouses, carry large canastas on their heads

It’s a scene that I never tire of — of course, I’m not carrying a canasta on my head!

More photos and commentary over at Oaxaca-The Year After.

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Flowering of Monte Albán

Posted in Archaeology, Environment, Gardens, Parks & Plazas, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 6, 2012| 2 Comments »

Fifteen hundred years may have passed since Monte Albán was in full bloom as the center of Zapotec civilization.  However, the flowering continues…

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Monte Albán on an early October morning.

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Wherever you go…

Posted in Archaeology, Buildings, Culture, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 4, 2012| 3 Comments »

… there you are.

Green grass, stone structure, blue sky with wispy clouds

Monte Albán on a picture perfect autumn morning.

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A tree falls in Oaxaca

Posted in Environment, Gardens, Parks & Plazas, Science & Nature, Weather, tagged , , , , , , , on October 2, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Instead of the coming of age novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, we have the real life drama of a tree falls in Oaxaca.  Heading down to the mercado this morning, I was brought up short by this heartbreaking sight.

Large trunk of tree uprooted from ground.

According to reports, there were many present to hear and see one of the grand 130+ year old Indian laurels topple during a storm on Saturday night.  And, worst of all, ten people were injured, two seriously.  Trees in the city, including Indian laurels in the Zócalo, have been plagued by adversity.  A laurel in the Zócalo fell a few years ago, damaging a nearby building, and most recently in May 2011, I wrote about a laurel on the Alameda that toppled.  Resurrection was attempted and guy-wires remain to this day holding it upright.  I guess the experts decided this latest one was beyond rescue.

Large tree cut into pieces

Controversy reigns, as many assert that these trees should be able to withstand the rain and less-than gale force winds.  Thus speculation over the cause runs rampant.  Root rot appears to be the immediate culprit but the big question is, why?

Pile of massive wood logs

And, as Chris sadly noted a couple of months ago, regarding the diseased flamboyant trees in front of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Any tree is hard to replace.

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Home in old October

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , on October 1, 2012| 2 Comments »

All things on earth point home in old October; sailors to sea, travellers to walls and fences…  — Thomas Wolfe.

Colorful painting of faces tacked on telephone pole

It’s good to be back in Oaxaca.

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Viva the differences, similarities & creativity!

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 28, 2012| 12 Comments »

I’m back in Oaxaca… arrived last night after a brief trip to El Norte.  However,  over the last three years, culture shock (on both sides of the border) has subsided and I am struck and heartened that despite our differences, humans share so much more… especially the compulsion to make even the most common and utilitarian, beautiful.

Artist, Zio Ziegler added a little pizzazz to a car in Mill Valley… (Yes, I know, a Porche!)

Porche painted decoration

Car in Oaxaca… (Ahhh, a VW bug!)

VW bug painted with decoration

Wall in Mill Valley (also by Zio Ziegler)…

Painted horned creature riding a bike.

Wall in Oaxaca…

Savannah scene, with elephant in foreground, painted on wall.

Veggies in Mill Valley…

Vegetables in bins at outdoor market

Veggies in Oaxaca…

Vegetables mounded in mercado

From one of my favorite journalists, Linda Ellerbee:  “People are pretty much alike.  It’s only that our differences are more susceptible to definition than our similarities.”

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Long and winding road

Posted in Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 24, 2012| 1 Comment »

I grew up and lived most of my life twenty minutes from the Pacific Ocean.  I learned to drive on the road up over Mt. Tamalpais out to Stinson, Muir, and Bolinas beaches.  Needless to say, countless trips followed and continue!  So, yesterday I made my regular “Bay Area visit” pilgrimage to the beach.  Even on a foggy day, the sights, sounds, and smells of Stinson Beach are magical…

Alas, it’s 6 hours by car up and over the long and winding roads of the Sierra Madre del Sur to reach Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca’s closest Pacific Ocean beach.  The alternatives:  10+ hours by bus (by way of Salina Cruz) or a short but costly flight.  Still waiting for the long-promised highway that is supposed to cut auto travel time to two hours!!!

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Cyber cactus?

Posted in Buildings, Gardens, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 20, 2012| 2 Comments »

What’s your internet connection like?

Wire and cactus on tile roof of INTER_NETJOLY

Do you think the cactus help?

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Wall of many colors

Posted in Buildings, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on September 17, 2012| 2 Comments »

Remember Facelift in progress???

Outside of building with scaffolding and construction workers

Casa Oaxaca and Galeria Quetzalli’s renovation project continues.  Patching and plastering have been completed.

White building with painted color swatches off to left.

Primer and paint swatches have been applied.  Weeks have gone by…

6 squares of paint swatches (putty to mustard to cinnamon) on white building.

Choosing a color is hard!  What do you think?

Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment. —Claude Monet

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El Grito

Posted in Buildings, History, Holidays, People, tagged , , , , , , , on September 16, 2012| 1 Comment »

As I write, it is late on September 15, and all over Mexico El Grito de Dolores, also known as El Grito de la Independencia (the Shout of Independence), is echoing from government buildings throughout the country, from the Palacio Nacional in Mexico City to Oaxaca’s Palacio de Gobierno to ayuntamientos (city halls) in small towns.

Mexicans!
Long live the heroes that gave us the Fatherland!
Long live Hidalgo!
Long live Morelos!
Long live Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez!
Long live Allende!
Long live Aldama and Matamoros!
Long live National Independence!
Long Live Mexico! Long Live Mexico! Long Live Mexico!

Portraits of the above listed heroes of Mexico’s War of Independence from Spain hang from the Government Palace in Oaxaca, as well as from the Municipal Building facing the Plaza de la Danza.

Massive 3-piece banner portrait of Morelos hanging from wall of Oaxaca's Municipal Building

And, this year, José María Morelos y Pavón is honored with a second massive portrait on the outer wall of the Municipal Building.  Last year, it was a reproduction of Orozco’s dramatic painting of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla.

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Chiles en Nogada

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Food, History, Holidays, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on September 13, 2012| 9 Comments »

El Grito not only heralds green, white, and red decorations, clothing, and Mexican flags.  It is also the season to savor the multi-layered, delicate flavors of Chiles en Nogada and delight in its colorful, patriotic presentation.  Legend has it, the dish was created in 1821 by nuns in Puebla to honor a visit by Mexican General Augustín de Iturbide, that pretty much signaled the end of the eleven-year long Mexican War of Independence.

There are probably as many recipes for Chiles en Nogada as there are chefs and abuelas, but the basics include green poblano chiles stuffed with a picadillo of meats, fruits, nuts, herbs and spices; served with a creamy white cheese and walnut sauce; and topped with a garnish of red pomegranate seeds, walnuts, and the green of chopped parsley.

Serving of Chiles en Nogada on a white plate.

This was my lunch of Chiles en Nogada today at La Popular, a delightful new restaurant in Oaxaca (Garcia Vigil 519, Centro).  Yummm….

(ps)  Chris just posted this video of Lina Fernandez making Chiles en Nogada.  She makes it look almost doable!

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