The calm after the storm. What a difference 36 hours makes!
The beginning of the dry season? Only Mother Nature knows…
Posts Tagged ‘photos’
Nothing but blue sky
Posted in Buildings, Religion, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, Basilica de la Soledad, blue sky, churches, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos on October 5, 2014| 1 Comment »
Wild weather and wondrous sky
Posted in Buildings, Religion, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, Basilica de la Soledad, churches, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, sunset on October 4, 2014| 2 Comments »
Yesterday, the Virgen del Rosario convite beckoned us to Tlacolula (more to come). After an hour and a half of photographing and relishing in the music, marmotas, monos, impossibly cute kids, and hospitality, we began losing the light as a dark and threatening sky began moving in. However, Mother Nature put on quite an extravaganza for our drive back to the city — towering clouds, sheets of rain, lightening streaking towards the ground, brilliant sun, and rainbows.
Once home, a weird and wondrous sunset.
Back to the beach
Posted in Gardens, Restaurants, Sports & Recreation, Travel & Tourism, tagged beaches, boats, coconut tree, Daphne du Maurier quote, dream quotes, Edgar Allan Poe quote, Estrella Fúgaz, John Lennon quote, Mark Twain quote, Mazunte, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Puerto Escondido, Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, restaurant, San Agustinillo, sunset, Thoreau quote on October 2, 2014| Leave a Comment »
A gray, rainy day in Oaxaca has me returning to the beach in my dreams…
San Agustinillo, Oaxaca.
Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. ― Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca
San Agustinillo, Oaxaca
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. — Mark Twain
Mazunte, Oaxaca
Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly. — Langston Hughes
Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined. —Thoreau
Estrella Fúgaz restaurant, Mazunte, Oaxaca
Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. ― Edgar Allan Poe, Eleonora
Mazunte, Oaxaca
Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Splashes of color amidst the gray
Posted in Gardens, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged flora, flowers, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, pomegranate, Teotitlán del Valle on September 28, 2014| 6 Comments »
From this morning’s walk in Teotitlán del Valle…
Splashes of color on a gray, rainy season, Sunday.
Beach boys of San Agustinillo
Posted in Music, Sports & Recreation, Travel & Tourism, tagged beach, Beach Boys lyrics, Catch a Wave, Mexico, Oaxaca, Pacific Ocean, photographs, photos, San Agustinillo, surfers, surfing on September 26, 2014| 4 Comments »
Don’t be afraid to try the greatest sport around
Everybody tries it once
Those who don’t just have to put it down
You paddle out turn around and raise
And baby that’s all there is to the coastline craze
You gotta catch a wave and you’re sittin’ on top of the world
Not just a fad cause it’s been going on so long
All the surfers going strong
They said it wouldn’t last too long
They’ll eat their words with a fork and spoon
And watch ’em they’ll hit the road and all be surfin’ soon
And when they catch a wave they’ll be sittin’ on top of the world
So take a lesson from a top-notch surfer boy
Every Saturday boy
But don’t treat it like a toy
Just get away from the shady turf
And baby go catch some rays on the sunny surf
And when you catch a wave you’ll be sittin on top of the world
Catch a wave and you’ll be sittin’ on top of the world
Catch a wave and you’ll be sittin’ on top of the world
Catch a wave and you’ll be sittin’ on top of the world
— Beach Boys, Catch a Wave
Up into the clouds
Posted in Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged hotels, La Puesta del Sol, La Taberna de los Duendes, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, restaurants, San Jose del Pacifico, wall art on September 23, 2014| 10 Comments »
Having lived most of my life with the Pacific Ocean fifteen minutes to the west and the San Francisco Bay five minutes to the east, I never thought I could live where I was landlocked. But here I am, living in Oaxaca de Juárez, a city nestled in a valley surrounded by rugged mountain ranges, with not a beach in sight. This daunting terrain has not only helped to preserve the area’s indigenous traditions and colonial architecture, it has also prevented easy access to the state of Oaxaca’s beautiful beaches only 160+ miles from the city.
Yes, there are regular flights to Huatulco and Puerto Escondido, but they are costly. Most people choose to take one of several buses/vans or to drive themselves up and over the narrow, winding, pot-holed, and tope (speed-bump) laden roads through the Sierra Madre del Sur. It takes from six to seven hours, depending on how fast one drives, how many slow-moving vehicles one encounters, and how much road repair brings the car to a halt. Thus, I haven’t been to the coast of Oaxaca for almost five years. And so, when a friend offered a trip to the coast, I accepted.
However, instead of a day-long grueling drive to the beach of San Agustinillo, we climbed 8,400 feet up into the clouds, where we stopped in San Jose del Pacifico. Home for the night was one of the sweet little cabañas at La Puesta del Sol. Lightening lit up the sky and thunder rumbled, but I was warm and cozy courtesy of a roaring fire one of the staff had set in the stone chimenea (fireplace).
The village of San Jose del Pacifico rests on a ridge and is often encircled in Brigadoon like fog. This is mushroom (magic and otherwise) territory and it is home to quite a mixture of temporary and permanent residents — one of whom runs a fabulously funky restaurant, La Taberna de los Duendes. The food is fabulous, but a warning is in order: The portions are enormous!
After a leisurely morning, we set off for the (mostly) downhill drive to the coast! Do you see me smiling?
Faces of Oaxaca in B&W
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Andri Cauldwell quote, Black and white photography, Carnaval, Doña Marina, Guelaguetza, Mexico, Moctezuma, musicians, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Santiago Juxtlahuaca, Teotitlán del Valle, Tlacolula de Matamoros on September 19, 2014| 6 Comments »
After a visit to Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo, I’m seeing the color of Oaxaca in black and white…
Moctezuma at La Guelaguetza in Etla, July 2014
Tlacolula de Matamoros, August 2014
Convite photo-op in Teotitlán del Valle, July 2014
Doña Marina at La Guelaguetza in Etla, July 2014
Santiago Juxtlahuaca delegation at Guelaguetza desfile in Oaxaca, July 2014
Carnaval in San Martín Tilcajete, March 2014
Guelaguetza desfile in Oaxaca, July 2014
“To see in color is a delight for the eye but to see in black and white is a delight for the soul.” – Andri Cauldwell
Independence Day
Posted in Celebrations, History, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged desfile, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, military, Oaxaca, parade, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on September 16, 2014| 3 Comments »
Is it cheating to post photos from the 2013 Mexican Independence Day desfile in Oaxaca? What can I say? It was raining today and, if it counts for anything, I never got around to posting these photos last year.
However, I do have some news from this year: The state police staged a protest and, besides your’s truly, Governor Cue did not attend — and I don’t think it was the rain that stopped him!
Ready for el Grito
Posted in Culture, History, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged castillo, El Grito, el grito de dolores, Government Palace, Mexican flag, Mexican Independence, Mexican War of Independence, Mexico, Oaxaca, Palacio de Gobierno, photographs, photos, zócalo on September 15, 2014| 7 Comments »
My morning caller flew the coop and so did I. After being confined to quarters for the past several days due to the rain and gloom, I walked downtown.
Also, I was curious as to the state of the Zócalo, in light of the teachers, ambulantes, and the annual reenactment of “el Grito de Independencia” by the Governor, from the balcony of the Government Palace, at 11 PM tonight.
I found, except for a handful of tents and tarps, the Alameda and Zócalo were back to normal.
Castillos were being constructed on either side of the Government Palace.
And, like every year, the Mexican flag was flying high, green, white, and red lights and banners were strung, and images of the heroes of the Mexican War of Independence from Spain decorated the front of the Palacio de Gobierno
Most of the teachers and ambulantes have departed and all is being readied for el Grito de Independencia 2014. And, nobody seems to miss the State Police, who are staging a “work stoppage.” Ahhh, Oaxaca… Ya gotta love her!
El Grito de Independencia
¡Mexicanos!
¡Vivan los héroes que nos dieron la patria y libertad!
¡Viva Hidalgo!
¡Viva Morelos!
¡Viva Josefa Ortíz de Dominguez!
¡Viva Allende!
¡Viva Galeana y los Bravo!
¡Viva Aldama y Matamoros!
¡Viva la Independencia Nacional!
¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México!
In English
Mexicans!
Long live the heroes that gave us the Fatherland (and liberty)!
Long live Hidalgo!
Long live Morelos!
Long live Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez!
Long live Allende!
Long live Galeana and the Bravos!
Long live Aldama and Matamoros!
Long live National Independence!
Long Live Mexico! Long Live Mexico! Long Live Mexico!
Boys watching girls
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged boys, convite, Fiesta a la Natividad de la Virgen María, Fiesta de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Teotitlán del Valle on September 13, 2014| 1 Comment »
During the aforementioned convites, you will find the boys of Teotitlán del Valle, Standing On the Corner watching all the girls go by. Not much has changed since The Four Lads had a hit with that song!
From my friend Samuel Bautista Lazo, who grew up in Teotitlán del Valle, “It’s funny to see boys with their cameras taking pictures and videos of the girls they like, often they watch the procession at one corner once they have seen everything, they run (or bike) as fast as they can to the other good spot to see all the girls again.” And, he knows from personal experience!
Like Sam, I wonder how many couples have gotten together??? Perhaps meeting at the fireworks a night later…
Convite in cochinilla
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged canastas, convite, danzantes, El Picacho, Fiesta a la Natividad de la Virgen María, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, procession, Teotitlán del Valle, Virgen de la Natividad on September 10, 2014| 4 Comments »
Defining the terms…
According to Harrap’s Spanish and English Pocket Dictionary, convite means reception. However, if I drag my weighty Larousse Standard Diccionario down from the shelf, convite translates to “invitation” or “banquet.” And, if one turns to Google or Bing translation programs, a convite is a “treat.”
All pretty much agree, the English translation for cochinilla is cochineal. As Wikipedia explains, “Cochineal is probably from French cochenille, Spanish cochinilla, Latin coccinus, meaning ‘scarlet-colored,’ and Latin coccum, meaning ‘berry (actually an insect) yielding scarlet dye.'” It has been called, A Perfect Red and was much sought after by Europeans. Home to said insect is the nopal cactus and guess who and where it was probably first cultivated? In the valley of Oaxaca by her indigenous people, long before the Spanish set foot on the continent.
Which brings us to last Saturday (September 6) in Teotitlán del Valle, under the watchful eye of el Picacho, the sacred brother/sister mountain, for the convite that precedes the Virgen de la Natividad (Nativity of Mary) festival day, held annually on September 8…
It is the custom in this Zapotec village for the unmarried women of the village to process through the streets two days before this (and a couple of other) important religious festivals, elegantly balancing handmade canastas (baskets), decorated with Catholic and Zapotec imagery, on their heads. They wear brightly embroidered blusas (blouses) and, in this village known worldwide for its weaving, enredos, hand-woven red wool wrap skirts — the yarn dyed red with cochinilla. They are accompanied by bands, men carrying enormous (and heavy!) marmotas (cloth globes), little boys carrying poles topped with miniature marmotas, sheep, and airplanes (the significance of the latter is a mystery to me), fearless pirotécnicas announcing the convite’s progress by shooting thunderous rockets into the air, and the dancers who will be performing the Danza de la Pluma in the church courtyard during the following two days’ of festivities.
Borrowing from the definitions above of convite, I would like to think of these processions as a lovely treat, an invitation to the impending fiestas/feast (banquet) days for the saints venerated by the village. The beauty of the welcoming faces of the young, old, male, and female in the convite provide a warm reception to villagers, visitors, Catholic saints, and Zapotec ancestors, alike.
Rainy season rainbow
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Churches, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, rainbows, rainy season, Templo de San Felipe Neri, video Rainbows All Over Your Blues on September 9, 2014| 6 Comments »
Last year the rainy season was almost non-existent and the campesinos were worried. Four years ago it rained almost everyday from early July to late September and landslides and major flooding resulted. This year the rains have been on again, off again, and on again. But Mother Nature always manages to paint rainbows all over your blues.
View from Casita Colibrí of the bell towers of San Felipe Neri and the Indian laurels in the zócalo.
Covered in green, white and red
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged celebrations, El Grito, El Mes de la Patria, Grito de Dolores, holidays, Jardín Sócrates, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, neveria, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on September 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »
September is El Mes de la Patria in Mexico (the month of the homeland) and green, white, and red decorations have gone up all over the city. The governor is scheduled to recreate “El Grito” (the Cry of Dolores) from the balcony of the Government Palace at 11 PM on September 15. The following day, there will be an hour-plus long patriotic parade through the streets of the city celebrating Mexico’s independence from Spain.
Neverías in Jardín Socrates
The teachers’ planton (encampment) on the zócalo expanded again to adjacent streets yesterday, though it is supposed to end by September 9. Oaxaca is holding her collective breath.
Fruit and flowers
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Food, Gardens, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged cactus, Dragon fruit, flowers, garden, Hylocereus undatus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Pitahaya, succulents on September 4, 2014| 12 Comments »
Remember the night my Pitahaya (aka, Dragon fruit) blossom was ready for her close-up? Three months later, here she is…
Though there is fruit, flowers continue to put on their bloomin’ after-dark show.
Their beauty never ceases to enchant.
From terrace to table…
My version of “farm fresh.”
Animal blessings
Posted in Animals, Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged animals, Bendición de los Animales, birds, Blessing of Animals, dogs, ferrets, Mexico, Oaxaca, pets, photographs, photos, Saint Raymond Nonnatus, San Ramón de Nonato, Templo de Nuestra Señora de la Merced on September 1, 2014| 8 Comments »
Under a cloudy sky, the faithful and their mascotas (pets) gathered in the plaza in front of the Templo de Nuestra Señora de la Merced for the Bendición de los Animales (Blessing of the Animals).
This annual event, held on August 31, celebrates the feast day of San Ramón de Nonato (aka, St. Raymond Nonnatus), patron saint of women in labor, persons falsely accused, and keeper of animals. This last, though not often mentioned, seems to come from the story that he was raised on a farm and, according to this website, “chose for his occupation the care of the sheep, in order to gain more time for prayer and meditation.” Today’s El Imparcial states that La Merced is the only church in the city with an image of the saint.
Here in Oaxaca, instead of sheep, San Ramón was surrounded by dogs of all sizes, shapes, and temperament. By far, they outnumbered all other animal species put together — except humans. Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable increase in pet (as opposed to roof and street) dogs in Oaxaca. Perhaps a sign of a growing middle class? And, many dressed for the occasion. However this dalmatian must have also paid a visit to a makeup artist. Lipstick on the collar (muzzle, forehead, and ear) of a new friend tells the tale (tail?).
There were also the other usual pet suspects — cats and kittens, though most looked like they would like to be anywhere else but there, and canaries and cockatiels, the latter both in cages and perched on shoulders. This guy seemed more interested in the pin-up girl lining his cage than getting blessed by a few drops of holy water from the temple’s priest, Víctor Hernández Antonio.
However, my vote for the most exotic pet of the day goes to the hurón, known in English as a ferret. Oh those piercing eyes and those claws. I’d hate to get on her wrong side!
I wonder… What do you think the abuelas and abuelos, who remembered the old days when it was donkeys, goats and farm animals who were led along Oaxaca’s dirt streets to be blessed, thought?
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