Super Bowl madness in the Bay Area. Can’t find any San Francisco 49er-Oaxaca connection, except scores of fanáticos. So, here’s a little red and gold from the walls of Oaxaca…
¡Vamos Niners!
Posts Tagged ‘popular travel destinations’
Vamos Niners!
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Sports & Recreation, Travel & Tourism, tagged football, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, red and gold, San Francisco 49ers, sports, street art, Super Bowl, urban art, wall art on February 3, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Getting from there to here
Posted in Buildings, Challenges, Food, Renovation, Restaurants, Transportation, Travel & Tourism, tagged airport shuttle, airports, convenience stores, Mexico, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Xoxocotlan International Airport, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Transporte Terrestre on January 30, 2013| 4 Comments »
After the 3-day moving adventure, Monday morning I walked down to the Transporte Terrestre office (next to Oaxaca’s Post Office, across the Alameda from the Cathedral) to buy an airport shuttle ticket for my Tuesday morning, bordering on crack-of-dawn, flight to California. At 55 pesos (less than $4.50 US) from my apartment in the Centro Histórico (more outside the historic district), it’s a bargain.
The driver pulled up at 6 AM on the dot. Unfortunately, instead of ringing my buzzer, he began banging on the massive iron front gate and shouting, thereby waking my neighbors with apartments closer to the gate. Then, of course, there was the fact that, in my physically and (apparently) mentally exhausted state the night before, I’d set my alarm for the wrong time, and had only awakened 20 minutes before his noisy arrival. So, with teeth brushed but no shower, no make-up, and probably irritated neighbors, I set off for el norte. This trip was not off to a promising start!
The other two passengers and I were dropped off at the Oaxaca Xoxocotlán International Airport’s new departure terminal. Modern, light, airy, signs and announcements in Spanish and English, mezcal and gift shops (but no food!) — everything’s up-to-date in Oaxaca’s new departure terminal.
However, one still must walk outside to get to the old terminal (now dedicated to arrivals) where the only bathrooms, before going through security, are located — a minor hiccup for passengers, but a major inconvenience for airport staff! Renovation connecting the two terminals is in the works.
There were only a couple of other people lined up at United’s desk and my turn came in less than 5 minutes. Hoisting my suitcase up on the scale, handing over my passport and flight information, I was prepared to be on my way through security in no time.
Dream on… for some unexplained reason, the United customer service agent did not like what she saw when she ran my passport through the scanner. Conversation with the other agent, calls to a superior (who I could see standing in a doorway on the second floor balcony), more computer input and passport scanning, and the line behind me began growing. Did I mention, this trip was not off to a promising start?
After twenty minutes, whatever problem my passport possessed was miraculously unraveled and I was on my way through security. It was at this point, ravenously hungry, I began silently chanting to the cocina goddess, that a food stall or at least the convenience store would be open. In September (my first experience with the new terminal) I sat, with stomach grumbling, at my gate for an hour before the convenience store opened its doors.
This time around, I and other early morning passengers were in luck — various puestos were open to satisfy hunger pangs, snack food cravings, and caffeine withdrawal. I opted for a generous and delicious cup of coffee and a ham and quesillo torta, topped with tomato, avocado, chile pepper, and lettuce — filling and yummy.
With a happily satisfied stomach, I walked out into Oaxaca’s warm winter morning air, boarded the little Embraer, and, after a brief delay on the tarmac (mechanical difficulty rapidly solved), we took off into the wild (and clear) blue yonder. Circling twice over the city to gain altitude, the pilot provided us with a couple of bird’s-eye views of Monte Albán and the newly opened Atzompa archeological sites. Not a bad beginning, after all — the journey northward was definitely looking up!
In the meantime, graffiti
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged artists, arts, graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art on January 21, 2013| 2 Comments »
The packing begins — this is “big move” week. In the meantime, a little more graffiti…
… from under the fútbol (soccer) stadium.
Moving… Yo, ma!
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, Travel & Tourism, tagged art, Ma (yo) en Oaxaca, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, public art on January 9, 2013| 3 Comments »
I’m moving in a few weeks… not far… just across the driveway… so much to do… so many details to deal with. And, how in the world did I accumulate SO much “stuff” in such a small apartment in only 3-1/2 years??!!!
My sentiments, exactly!
*** Photos are of an art installation on the sidewalk of M. Bravo during the Ma(yo) en Oaxaca 2012.
Oaxaca kids, Gangnam style
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Music, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged Día de Reyes, El Día De Los Reyes Magos, entertainment, festivals, Gangnam style, luchadores, Mexico, Oaxaca, Plaza de la Danza, popular travel destinations, Rosca de Reyes, Three Kings Day, video on January 7, 2013| 3 Comments »
Early Saturday evening, the Plaza de la Danza played host to the Festival Día de Reyes, an event to delight and distribute a kilometer of donated toys to disadvantaged children. The Kings had kids and their parents seeing double.
Lines began forming two hours in advance to be up-front and close to the stage, all the better to be chosen to participate in the games and entertainment that was also part of the festivities.
To the delight of the crowd, three luchadores took the stage to recruit contestants for a mystery contest.
The music came up and Oaxaca’s kids began going, “Gangnam Style” — albeit, some more enthusiastically than others — and all got prizes.
Psy may have sung and danced his last “Gangnam Style” on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, however, it remains alive and well in Oaxaca!
According to this morning’s Noticias, 6,500 toys (donated by citizens, city government entities, foundations, and businesses) were given to each child present and all received a piece of rosca de Reyes.
As they say, a good time was had by all!
Kings and kids
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Food, Holidays, Parks & Plazas, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged carnival rides, Día de Reyes, Epiphany, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Rosca de Reyes, Three Kings Day on January 6, 2013| 1 Comment »
Today, Mexico is celebrating Día de Reyes (aka, Three Kings Day and Epiphany). It is this morning, not Christmas, that children wake up to find gifts brought during the night not by Santa Claus, but by the Magi.
Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltazar have had plenty of time and places to shop. Several days before December 25, in the aisles of my local supermarket, toys had already replaced Christmas decorations. Llano Park was turned into Oaxaca’s version of a pop-up Toys R Us. Puestos (stalls) filled the park, selling everything from dolls to sports equipment, balloons to books, and even something for the family dog. There were (dicey looking) carnival rides and food stalls offering the usual bounty of street food and the traditional Rosca de Reyes.
And, that’s not all! Early last night, there was a giant festival in the Plaza de la Danza, to entertain and distribute a kilometer of donated toys to disadvantaged children. Stay tuned…
Teotitlán del Valle, unplugged
Posted in Churches, Environment, Geography, Nature & Science, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged El Picacho, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, Teotitlán del Valle on January 4, 2013| 4 Comments »
No Danza de la Pluma, no convite, no patronal festival. The Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo in Teotitlán del Valle on an ordinary day…
El Picacho up close and personal…
And, the hills where my young Zapotec friend, Sam, “grew up… looking after [his] crazy goats!” He is currently finishing a PhD in Sustainable Manufacturing at the University of Liverpool. I see a connection.
Even unplugged, the hills were alive with the sound of music — a banda could be heard in the distance — a Teotitlán del Valle soundtrack.
Soledad pulling an all-nighter
Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Food, Holidays, Parks & Plazas, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Basilica de la Soledad, brooms, escobas de otate, food, Mexico, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, Oaxaca, Patrona de los Oaxaqueños, photographs, photos, Plaza de la Danza, popular travel destinations, Queen of Oaxaca, twig brooms, Virgen de La Soledad, Virgin of Solitude on December 20, 2012| 5 Comments »
As yesterday’s post reported, fireworks late Monday night heralded the feast day of La Virgen de la Soledad, the patron saint of Oaxaca. 
However, that was far from the end of the nocturnal tale. At the stroke of midnight, only an hour after the snaps, crackles, and pops had ended, and when I had finally drifted off to sleep, the bells of the Basilica began a frenzied pealing. They were immediately joined by repeated rocket explosions, and the unmistakable sounds of a tuna band; at 2 AM bells, rockets, and mariachis; at 4 AM more bells, rockets, music, AND a procession winding its way through the streets of the city; its sounds ebbing and flowing for almost two hours.
At 6 AM, I gave up attempting sleep, threw on jeans, shoes, and a sweatshirt (didn’t even bother to wash my face or brush my teeth — don’t tell anybody), grabbed my camera, and headed over to the Basilica. What a sight!!!
The Plaza de la Danza was covered with food stalls offering barbacoa, molotes, empanadas, tacos, buñuelas, hot chocolate, breads, and pastries — the best of Oaxaca street food. And, they were all open!
On the Basilica’s plaza, the Banda Auténticos (from San Andrés Huayapam) was playing…
Dancers were dancing…
People were just waking up…
Vendors were selling roses and bouquets of herbs…
And, ubiquitous twig brooms (escobas de otate) waited to sweep-up the detritus from Soledad and friends pulling an all-nighter.
After a breakfast of barbacoa (chivo) and hot chocolate, I walked back home. Sleep deprived or not, it was a great morning!
Hark! the herald fireworks explode
Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Basilica de la Soledad, fireworks, fuegos artificiales, Mexico, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, Oaxaca, Patrona de los Oaxaqueños, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Queen of Oaxaca, Virgen de La Soledad, Virgin of Solitude on December 18, 2012| 8 Comments »
Today, Oaxaca’s patron saint, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, is having her day. Well, that’s not quite accurate, as she has been enjoying ten days of celebrations. However, December 18 is THE Día de la Festividad. So, no surprise, last night around 10:30, from the plaza of the Basílica de la Soledad, the booms and bangs of fireworks and crackles and hisses of a castillo, sounded to herald the upcoming day.
Only a block (as the crow flies) from the action, how lucky am I to have a ringside seat??!!!
The feminine touch
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged art, artists, arts, graffiti, graffiti artists, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, PINK, popular travel destinations, street art, wall art on December 16, 2012| 2 Comments »
Yesterday was just what the doctor ordered. On a long walk with best friend: a quinceañera, Christmas piñatas, a wedding, chickens roasting, and fanciful graffiti under the fútbol (soccer) stadium… these with a decidedly feminine touch. Love the incongruity!
An interview with one of Oaxaca’s female graffiti artists, PINK, can be found here (in English and Spanish).
Calenda of clowns; parade of payasos
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged clowns payasos, comedy, Día Internacional del Payaso, entertainment, International Day of the Clown, Mexico, Oaxaca, Plaza de la Danza, popular travel destinations on December 11, 2012| 6 Comments »
Where are the clowns?
Quick, send in the clowns.
Don’t bother, they’re here.*
Plaza de la Danza, Oaxaca, December 10 — Día Internacional del Payaso (International Day of the Clown). Gracias, Universidad José Vasconcelos.
If, like me, you suffer from coulrophobia (fear of clowns), Oaxaca is a great place for a little immersion therapy. Clowns are seen everywhere and everyday; waiting for the bus, walking their kids to school, as well as performing in parks and plazas. Not so scary anymore!
* Send in the Clowns by Stephen Sondheim
Hitchin’ a ride
Posted in Culture, Signs, Travel & Tourism, tagged cars, Jaguar automobile, Mexico, Oaxaca, photograghs, photos, popular travel destinations, street signs, transportation on December 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Going my way?
Is there gas in the car?
Yes, there’s gas in the car.
Get your motor runnin’.
Hitchin’ a ride on the class divide.
Lo-fi, Oaxaca style
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Music, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged festivals, Low-Fi, Mexico, music, Oaxaca, Plaza del Carmen Alto, popular travel destinations, Sexto Low-Fi 2012, Virgen de Juquila on December 9, 2012| 1 Comment »
Riotous clanging from Soledad’s bell towers at 4:45 AM yesterday rudely interrupted a peaceful sleep. Explosions of cohetes and other church bells soon joined the morning’s 2-hour long Virgen de Juquila soundtrack. Chimes, rockets, loudspeakers announcing the presence of the water and gas vendors, fried plantain wagon steam-whistles, horns honking, bus gears grinding, and booming base emanating from open car windows; it’s all part of the cacophony one comes to know and love when living in Mexico.
And, then there is the music… Looking for signs of Juquila yesterday (with all that noise, I figured there must be something going on), I stumbled upon the Sexto Festival Low-Fi 2012. (Fyi: sexto = 6th, in case you were wondering.)
There were vendors…
This definitely didn’t have anything to do with virgins!
This was a music festival that almost didn’t happen. According to event promoter, Thorvalo Pazos Hoga, they were initially denied a permit, “on the grounds of religious and traditional festivals that are celebrated in the month of December in the city.” A silly argument, was his response.
I arrived in the early afternoon and fanaticos (love that word for fans!) were just beginning to gather at the Plaza del Carmen Alto. Ska, hip hop, heavy metal, rock, electronic music, and more would be adding to Oaxaca’s soundtrack until 11 PM.
Yes, we have no marimbas; the music was not your grandparents’ sones and jarabes. The bands had names like: K-OS Party, Cayune, Pichancha, Rekto de Cerdo, Dr. Jekill y Mr. Hyde, Herpes, Coito Violento, Forever, and Survival. Probably not even your parents’ music!
Oaxacan graphic artists designed the stage set. Love how they re-imagined the traditional Navidad piñata.
Playing with the zoom
Posted in Buildings, Churches, Geography, Neighborhoods, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged churches, iglesias, Mexico, mountains, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Templo del Carmen Alto on December 5, 2012| 2 Comments »
Walking home today…
Besides walls of street art (which will no doubt appear here when inspiration hits or I can’t think of anything else to post), I came across this view.
View of Templo del Carmen Alto from Crespo, near the Escaleras del Fortín.
There is beauty out there…
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