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Posts Tagged ‘popular travel destinations’

Murals of Jalatlaco

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 8, 2020| 8 Comments »

The Jalatlaco neighborhood always yields artistic surprises…

November 13, 2019

November 13, 2019

November 13, 2019

October 22, 2019

October 22, 2019

Happiness is wandering the streets of Oaxaca.

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Collage of murals

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on December 28, 2019| 4 Comments »

Hidden behind community tables and surrounded by food stalls, produce, textiles, and artesania, is a wall of murals at the newest location of the Pochote Xochimilco Mercado Orgánico y Artesanal.

This incarnation of the Pochote Organic and Artisan Market is located in Colonia Reforma at Calle Almendros #417 (between Manuel Ruiz and Heroico Colegio Militar) and is open Friday through Sunday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

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Christmas Eve with Pancho Claus

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Music, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 24, 2019| 10 Comments »

It’s a quiet Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) in my childhood home here in el norte. There are no sparklers to wave, no nacimiento (nativity scene) stands in the town square, and no posadas have knocked on the front door. Instead, my younger son and I bought a Douglas Fir and decorated it with four generations of Christmas ornaments hauled down from the attic. Stockings hang from the mantle, gifts are piling up, and in our dreams we channel our inner child and await Santa’s arrival.

In Oaxaca, a Christmas tree and holiday lights went up in the zócalo, along with plantings of nochebuenas (poinsettias), at the beginning of December. A nacimiento was constructed in the Plaza de la Danza, and if one looks up a piñata or two might be spotted floating high above.

As has been my blog’s annual Christmas Eve tradition: “Pancho Claus” by the man known as the “father of Chicano music,” Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero. This year’s version is the original from 1956. The song is a delightful parody of the Clement C. Moore classic, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” — and it has inspired real life Tex-Mex Santas.

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa
Mama she was busy preparing the masa
To make the tamales for the tamalada
And all the ingredients for the enchiladas

Papa in the front room with all the muchachas
Was dancing the mambo and doing the cha cha
My brothers and sisters were out in the hall
Listening to Elvis singing rock ‘n roll

When all of a sudden there came such a racket
I jumped out of bed and I put on my jacket
I looked out the window and in front of the house
Was my old uncle Pedro as drunk as a louse
He ran in the casa he grabbed the guitarra
He let out a yell – “Ay, Ay, Ay” and sang Guadalajara,
“Guadalajara Guadalajara, Guadalajara Guadalajara”

I was starting to wonder as I lay there alone
How old Santa Claus was to visit my home
With all of this noise they would scare him away
When all of a sudden I hear someone say
Hey Pablo, Chuchito Hey! Arriba! Gordito, Jose
Get up there you bums or you don’t get no hay

And then to my wondering eyes did appear
Eight cute little donkeys instead of reindeer
They pulled a carreta that was full of toys
For all of us good little girls and boys

The fat little driver waved his big sombrero
And said Merry Christmas! Feliz Año Nuevo!
That means “Happy New Year”
And then I hear him sing

I am Santa’s cousin from south of the border
My name’s Pancho Claus and I bring you your order
I hear him exclaim as he drove past the porches
“Merry Christmas to all and to all Buenas Noches”

As a gift to us all, this year “Pancho Claus” the book, with illustrations by Bob Mackie, was published, along with “Pancho Claus Volume 2” featuring the lyrics of another Lalo Guerrero Christmas song, “Mario from the Barrio.” (El Paso Herald Post, Dec. 22, 2019) I’ve put them both on my list!

Many thanks for reading my blog. I wish you ¡Felices Fiestas! and peace and joy through the new year.

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Dreaming rábanos dreams

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on December 21, 2019| 1 Comment »

Noche de Rábanos is coming and, while I’m shivering in California, I’m dreaming warm Rábanos, Totomoxtle, and Flor Inmortal dreams. This year promises to be bigger than ever — so big, the exhibition and competition have been extended to two days. December 22, 2019 will be reserved for Flor Inmortal, Totomoxtle, and, in the morning, the children’s category of rábanos.

Category: Flor Inmortal (Dried flowers)…

“Delegación de las Chinas Oaxaqueñas” by Juliana Galicia Péerez (2017)

Category: Totomoxtle Natural (Corn husks, natural color)..

“Esplendidas artesanías de Oaxaca” by Esmeralda Chavez Miguel (2017)

Category: Totomoxle Decorado (Corn husks, colored)…

“Chinas Oaxaqueñas de la Guelaguetza” by Pedro Leobardo Díaz Márquez (2017)

And, as is customary, the carved radish exhibition and competition will be held December 23. Get there in the morning to watch the artisans setting up and putting the final touches on their creations or in the late afternoon/evening to see the finished works and award winners.

Category: Rábano Libre (Radishes, non-traditional and contemporary themes)…

“Mirada de la noche” by Concepción del Carmen López Guzmán (2017)

Category: Rábano Tradicional (Radishes, Biblical and traditional Oaxaca themes)…

“Regada de la vela 12 de mayo” by Rosa del Alba Miguel Morales (2017)

Category: Rábano Tradicional…

“Raíz de mi pueblo” by Roberto Geovani Aguilar (2017)

To all in Oaxaca, enjoy this year’s, “Oaxaca, Land of Cultivated Dreams!”

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Oaxaca’s Virgins of December

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 7, 2019| 3 Comments »

It began long before dawn this morning; the cohetes (rockets) announcing the celebrations of Oaxaca’s three virgins. First up is the Virgin of Juquila on December 8.

Image of la Virgen de Juquila at a palenque in Santa Catarina Minas.

Next up is the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12.

Decorative image of la Virgen de Guadalupe at the Museo Belber.

And, to top the celebrations off, the feast day of the Queen of Oaxaca, the Virgin of Solitude on December 18.

La Virgen de la Soledad through the window of a store on Abasolo.

December may not be quiet, but the celebrations are amazing!

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Five bags full

Posted in Food, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 4, 2019| 6 Comments »

Shopping baskets ready and waiting to be filled…

Bounty from Abastos ready and waiting to be prepared…

Salad ready and waiting to be eaten…

There was more, but I was too busy eating to stop and take photos!

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Tip of the hat

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 30, 2019| 2 Comments »

Yesterday’s excursion south of the city brought an unexpected surprise.

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In San Martín Tilcajete…

I spotted a mural by my favorite mural colective.

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A tip of the hat to the Tlacolulokos of Tlacolula de Matamoros.

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Mining mezcal in Minas

Posted in Beverages, Celebrations, Culture, Food, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on November 25, 2019| 1 Comment »

What can I say? The poster for the 4th Annual Mezcal Fair in Santa Catarina Minas came across my Facebook page and I said, let’s go! Thus, friends and neighbors rented a van (with non-drinking driver) to head an hour south of Oaxaca city for day two of the 2-day fair.

A barro for distilling mezcal enhancing the basketball hoop.

Naturally, it was held in the municipal basketball court, adjacent to the church!

Food vendor and family member setting up.

Of course, being gringos, we were early, so we headed for the food stalls (all the better to absorb the mezcal to come) — including empanadas from San Antonino Castillo Velasco. Though, in all honesty, they weren’t nearly as good as the gal we usually go to in San Antonino.

Maestro mezcalero, Don Pablo Arellanes Ramírez.

The mezcal stalls hadn’t quite begun to be staffed.

Luis Arellanes Cruz atop the outdoor oven pit used to cook the agave piñas.

However, thanks to mi amiga K, who went in search of cervesa (beer) to wash down our empanadas, we were introduced to Luis Arellanes Cruz, who then took us to the Los Arellanes palenque, explained the process of turning agave piñas into mezcal to the new initiates among us, and introduced us to maestro mezcalero, Rufino Felipe Martinez.

Félix Ángeles Arellanes

Returning to the feria, several of us were delighted to renew our acquaintance with Félix from Mezcal El Minerito where, the last time I was there, friends and I watched the process of layering agave piñas, bagaso, and a tarp to begin the cooking process.

Folkloric dancers from Sección XXII of the teachers’ union of the City of Oaxaca.

Of course, no feria would be complete without entertainment. According to the schedule, there were bands and presentations and parades and dancers and…

The road out of town.

After three hours of wandering, eating, tasting, and enjoying, it was time to head back to the city. As they say, a great time was had by all!

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Feliz Día de Santa Cecilia

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Music, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on November 23, 2019| 4 Comments »

A belated feliz Día de Santa Cecilia! November 22 commemorates the day Roman born Saint Cecilia was martyred at the hands of Turcius Almachius (sometime between 222 and 235 AD) and has been celebrated as her feast day since the fourth century.

According to legend, “despite her vow of virginity, she was forced by her parents to marry a pagan nobleman named Valerian. During the wedding, Cecilia sat apart singing to God in her heart, and for that she was later declared the saint of musicians.[3] When the time came for her marriage to be consummated, Cecilia told Valerian that watching over her was an angel of the Lord, who would punish him if he sexually violated her but would love him if he respected her virginity. When Valerian asked to see the angel, Cecilia replied that he could if he would go to the third milestone on the Via Appia and be baptized by Pope Urban I. After following Cecilia’s advice, he saw the angel standing beside her, crowning her with a chaplet of roses and lilies.[3]”

Santa Cecilia also sang during the torment of her martyrdom by decapitation, in which she was struck three times in the neck with a sword, and remained alive for three days. Pope Urban I consecrated her house in the Trastevere as a basilica. Her devotion and singing earned her the title of patron saint of musicians. Bands are named after her and she is honored with concerts and music festivals on her feast day.

Sculptures depicting musicians of the Mixe mountain village, Santa María Tlahuitoltepec, in the courtyard of Andares del Arte Popular. Sculptures by Sculptor Na’pë Jääy — an artist from Tlahuitoltepec.

 

And, for your listening pleasure, one of my favorite bands named La Santa Cecilia.

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Come hither

Posted in Creativity, Culture, tagged , , , , , , on November 20, 2019| 1 Comment »

Friends have arrived in Oaxaca — lots of time for orienting, eating, shopping, and entertaining, but not much time for blogging.

Alas, only time for a come hither look.

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Calaveras, calacas, catrins & catrinas

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 30, 2019| 5 Comments »

Calaveras, calacas, catrins, and catrinas, oh my!  (Click images to enlarge.)

In the city and villages, walls and windows, sitting and standing, happy and sad — they are everywhere in Oaxaca!

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Lord of Lightning

Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 24, 2019| 11 Comments »

On October 21, after running errands, I made a beeline to the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. As I had hoped, it was all dressed up and ready for Señor del Rayo’s day on October 23.

Pews had been removed from his chapel (last capilla on the left) to allow the faithful to process past his glass enclosed home. Many stopped to light a candle at a couple of tables placed outside his chapel for that purpose.

By the way, El Señor has a body double. The original, given it’s importance and value, remains protected in the chapel. His replica was standing in a place of honor on the Cathedral’s main altar.

If you are not from Oaxaca, you may be asking, who is El Señor del Rayo? He is a wood-carved Christ on the Cross figure that was brought from Spain in the 16th century — a gift to Oaxaca from Charles V. The image was placed in the temple of San Juan de Dios, a church with adobe walls and a straw (or possibly wood) roof. According to legend, lightning struck the church and everything was destroyed, save for this figurine. It was a miracle so momentous that the figurine became known as El Señor del Rayo (the Lord of Lightning) and was given its own chapel in Oaxaca’s newly built Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.

Like La Guelaguetza, Noche de Rabanós (Night of the Radishes), and Día de la Samaritana (Good Samaritan Day), this is an only in Oaxaca celebration and Oaxaqueños honor El Señor del Rayo with a special fervor, reverence, and pride. Thus, when I returned to the Cathedral at noon on October 23, it was standing room only — not an empty pew in sight, not even in the numerous side chapels.

Like most important festivities in Oaxaca, be they religious or secular, the Lord of Lightning’s celebration was heralded with a calenda (parade) on October 21 and concluded a little before midnight on October 23 with a castillo and fireworks — despite a several hour surprise downpour earlier in the evening. The show always goes on in Oaxaca!

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More bonita basura

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 22, 2019| 8 Comments »

The art of the trash bin in black and orange…

Full color…

Fronts, sides, and backs…

Whimsical, symbolic, and abstract…

Garbage art on the zócalo has gone forth and multiplied.

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Garbage art

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 9, 2019| 6 Comments »

Now that the Zócalo has been cleared of street vendors…

A not so wretched refuse bin stands out.

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Black and white and blue in Tlacolula

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 6, 2019| 8 Comments »

The artistry and message of my favorite mural painting collective, the Tlacolulokos, continues to be revealed on the walls of Tlacolula de Matamoros. Today, on a brief visit, blogger buddy Chris and I stumbled on three of their masterpieces. The first one I’d previously seen and blogged about in 2017 under the title, Who tells your story. However, the second mural was new to both of us.

A blouse divided.

A broken heart — not your usual randa de aguja (needlework technique) blouse detail.

Their message, not mine.

The third mural was a couple of houses down and presents a more historic and celebratory entrance.

Spanish swords and Mitla grecas provide driveway decoration.

A headless woman woman in traditional Tlacolula costume walks toward the entrance.

Thoughts of an upcoming festival castillo, agains the backdrop of the valley’s mountains, dance in her missing head.

Her carrizo shopping basket is filled with purchases for the festival.

From the first Tlacolulokos mural I saw in 2014 to their Tokiolula mural through today, their art continues to speak to me, teach me, and inspire me to really see the people and culture around me.

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