Posted in Creativity, Culture, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged art, artists, arts, graffiti, graffiti artists, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, PINK, popular travel destinations, street art, wall art on December 16, 2012| 2 Comments »
Yesterday was just what the doctor ordered. On a long walk with best friend: a quinceañera, Christmas piñatas, a wedding, chickens roasting, and fanciful graffiti under the fútbol (soccer) stadium… these with a decidedly feminine touch. Love the incongruity!
An interview with one of Oaxaca’s female graffiti artists, PINK, can be found here (in English and Spanish).
Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged boys, children, girls, Juan Diego, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Templo de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Virgen de Guadalupe, Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12, 2012| 2 Comments »
On this day honoring one of the most revered icons of Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe…
The city of Oaxaca’s children are dressed as little Juan Diegos and their peasant sisters.
They are brought to the Templo de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe at the north end of Llano Park.
Here they and their parents wait patiently in a line that rings the church.
They are waiting to enter (via the door with a large banner marked, “entrada”) the church and be blessed.
Once they exit (via the door marked “salida”), there are photographers waiting, with burros and panoramic scenes, to take commemorative photographs — for a fee.
The sun is hot, the lines are long, and sometimes it’s long past nap time. By the way, there is also a carnival (with rides and games) and puestos upon puestos of food; the religious and secular meet.
Posted in Culture, Signs, Travel & Tourism, tagged cars, Jaguar automobile, Mexico, Oaxaca, photograghs, photos, popular travel destinations, street signs, transportation on December 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Going my way?
Is there gas in the car?
Yes, there’s gas in the car.
Get your motor runnin’.
Hitchin’ a ride on the class divide.
Posted in Buildings, Churches, Geography, Neighborhoods, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged churches, iglesias, Mexico, mountains, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Templo del Carmen Alto on December 5, 2012| 2 Comments »
Walking home today…
Besides walls of street art (which will no doubt appear here when inspiration hits or I can’t think of anything else to post), I came across this view.
View of Templo del Carmen Alto from Crespo, near the Escaleras del Fortín.
There is beauty out there…
Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, Travel & Tourism, tagged art, art installation, cempasuchitl, Dream of Elpis, El Sueño de Elpis, exhibition, marigolds, Mauricio Cervantes, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos on December 3, 2012| 10 Comments »
On Saturday, thanks to MexicoRetold, I stepped through the doorway and entered El Sueño de Elpis (the dream of Elpis), an art installation by Mauricio Cervantes in one of the many abandoned buildings in the city center.
In Greek mythology, Elpis was usually depicted carrying flowers and was the spirit of hope. She alone chose to remain when Pandora opened the lid of her infamous box.
I arrived a little after 10 AM. The glow of morning light on the colors and textures of this crumbling beauty and her furnishings was captivating — and I was reluctant to leave.
Elpis and her dream will continue to offer hope for another 3-1/2 weeks at Murguía 103 (between Macedonio Alcalá and 5 de mayo). There were candles — and according to the docent, it is especially magical at dusk.
I will return. Keep dreaming…
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged cemetery, Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, Mexico, Oaxaca, panteón, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Zaachila on November 28, 2012| Leave a Comment »
The Y-shaped valley of Oaxaca is about 700 square kilometers, not all that big when compared to California’s Sacramento Valley, which is approximately 2,570 square kilometers. Yet, unlike the “sameness” one encounters in Sacramento Valley towns (sorry, CA), one can’t help but be struck by the unique identity of each of the Zapotec villages that are only kilometers apart. One specializes in red clay pots, another in black pottery, and another in green glazed ceramics. There are villages of woodcarvers near weavers of cotton and others of wool, never mind the fashion trends!
Thus, it should come as no surprise that Day of the Dead celebrations and cemeteries differ, often dramatically, from village to village. And so, from the whitewashed graves of Santiago Apóstol and the candlelight of Santa María Atzompa (today’s earlier post), we came to the carved wooden crosses in the Panteón Municipal of the Villa de Zaachila.
Along with livestock, produce, and household goods, wood gathered from the hills surrounding Zaachila is a major part of Zaachila’s weekly Thursday tianguis (open air market). It’s one of my favorites!
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged cemetery, Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, dualism, Mexico, Oaxaca, panteón, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, religion, Santa María Atzompa, Santiago Apóstol on November 28, 2012| 1 Comment »
With only a couple of days left in November and the Christmas holiday season already making its presence known, it’s now or never to finish sorting through this year’s Día de los Muertos photos — my thoughts and impressions will take the remains of this lifetime, and then some, to process.
To an outsider, especially one whose worldview was shaped by a Judeo-Christian culture, Day of the Dead is often seen through the lens of juxtaposition.
The “unbearable lightness of being” in Santiago Apóstol…
The blurred otherworldly darkness of Santa María Atzompa…
However, light becomes dark becomes light becomes dark, as day becomes night becomes day becomes night, as life becomes death becomes life becomes death… dualism beginning to vanish.
Posted in Gardens, Holidays, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged Christmas, flowers, garden, gardeners, holiday decorations, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, plants, poinsettias, popular travel destinations, zócalo on November 27, 2012| 4 Comments »
Today, the truck arrived, the wheelbarrows were loaded, and the gardening crew began filling the flower beds of Oaxaca’s zócalo…
Navidad is coming to Oaxaca!
Posted in Culture, History, Parks & Plazas, Politics, Protests, Violence, tagged APPO, federal preventive police, historical photos, history, Mexico, Oaxaca, photo exhibition, photographs, photos, politics, protests, SEPODDH, social activists on November 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »
November 25, 2012 marks the sixth anniversary of the bloody attack by the Federal Preventive Police on the teachers and members of the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO) in the zócalo of the city of Oaxaca. I wasn’t here during the 5-month long struggle, but its repercussions continue to reverberate.
Last year a plaque was unveiled by organizations representing victims, survivors, human rights, and social activists. Located where the Alameda de León meets the zócalo, it symbolically renames the zócalo, “Plaza of the peoples in struggle; for truth and justice.”
Truth and justice have not been attained, assassins go unpunished, many of the same issues remain, and Oaxaca’s economy still hasn’t rebounded. Today, the Survivors and Former Political Prisoners of Oaxaca in Defense of Human Rights (SEPODDH) mounted a photo exhibition across from the Government Palace.
Adults, children, and even vendors stopped to look and, for many, remember those days and nights six years ago.
Somber and unsmiling, they stood silently, gazed at the photos, and read the captions. The only hint of levity was SEPODDH’s mascota, who sat beside a collection bucket.
Section 22 of the teachers’ union held another march and rallied in the zócalo, but today these photos spoke much louder than the words coming from the loud-speakers.
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Economics, Holidays, Signs, Travel & Tourism, tagged Buen Fin, Mexico, Oaxaca, photography, photos, sales, shopping on November 23, 2012| 2 Comments »
Signs reading, “Buen Fin” began to appear on shop windows around town last week. How nice, I thought, with a 3-day weekend coming up (Monday, 11/19 was Mexican Revolution commemoration day), the stores are wishing one and all a “Good Weekend.”
I’d only glanced and didn’t come close enough to read the smaller and more important print, “Weekend: Cheapest of the Year.” What’s it all about? Last year’s LA Times article, “A ‘Black Friday’ shopping ritual coming to Mexico?” explains it all.
Apparently, I’ve been oblivious or this newest US export has taken a while to make its way all the way down to Oaxaca. But, make its way down to Oaxaca, it has! According to Monday’s Noticias, “This weekend hundreds of Oaxacans went to department stores and shops of all kinds in the city, to stock up on essentials and electronic products, mainly taking advantage of ‘Good Weekend’ promotions.”
Depressing, is all I can say…
Posted in Buildings, Food, Markets, tagged building renovation, grocery shopping, markets, Mercado IV Centenario, mercados, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, renovation, vendors on November 21, 2012| 3 Comments »
After 6+ months of being Under construction,
today, the waiting is over!
This morning, Oaxaca’s governor, the city’s mayor, and the head of the Ministry of Tourism and Economic Development opened the newly constructed entrance on Independencia…
and welcomed vendors and shoppers to the newly renovated Mercado IV Centenario.
New stalls, with improved electrical and sanitation systems are part of this renovation project.
Vendors, including one of my favorite vegetable sellers, began moving their goods from the temporary site in Jardín Morelos to their new stalls.
After only a few hours, my vendedora de frutas already looked happily ensconced in her new digs!
There are still a few stalls waiting to be filled…
Any takers???
Posted in Buildings, Churches, Museums, Nature & Science, Neighborhoods, Politics, Restaurants, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged churches, climate, Colorado River, Colorado River agreement, environment, environmentalism, Flor de Loto, Iglesia Evangelica Bautista, In Situ Torrentera, Mexico, mezcalería, Museo de Arte Prehispanico de Mexico Rufino Tamayo, museum, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, restaurants, water, water wars on November 20, 2012| 2 Comments »
They say, “politics makes strange bedfellow.” Rivers do too, as US, Mexico reach pact on Colorado River water sale. Hopefully, Mexico isn’t getting the short end of the stick, like Southern California’s Imperial Irrigation District is accusing its SoCal neighbor, the Metropolitan Water District, of handing it.
Having grown up and spending most of my life in Northern California and suffering through a couple of major droughts that included water rationing, while water flowed south to fill LA’s swimming pools and water its lawns, the only answer to stave off the upcoming worldwide “water wars,” is the recognition that water is a precious resource that must be conserved and not wasted.
Hmmm… I wonder how these neighbors on the 500 block of Avenida Morelos get along?
The mezcalería is the newest addition to the ‘hood and for some reason it tickled me that the vegetarian restaurant is the only thing standing between it and the Baptist church.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, History, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged bigote, Emiliano Zapata, graffiti, Mexico, mustache, Oaxaca, Pancho Villa, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, wall art on November 17, 2012| 6 Comments »
Posted in Churches, Gardens, Home, tagged African Tulip trees, Basilica de la Soledad, Casita Colibrí, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Templo de San José on November 15, 2012| 3 Comments »
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 