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Posts Tagged ‘popular travel destinations’

New neighbor

Posted in Creativity, Culture, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 25, 2015| 2 Comments »

A nuevo vecino arrived in the neighborhood a few days ago…

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And, I’m guessing, he’s not happy.

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Sounds & sights of Oaxaca

Posted in Churches, Creativity, Culture, Health, People, Tragedy, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 17, 2015| 2 Comments »

Ahhh, it feels good to be back in the warm and wonderful Oaxaca.  There are the sounds…  I awake to church bells, followed by the loudspeaker cry of “Gas de Oaxaca” from the propane vendor.  Last night, as I was heading to bed, rockets exploded and, just now, the camote man’s steam whistle sounded, announcing tooth-achingly sweetened hot sweet potatoes and bananas.  Then there are the sights…

The walls continue to talk…  On Thursday, I saw this on Calle Morelos as I walked to the Alcalá and comida with friends.  It remembers Leonel Castro Abarca, one of the 43 still-missing students from Escuela Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos teachers’ college in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero.

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On the way home from comida, I detoured to see what was to be seen on the zócalo.  Teacher tents remain pitched around the bandstand, but the walkways were free of ambulantes, and, as always, the Cathedral presided over the scene.

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Thursday, the familiar sounds of protest were irresistible.  I grabbed my camera and headed out the front gate to see a massive march by healthcare workers on their way to the Plaza de la Danza.  To be honest, tubas and cohetes would have had me out the door, too!  It was way too quiet in el norte.

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And, what can I say about last night’s sunset from the terrace?

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Naturally, a marmota and pair of monos were waiting on the plaza in front of Santo Domingo this afternoon, awaiting a bride and groom to emerge.  After all, it is Saturday — wedding day in Oaxaca!

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I wonder what my ears will hear and my eyes will see, mañana…

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‘Twas the night before…

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 24, 2014| 6 Comments »

It’s a quiet Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) in my childhood home here in Mill Valley.  There are no sparklers to wave, no nacimiento stands in the town plaza, and no posadas are likely to knock on the front door tonight.  However, there is a fire burning in the fireplace, stockings hang from the mantle, and a Douglas Fir is standing in the living room wearing four generations of family Christmas treasures.

And, visions from Ernie Villarreal’s version of Pancho Claus, by Chicano music legend, Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero, dance in my head.

Pancho Claus

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through la casa
Not a creature was stirring, Caramba! ¿Que pasa?

Los ninos were all tucked away in their camas,
Some in vestidos and some in pajamas.
While Mama worked late in her little cocina,
El viejo was down at the corner cantina.

The stockings were hanging con mucho cuidado,
In hopes that St. Nicholas would feel obligado
To bring all the children, both buenos y malos,
A Nice batch of dulces and other regalos.

Outside in the yard, there arouse such a grito,
That I jumped to my feet, like a frightened cabrito.

I went to the window and looked out afuera,
And who in the world, do you think que era?

Saint Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero
Came dashing along like a crazy bombero!

And pulling his sleigh instead of venados,
Were eight little burros approaching volados.

I watched as they came, and this little hombre
Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre.

¡Ay, Pancho! ¡Ay, Pepe! ¡Ay, Cuca! ¡Ay, Beto!
¡Ay, Chato! ¡¡Ay, Chopo! ¡Maruca and ¡Nieto!

Then standing erect with his hand on his pecho
He flew to the top of our very own techo.
With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea,
He struggled to squeeze down our old chimenea.

Then huffing and puffing, at last in our sala,
With soot smeared all over his red suit de gala.

He filled the stockings with lovely regalos,
For none of the children had been very malos.

Then chuckling aloud and seeming contento,
He turned like a flash and was gone like the viento.

And I heard him exclaim and this is VERDAD,
Merry Christmas to all, And to All ¡Feliz Navidad!

Carlsberg and Stella Artois… What is it about beer and Christmas?

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Guadalupe is everywhere

Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Parks & Plazas, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , on December 12, 2014| 8 Comments »

Today is Guadalupe’s feast day.  This Queen of Mexico, Empress of America, and patron saint of Mexico is being celebrated all over Mexico and, apparently for the first time in Vatican history, today Pope Francis to Say Mass in Honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

In Mexico, it’s not just a one-day event.  Wednesday afternoon, while Chris and I were giving our previously mentioned presentation at the Oaxaca Lending Library, only blocks away festivities began with a religious ceremony at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the side of Llano Park.  It was followed that night with a calenda through the streets of the city.  Yesterday, Guadalupe’s children, the little Juan Diegos and their peasant sisters, were brought by parents (and grandparents) to the Templo de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (at the north end of Llano Park), where they waited patiently in long lines to enter the church to be blessed and then be photographed in “Guadalupe” scenes.

However, on the streets of Oaxaca, Guadalupe is seen everywhere and everyday…

The other big news from Rome, that Oaxaqueños are celebrating, is the Wealth of Oaxaca craft present in the Vatican Museum — a Christmas tree and Nativity scene decorated with artesania crafted by 142 Oaxacan families from 25 municipalities in the state.  The exhibition was inaugurated on December 10 and will run through February 2015 — should you be planning a trip to Italy!

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If you are in town…

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 9, 2014| 7 Comments »

As a background to the December 12, Fiesta a la Virgen de Guadalupe performance of the Danza de la Pluma in Teotitlán del Valle, mañana (Dec. 10, 2014) at 5:00 PM at the Oaxaca Lending Library, Chris (of Oaxaca-The Year After fame) and I are doing a presentation about the Danza de la Pluma in Teotitlán del Valle.

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From the library’s description of the talk, “The Danza de la Pluma or Dance of the Conquistadors is one of the most famous dances performed in Oaxaca.  Join Shannon and Chris for a presentation filled with photos and video of their many times observing and chronicling this beautiful dance.”

Alas, it’s not free.  Besides memberships, presentations like this are what keeps the library afloat.  The cost is 70 pesos for OLL members and 100 pesos for non-members.  Hope to see you there!

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Gluttony thy name is woman

Posted in Churches, Culture, Food, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 30, 2014| 3 Comments »

As if Thursday’s Thanksgiving of 2 turkeys, 2 styles of stuffing, 2 kinds of cranberry sauce, 2 types of potatoes (sweet and garlic mashed), and 2 desserts (pumpkin pie and chocolate cake) weren’t enough….  Believe it or not, Friday night, eating was again on the minds of neighbors (and co-Thanksgiving Day cooks) David and Marilyn and I, as we walked over to the Plaza de la Danza for the kickoff cena (dinner) of Oaxaca’s annual El Saber del Sabor gastronomy festival.

The transformation of the Plaza de la Danza began on Wednesday.

By Friday night’s dinner, it had morphed into an elegant banquet hall, with an open air rotisserie pit.

Fifty traditional cooks from the eight regions of Oaxaca offered guests a sample of the culinary wealth of the state.

The results were dazzling and delicious.  All for only 300 pesos (a little over $20 US)!

On a clear cold night, with the Basílica de la Soledad looming above, there was also mezcal and music to warm body and spirit!

Following Thursday night’s inaugural banquet, the festival moves to Oaxaca’s upscale restaurants and other venues where, along with workshops and lectures, seventeen renowned chefs from around Mexico will be offering specially created gourmet menus.  El Saber del Sabor closes tomorrow afternoon with a tribute to chef Pedro Ortega of Grupo Estoril, accompanied by a comida prepared by Ortega and three other distinguished chefs.  Yummm…  Alas, at 1500 pesos, it’s a little too pricey for me.

In previous years, El Saber del Sabor was held in late August and early September.  I don’t know why this year it was moved to the end of November, but I do know Friday night was a little chilly for an outside venue and, for gringos, it was way too close to Thanksgiving — the gluttony was almost (but not quite) too much!

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Rising and converging

Posted in Buildings, Markets, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »

In the words of Flannery O’Connor, “Everything that rises must converge.”

Knot of many ropes against blue sky

In front of the Catedral Metropolitana de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, the lonas rise and the ropes converge.

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Clown coincidence

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Sports & Recreation, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Remember yesterday’s Thought for the day clowns?  Yikes, I just discovered I’d photographed them two weeks ago outside Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos (baseball stadium) on my way home from the Lluvia de Estrellas charity home run derby and softball game.  Seeing the boy’s San Francisco Giants’ baseball cap, I had to stop them and take a photo.

Mother & son clowns

By the way, I was also wearing my SF Giant’s cap and they got a big kick out of that.  Gotta love this place!

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Thought for the day

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , on November 22, 2014| 2 Comments »

Yesterday morning, I opened the front gate and this is the first sight I saw…

Female & boy clown walking down street

“Life is a comedy to those who think and a tragedy for those who feel.” ― Horace Walpole

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Orchid enchantment

Posted in Flora, Gardens, People, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 13, 2014| 7 Comments »

Yesterday, I walked through an enchanted garden…

Along with about 25+ other people from the Oaxaca Garden Club, I made my way to an orchid garden in San Andrés Huayapam.

What a treasure the privately funded, Orquideario “La Encantada” is!  For owner/gardener/collector, Octavio Gabriel, it is a 40+ year old passion and labor of love — and it shows.

The earthen pathways lead one up and down, through dappled light, along the slopes of a babbling brook.  The orquideario is sanctuary to about 1,200 species of orchids, along with companion epiphytes, ferns, bromeliads, and even a bamboo forest.

Orquideario “La Encantada” is located at the end of a dirt road off to the right, about 1 km beyond the presas (reservoirs), towards the village of San Andrés Huayapam.

The 100 pesos admission fee helps finance the orquideario.  I plan to return!  Octavio Gabriel’s book, Algunas Orquideas de Oaxaca is available to purchase for 350 pesos.

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My new rug!

Posted in Creativity, Culture, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on November 10, 2014| 13 Comments »

When it seems as if we are surrounded by fear, hatred, and violence, it’s good to step back, look around, and remind ourselves that there is also generosity, love, and beauty in this world.  And so I give you my exquisite new mohair tapete (rug), custom woven for me by Antonio Ruiz Gonzalez.  It turned out even more beautiful than I imagined!

Antonio Ruiz Glz. and family standing in front of rug

Here is Antonio (on the left) in front of my new rug with his delightful family, including his brother Sergio (on the right) — from whom I’ve bought several small tapetes.  More about the latter, later!  Should you find yourself in Teotitlán del Valle, do stop by the family workshop (Av. Juárez No. 107), where Antonio, Sergio, and their father Zacarías weave their magic.

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Faces in the crowd

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on November 2, 2014| 2 Comments »

If it’s November 2nd, it must be morning muerteada madness in San Agustín Etla .  A few faces in the crowd from the Barrio San José contingent…

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These guys had been dancing through the streets all night.  Cervesa seemed to be the beverage of choice this morning, though, bottles of clear liquid was also being passed around — and I’m sure it wasn’t  water!

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Had to snap this guy — not only was his makeup gory and great, he topped it off with a San Francisco 49er cap.

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And, then there was this boy…  As with all the traditions here, children observe, learn, and participate at a very young age.

 

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Video mapping Soledad

Posted in Buildings, Churches, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 1, 2014| 8 Comments »

As a treat for residents and visitors during the Muertos festivities, last night and tonight, the City of Oaxaca is presenting, “Manjares de Todos Santos” — a video mapping light and sound show at Santo Domingo de Guzmán and the Basílica de la Soledad.  Last night was a mob scene at Santo Domingo, so we opted for Soledad, where we had a ringside seat.

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¡Espectacular!

Chris, of Oaxaca-The Year After fame, shot video and I will post a link when he gets it uploaded to YouTube.  Update:  And the link is: http://oaxacanyear.blogspot.mx/2014/11/mapping-la-soledad.html

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Independence Day

Posted in Celebrations, History, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 16, 2014| 3 Comments »

Is it cheating to post photos from the 2013 Mexican Independence Day desfile in Oaxaca?  What can I say?  It was raining today and, if it counts for anything, I never got around to posting these photos last year.

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However, I do have some news from this year:  The state police staged a protest and, besides your’s truly, Governor Cue did not attend — and I don’t think it was the rain that stopped him!

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Covered in green, white and red

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

September is El Mes de la Patria in Mexico (the month of the homeland) and green, white, and red decorations have gone up all over the city.  The governor is scheduled to recreate “El Grito” (the Cry of Dolores) from the balcony of the Government Palace at 11 PM on September 15.  The following day, there will be an hour-plus long patriotic parade through the streets of the city celebrating Mexico’s independence from Spain.

Neveria decorated with green, white, and red

Neverías in Jardín Socrates

The teachers’ planton (encampment) on the zócalo expanded again to adjacent streets yesterday, though it is supposed to end by September 9.  Oaxaca is holding her collective breath.

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