Another building in mal estado…
Another example of hope amidst decay.
Posts Tagged ‘popular travel destinations’
Life among the ruins
Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Flora, Travel & Tourism, tagged abandoned buildings, crumbling buildings, graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, plants, popular travel destinations, street art on December 6, 2018| 6 Comments »
Introduction to the Danza de la Pluma
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged dance, Danza de la Pluma, danzantes, Mexico, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Lending Library, photos, popular travel destinations, Teotitlán del Valle, Virgen de Guadalupe on December 2, 2018| 3 Comments »
If you are in town… As background to the December 12, Fiesta a la Virgen de Guadalupe performance of the Danza de la Pluma in Teotitlán del Valle, blogger buddy Chris (of Oaxaca-The Year After fame) and I are again doing a presentation at the Oaxaca Lending Library. It will be on Tuesday, December 4 at 5:00 PM. And, new this year: There will be very special guests!
From the library’s description of the talk, “The Danza de la Pluma, with its giant feathered headdresses, is one of the most famous dances performed in Oaxaca and is particularly special in the Zapotec weaving village of Teotitlán del Valle. The dance, dancers, and village all have rich stories. Come join Chris Stowens and Shannon Sheppard, who have spent several years observing and learning about this amazing culture, for a presentation filled with stories, photos and video.”
Alas, it’s not free. Besides memberships, presentations like this are what keeps the library afloat. The cost is 90 pesos for OLL members and 130 pesos for non-members. Reservations can be made using the library’s Online Store. Hope to see you on Tuesday!
Tonight’s sunset over Soledad
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Churches, Travel & Tourism, tagged Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, Basilica of Our Lady of Solitude, churches, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, sunset on November 17, 2018| 14 Comments »
Sometimes, the sunset over the Basílica de la Soledad takes my breath away. 
What can I say? I love the view from Casita Colibrí!
Potpourri of pan de muertos
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Food, food festival, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged bread of the dead, Day of the Dead, day of the dead bread, Día de los Muertos, feria, Mexico, Oaxaca, pan de muerto, photos, popular travel destinations, San Pablo Villa de Mitla, Villa Díaz Ordaz, Villa de Zaachila, Villa Hidalgo Yalalag on November 9, 2018| 11 Comments »
Several pan de muerto festivals sprung up in the valley of Oaxaca during Día de los Muertos — including a Festival del Pan de Muerto in Villa Díaz Ordaz, a Feria del Pan de Muerto Adornado in Villa de Zaachila, and a Feria del Pan y Chocolate in the city of Oaxaca. While the intention of these fairs is to attract tourists, both foreign and domestic, the primary market remains ofrendas (offerings) to the difuntos (departed) — who must be fed during their brief return to visit with their loved ones.
And, like apron styles, pan de muerto (bread of the dead) varies from village to village, be it sold at a feria, mercado, or neighborhood panadería.
Panadería Yalalag in Oaxaca city.
San Pablo Villa de Mitla.
San Pablo Villa de Mitla.
Mercado, 20 de noviembre, Oaxaca city.
Villa de Zaachila.
Villa de Zaachila.
Villa de Zaachila.
Villa de Zaachila
Villa de Zaachila.
Though my difuntos have departed and my altar has been disassembled, I couldn’t consign my beautiful (but stale) pan de muerto offerings to the garbage can.
Pan de muerto from Yalalag, Mitla, and Zaachila.
So, here they remain in a basket on my counter — until they disintegrate or the hormigas (ants) enjoy a feast.
Feast for the departed
Posted in Agriculture, Celebrations, Culture, Food, Travel & Tourism, tagged Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, farm to table, food, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, tamales, Teotitlán del Valle on November 1, 2018| 8 Comments »
Today, at 3:00 PM in Teotitlán del Valle, as leaves in the mountains and fields rustled, the arrival of the difuntos (departed) was announced with the sound of cohetes (rockets) and church bells. Incense burners were lit and placed in front of ofrendas in each home’s altar room — the smoke and scent of copal helping to guide the spirits home for their yearly twenty-four hour visit.
Tonight they will feast on tamales amarillos — special tamales that are traditionally served three times a year in Teotitlán — in July for the Fiesta de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, in October for the Fiesta de la Virgen del Rosario, and today, November first, in honor of the returning difuntos.
As we have done for many years, blogger buddy Chris and I came to the home of Zacarías Ruiz and Emilia Gonzalez with our offering of pan de muertos and a bottle of mezcal to place on their altar — paying our respects to their difuntos. In turn, we were offered mezcal and cervesas (beer), followed by the aforementioned tamales amarillos.
The tamales were days in the making. Several of the family’s organic free range chickens were sacrificed; corn from their milpa was nixtamalized to make a silky smooth masa; and the ingredients for mole amarillo were toasted, chopped, blended, and boiled. The final preparation began at 3:30 this morning — 250 tamales were assembled, filled, and wrapped in fresh green leaves from their milpa and placed in the steaming pots. The results were to die for!
For me, more than painted faces and parades, this is what makes experiencing Día de los Muertos in Oaxaca so special.
Muertos murals in progress
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged calacas, Catrinas, Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, faces, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, skeletons, skulls, street art, Villa de Zaachila, wall art on October 30, 2018| 4 Comments »
Not all the Día de los Muertos murals in Villa de Zaachila were finished, some were still works in progress…
with ladders and paints standing by…
waiting for their artists to pick up the brush…
or spray can, as the case may be.
I first saw many of the murals in the summer of 2017 and was happy to see they are still intact, albeit some are a little faded. Celebrated by the community, the new murals join the old and become a part of the landscape of the village.
Zaachila calaveras for Leo
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged calacas, Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, skulls, street art, Villa de Zaachila, wall art on October 27, 2018| 2 Comments »
A regalito (little gift) to my calaca and calavera loving grandson from today’s visit to Villa de Zaachila for their first Feria del Pan de Muerto, Mole, Chocolate y Espuma.
From murals along the outer side of the panteón (cemetery) in Villa de Zaachila. Click to enlarge images.
Heartbeat of Oaxaca
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged art, Barrio de Jalatlaco, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, Spray Kings, street art, wall art on October 25, 2018| 11 Comments »
This morning, on the way to my Oaxaca Lending Library cataloging shift (once a librarian, always a librarian), I made a detour through Jalatlaco, where the murals always give one pause.
I was on my way to Clinica Hospital Florencia to check on my 92 year old neighbor who had a pacemaker installed yesterday afternoon (once a nurse, always a nurse).
Like Oaxaca, she is strong…
She is proud…
And, she is back home after only 24 hours and feeling GREAT!!!
Teotitlán, when it rains it pours
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, People, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged dancers, Danza de la Pluma, danzantes, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, rain, Teotitlán del Valle, traditions, Zapotec culture on October 10, 2018| 2 Comments »
Monday afternoon, in the middle of a fiesta at the home of Danza de la Pluma danzante Juan Pablo González Gutiérrez, a torrential downpour came to Teotitlán del Valle.
As I’ve mentioned, rain has been scarce this rainy season — a serious situation for a community that relies on subsistence farming.
So, despite the fact that the dirt road in front of the house became a muddy rushing river and festivities had to be put on hold for awhile as rain blew in through openings in the tented patio, this deluge was good news and people were smiling.
Everyone, including Juan Pablo, waited patiently for the life-giving rain to let up.
It eventually did and he was able to dance.
On a wet patio, surrounded by 100+ proud family members, fellow danzantes, and guests, he performed his solo dance.
Blogger buddy Chris and I felt so incredibly honored to have been invited. It was a truly memorable experience that we will treasure always. Muchisimas gracias to Juan and his family and all the members of the Danza de la Pluma Promesa 2016-18 for being so warm and welcoming to us over the past couple of years. We are going to miss you!
Chiles en nogada, yes!
Posted in Celebrations, Food, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Chiles en Nogada, El Mes de la Patria, Mexican Independence, Mexico, Oaxaca, patriotic decorations, photos, popular travel destinations, Restaurante Catedral on September 30, 2018| 3 Comments »
I returned to Oaxaca very late last night and just in the nick of time. As I previously noted, chiles en nogada is prepared during the month of September — El Mes de la Patria celebrating Mexico’s independence from Spain — and I was keeping my fingers crossed that it would still be available. Thus, today (the LAST day of September) on my way back from Mercado Benito Juárez (a necessary restocking the empty larder shopping trip), when I saw the prominent “chiles en nogada” sign in front of Restaurante Catedral and heard the hostess explain to a small group of tourists that today was the last day they would be serving it, I had to seize the opportunity.
Just color me happily sated by the green, white, and red of the poblano chile stuffed with a special fruit and meat picadillo, blanketed with a smooth slightly sweet walnut sauce, and garnished with parsley and pomegranate seeds. So, mis amig@s (you know who you are) you are off the hook!
Viva Mexico
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Chiles en Nogada, El Mes de la Patria, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Oaxaca, patriotic decorations, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street vendors on September 13, 2018| 8 Comments »
On September 16, Mexico celebrates Día de la Independencia — marking Father Hidalgo’s call to arms (Grito de Dolores) to begin the ten-year war for independence from Spain. However, the entire month of September is El Mes de la Patria (the month of the homeland) and streets and vendor stalls are awash with the green, white, and red of the Mexican flag.
Last week, walking down to Mercado Benito Juárez to pick up a few last-minute regalitos (little gifts) to bring up to family and friends in el norte, within two blocks I saw…
There is even a very yummy green, white, and red patriotic dish that appears in restaurants in September — Chiles en nogada. I’m hoping it will still be on the menu when I return at the end of the month from the el norte trip.
Women of the walls
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged crumbling walls, Mexico, Mexico City, murals, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art, women's faces on September 5, 2018| 6 Comments »
A local’s guide to Mexico City: 10 tips describes a mural project by Aida Mulato and Jóvenes Artesanos to help rehabilitate her Roma neighborhood following the September 2017 earthquakes. According to the article, “The colourful murals celebrate indigenous communities and women, who continue to suffer most from the earthquakes. The project supports the larger goals of Jóvenes Artesanos and gives various support to about 150 artisans with whom Mulato works. With 15 murals painted already, the goal is to create a circuit of 68, representing the country’s indigenous populations.”
What an enlightened and wonderful contrast to the game of cat and mouse, street mural artists have been facing here in Oaxaca for the past few years, where many (including me) have been asking, are Color and culture, unwelcome? However, while they may be more ephemeral than we would wish, artists are still at work on the sides of our own crumbling buildings, and murals still can be found on the walls of Oaxaca.
Enjoy them while you can, they may be gone tomorrow.
Art of books
Posted in Books, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Biblioteca de la Fundación Bustamante Vasconcelos, book art, book sculptures, books, libraries, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on August 29, 2018| 2 Comments »
Open doors always draw the eye; you never know what you will see. Peering through doorway of the Biblioteca de la Fundación Bustamante Vasconcelos, never disappoints. Across the courtyard, seasonal book sculptures can often be seen. Currently, celebrating July’s Guelaguetza, a Tehuana’s bookish hand holds her jicapextle aloft.
Last October, with Día de Muertos coming up, a calavera was a book work in progress, with William Shakespeare playing a bit part.
Guelaguetza 2017 brought a danzante from the Danza de la Pluma — his neck braced by the blue and rather appropriate book, “El Tesoro de Monte Albán.”
There have also been Christmas trees and crosses, so stay tuned. And, if you are in town, stop by the Biblioteca de la Fundación Bustamante Vasconcelos at Labastida 117 (across from the plazuela) — even if there isn’t a book sculpture, there are usually artisans set up in the entrance, and there is always the library to check out, says this librarian.
Dreams of victory
Posted in Creativity, Culture, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged Efedefroy, Jorge Negrete, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, wall art on August 18, 2018| 4 Comments »
I meant to post this during the World Cup. But, for a couple of reasons, you can file this under “the best laid plans of mice and (wo)men.”
On the wall outside the Salon de la Fama cantina (corner of M. Bravo and Porfirio Diaz), artist Efedefroy captured the mashup dreams of Mexican football (soccer) fans. The beloved singer/actor Jorge Negrete, wearing the jersey of El Tri and hoisting the 2018 World Cup. Alas, despite the “María” tattoo (La Virgen? No, probably 3rd wife María Félix), it was not to be.
At long last lluvia!!!
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged garden, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, rain, rainy season on August 10, 2018| 4 Comments »
It’s been a rainy season that “is not” more than “is.” However, tonight around 6:00 PM, I heard the unmistakable sound of rain and looked out the window.
This is incredibly good news for the mostly subsistence farmers in the valley of Oaxaca, as crops have been struggling and reservoirs are low.
The lack of rain has even impacted weavers who rely on plants, rather than chemicals, to dye their yarn.
We have also had a little hail along with continuing thunder and lightning.
Two hours and counting… Giving thanks to Cocijo (Zapotec god of rain, thunder, and lightning) and hoping this isn’t a one hit wonder.
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