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Felicidades Guadalupe

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 12, 2015| 2 Comments »

The bells, bands, and booms have been soundtrack of the city for a week — the virgins are being celebrated!  First in line, on December 8, for chiming church bells, processions, and fireworks was the Virgen de Juquila and third will be Oaxaca’s patron saint, the Virgen de la Soledad on Dec. 18.  However, in between the eighth and eighteenth, all of Mexico honors the Virgin of Guadalupe.   Today, December 12 is her day but, like the others, the festivities began days in advance.

Scenes from last night in front of the Iglesia de Guadalupe in Oaxaca city…

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Now on to Teotitlán de Valle for this afternoon’s Día de Guadalupe performance of the Danza de la Pluma.  We have been told the festivities will last all night, as the community will also be saying “adios” to this group of dancers — their three-year commitment is at an end.  It will be a miracle of the Virgin if we can party hardy until even midnight, but we will give it the old college try!

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Triumph for Tlahuitoltepec

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Textiles, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 9, 2015| 8 Comments »

As I’ve previously written, two separate (and battling) French designers were exposed as plagiarizing the traditional embroidery designs of Santa María Tlahuitoltepec, a village in the mountainous Mixe region of Oaxaca.

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However, at last there is a triumph for the embroiderers and the time-honored motifs handed down from their ancestors and inspired by the land — A Court Rules High-End French Label Doesn’t Own Rights to Indigenous Oaxacan Design.

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The people of Santa María Tlahuitoltepec may not be financially wealthy, but they and their community are rich in culture and pride in their history and traditions.  They are not angling for a monetary settlement — all they want is that their work and designs be recognized and respected.

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While we are on the topic of disrespect of indigenous peoples, we have the recent disgraceful Coca-Cola México advertisement, showing Hipsters Bringing Soda To Indigenous Mexicans — another Mixe village, Totontepec Villa de Morelos.  After an immediate social media campaign challenged the ad, Coca Cola pulled it.  As this teleSUR article details, This New Coca Cola Ad Shows Mexico’s White Savior Problem.  In addition, like the USA, obesity is growing problem here, thus a Reply to Coca-Cola comes in new video by the Alliance for Food Health featuring two Mixe students speaking about the health risks posed by these kinds of “soft drinks” that lack any nutritional value.

By the way, the English language Mexico News Daily is running a poll, asking if you “agree that the controversial Coca-Cola Christmas video was racist or offensive?”  And, I’m appalled that as I write, the results are:  32% yes and 68% no!!!

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Sanez changes the face again

Posted in Creativity, Culture, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , on December 5, 2015|

Artist Fabián Calderón Sánchez (aka, Sanez) has changed the face of the building next to Hotel Azucenas again!

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Located on calle Martiniano Aranda, in the 6-1/2 years I’ve lived in the ‘hood, the front of this building has played host to two previous murals by Sanez.

I’ve been a big fan of his distinctive work and was again captivated by his  creative and powerful use of indigenous imagery.

The mural is signed,  Macuilxochitl Losdelaefe — MTY (Monterrey) – OAX (Oaxaca) – GDL (Guadalajara) – www.sanez.mx – 2015.

Let us hope this doesn’t meet the same fate as other murals in my neighborhood recently have.

 

 

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Music to shop by

Posted in Culture, Music, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , on November 18, 2015| 2 Comments »

Monday, I returned to Oaxaca following a mini-vacation to the state of Jalisco to visit mi amiga J in Ajijic and to attend the annual Feria Maestros del Arte in Chapala.  It’s a nice place to visit, but I must admit, its appeal escapes me.  I guess I’m spoiled by Oaxaca’s countless charms, like today’s “music to shop by” at Mercado Sánchez Pascuas.

Muzak, it most definitely is not!

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Pretty in pink

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Transportation, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 10, 2015| 5 Comments »

Pretty in pink on the streets of Oaxaca…P1140835

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And, this doesn’t even include the pink and lime green of Correos de México (Mexican post office).

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Calacas & calaveras for Leo

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on November 1, 2015| 7 Comments »

This year, around and about Oaxaca during Día de Muertos, especially for my skeleton loving grandson.  (Click on images to enlarge)

Besos y abrazos, Abue. 😉

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Veruche vendor

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Flora, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on October 30, 2015| 4 Comments »

Today I ventured down to Calle de Ignacio Rayón (the block between the Benito Juárez and 20 de Noviembre mercados) to purchase flowers for my Día de Muertos ofrenda (an altar of offerings).  On the list was cockscomb (cresta de gallo or borla de Santa Teresa), marigolds (cempasúchitl), and veruche (also known as flor de muertos).  I wasn’t alone, the sidewalks were crowded with other shoppers in search of the same traditional flowers, fruits, nuts, copal, and other items to place on their ofrendas.

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Veruche is a tiny relative of the marigold that grows wild in the valley of Oaxaca at this time of year.  Yellow was the color of death in southern Mexico, long before the Spanish set foot on the continent and, along with the scent of the flowers and smoke from the candles and copal, it is thought to attract the difuntos (spirits of the dead) to bring them to the ofrendas prepared for them.

Muchisimas gracias to Shawn D. Haley for his informative presentation at the Oaxaca Lending Library on the Zapotec celebration of Día de Muertos.  Needless to say, I also purchased the book he coauthored with photographer Curt Fukuda, The Day of the Dead: When Two Worlds Meet in Oaxaca.

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Visitors are coming…

Posted in Casita Colibrí, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , on October 26, 2015| 2 Comments »

The difuntos (departed) will be returning on November 1 and 2, but it’s the impending arrival of my very-much-alive friends from el norte who have inspired last minute painting and decorating.IMG_0044New outside entrance color to highlight wall hanging from Colima, gifted by my neighbor.

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I miss you, too

Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Museums, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 24, 2015| 14 Comments »

She’s gone…

P1090814_copyAs feared, by order of the government, the beautiful and moving mural by Lapiztola, on the side of Museo Belber Jimenez, has been erased.

P1140922copyOnly her ghost remains.

P1140920 copyI miss her, too.  Color and culture, indeed, seem to be unwelcome.

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Getting ready for Señor del Rayo

Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 21, 2015| 6 Comments »

I love going into Oaxaca’s cathedral at this time of year, when the fragrance of thousands of flowers, especially lilies, perfumes the air.

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The Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is being readied for October 23, the day Oaxaca celebrates Señor del Rayo.

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Like Guelaguetza, Noche de Rabanós (Night of the Radishes), and Día de la Samaritana (Good Samaritan Day), this is an “only in Oaxaca” celebration.

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This carving of Christ on the Cross was brought to Oaxaca during the 16th century and was placed in the temple of San Juan de Dios, a church which had adobe walls and a straw (or possibly wood) roof.

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Legend has it that lightning struck the church and everything was destroyed, save for this figurine.  A miracle!

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The statue became known as Señor del Rayo (Lord of Lightning), was placed in his own chapel (the furthest capilla from the main entrance on the left) in the newly built cathedral, and has been much venerated ever since.

P1140855October 21, in anticipation of his special day, the cathedral is festooned with lilies and Señor del Rayo is moved out of the glass case in his chapel, to the main altar of the cathedral.

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October 22 will be filled with religious and cultural events and at midnight, when the calendar day changes, the cathedral bells will peal and cohetes (rockets) will announce the arrival of Señor del Rayo’s special day.

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In honor of His day, on October 23, there will more spiritual and cultural festivities, culminating in a castillo and fireworks.

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As the color and scent of the lilies fade, on October 24 Señor del Rayo will be returned to his chapel.

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The end of eleven days of festivities celebrating Señor del Rayo.

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Art of agave

Posted in Agriculture, Culture, Flora, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on October 18, 2015| 3 Comments »

Before a “suspendida” order is slapped on this stunning piece by the Lapiztola collective celebrating the human face of agave cultivation, here is another moving work of art for the people, seen on Tinoco y Palacio on the wall of Piedra Lumbre, near the Sanchez Pascuas mercado.  It tells a story…

P1140381The wisdom of cultivation handed down from generation to generation.

P1140382From the agave comes mezcal.

P1140382lgThere are 199 “recognized” species of agave.  How many can be used to make mezcal?  The Mezcal PhD explores the answer.  And, for an illustrated guide to many of the more popular varietals, click The Many Varieties of Mezcal.

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Galaxy of gastronomy

Posted in Culture, Food, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 11, 2015| 2 Comments »

Can you believe it?  It seemed that no sooner had last month’s Oaxaca Sabe culinary adventure concluded, than the seventh annual Saber del Sabor: Festival Gastronómico 2015 kicked off.  This past Friday, the Plaza de la Danza was tented and decorated for a buffet dinner prepared by cooks from the eight regions of the state of Oaxaca.

For only 300 pesos (approximate $18.50), one could feast on a mind-blowing and waist-expanding galaxy of gastronomic delights.

Menu inauguacion Saber del saborThe dinner seeks to recognize and promote Oaxaca’s traditional cuisine.  Always a highlight are the maestros of barbacoa, who brave blistering heat and eye-stinging smoke as they turn and tend the spit-roasted piglets, lambs, and chickens.   Alas, this year by 8 PM the line was too long and I elected to miss these always succulent and mouth-watering delights.  However, I was in no danger of starving!

1:15 PM – skewers hoisted onto the makeshift barbecue
6:56 PM – another hour of roasting left

Of course, the chefs were the stars of the show and young and old alike savored their creations.

This year El Saber del Sabor is honoring two regional chefs:  Young chef, Ixchel Ornelas from Tlaxiaco, in the Mixteca Alta region of Oaxaca and Teotitlán del Valle’s own, Abigail Mendoza, who has done so much to promote and bring respect for Oaxaca’s traditional indigenous methods and flavors.

The festival continues with lectures, workshops, and gourmet meals prepared in the kitchens of Oaxaca’s top restaurants by celebrated chefs from all over Mexico — as well as a couple from Spain and the USA.

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Rosario’s Castle

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 6, 2015| 4 Comments »

Festival fireworks in Oaxaca are usually 3-part affairs, consisting of toritos (little bulls) and/or canastas (baskets) wired with fireworks and worn on top of the head by daring-do guys (toritos) and gals (canastas).  This is followed by a castillo (castle) and then the more familiar rockets-exploding-in-the-sky fireworks most of us have craned our necks and oooh-ed and ahhh-ed over since childhood.  Sometimes the order of the latter two is reversed.

The subject of today’s blog post is the castillo that was constructed and executed this past Saturday by “los maestros pirotécnicos los C. Rigoberto y Dagoberto Morales” for the festival in honor of the  Santisima Virgen del Rosario (Sainted Virgin of the Rosary) in Teotitlán del Valle.  They and their crew went about the business of constructing and wiring this “Erector Set” type castillo out of wood and carrizo in the church courtyard.

I couldn’t resist playing with the saturation on this photo.  In my mind’s eye, this is the way it looked.IMG_9957satAnd, de-saturating this one against the backdrop of El Picacho, the sacred mountain that watches over the village.IMG_9994b&wThe result of the work by these maestros and their crew?  A spectacular castillo, accompanied by the band, Herencia Musical.  It was quite a show!!!

And, if you want to see some inside action from a torito, check out the video Chris made, Torito Danza – Dancing with Fireworks.  He actually attached a POV (Point of View) camera to the torito!!!

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Shift change, marmota style

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 3, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday, we slowly but surely wound our way around a major blockade and made our way 20 miles southeast of the city to Tlacolula de Matamoros.  The reason for our tenacity?  Their calenda (parade) in honor of la Virgen del Rosario (Virgin of the Rosary) was happening.  A major feature, not to mention highlight, of Tlacolula festivals are the marmotas.IMG_9781

Little boys begin by carrying little marmotas; big boys carry big marmotas; and men carry gigantic marmotas.  As for the latter, the guys definitely must rely on a little help from their friends.

IMG_9824Time for change of shift…

IMG_9825New guy is helped into position.

IMG_9827That didn’t last long…

IMG_9829Time for another shift change.

IMG_9833All right!!!

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Ending at the beginning

Posted in Culture, Food, People, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 28, 2015| 8 Comments »

Yesterday, we ended our Oaxaca Sabe journey at Origen, the creation of celebrated owner/chef, Rodolfo Castellanos.  P1140365 Here, we had a choice between three items for each course.  Hmmm, we should have invited a third person to join us!  I began with a salad filled with tiny wild and incredibly flavorful mushrooms.  The combination of textures and flavors was brilliant.

Ensalada de hongos serranos, toronja , pepitas y manzanita criolla (Wild mushroom salad, grapefruit, local apple puree and pumpkin seeds)

Ensalada de hongos serranos, toronja, pepitas y manzanita criolla (Wild mushroom salad, grapefruit, local apple puree and pumpkin seeds)

Though the spaghetti and meatballs tempted me (who wouldn’t want to see what a renown Mexican chef does with this Italian/American classic), Chris took care of that.  Besides, I’d already decided on pozole, a Mexican comfort food that dates back to Pre-Hispanic days.  And, it was sublime!

Pozole verde de pescado (Fish of the day in green pozole)

Pozole verde de pescado (Fish of the day in green hominy soup)

My dessert wasn’t very photogenic but it tasted divine and those meringue wafers melted in the mouth.

Sopa fría de durazno, espumoso, merengue y yogurt (Chilled peach soup, fresh fruit, meringue wafers and frozen yogurt)

Sopa fría de durazno, espumoso, merengue y yogurt (Chilled peach soup, fresh fruit, meringue wafers and frozen yogurt)

We were seated upstairs in a light and airy dining room at a table affording a view of the comings and goings along Avenida Miguel Hidalgo.

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Origen provided a lovely and delectable conclusion to our journey through Oaxaca city’s finer dining scene for only 250 pesos (US $14.62) per meal, including beverage.  Now, when asked, I have more restaurant recommendations to give — and that’s what restaurant week is all about!

However, I’m looking forward to getting back to the mercados and street food.  ¡Buen provecho a tod@s!

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