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Posts Tagged ‘popular travel destinations’

The cat that swallowed…

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on May 23, 2020| 4 Comments »

Lurking around the corner from the birds. Perhaps this is what they were talking about.

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Hmmm… Could this be the cat that swallowed the canary?

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For the birds

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 20, 2020| 20 Comments »

Wandering around the streets and alleys of the Marcos Perez / Lic. José Vasconcelos neighborhood, I began to see birds gathering — and they seemed to be talking.

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“Ahhh, what a comfortable perch.”

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“Is anybody home?”

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“What did you say?”

And then there were the hummingbirds…

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“Please don’t tie me down!”

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“Come fly with me.”

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“I’ll race you!”

What delightful gifts the Argentinian artist Jesus Flores (aka, Walpaq) has left for the people of Oaxaca!

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Panoramica mural magic

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 14, 2020| 6 Comments »

The culture, color, and magic of the murals of Panorámica del Fortín.

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Thank you to the artists of the Zempasuchil Studio for brightening our days.

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Day of the Holy Cross

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on May 3, 2020| 2 Comments »

Since early this morning, rocket explosions, up close and in the distance, have been breaking the Sunday silence. That’s odd, I thought. While in normal times, the jarring sound of cohetes is a frequent player in the soundtrack of life in Oaxaca, these days, like clanging church bells, their booms and bangs have been absent from the orchestra. So, why today? I wondered. It wasn’t until I downloaded this photo from this morning’s walk, that it dawned on me.

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Looking south from Panorámica del Fortín, Oaxaca de Juárez

May 3rd in Mexico is Día de la Santa Cruz (Day of the Holy Cross) and Día del Abañil (Day of the mason/stonemason/bricklayer). Tradition calls for construction workers to erect crosses festooned with flowers at the highest point on building sites — but construction in Oaxaca, in this time of Covid-19, has been at a standstill for several weeks. I guess the building trades’ workers aren’t going to let a lethal virus interfere with their “macho rivalry” tradition. From an article in Mexconnect:

The first dramatic volley of thousands of joyful cohetes (sky rockets) begins at midnight as each crew attempts to be the first to announce the celebration of the Day of the Holy Cross. This macho rivalry between workers continues sporadically all night and for the entire 24 hours of May 3 with each crew hoping to set off more sky rockets than their competitors to remind one and all that this is a special day.

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Children will see and learn

Posted in Celebrations, Children, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 30, 2020| 14 Comments »

Today in Mexico is Día del Niño (Day of the Child). However, this year, in the time of Covid-19, there will be no school parties, no large community gatherings, and, with no income for many, there will be fewer (if any) toys and treats given by parents. We all look forward to the days when we hear the sound of squeals and cheers coming from playgrounds, see children gathered with their friends laughing and talking, and again being a part of the traditional dances, parades, and celebrations. On this day as I was compiling this photo essay, I couldn’t get this song out of my head…

Children Will Listen
(sung by Bernadette Peters)
lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim

How do you say to your child in the night?
Nothing’s all black, but then nothing’s all white
How do you say it will all be all right
When you know that it might not be true?
What do you do?

Careful the things you say
Children will listen
Careful the things you do
Children will see and learn
Children may not obey, but children will listen
Children will look to you for which way to turn
To learn what to be
Careful before you say “Listen to me”
Children will listen

Careful the wish you make
Wishes are children
Careful the path they take
Wishes come true, not free

Careful the spell you cast
Not just on children
Sometimes the spell may last
Past what you can see
And turn against you
Careful the tale you tell
That is the spell
Children will listen

How can you say to a child who’s in flight
“Don’t slip away and I won’t hold so tight”
What can you say that no matter how slight Won’t be misunderstood
What do you leave to your child when you’re dead?
Only whatever you put in its head
Things that your mother and father had said
Which were left to them too

Careful what you say
Children will listen
Careful you do it too
Children will see
And learn, oh guide them that step away
Children will glisten
Tamper with what is true
And children will turn
If just to be free

Careful before you say
“Listen to me”
Children will listen
Children will listen
Children will listen

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Sunday scenes of silence

Posted in Health, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , on April 7, 2020| 4 Comments »

More scenes from Sunday’s silent streets in Oaxaca…

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8:40 AM: Northwest corner of the Zócalo

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8:41 AM: On the Zócalo looking southeast

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8:54 AM: Looking south on Cinco de mayo

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9:47 AM: Corner of Reforma and Constitución

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10:06 AM: Looking south down Porfirio Díaz

However, Mercado Sánchez Pascuas was hopping — almost a like a pre-pandemic Sunday. Stalls were open, not much physical distancing was going on, and most vendors and customers were mask-less. Note to self: In these times of COVID-19, next time I’m out of tamales, go to the mercado on a quieter day.

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Lonely and poignant Palm Sunday

Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Creativity, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 5, 2020| 2 Comments »

It’s Domingo de Ramos and in pre-COVID-19 times, from my terrace I would hear an outdoor morning mass being said in the atrium of the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad. And then, for the past eight years, blogger buddy Chris and I would drive to San Antonino Castillo Velasco for one of the most magical days of the year. However, all was silent this Palm Sunday. So, donning my mask, I went for early Sunday morning walk with my neighbor K. Lonely and poignant scenes met us everywhere our wanderings took us.

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Lonely palm fronds in window of Hospital Ángel Vasconcelos on Av. José María Morelos

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Doors of Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción were shuttered.

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The doors of Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán were open, but nary a soul was in sight.

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A mass was being said at Templo de San Matías Jalatlaco, but the doors were shut tight.

However, no sight we saw this morning was as moving as this one posted to the San Antonino Castillo Velasco Facebook page.

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San Salvador bereft of his usual bounty stands alone in the atrium of the church in San Antonino Castillo Velasco.

To see San Salvador in his usual Domingo de Ramos splendor and the village procession that takes him, laden with donated fruits, vegetables, herbs, and bread, from the panteón to the church, click HERE.

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Just say no!

Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Signs, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on March 28, 2020| 35 Comments »

Remember the Not for sale! building at the corner of Matamoros and Crespo? It’s been one of the buildings in a “mal estado” (bad state) since long before my first visit to Oaxaca in 2007. A portion of the Crespo facing wall finally collapsed at the end of an extremely wet 2012 rainy season. And, following the September 2017 earthquakes, what remained of the wall gave way, necessitating a barricade along the sidewalk.

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As last Sunday’s stroll in the time of… showed, the barricade was in the process of getting its own facelift. It’s finished and it looks terrific.

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However, as the owner, with the help of the artist, continues to make clear, the answer is NO. The building is not for sale!

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By the way, while trying to locate the oldest photo I have of this wall, I discovered that I had missed the tenth anniversary of View From Casita Colibrí. It was March 25, 2010, with the post, Awake at 4:30 AM, that I began this blog. Its last line reads, “Whatever the reasons… here’s hoping I become a little braver in revealing myself, don’t let my perfectionist streak get in the way of posting and I stick with it!” I’ve definitely stuck with it, have overcome my fear of the writing and photos not being perfect (though I try to maintain my librarian commitment to accuracy), and have hopefully allowed a bit of “who I am” to be expressed in these ten years of blog posts. Here’s to another ten!

 

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Sunday stroll in the time of…

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Flora, Food, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 22, 2020| 16 Comments »

Sunday mornings have always been my favorite time to wander through the neighborhoods of Oaxaca. Traffic is light, sidewalks are mostly empty, and the city seems nestled under a blanket of tranquility. Thus, in these days of an abundance of alone-at-home time, a long peaceful walk with my neighbor (maintaining sana distancia/social distancing, of course) was just what the doctor ordered.

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Out the door and up the hill, we went.

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“Hola, buenos días” greetings were exchanged with the few people we encountered — many walking their dogs.

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Though we weren’t planning to eat, we stumbled on a lovely garden restaurant – Ancestral Cocina Tradicional — and couldn’t resist sitting down in their sun-dappled courtyard for a quesillo and huitlacoche quesadilla, washed down with a healthy jugo verde. Everything about the restaurant was done with care and attention — including being mindful of COVID-19 concerns.

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Emerging from the restaurant, we continued our ramble, admiring architecture, street art, and the beauty of dry season flowers.

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This Dama de Noche (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) stopped us in our tracks!

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After three hours, we returned to our homes feeling refreshed, appreciative of Oaxaca’s many gifts, and feeling like we can get through this — despite the puppet masters.

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Day of the Artisan

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on March 20, 2020| 6 Comments »

Yesterday (March 19), Mexico celebrated the Day of the Artisan. Well, celebrated isn’t really the right word. COVID-19 (aka, coronavirus) was the elephant in the country.

I had long-planned to attend the always well curated 3-day Día del Artesano craft sale at Andares del Arte Popular. It’s an opportunity to meet and buy directly from the craftspeople who weave the rugs, embroider the cloth, shape the clay, carve and paint the wood, and the work of other amazingly talented artisans.

However, the sale was very responsibly canceled. Tourists and winter visitors are scrambling to return home as soon as possible, restaurants are either closing or offering only take-out service, and as I write, the city has begun instituting measures to restrict people from gathering in public spaces and calling on public transit to limit or suspend service, among other actions.

Oaxaca’s tourist-driven economy is going to take a tremendous hit. Right now, the best way to honor the artisans is to treasure the beauty they have brought to our lives. And, when the day eventually comes that we can again move about freely, we should seek them out, thank them for joy their talent brings us, and (hopefully) empty our pocketbooks a little more than usual.

Almost life-size ceramic sculptures are by the Aguilar family in Ocotlán de Morelos and were on display at Andares this month.

 

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Benito’s birthday Monday

Posted in Health, Holidays, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 16, 2020| 5 Comments »

Today, I broke my self-imposed social-distancing exile and went for a walk around town. The traffic was unusually light and I wondered if all the tourists had flown the coop, going home while the going was good in the wake of COVID-19 and/or Oaxaqueños were beginning to heed the protective measures issued by the World Health Organization. However, the giant Mexican flag on the zócalo and closed banks, shops, and my dentist’s office tipped me off — today is the day Mexico celebrates her much beloved five-term and only indigenous (Zapotec) president, Benito Juárez. His actual birthday is March 21, but the third Monday of March has been designated as the national holiday. Three-day weekends are popular here, too!

Looking up today in Parque Labastida.

In these trying times, we would all do well to remember his famous words: Entre los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz. (Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace.)

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Looking up helps

Posted in Flora, Health, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 12, 2020| 8 Comments »

Are we having fun yet? As much as I hate it, I’ve been glued to TV news (BBC and CNN International) since last night’s nationalistic, confusing, and not even accurate pronouncements by the US president. As I began writing this post, I finally made myself turn it off and began listening to Yo-Yo Ma’s, Obrigado Brazil. Ahhh… much better.

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Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifloia)

A best friend (since age twelve) and I are having to cancel a long-planned trip to Barcelona and Paris in April. Besides being incredibly disappointed, I’m not looking forward to trying to get refunds on flights, etc.

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Clavellina (Bombax palmeri)

As for COVID-19 (aka, Coronavirus), Mexico’s low coronavirus cases draws skepticism — should travellers worry? In addition, there doesn’t seem to be any movement toward canceling large gatherings or educating the public to refrain from the ubiquitous handshaking and cheek kissing. Perhaps someone in the Secretary of Health’s office should read this data-driven article, Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now, and then take action. It’s one of the most informative I have read. However, this video from 2016 of three Oaxaca nurses teaching proper hand washing technique has been making the rounds and adding a little levity to these anxiety producing days.

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Primavera rosa / Amapa rosa / Palo de rosa (Tabebuia rosea)

On the other hand, if one has to forego foreign travel, Oaxaca isn’t a bad place to be. And, looking up at the clear blue skies and the explosion of flowering trees that marks this time of year, I give thanks to Mother Nature for the beauty she brings to this world filled with war, poverty, and pestilence.

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A goat and sheep walk onto a wall

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 19, 2020| 4 Comments »

There is a new mural in town. After five years, The gods are watching mural (my name for it) has been replaced by the watchful eyes of a goat and a sheep.

Together they stand outside La Madriguera taller on Tinoco y Palacios (between Morelos and Matamoros).

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Not for sale!

Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Signs, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 7, 2020| 14 Comments »

I am, at long last, back in home sweet home Oaxaca. The weather is warm, the garden looks great, and the building at the end of the block that has looked to be on the verge of collapse since I first laid eyes on it thirteen years ago, has had a new paint job — announcing in a very creative way that, despite its dilapidated condition, it is not for sale.

And, don’t just take my word for its neglected and decrepit condition. There is a precaution notice from the city of Oaxaca warning passersby that the building is in a bad state.

All one has to do is peek through one of the broken windows to see there isn’t much there, there.

Located at the corner of Crespo and Matamoros, it is one of the more than five and a half thousand historic structures in the state of Oaxaca listed by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History).

There is currently a building boom going on in the city, especially of upscale hotels, to meet the snowballing tourist demand. I suspect that restrictions and costs related to remodeling these cataloged buildings is why the much-needed renovation to this one hasn’t happened.

However, the owner of this building, whoever she or he may be, has let it be known, in a variety of designs, fonts, colors, and in no uncertain terms, that it is NOT FOR SALE!

The artwork covering the building is quite an improvement. However, I can’t help thinking of one of my grandmother’s sayings, “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”

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Window on a tinaco

Posted in Buildings, Casita Colibrí, Environment, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , on January 19, 2020| 2 Comments »

Flying into any airport in Mexico, you see them dotting the landscape below — Mexico’s ubiquitous rooftop tinacos.

View through a Casita Colibrí window of the tinaco across the street.

For those of you who are dying to know how the water system here at Casita Colibrí works: An underground pipe regularly (or, not so regularly, as the case may be) delivers municipal water into an aljibe (cistern) — a storage tank under our courtyard and driveway.  A bomba (pump) is run daily for an hour (más o menos) to bring water from the aljibe up into the tinacos sitting on the various rooftops of the apartment complex.  When we turn on our tap, water flows (or dribbles) from our faucets courtesy of gravity.

By the way, this is non potable water.  Drinking water is a different story involving garrafones (5-gallon water jugs).

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