Need a facelift?
Apparently, Casa Oaxaca and neighbor, Galeria Quetzalli, both do.
You might want to consider these guys.
They work hard.
And, all work is done with care and by hand!
Posts Tagged ‘photographs’
Facelift in progress
Posted in Buildings, Labor, Restaurants, tagged building renovation, Casa Oaxaca, cement mixing, construction workers, Galeria Quetzalli, labor, laborers, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, workers on August 28, 2012| 4 Comments »
Sucked in…
Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Politics, tagged Lapiztola, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street art, urban art, wall art on August 27, 2012| 1 Comment »
The difference between morning & night
Posted in Buildings, Churches, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged African Tulip trees, Basilica de la Soledad, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, rainy season, Templo de San José, travel, tropical storm, weather on August 25, 2012| 2 Comments »
Oh, what a beautiful morning it was!
What a difference 10 hours makes.
Moisture from Tropical Storm Isaac being drawn across Oaxaca. That’s the way the rainy season goes!
Friday funnies
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged clown, Mexico, Oaxaca, payaso, photographs, photos, piñata on August 24, 2012| 2 Comments »
Walking down the street… an open door… can’t help but look in…
¡Feliz fin de semana!
Yesterday and today
Posted in Buildings, Geography, History, Markets, tagged Calle Flores Magón, Calle Las Casas, historical photographs, La Lagunilla, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street scene on August 21, 2012| 6 Comments »
Several days ago, Susan McGlynn of the Insider’s Guide to Oaxaca posted this photo on the Insider’s Facebook page, with the question, “Oaxaca in the 1940s or maybe 50s?. DO YOU KNOW WHICH CORNER OF OAXACA THIS IS???”
The architecture looked very familiar and then there were those trees in the distance… I was pretty sure I knew which corner this was, so off the camera and I went.
It’s looking north on Flores Magón at the intersection of Las Casas. That’s the Government Palace in front of the trees of the zócalo at the end of the street. Outside the shot and to the left of the cars in the foreground is Mercado Benito Juárez. Perhaps all is a little clearer in color…
That cinnamon colored building in the foreground is the Trebol Hotel and the single-story white building next to the Government Palace is La Lagunilla, which must have been in business when the original photograph was taken, as the sign says it was founded in 1921.
This was fun!
It was 72 years ago today…
Posted in History, Museums, People, Politics, Travel & Tourism, tagged Coyoacán, Esteban Volkov, Institute for the Right of Asylum and Public Liberties, Instituto del Derecho de Asilo y las Libertades Públicas, Leon Trotsky, Mexico, Mexico City, Museo Casa de Trotsky, museum, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, travel, Trotsky Museum on August 20, 2012| 2 Comments »
I’ve been intending to post these photos for six months, but there has been so much going on in Oaxaca, I haven’t gotten around to it — until now. This morning’s Guardian article, Trotsky’s murder remembered by grandson, 72 years on, caught my eye and I thought, if not today, when? So, here goes…
When I was in Mexico City in January, I made somewhat of a pilgrimage out to the borough of Coyoacán. Besides a lovely stroll through the Viveros de Coyoacán, being dazzled by the light and color of the Museo Frida Kahlo, and enjoying a delicious comida on the Plaza Hidalgo, I spent an incredibly moving three hours at the Museo Casa de Trotsky, the home, and now museum, of Russian revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky and his wife Natalia Sedova. However, before getting to the photos, a very brief bit of context is necessary.
Hounded all over the world by Joseph Stalin and his agents, in 1937 Trotsky and Natalia Sedova were offered asylum by Mexican president Lázaro Cárdenas. Trotsky’s orphaned grandson, Esteban Volkov (Seva), joined them not long after. Seva narrowly escaped being murdered in his bed during the first attempt on Trotsky’s life in the Coyoacán house by Mexican muralist, David Alfaro Siqueiros. It was during this attack that Trotsky guard, Robert Sheldon Harte was killed.
The house at Avenida Viena 19 was further fortified, but Stalinist agent, Ramón Mercader, under an assumed name was able to infiltrate Trotsky’s inner circle and, on August 20, 1940, under the ruse of asking Trotsky to look at something he had written, attacked him with an ice axe. Trotsky died in hospital a little more than 24 hours later. His ashes and those of Natalia’s reside in the peaceful garden of the Coyoacán house in a monument, designed by Irish-Mexican painter and architect Juan O’Gorman, that proudly flies a red flag and features the overlapping hammer of the worker and the sickle of the peasant. The house and furnishings remain much as they were 72 years ago, bullet holes from the first attack and all.
The humanity expressed in the words below were felt as I wandered through the house and museum and I must admit, tears welled up as I stood before O’Gorman’s monument.
Trotsky’s Testament, dated 27 February 1940
My high (and still rising) blood pressure is deceiving those near me about my actual condition. I am active and able to work but the outcome is evidently near. These lines will be made public after my death.
I have no need to refute here once again the stupid and vile slanders of Stalin and his agents: there is not a single spot on my revolutionary honour. I have never entered, either directly or indirectly, into any behind-the-scenes agreements or even negotiations with the enemies of the working class. Thousands of Stalin’s opponents have fallen victims of similar false accusations. The new revolutionary generations will rehabilitate their political honour and deal with the Kremlin executioners according to their desserts.
I thank warmly the friends who remained loyal to me through the most difficult hours of my life. I do not name anyone in particular because I cannot name them all.
However, I consider myself justified in making an exception in the case of my companion, Natalia Ivanovna Sedova. In addition to the happiness of being a fighter for the cause of socialism, fate gave me the happiness of being her husband. During the almost forty years of our life together she remained an inexhaustible source of love, magnanimity, and tenderness. She underwent great sufferings, especially in the last period of our lives. But I find some comfort in the fact that she also knew days of happiness.
For forty-three years of my conscious life I have remained a revolutionist: for forty-two of them I have fought under the banner of Marxism. If I had to begin all over again I would of course try to avoid this or that mistake, but the main course of my life would remain unchanged. I shall die a proletarian revolutionary, a Marxist, a dialectical materialist, and, consequently, an irreconcilable atheist. My faith in the communist future of mankind is not less ardent, indeed it is firmer today, than it was in the days of my youth.
Natasha has just come up to the window from the courtyard and opened it wider so that the air may enter more freely into my room. I can see the bright green strip of grass beneath the wall, and the clear blue sky above the wall, and sunlight everywhere. Life is beautiful. Let the future generations cleanse it of all evil, oppression and violence, and enjoy it to the full.
For archives and bibliographies of Trotsky, the following two sites are about as comprehensive as one will find online:
- Lubitz’ TrotskyanaNet – compiled by bibliographers, Wolfgang and Petra Lubitz
- Trotsky Internet Archive – a full-text digital library in more than 30 languages
Even if you are not interested in the politics, and especially if you are considering a visit to the museum, I highly recommend reading Barbara Kingsolver’s historical novel, The Lacuna, part of which takes place in Trotsky’s Mexican household and gives a flavor of life there.
By the way, the museum site (appropriately) houses the Instituto del Derecho de Asilo y las Libertades Públicas (Institute for the Right of Asylum and Public Liberties). I wonder, are they working overtime these days?
Busking on the Alcalá
Posted in Culture, Parks & Plazas, People, Protests, tagged Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez, buskers, graffiti, Macedonio Alcalá, Mexico, Motley Crue, musicians, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street musicians, U2 on August 20, 2012| 2 Comments »
A motley crew…
Are you, too?
They were playing Pink Floyd — “Another Brick in the Wall.”
The “writing on the wall” refers to the assassination in March 2012 of Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez, a Zapotec community activist who had spoken out against a Canadian owned gold mine in San José del Progreso, Oaxaca.
Music is wherever you find it…
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Music, Travel & Tourism, tagged desfile, Guelaguetza, Mexico, music, Oaxaca, parade, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, sheet music on August 17, 2012| Leave a Comment »
On chairs in Reyes Etla.
On people’s backs in the city.
Wherever… especially during Guelaguetza!
Sitting pretty in Oaxaca
Posted in Creativity, Environment, Exhibitions, Parks & Plazas, tagged bench, design, I Feel Good in Oaxaca, International Youth Day, Me Siento en Oaxaca, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, students on August 14, 2012| 2 Comments »
From Sangre de Cristo to Santo Domingo, along the Alcalá, one is now able to “have a seat.”
As part of the inauguration of the Me Siento Bien en Oaxaca (I Feel Good in Oaxaca) and to celebrate, International Youth Day, 13 pieces were created by students of the Faculty of Architecture Cinco de Mayo, the Free School of Art and Design, and the Urban Contingency B_root studio.
The theme was Evolution and the young people were charged with using recycled materials and innovative design.
I think they succeeded!
Alas, it is only temporary; August 18 is the last day.
However, according to a newspaper report, as a more permanent part of Me Siento Bien en Oaxaca program, benches “rescued by the City” will be put in public spaces.
Need a taxi?
Posted in Celebrations, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged cab drivers, cars, Día de los Taxistas, Día del Taxista, Mexico, monos, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, taxis, taxista, taxistas, transportation, travel, Virgen de Guadalupe, Virgin of Guadalupe on August 12, 2012| 2 Comments »
Hmmm… hope you didn’t need a taxi in Oaxaca today. It’s not that they weren’t around; they were everywhere! August 12 is Día del Taxista and, instead of picking up fares, taxis are decorated and parade through the city, accompanied by banners, bands, monos, and the Virgen de Guadalupe.
I think I managed to capture one of each of the (color-coded) taxi organizations participating — 13 by my count. However, the procession didn’t seem as long this year and I’m thinking some of the organizations were missing. Charges of corruption, going back to the previous governor have been ramping up and the July 25th blockade that paralyzed transportation into and out of the city, by some taxistas, seemed to put the issue on the front burner. But, who knows??? Certainly not this gringa!
¡Viva México – Viva El Tri!
Posted in Celebrations, Sports & Recreation, tagged El Tri, fútbol, futbol Mexicano 2012, Gold Medal, Mexico, Mexico national football team, Oaxaca, Olympics 2012, photographs, photos, San Francisco Ixhuatán, soccer on August 11, 2012| 2 Comments »
Congratulations to the Gold Medal winning Mexican fútbol team!!! With all the bad press Mexico continues to be subjected to, El Tri, as they are known down here, has provided México with a much-needed and well deserved win.
Reuters photo
The TV is showing celebrations in the streets of Mexico City, Guadalajara, and other major cities, but (surprisingly, at least to me) all is quiet in Oaxaca. I watched much of the game while eating breakfast with my neighbor at Del Jardín, on the zócalo. We arrived 10 minutes before the game began and were able to sit right in front of one of the televisions. The restaurants had been packed for the Mexico vs Japan game — maybe it was today’s 9 AM start. I watched the end of the game at home, but no bells rang, no horns honked, and I only heard one shout. After the medal ceremony, I went back out. The streets still were still emptier than usual. A few buildings had hung flags.
And, these guys were driving around waving a flag and beeping their horn, but that was pretty much it.
Maybe tonight there will dancing in the streets…
By the way, if you watched the game, you heard the name of midfielder Javier Aquino Carmona (#11) frequently mentioned. Aquino is from San Francisco Ixhuatán, in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region of Oaxaca.
Update: This just in from Noticias… apparently some celebrating was being done up at the Fuente de las Ocho Regiones, 25-30 blocks NE of the zócalo, and gathering point for many marches into the city center.
Before the parade passes by
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, tagged calenda, Guelaguetza, Mexico, Oaxaca, parade, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, travel, waiting on August 9, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Waiting is a way of life down here and we all do it in our own way. Right now Oaxaca is waiting for Tropical Storm Ernesto to “break on through to the other side.” These guys were waiting to “get in step,” before the parade passes by.
A peso for his thoughts…
(Mixing The Doors and Barbra Streisand lyrics — what was I thinking???)
Storms & dreams… up close
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Museums, People, Textiles, Travel & Tourism, tagged Carolyn Kallenborn, Mexico, Museo Textil de Oaxaca, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Textile Museum of Oaxaca, textiles, travel on August 8, 2012| 3 Comments »
Even though the Guelaguetza is over, textiles continue to be on my mind — actually I can never get enough of them! So, a few days ago I walked down to the Museo Textil de Oaxaca to see the current exhibition, “Tormentos y Sueños” by Carolyn Kallenborn. While not a Oaxaqueña, the respect she has for and inspiration she draws from the weavers and textile traditions of Oaxaca are obvious.
Kallenborn explains, “The pieces in this exhibit speak to the beauty and interaction between opposites.” (my translation) The works are at once, complex and simple, using detail and negative space — much like storms and dreams. Photographing a whole piece proved too much for my novice skills, thus I hope close-ups of these four pieces will whet your appetite.
If you are, or will be, in Oaxaca, I encourage you to see the whole! The exhibit runs through November 9, 2012.
A very special Guelaguetza
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Parks & Plazas, tagged costumes, dance, dancers, Down's Syndrome, Guelaguetza, Los Angeles de Luzy, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, pineapple dancers, traditional dances, traje on August 6, 2012| 5 Comments »
I’ve got to admit that up until yesterday, I was suffering from Guelaguetza burn-out. In fact, I still have 1000+ photos that need to be weeded down to a more manageable number.
However, then yesterday happened — “Una Guelaguetza muy especial” presented by the very special people of Los Angeles de Luzy. Sixteen young people with Down’s Syndrome, from the Yucatan, Campeche, and Oaxaca danced the traditional dances of the eight regions of Oaxaca in the Plaza de la Danza.
Part of Oaxaca’s first Down’s Syndrome festival, it was an inspiring, moving, and incredibly joyful experience — and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. ¡Muchisimas gracias a Los Angeles de Luzy!
A little chocolate now and then…
Posted in Food, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged Charles M. Schulz quote, chocolate, Conchita, food, mercado 20 de noviembre, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, travel on August 5, 2012| 3 Comments »
As that wise philosopher and Charlie Brown creator, Charles M. Schulz once wrote,
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.
And, chocolate in Oaxaca is easy to find and is almost as well-known as Oaxaca’s cheeses and mole. Ground almonds and cinnamon give it a distinctive and slightly spicy flavor — and everyone has their favorite. Mayordomo and La Soledad are two of the most well-known labels, but my favorite brand (as opposed to homemade, which is in a class all by itself), is the much smaller, Conchita.
Every month or so, I weave my way in and out through the crush of the always teeming sidewalks of Miguel Cabrera to the Conchita puesto immediately to the right, inside the Mercado 20 de Noviembre — the entrance between Aldama and Mina.
I’m always greeted with a smile of recognition and the question, “Semi-amargo?” Sí, I always reply!
I buy the little semisweet chocolate chips for snacking (especially decadent and delicious when mixed with dried cranberries) and the large discs, which I grate into a fine powder to mix with hot milk to add to my morning coffee — a delectable way to jump-start the day!
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