Returning home from the trip to el norte, I discovered an animal crossing in the works near my local Pitico.
Thanks to the artist, Waffloide, it’s a jungle out there!
Now I can’t get The Lion Sleeps Tonight out of my head.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Music, Signs, Travel & Tourism, tagged crossing sign, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, The Lion Sleeps Tonight (song), urban art, Waffloide (artist), wall art on June 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Returning home from the trip to el norte, I discovered an animal crossing in the works near my local Pitico.
Thanks to the artist, Waffloide, it’s a jungle out there!
Now I can’t get The Lion Sleeps Tonight out of my head.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, tagged doors, I've Just Seen a Face (song), Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, stickers, street art, urban art, wall art on April 21, 2022| 2 Comments »
Is it just my imagination or is there a face hidden in this entry?
Now I can’t get The Beatles, I’ve Just Seen a Face out of my head. Oh, and now Traffic with Steve Winwood singing Smiling Phases. Yes, I know I’m dating myself, but we had some pretty unforgettable music back in the day!
Posted in Creativity, Culture, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged International Women's Day, Mad In, María Antonieta Chagoya Méndez, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art on March 8, 2022| 2 Comments »
On International Women’s Day, a mural in Barrio de Jalatlaco…
Mural by the Mad In crew celebrating the life of María Antonieta Chagoya Méndez, a lawyer who, among many other notable activities, shared her legal knowledge with civil associations and founded the Rotary Center for Autism Intervention, which served children with special needs.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged artist homage, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, public art, Rufino Tamayo, urban art, Watermelon Man (song) on February 20, 2022| 8 Comments »
Rufino Tamayo’s iconic sandía paintings and the thirtieth anniversary of the Oaxaca painter’s death, provided the inspiration for a tribute to the artist commissioned by promoter and curator, Nancy Mayagoitia. In an homage, thirty artists, all with connections to Oaxaca, interpreted large sculptural watermelon slices. The free public exhibition opened at the end of October 2021 in the Plaza de la Danza and then moved outside Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán adjacent to Oaxaca’s walking street, Macedonio Alcalá — where, as of a few of days ago, it continues to reside.
After working on this blog post, I can’t get “Watermelon Man” by Mongo Santamaria out of my head. The link is from their performance at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. If you want to watch something singularly special and significant, I highly recommend that you to check out Summer of Soul, a 2021 documentary that beautifully chronicles the festival.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Día del Amor y la Amistad, environmentalism, hearts, Mexico, Noel Gómez Lorenzo, Oaxaca, photos, plastic recycling, popular travel destinations, recycling hearts, saving the planet, street art, urban art, Valentine's Day on February 14, 2022| 4 Comments »
In Mexico, Valentine’s Day is known as Día del Amor y la Amistad (Day of Love and Friendship) — a sentiment that honors and celebrates more than just romantic love.
From my heart and home to yours, I wish all my blog readers, ¡Feliz Día del Amor y la Amistad!
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Food, Markets, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged Almú restaurant, Don José Garcia Antonio, Empanada de Amarillo, murals, Ocotlán de Morelos, photos, popular travel destinations, Rodolfo Morales, San Antonino Castillo Velasco, San Martín Tilcajete, street art, Taller Manos Que Ven, urban art, wall art on February 8, 2022| 17 Comments »
Last Thursday my BFF took me on an out-of-the-city birthday excursion. She hired a by-the-hour driver, picked me up a little after 9:00 AM, and off we went. Our first stop was Ocotlán de Morelos and besides wandering through the mercado, we stopped at the Municipal Palace to take in the magnificent murals painted by Rodolfo Morales in 1955 celebrating the four hundredth anniversary of the founding of Ocotlán. The murals, which honor its beauty, bounty, and people take up the entire room, including the ceiling.
Next on the day’s agenda was San Antonino Castillo Velasco. As its murals remind one, this is a town famous for its floral embroidery and empanadas de amarillo. I should add, it is also known for Taller Manos Que Ven, the home and workshop of clay sculpture Don José Garcia Antonio (aka, the Blind Potter) and his lovely wife and inspiration, Doña Teresita de Jesús. We did a little clothes shopping (thank you, Miriam Campos), ate empanadas, and stopped in to say “hola” to the aforementioned, Don José and Doña Teresita — where we also made a couple of purchases.
Our final stop of the day was for comida at the new open air restaurant and vivero (nursery), Almú, set in a reforestation campo (field) in San Martín Tilcajete. Murals throughout the town reflect a village celebrated for its woodcarving and colorful painting of masks and alebrije and where moto taxis (tuk-tuks) are a common form of transportation for locals.
It was a delightful, delicious, and art filled day!
Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged Año Nuevo, art exhibitions, bicycles, Mexico, Nacimiento de navidad, New Year's Eve, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, Templo y Convento de San Francisco de Asís Oaxaca, Teotitlán del Valle, trees, urban art, wall art on December 31, 2021| 14 Comments »
I’m bidding a fond, but with a hint of “good-riddance to bad rubbish,” farewell to 2021. In truth, I’m trying not to view the recent piles of basura (garbage) in the streets and bloqueos (blockades) by the garbage collectors as a metaphor for this past year of pandemic, fires, floods, and general pandemonium in the world.
Long walks around the city sufficed to fill my need to “travel” until the spring when my world expanded — with untold gratitude to scientists for their work in developing vaccines to help protect us from worst case Covid-19 scenarios. After fourteen months, armed with the vaccine, cubrebocas (face masks), caution, and excitement, I began venturing out of the city (even up to el norte twice), spending time with family and friends, and actually attending activities and events in person, not just via Zoom. It was almost, but not quite, like normal — and it was good!
Feliz año nuevo y muchisimas gracias to all my wonderful blog readers for “hanging in” and for your encouraging comments during these challenging times — it means the world to me! May 2022 be kinder to all and bring you peace, joy, and health.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, Teotitlán del Valle, urban art, Virgen de Guadalupe, wall art on December 11, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Tomorrow may be Día de la Virgin de Guadalupe, but she is never far from sight no matter the day or place.