Even leftover decorations from a Día de la Samaritana agua station in front of an abandoned building are beautiful in their own way.
Seen on García Vigil at the corner of Jesús Carranza.
Posts Tagged ‘photos’
Remains of the day
Posted in Buildings, Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged abandoned buildings, Black and white photography, Día de la Samaritana, decorations, Mexico, Oaxaca, paper flowers, photos, popular travel destinations on April 2, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Celebrating the Good Samaritan
Posted in Beverages, Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Food, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged agua fresca, bougainvillea, bugambilia, Día de la Samaritana, Good Samaritan day, Lent, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations on March 30, 2019| 14 Comments »
If you are in Oaxaca and it’s the fourth Friday of Lent, it must be Día de la Samaritana, an “only in Oaxaca” celebration. This Day of the Good Samaritan was inspired by the Gospel of John story in the New Testament where a tired and thirsty Jesus, on his way to Galilee, asks a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well in Sychar for some water.
Decorating a well outside the Cathedral
Sign proclaiming the day, seen on the Alcalá
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.
Scene at the well outside Templo de San José
Live actors waiting to reenact the scene
Celebrating the Good Samaritan in Oaxaca began in the atriums of churches at the end of the 19th century and is a popular and much-loved tradition. Thus I joined thousands of Oaxaqueños and visitors, clutching cups, and wandering from one decorated agua station to another sampling their offerings.
Samaritana station serving nieve at the Municipal Palace
One of scores of agua stations on the Alcalá
People of all ages, from small children to grandparents, lined up at bougainvillea and palm decorated booths in front of churches, restaurants, businesses, schools, and even the city’s municipal office building for the traditional Día de la Samaritana free aguas.
Hand painted ollas in front of Templo de Sangre de Cristo
Hand painted jicara gourds waiting to be filled with tejate
These “water stations” are often decorated in a violet shade of purple, the color of Lent, symbolizing penance and royalty. And, the ollas (pots) holding the aguas seem to get more decorative every year.
Agua stations along the Alcalá
Watermelon and mint agua station on García Vigil
We are not talking plain water, these are divinely flavored aguas frescas made with fresh fruits, herbs, flowers, and more — jamaica (hibiscus), horchata, chilacayote (squash), tamarindo, sandia (watermelon), tejate, and nieve (sorbet). Even taxi drivers played the role of Good Samaritans.
Nieve station in doorway of lingerie store on Independencia
Taxi drivers host agua station on the Alameda
In previous years, the aftermath hath wrought mountains of garbage — cans overflowing with plastic and styrofoam. However, this year, in the name of the environment, an appeal was made for people to bring their own cups. And, I think a majority complied!
On the Alcalá above Santo Domingo
An olla with Agua de chilacayote (type of squash)
And me? After almost two hours, three aguas (watermelon with mint, cucumber with mint, and chilacayote), a nieve of leche quemada and tuna, and being surrounded by smiling people enjoying this celebration of generosity, I returned home with my heart full of love and gratitude for the traditions of Oaxaca.
Oaxaca eats!
Posted in Beverages, Culture, Food, People, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged Cafébre, coffee, Don Juanito Taquería and Pozolería, food tours, Kay and Dean Michaels, Los Danzantes restaurant, mescal, Mexico, mezcal, Mezquite Gastronomía, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Eats Food Tours, photos, restaurant tours, Tierra del Sol restaurant on March 26, 2019| 18 Comments »
A foodie blog post is overdue and so I present to you, Oaxaca Eats Food Tours, the brainchild of Kay and Dean Michaels. Loving and appreciating Oaxaca and wanting to share it, they saw a niche and proceeded to fill it beginning in August 2018. The goals that guide their enterprise are:
- Share the gastronomic richness of Oaxaca with people from all over the world
- Hire local tour coordinators and support businesses passionate about their culture and cuisine
- Give back to the community through charitable donations
And so, a few weeks ago, I joined several others at the designated gathering spot (in our case, in front of the now departed OAXACA sign across from Santo Domingo) where Dean and Kay greeted us, introduced the tour guides and presented us with our “Tour Activity Sheet” that included an itinerary listing the restaurants we would be visiting and the dishes they would be offering — very handy for this blogger, when reconstructing the day.
Our first stop (if you don’t count a brief visit to a nearby cart for a few whet-your-whistle sips of tejate in keepsake small traditionally painted red jícara cups) was the rooftop terrace of Mezquite Gastronomía, a restaurant that has become one of my favorites of late.
Botana Oaxaqueña – guacamole, chapulines, quesillo, queso fresco, pico del gallo, chicken taquito, cecina, tesajo, chorizo, quesadilla, memela
Upon our arrival, a tall glass of fresh squeezed orange agua fresca, a platter filled with traditional Oaxacan appetizers, and a refreshing mezcal cocktail was set before each of us. Our waiter described each item and its preparation, while our tour coordinators translated and, during the meal, added a little history and a few anecdotes of their own, and answered any and all questions. They were a font of knowledge.
Perro Oaxaqueño – mezcal cocktail featuring grapefruit
Next on the tour’s itinerary was Los Danzantes, another restaurant I have been to many times. However, one of the fun parts of Oaxaca Eats, is tasting menu items you have never before ordered — because there are already too many dishes that sound delicious. In this case for me, tuna with a sesame tostadito and quesillo and queso wrapped in a hierba santa leaf.
Quesillo and queso in a hierba santa leaf
Besides a vaso veladora of one of the restaurant’s tasty mezcals, we were also served a Zegacola, a locally made artisanal alternative cola beverage. While I’m not a fan of soft drinks, this wasn’t nearly as cloying, actually had some flavor, and didn’t leave the impression it could remove the rust from a junkyard car.
Tall glass of Zegacola next to a vaso veladora of mezcal
Our third stop was at a restaurant I have never before been to, though I pass by it frequently — the Centro Histórico branch of Tierra del Sol. It was here that the preparation became a participatory event. We were presented with tray containing a score of ingredients and instructed to choose those that were to be made into our salsa. I suspect there were no bad choices or combinations!
Table side grinding chiles in a molcajete for our salsa
In addition to the delicious, though a bit picante, salsa we had created, we were served a tetela filled with beans, chile, and an avocado leaf, along with three different moles, oh my! And there was an agua fresca of guanábana, a mezcal cocktail with pineapple and celery, AND two copitas (yes, two!) of mezcal — an espadín and a tobalá — from the palenque of maestra (yes, a woman!) Berta Vázquez in San Baltazar Chichicapam.
Mole Mixteco with chicken, Huachimole with pork, and Mole de Laurel with beef
Are you full? Sorry, there was more! A several block walk took us up to Don Juanito Taquería and Pozolería. By this time, we, too, were looking at each other in wide-eyed wonder and asking, could we possibly eat any more? But we could and we did. Besides, who could resist Doña Epifania’s charm and tales of the restaurant’s long history (since 1966).
Epifania Albino Robles, wife of owner Felix Leoza, explaining Don Juanito’s history and the preparation of each plate
Did I mention, it was a very hot day? I can’t begin to describe how refreshing the agua fresca of pineapple and hierba buena was! As if we hadn’t already eaten enough, in addition to tostaditos with guacamole and red and green salsas, we were served a beef tostada, beef taco al vapor, and their renown pozole.
Pozole (beef and pork) de la Casa
Believe it or not, it still wasn’t time to part company. Our final destination was Cafébre, where a self-described coffee geek regaled us with her coffee knowledge and enthusiasm, all the while brewing coffee to exacting specifications — cup one using a Melitta filter pour-over technique and cup two using an AeroPress plunger-like device. I think we were all seriously surprised at how the taste of the same coffee beans could vary so much depending on the brewing technique.
Brewing coffee using Melitta filter technique
The sweetness of the day was sealed with a creamy maracuyá flavored cheese cake which, as unbelievable as it sounds, we all finished. By this time, Kay and Dean had rejoined us, we lingered, and then finally said our thank you’s and farewells and waddled back to our respective homes and hotels — sated and sleepy. Four hours of delicious dining is exhausting!!!
Rain drops
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged bougainvillea, flowers, garden, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, rain storms on March 23, 2019| 2 Comments »
After a few nights of a drop or two, we had an real rainstorm last night.
The sound of rain lulled me to sleep last night.
This morning I awoke to clear a clear sky and a glistening garden.
While no one believes this is the start of the rainy season, it is much welcome evidence that Cocijo hasn’t forsaken the valley of Oaxaca.
Here’s to the artisans
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, People, Textiles, Travel & Tourism, tagged artisans, backstrap loom, baskets, bodypaint, canastas, carding wool, Día del Artesano, light fixtures, looms, mandiles, Mexico, murals, Nativity scene, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, wall art on March 20, 2019| 8 Comments »
Yesterday, Mexico celebrated el Día del Artesano (Day of the Artisan). Alas, I’m a day late in recognizing the men and women whose artistry in carrying on traditions and renewing and enriching them with their own creative spirit contributes to Oaxaca’s vibrant cultural life and economy. However, the entire month of March has been designated “month of the artisan,” so here are several of the artesanas and artesanos who I have had the honor and joy of knowing and visiting over the past year.
Emilia Gonzalez, wool spinning and dying in Teotitlán del Valle
Juan Manuel García Esperanza, silver filigree, Ciudad de Oaxaca
Carrizo basket maker from San Juan Guelavía
Barro rojo (red clay) potters from San Marcos Tlapazola
Mural painters in San Martín Tilcajete
Weaver from Santo Tomás Jalieza
Eligio Zárate, potter, Santa María Atzompa
Jesús Sosa Calvo, wood carver and painter, San Martín Tilcaje
Seamstress, embroiderer, crocheter, Sra. Gutiérrez from Teotitlán del Valle
Don Luís, weaver, Ciudad de Oaxaca
A very special thank you to Don Luís, whose weaving studio shares a wall with my apartment and I have the pleasure of seeing and hearing most every day. The rhythmic sounds of his loom are one of the songs on the soundtrack of my Oaxaca life.
Shadows on the terrace
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged garden, loveseat, Mexico, Oaxaca, outdoor furniture, photos, rooftop, shadows, terrace on March 17, 2019| 6 Comments »
Warm weather, clear skies, and shadows on the rooftop…
Ahhh… evening terrace tranquility.
Tabebuia rosea time
Posted in Flora, Travel & Tourism, tagged color pink, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, pink poui, rosy trumpet tree, Spring, Tabebuia rosea, trees on March 14, 2019| 8 Comments »
Purple isn’t the only color signaling spring is on the way in Oaxaca.
The city is also alive in the pink of Tabebuia rosea blossoms.
To borrow from the old Perez Prado song…
It’s Tabebuia rosea and jacaranda time.
Posted to ThursdayTreeLove
Women of En Vía
Posted in Travel & Tourism, tagged Día Internacional de la Mujer, Fundación En Via, indigenous textiles, International Women's Day, Mexico, microfinance tours, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, responsible tourism, women on March 8, 2019| 12 Comments »
Today is International Women’s Day and I’m choosing to celebrate the day by honoring the women borrowers of Fundación En Vía, Oaxaca’s successful microfinance organization. The feminization of poverty continues to be a global issue — “women and girls fare worse than men and boys on a range of factors that may predispose them to poverty, including having their own source of income, ownership and control of assets and decision-making within their households.” — UN Women and the World Bank unveil new data analysis on women and poverty.
Tereza López López and her daughter – Comedor de Tere (diner), San Miguel del Valle.
A few statistics are in order to appreciate the incredible need this program is attempting to meet in Oaxaca. According to a 2010 report by Coneval on poverty in Mexico, 67.4% of the people of Oaxaca live in moderate or extreme poverty and En Vía reports that 93% of their borrowers do not have a high school diploma.
María Zacarias Hernandez Hernandez – Mandiles (aprons) and bolsas (bags), San Miguel del Valle.
En Vía “works to promote women’s empowerment, the well-being of their families, and the strengthening of their communities by providing participatory programs that encourage the growth of income-generating businesses and personal development.”
Petronila Lopez Garcia – Tapetes (rugs), San Miguel del Valle.
They “do this through the unique combination of educational programs, interest-free micro-loans and responsible tourism.” A series of eight basic business classes are given before the first loan of 1500 pesos is given. Borrowers have ten to fifteen weeks to repay the loans. Currently, En Vía has a 99.8% repayment rate.
Sara Ruiz Lorenzo – Velas (candles), Teotitlán del Valle.
In addition to required attendance at monthly business classes, free optional enrichment courses are offered, including classes in computers, English language, and women’s health. And, after repaying their loans, borrowers can apply for additional loans to continue growing their businesses.
Ludivina Vasquez Gutierrez – Tapetes (rugs) and bolsas (bags), Teotitlán del Valle.
Where do you and I come in? En Vía offers a variety of Responsible Tourism experiences — including their twice weekly tours to visit borrowers (often in their homes). It is incredibly uplifting to hear the women describe their businesses and involvement in the program and especially to see the pride they have in what they have learned and accomplished. FYI: 76% of En Vía’s revenue comes from their Responsible Tourism fees. Believe me, it’s well worth it and I guarantee you will come away enriched by the experience.
Carnaval in B&W
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Black and white photography, bodypaint, Carnaval, Carnival, Fat Tuesday, Jacobo Ángeles, Mardi Gras, mascaras, masks, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, San Martín Tilcajete on March 6, 2019| 2 Comments »
Scenes from the streets of San Martín Tilcajete during yesterday’s Carnaval craziness.
“Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive.” – Eliott Erwitt
Carnaval is coming
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Barrio de San Pablo Zaachila, Carnaval, Carnival, costumes, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, mascaras, masks, men dressed as women, Mexico, Muestra de Carnavales de los Valles Centrales, Oaxaca, painted bodies, parade, photos, San Jacinto Chilateca, San Martín Tilcajete, Santa Ana Zegache, Santa María Coyotepec, Shrove Tuesday on March 3, 2019| 2 Comments »
Given that Oaxaca loves parades and processions (the numbers of Muertos comparsas and Guelaguetza desfiles seem to grow every year), yesterday the 1st Muestra de Carnavales de los Valles Centrales took over the Macedonio Alcalá walking street with costumes, devils, painted bodies, cowbells, bands, masked men, mezcal, and more.
Santa Ana Zegache
Santa Ana Zegache
In an effort to promote tourism in the villages, residents and visitors were treated to sampling the variety of Carnaval traditions from five of the Valley of Oaxaca’s communities.
San Jacinto Chilteca
San Jacinto Chilteca
The Spanish brought the tradition of Carnaval to Mexico. However, like many other seasonal celebrations, it conveniently coincided with indigenous festivals celebrating the “lost days” of the Mesoamerican calendar, “when faces were covered to repel or confuse evil.”
Santa María Coyotepec
Santa María Coyotepec
Apparently, it caught on “because it was one time when normal rules could be broken especially with the use of masks to hide identities from the authorities.”
Barrio de San Pablo Zaachila
Barrio de San Pablo Zaachila
This Día de Carnaval (aka, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Carnival), like previous years, we will be heading out to San Martín Tilcajete.
San Martín Tilcajete
San Martín Tilcajete
However, now I’m thinking we might want to add another stop (or four?) to our itinerary. We shall see…
Jacaranda time
Posted in Flora, Travel & Tourism, tagged color lavender, jacaranda, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, Spring, trees on March 1, 2019| 18 Comments »
From gnarled tree limbs throughout the city…
purple blossoms have emerged.
Set against clear blue skies, it’s jacaranda time…
a not-so-subtle sign that spring is on its way.
Posted to Thursday Tree Love
Suchilquitongo in black and white
Posted in Archaeology, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged archaeological zone, Black and white photography, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, Suchilquitongo on February 27, 2019| 2 Comments »
Visiting friends equals playing tour guide and exploring the sights, sounds, and tastes of Oaxaca. Thus, last Thursday off we went to the new-to-me, little known, and hard to find north-of-the-city archeological site of Suchilquitongo.
While the site is small and the excavated tomb is closed, for the views alone, it was well worth the trip.
Cheers to hummingbirds and bats
Posted in Agriculture, Animals, Beverages, Creativity, Culture, Flora, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged agave, bats, flowers, hummingbirds, Lapiztola, mague, Mal de Amor palenque, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, quiote, Santiago Matatlán, wall art on February 24, 2019| 5 Comments »
Let us all raise a glass to the hummingbirds and bats of Oaxaca.
Without the work they do pollinating the flowers on the quiotes (stalks) that shoot up from the agave,
there would be no maguey piñas to harvest and cook…
and no mezcal to drink!
*Mural by Lapiztola on the side of the Palenque Mal de Amor (makers of Ilegal mezcal) 2+ miles north of Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca. Check out their other mural at the palenque HERE.
Celebrating indigenous languages
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Education, Language, Travel & Tourism, tagged costumes, Día Internacional de la Lengua Materna, ethnolinguistic groups, indigenous peoples, International Mother Language Day, language, lengua materna, Mexico, Mother Tongue, native tongues, Oaxaca, photos, traje, UNESCO, United Nations on February 19, 2019| 7 Comments »
2019 has been proclaimed the International Year of Indigenous Languages by the United Nations. The issue of “lenguas maternas” (mother tongues) has a particular resonance in Oaxaca, as the state is home to 16 distinct ethnolinguistic groups: Amuzgos, Chatino, Chinanteco, Chocho, Chontal, Cuicateco, Huave, Ixcateco, Mazateco, Mixe, Mixteco, Náhuatl, Popoloca, Triqui, Zapoteco, and Zoque.
As anyone who has visited the villages of Oaxaca has discovered, sometimes the abuelos and abuelas only speak their mother tongue, not Spanish. To honor and celebrate them, their ancestors, and their children and grandchildren, today on the zócalo, Oaxaca celebrated those languages with songs, poetry, and recitations.
However, like indigenous languages throughout the world, Mexico’s indigenous languages are in danger of disappearing. The importance of passing these languages and the world views they express to the younger generations cannot be underestimated.
Thus here in Oaxaca, on February 21, 2019, Mother Language Day, you can walk “The roads of the feathered serpent: revaluing one of the variants of the Zapotec Valley of Oaxaca” and “Meet the Zapotec of Teotitlán through storytelling and other activities!” at the Biblioteca Infantil (Children’s Library).
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Women in struggle
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Politics, Protests, Travel & Tourism, tagged Armarte, art, Día Internacional de la Mujer, International Women's Day, marches, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, political art, political commentary, protest, stencil art, street art, urban art, wall art, women's rights on March 11, 2019| 2 Comments »
Armed with their art, the women of Armarte OAX have taken to the streets to raise their voices in struggle.
And, they aren’t alone in Oaxaca…
In the early evening of International Women’s Day, thousands of women “reclaimed” some of the most dangerous streets of the city demanding an end to street harassment, punishment for rapists, the cessation of violence against women, and safe abortion.
Struggle, the other “women’s work.”
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