As I left my apartment Friday morning, the sky was blue, the air was brisk and shadows played tag with the ceiba.
Early mornings in March are magical.
Posts Tagged ‘photographs’
Morning in March
Posted in Flora, Travel & Tourism, tagged ceiba, flowers, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, shadows, trees on March 15, 2016| 4 Comments »
Team Litzy
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Education, Parks & Plazas, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged Cuaresma, Lent, Litzy Guadalupe González Montes, Llano Park, Mexico, Oaxaca, Paseo de los Viernes de Cuaresma, Paseos Florales del Llano, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, students, Viernes del Llano on March 13, 2016| 2 Comments »
Friday morning I returned to Llano Park for this year’s fifth and final Viernes del Llano, an only in Oaxaca Lenten tradition sponsored by the Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca. A few weeks ago, when I arrived at 8:30 AM, the crowds were already four deep and, initially, I couldn’t get anywhere close to the action. Not wanting a repeat, this week I got there at 8:00 AM to discover not many people and preparations just beginning. Looking for something to find, I came across Litzy, one of the 18 contestants having her makeup applied.
Like most of the young women, Litzy wasn’t alone. A team of industrious and enthusiastic supporters were there before, during, and after to help, wave banners and balloons, and cheer as she passed by.
Like the other contestants, she was presented with bouquets upon bouquets of flowers — way too many for one person to carry. Thus, a team of her admirers was required to follow along to assist.
The time came for the winners to be announced: Five young women were recognized for their efforts and dedication, two for their truncheon(?) and organization of their groups, another for her eloquence, and another was named Miss Photogenic. But, what about Litzy? The suspense continued to build as the announcer spoke and paused and spoke and paused and then the name, Litzy Guadalupe González Montes was announced as the Madrina del Quinto Viernes del Llano!
Felicidades to a lovely and very gracious young woman. It was a pleasure to briefly tag along on her journey.
(ps) Chris has more photos from this week at Viernes del Llano – Beauty abounds.
Oaxaca Sabe, days 3-5
Posted in Culture, Food, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged El Asador Vasco, El Olivo, food, food festival, Mexico, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Sabe, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, restaurant week, restaurants, Sabina Sabe on March 11, 2016| 2 Comments »
Day three of Oaxaca Sabe took me to meet a gal pal for comida at El Olivo. She has become a regular there but I hadn’t yet been to their new location on Constitución and was pleasantly surprised by the sophistication and warmth of the space. After several sips of a nice glass of Tempranillo (included in the prix fixe menu) and conversation, our divine starters arrived…
Rollo de quesillo relleno de huitlachoche con puré aguacate y ensalada de arúgula (Roll of quesillo cheese stuffed with corn smut, garnished with avocado puree and arugula salad)
As I’ve mentioned before, I have become a huitlacoche enthusiast and thus savored the mushroomy corn flavors. The main course was Ballotine de lomo de cerdo acompañado de pure de manzana y piña asada con reducción de pomelo y zanahorias horneadas (Rolled pork loin accompanied by applesauce and roasted pineapple sauce with a grapefruit reduction and baked baby carrots). Dessert, which I “forced” myself to eat, was a yummy Tarta de manzana al cardamomo (Cardamom apple tart).
Then there was yesterday’s comida with my recently returned (from el norte) blogger buddy Chris. On the seventh day of last spring’s Oaxaca Sabe, we were tired but determined to continue our restaurant-a-day record and had somewhat randomly chosen Sabina Sabe. It was a great decision and so was yesterday’s return. I began with the Crema de mejillones al vino blanco con crotones de pan amarillo (Cream of mussels in white wine soup with croutons) — not very photogenic, but muy sabrosa. It was followed by…
Trucha en vara, asada con chimichurri de poleo (Trout on a stick grilled with a chimichurri sauce of pennyroyal)
It was my second trout meal in less than two weeks, was cooked to perfection, and the poleo offered an unexpected, but welcome, flavor to the chimichurri. Have I mentioned, how much I love how Oaxaca Sabe affords being exposed to new restaurants and the way their chefs combine and create with familiar and new (to me) ingredients? My dessert, was another yummy delight…
Dulce Istmeño de yuca y piña con cada y coulis de zarzamoras (Dessert from Isthmus of Tehuantepec of yucca and pineapple with blackberry coulis)
Today, I was up early for this year’s fifth Viernes del Llano promenade and competition, where I again rendezvoused with Chris. Once it was over, we walked up to El Asador Vasco Plaza Parque in Colonia Reforma for a Oaxaca Sabe desayuno (breakfast). Seated on their terrace, amidst the chatter and laughter of other patrons, we were quickly provided with coffee and jugo primavera (spring fruit juice).
Our first course of copa de yogurt con fruta y granola (yogurt with fruit and granola) was layered in a wine goblet, with small bowl of honey and honey dipper to the side. It was lovely to look at, but after an hour and a half of taking photos of the young women parading around the statue of Benito Juárez in Llano Park, neither one of us remembered to take out our cameras until we had finished it. However, we were camera-ready for our main course…
Huevos César (Bacon coddled egg on a potato pancake served of a bed of greens)
Coffee was refilled and the final and sweet course arrived. Though I’d already eaten more than I ever eat for breakfast, I did manage a few bites of the panqué de naranja con mermelada de la casa (Orange cake served with a red fruit marmalade). The entire meal was a delicious way to start the day!
Mañana? Who knows where Oaxaca Sabe will take us…
Oaxaca Sabe again so soon?
Posted in Culture, Food, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged food, food festival, La Olla, Mexico, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Sabe, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, restaurants, Tr3s 3istro, Tres Bistro on March 9, 2016| 4 Comments »
Early this morning, I bid my BFF a fond farewell after a fun, freezing (more about that another day), and food filled two weeks. Delicious dining options are few and far between in her neck of the woods — the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. So, the aforementioned cooking class and restaurants were at the top of her list. We made the most of her time here with comidas at Biznaga, Las Quince Letras, Restaurante Catedral, and Zandunga, along with some tasty street food up in the mountains in Capulalpam and Llano Grande (the chilly part of her visit).
And, as luck and good timing would have it, Oaxaca Sabe (Oaxaca’s version of restaurant week) opened two days ago. Thus, it was Tres Bistro on Monday. She had the “Aire” (Air) and I had the “Mar” (Sea) menu. All of our choices were prepared and presented to perfection and left both of us stuffed and smiling.
Rollitos de salmón al eneldo (Salmon rolls with dill cream cheese)
Captura del día rellena de mariscos (Fish of the day stuffed with seafood)
Panna cotta de coco con coulis de jamaica (Coconut panna cotta with a coulis of hibiscus flowers)
Tuesday, we had planned to go to Casa Crespo but when we arrived at 3 PM, they explained the Oaxaca Sabe menu would not be ready until 6 PM, because they were conducting a cooking class. There were rumblings coming from our stomachs and BFF had to finish packing, so we opted not to wait and, instead, took ourselves to La Olla. We ran into chef/owner Pilar Cabrera as we arrived, were seated upstairs, and were greeted from across the room by expat foodie friends, who were also enjoying the Oaxaca Sabe menu.
BFF began with the Ensalada de tomates criollos, quintoniles cenizos, arúgula y aderezo de tomate riñon (salad of native tomatoes, native Mexican greens, arugula, with a tomato dressing) and I had the Sopa de garbanzo (garbanzo bean soup). I was expecting a heavier creamy blender soup, but this was an extremely light and flavorful broth. However, it wasn’t very photogenic, so I will leave it to your imagination. On the other hand, my main course and dessert both looked lovely and tasted yummy.
Camarones al mojo de chile meco (Shrimp with dried smoked chiles)
Panacotta de tejate (Tejate flavored pana cotta)
By the way, BFF raved that her main course of Amarillo con flores de calabaza rellenas de requesón (Squash blossoms stuffed with cheese in a yellow mole sauce) had the lightest tempura-like batter she had ever tasted.
Oaxaca Sabe again so soon? Yippee!!! Today, I’m off to El Olivo with another friend. I’ll keep you posted…
Women of the world
Posted in Culture, Economics, History, Holidays, Labor, Travel & Tourism, tagged Día de la Mujer, Día Internacional de la Mujer, International Women's Day, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, San Juan Guelavia, women, women's rights on March 8, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Wishing all my sisters, whoever and wherever you may be, a happy International Women’s Day. The struggle continues, because…
San Juan Guelavia, January 2016
From an article today:
An estimated 120 million girls and women under the age of 20 have been subjected to forced sexual intercourse or other forced sexual acts – around 10 per cent.
More than a third of women worldwide have also experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives, with this being most common between a woman’s teenage years and menopause.
Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of a billion more women are in the global workforce today than a decade ago, but they are only earning what men did in 2006, according to the World Economic Forum.
And one in 10 married women are not consulted by their husbands on how their own cash earnings will be spent.
Bougainvilleas, aguas & Good Samaritans
Posted in Beverages, Celebrations, Culture, Food, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged bougainvillea, bugambilia, Día de la Samaritana, Día de las Aguas, Good Samaritan day, Lent, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on March 4, 2016| 4 Comments »
If it’s the fourth Friday of Lent and you are in Oaxaca, it must be Día de la Samaritana — a wonderful “only in Oaxaca” celebration. From bougainvillea decorated stands in doorways throughout the city and banquet tables lining the Alcalá in front of Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo…
… divinely flavored aguas frescas made with fresh fruits and flowers — jamaica, horchata, chilacayota, tamarindo, among other colorful and refreshing beverages — were offered.
Día de la Samaritana is inspired by the Gospel of John story in the New Testament: At noon, a tired and, apparently, thirsty Jesus, on his way to Galilee, asks a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well in Sychar for some water. His request was highly unusual because, according to the Old Testament, “Jews regarded the Samaritans as foreigners and their attitude was often hostile.” The woman complied with his request and the rest is history.
For me, the day embodies the warm, welcoming, and generous spirit of the people of Oaxaca. It’s just another reason why I love living in Oaxaca.
Cooking with Hope
Posted in Culture, Food, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged Augustín Canseco, Cooking Classes Oaxaca, cooking schools, guacamole, Mexico, mole, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on March 2, 2016| 7 Comments »
My BFF (since age twelve) has briefly escaped Alaska’s winter to spend two weeks with me in Oaxaca. A couple of things happen when I have out-of-town guests. The first is that blog posts are few and far between. The second is the reason why. It’s because I’m too busy going places and doing things that I’ve always wanted to do! Thus, a couple of days ago we walked down to the zócalo to meet Agustín of Cooking Classes Oaxaca.
After all six budding Oaxaca street food cooking students had gathered, we proceeded to mercados Benito Juárez and 20 de noviembre to begin our lessons in products and cleanliness. We then hailed a couple of taxis to take us up to Colonia Reforma to our classroom for the day, where we gingerly wound our way up the narrowest and steepest spiral staircase I have ever encountered.
Once at the top, we were introduced to our teacher Esperanza (“Hope” in English), shown where the beer was stocked, and oriented to the many types of chiles we would be using. Then commenced the hands-on work, beginning with making two salsas (verde and rojo), guacamole, and chicken tinga.
Next up was making tortillas. We mixed the masa placed a “3-finger” size ball onto the tortilla press, pressed, turned, pressed, turned, pressed, turned and removed our thin and perfectly shaped tortilla. Piece of cake! However, the most difficult task of the day was yet to come. Believe it or not, laying the tortilla on a very hot comal proved to be incredibly challenging for most (not all) of us. Holes and wrinkles happened more often than not, but Esperanza provided patient and gentle guidance and encouragement and occasionally we were rewarded with a nicely puffed tortilla.
Esperanza
Following a brief snack of chicken tinga wrapped in our freshly-made tortillas, we turned our attention to quesadillas filled with epazote leaves, flor de calabaza (squash blossoms), a sliver of jalapeño, and a generous pinch of shredded quesillo. We then folded, fried, and topped each with guacamole, chapulines (grasshoppers), guaje seeds, and queso fresco. We took our creations out onto a table thoughtfully set on the rooftop with tablecloth, utensils, glasses, and a bottle of water. Ooops, that wasn’t water, it was mezcal!!! By the way, if we had cooked our quesadillas on a dry comal, they would have been called empanadas. Either way, they were light, tender, and delicious!
Once fed and refreshed, we returned to the kitchen for the day’s crowning achievement — mole coloradito. We separated various types of dried chiles from their seeds, added pinches and “lady” handfuls of herbs, spices, nuts, onions, garlic, ginger, raisins, and more to a pan to sauté. However, I admit, we all fled the room when Esperaza began cooking the chiles, but returned for the blending, stirring, and simmering.
Once Esperanza discovered one of our class members was a vegetarian, she adapted a portion of each recipe for her. Thus, while the carnivores among us prepared and savored chicken bathed in a silky smooth chicken broth-based red mole, our vegetariana dined on a equally divine water-based red mole enchilada.
As rave Trip Advisor reviews attest, our smiling and satisfied group was not alone — there have been many happy customers. The handwriting was on the wall…
Agustín Canseco
By the way, for my Bay Area friends and relations, Agustín used to cook at the Hayes Street Grill, Zuni Cafe, and Vicolo Pizza, among other popular San Francisco restaurants.
Tomorrow, BFF, several friends and neighbors, and I head out for a day of mezcal tasting. Hmmm… I wonder how long it will take to work that into a blog post?
Young and hip in Oaxaca
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged Black and white photography, Lent, Llano Park, Mexico, Oaxaca, Paseos Florales del Llano, photographs, photos, students, Viernes del Llano on February 25, 2016| 6 Comments »
Viernes del Llano, where young hip Oaxaqueños and flowers, music, and tradition meet.
The five Friday mornings following Ash Wednesday, Llano Park is the place to be. For early risers, only — by 9:30 AM, it’s all over but the clean-up.
B is for Bug
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Transportation, Travel & Tourism, tagged automobiles, cars, graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, PINK, popular travel destinations, Vocho, Volkswagen Beetle, VW, VW bug on February 22, 2016| 4 Comments »
I know it’s graffiti, but…
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, shadows on February 20, 2016| 10 Comments »
When you’ve got late afternoon light and shadows AND someone loves Janéz…
Magic can happen.
No parking
Posted in Signs, Transportation, Travel & Tourism, tagged Black and white photography, brooms, escobas de otate, Mexico, No parking sign, Oaxaca, partial color, photographs, photos, street sweepers on February 17, 2016| 4 Comments »
Love and language
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Día del Amor y la Amistad, graffiti, hearts, indigenous languages, International Mother Language Day, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street art, urban art, Valentine's Day, wall art on February 14, 2016| 2 Comments »
Because today is Valentine’s Day and International Mother Language Day is coming up on February 21, learn to say “I love you” in 7 of the 69 indigenous languages spoken in Mexico — including Zapoteco, Mixteco, and a couple of other languages of Oaxaca.
¡Feliz Día del Amor y Amistad! Happy Day of Love and Friendship!
Carnaval jester
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged bufón, Carnaval, Carnival, Fat Tuesday, jester, Mardi Gras, mascaras, masks, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, San Martín Tilcajete, Shrove Tuesday on February 12, 2016| 6 Comments »
A jester comes to San Martín Tilcajete…
The Maladjusted Jester
by Danny Kaye
Your majesty, I have a confession
My secret I must now betray
I was not a born fool
It took work to get this way
When I was a lad I was gloomy and sad
And I was from the day I was born
When other lads giggled and gurgled and wiggled
I proudly was loudly forlorn
My friends and my family looked at me clammily
Thought there was something amiss
When others found various antics hilarious
All I could manage was this? ho ho
Or this? ho waahhh
My father he shouted he needs to be clouted
His teeth on a wreath I’ll hand him
My mother she cried as she rushed to my side
You’re a brute and you don’t understand him
So they send for a witch with a terrible twitch
To ask how my future impressed her
She took one look at me and cried hehehehehe, he?
What else could he be but a jester?
A jester a jester, a funny idea a jester
No butcher no baker no candlestick maker
And me with the look of a fine undertaker
Impressed her as a jester?
Now where could I learn any comical turn
That was not in a book on the shelf
No teacher to take me and mold me and make me
A merryman fool or an elf
But I’m proud to recall that in no time at all
With no other recourses but my own resources
With firm application and determination
I made a fool of myself!
I bought a little gun and I learned to shoot
I bought a little a horn and I learned to toot
Now I can shoot and toot ain’t that cute? Plbbt!
I started to travel to try to unravel
My mind and to find a new chance
When I got to Spain it was suddenly plain
That the field that appealed was the dance
The Spanish were clannish but I wouldn’t vanish
I learned every step they had planned
The first step of all isn’t hard to recall
Cause the first step of all is to stand
And stand
And stand, and stand, and stand, and stand, and
They sometimes stand this way for days
Then they get very mad at the floor and start to stomp on it
[Smash! Ow!]
After all of my practice the terrible fact is
I made a fool of myself
I sadly decided that dancing as I did
To sing was a thing that was sure
I found me a teacher a crotchety creature
Who used to sing coloratura
She twisted my chin pushed my diaphragm in
With a poker she vocalized me
When she said it was best that I threw out my chest
You may gather that rather surprised me
I was on solid ground till I suddenly found
That in Venice I was to appear
The gala locale was a choppy canal
And me, a high sea gondolier
I nervously perched as the gondola lurched
Before the King’s palazzo
As I started my song my voice it was strong
But my stomach I fear was not so
Oh solo mio, oh
Oh solo ooh Help!
When I fell overboard how his majesty roared
And before a siesta he made me his jester
And I found out soon that to be a buffoon
Was a serious thing as a rule
For a jester’s chief employment
Is to kill himself for your enjoyment
And a jester unemployed is nobody’s fool
It’s all about the masks, ’bout the masks…
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Carnaval, Carnival, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, mascaras, masks, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, San Martín Tilcajete, Shrove Tuesday on February 10, 2016| 4 Comments »
Fat Tuesday (aka, Shrove Tuesday and Mardi Gras), the day before the 6+ weeks of Lent begins, means Carnaval in scattered parts of Mexico. I was supposed to be spending it on the Costa Chica — where Spanish Catholicism meets Mixtec meets Amuzgo meets Chatino meets Chontal meets Zapotec meets Afro-Mexicano — a region with some pretty unique ways of celebrating Carnaval. Alas, illness (not me) has postponed that trip until next year.
In the meantime, the show must go on! Thus, we returned to San Martín Tilcajete, one of the villages in the valley of Oaxaca, known for fantastical wood carving and surreal decorative painting, that result in alebrije and masks.
And, it’s the masks that take center stage during Carnaval.
Face in the crowd
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Carnaval, Carnival, faces, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, mascaras, masks, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, San Martín Tilcajete on February 9, 2016| Leave a Comment »
The day before Lent in San Martín Tilcajete, Oaxaca.
Stay tuned… More masks and mayhem to come!
Want to translate this blog?
Where is Oaxaca?
Weather in Oaxaca?
What is the Exchange Rate?
-
Categories
-
Want to read recent posts?
- For the love of murals
- Numbers in my neighborhood
- Focusing on the joy
- ¡Feliz Nochebuena!
- Food glorious food!
- Of marigolds and fruit
- Serenade for the departed
- Beacon to my departed
- No Kings, Oaxaca style!
- Independence Day, Oaxaca style
- La Guelaguetza 2025 – live stream
- There and here
- Happy Birthday Oaxaca de Juárez
- A donkey not a warhorse
- Honoring the artisans
- Blogging in the time of…
- Valentine’s love from Oaxaca
- Taste of my return
- Felices fiestas to all!
- Month of Juquila, Guadalupe & Soledad
Archives
What tags are most used?
art artists Ayotzinapa Barrio de Jalatlaco Basilica de la Soledad Black and white photography cactus California Carnaval Carnival Casita Colibrí celebrations cemetery Christmas convite coronavirus fallout costumes COVID-19 fallout dance dancers Danza de la Pluma danzantes Day of the Dead Día de los Muertos Día de Muertos Easter El Picacho festivals Fiesta de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo flowers food food festival garden Good Friday graffiti Guelaguetza Holy Week markets mascaras masks mercados Mexican Independence Day Mexico murals music Oaxaca panteón papel picado parade parades photographs photos plants Plaza de la Danza popular travel destinations protests restaurants San Antonino Castillo Velasco San Martín Tilcajete Semana Santa skeletons stencil art street art students Teotitlán del Valle textiles Tlacolula de Matamoros traje travel trees urban art video Viernes Santo Virgen de Guadalupe wall artWant to email me?
-
This work by spixl is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 