me encanta Oaxaca

my favorite comida corrida

2009-01-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

probably my favorite comida corrida in Oaxaca (I say probably because there are a lot of very good options)

my new friend

2008-12-07T17:24:00.001-08:00

I met a new friend in Oaxaca, well not completely new, we had a chance to do some hiking together during my last trip in March 08, but got a chance to do more walking/hiking/traveling together on this trip. I really enjoyed her company, and she is one of the few people who can keep up with my walking pace. We are "twins" in that we both wear identical orthopedic devices in our shoes for our plantar faciitis. She was really fun to hang out with, and I want to travel/visit with her sometime in 09.

name that saint!

2008-11-24T13:58:00.000-08:00

name that saint, prize for the first person who names than all....

( Ok J.M. I need your help on these saints... well with maybe one exception.)

the childrens Day of revolution parade

2008-11-24T13:15:00.000-08:00

I think the nino with the black mustache and black suit is

Francisco Ignacio Madero was a politician and revolutionary who served as President of Mexico from 1911 to 1913. He was deposed and executed by the Porfirista military. His assassination was followed by the most violent period of the revolution (1913-1917) until the Constitution of 1917 and revolutionary president Venustiano Carranza achieved some degree of stability.

And I think the slightly chubby guy in the sombrero and crossed ammo belts is Pancho Villa. Francisco or "Pancho" Villa, who at the age of 16 he shot an older man, the son of a big landowner. He lived as an as an outlaw but eventually joined the army eventually becoming commander of the División del Norte (Division of the North). He he was not accepted into the "pantheon" of national heroes until some twenty years after his death, today his memory is honored.

In 1916 he raided Columbus, New Mexico. This act provoked the unsuccessful Expedition commanded by General John J. Pershing which failed to capture Villa after a year in pursuit. Villa's command was noted for the speed of its movement of troops by railroad and the use of an elite cavalry unit called Los dorados "the golden ones" . He was considered quite brillant in his command. I have seen this poster numerous times, but I do not know if it is authentic or was created later.

And the girls, of course, just follow the men and have babies......

Zapata vive! (Zapata lives)

2008-11-24T12:52:00.000-08:00

One of the characters that always appears in the children´s parade on the Day of the Revolution, Nov. 20 is EMILIANO ZAPATA.
Born August 8, 1879, he was a small farmer who did not own the land he worked.

At that time, Mexico was ruled by a dictatorship under Porfirio Díaz, who had seized power in 1876. The social system of the time in the country consisted of large landed estates (haciendas) controlling more and more of the land and squeezing out the independent communities of the indigenous and mestizos, who were being forced into debt slavery on the haciendas.

During the years of the Mexican revoution, 1910 -1919, Zapata formed and commanded an important revolutionary force, the Liberation Army of the South. Zapata fought for for land and liberty, he campaigned for the restoration of village lands confiscated by the large estates. His slogan was "Tierra y Libertad." His Plan of Ayala which called for the seizure of all foreign owned land, all land taken from villages, confiscation of one-third of all land held by "friendly" hacendados. On April 10, 1919, Zapata was tricked into a meeting with one of Carranza's generals. The meeting was a trap, and Zapata was killed as he arrived at the meeting.

There is a modern group of campesinos in Chiapas who call them Zapatistas after Zapata, mostly because they want land and autonomy for the indigenous villages in parts of Chiapas.

Triquis.

2008-11-24T12:22:00.000-08:00

The Triquis are an indigenous group that seems to be able to maintain their traditional dress and their language. Their very distinctive long red huiples (dress)makes them stand out. Their traditional homelands are in western Oaxaca, I took these photos in Tlaxiaco, about 2.5 hours west of Oaxaca city. But there are also Triqui women, still wearing their bright red huiples here in Oaxaca. The women are often involved in weaving and selling all sorts of textiles. I have heard that many of the Triquis now living in Oaxaca are women who have had to live their homes because of abuse and/or non support by their husbands. This fits with I have observed, very rarely does one see a man helping or accompanying these women as they go about their small businesses.

I met an interesting person when I was in Oaxaca last March who was doing some research on the Triquis. You can read some of her observtions here

buying and selling in Huatla

2008-11-24T08:35:00.001-08:00

The first picture is of a copper coffee cascara (outer skin of the coffee bean fruit), I include it because you can still find copper machine parts here, because it shows that the growing of coffee on small farms is an important part of the economy here, and lastly, because my brother at Dark Hollow Micro Roasters, might be interested.

This is how you can buy chickens, select the one you want and the seller pokes an airhole, puts in some cracked corn and places the chick in a plastic bag, might sound cruel, but remember this chick gets to live out his days running around outside, instead of living on a factory farm.
and lastly, saddles and sombreros are basic items sold here.

Huatla mercado

2008-11-24T07:57:00.000-08:00

from the mercado in Huatla de Jimenez high in the Sierra Mazateca.
In the market, which draws people from remote villages even higher in the mountains, you can still hear the Mazateca language being spoken. To my uneducated ears the idioma sounds somewhat like the Chinese I hear spoken in our local Chinese restaurant, even though I am sure that linguistically not at all realated.

Photo notes:
hot chilie peppers (as a general rule, the smaller the pepper the hotter the flavor) and the young ear and stalk of a kind of corn they grow in this region.
Gardenias (not for food), a kind of plam nut that is prepared by cooking in bananna leaves and then eaten with goat barbacoa, and the red substance is achoite paste(comination of crushed achiote seed, vinegar, salt, garlic and spices which is typically formed into a small block. The paste is then diluted and added to stews or used as a rub for meats. ) I saw the achoite trees growing all along the roadside on the way to this town, the photo is of the seed pods. In Oacxaca, the plant is also used as a dye for rugs and textiles, however, cochinilla is used more often for the red color.
the picuture of what looks like green peas is acutally a type of coffee plant, I was told that the beans are cooked and eaten
calla lilies, beans, peppers.
and just to remind you that this is the village of Maria Sabina, the legendary Mazatec female shaman.

we hope....in Huatula

2008-11-20T10:30:00.001-08:00

another part of the mural in the town hall

roughly translated it says

It is hoped (we hope) that the grandparents (old ones) never lose the eyes of children(Maria Sabina called the mushrooms the holy children)...those ancient ones that cure.

It is hoped that the gods do not stop talking with them, in order that the poetry remains in our hearts.

It is hoped that the sacriface that is made in each ceremony is seen as compensation with a change in attitude in every one of us.

It is hoped that you (the god(s) (the mushrooms as the embodiment of the gods?)will understand us and listen in order to connect us in this time to learn on earth.

Note.. planeta escuela is literally translated as¨ school of the planet¨ but I think in context in means more like our time on earth to learn)

We hope that the grandparents (old ones )live a thousand years in the heart of the mountains....

We hope that the home of the eagle never disappears.

Note...the word ¨nido¨ is not common but in various translations it can mean a sort of home or in some contexts it can mean a panel of embroderidy, which I think is interesting because a very common motif in the embrodery is an eagle.

Waldo..found in Huautla, Oaxaca

2008-11-20T10:30:00.000-08:00

Remember when everyone was trying to find Waldo?

well, he is here running a bar in this very remote Mexican town high in the Sierra Mazateca.

We think he had too many mushrooms and could not remember how to find his way out.

The fascinating mushroom is part of a panel from the am

amazing mural in the town hall.

Maria Sabina

2008-11-20T10:20:00.000-08:00

All of the pictures you see are from the amazing mural in the town hall.

María Sabina García (1888 - November 23, 1985) was a Mazatec medicine woman.

Sabina was the first contemporary Mexican curandera to allow Westerners to see a partake in a healing vigil in which the psilocybe mushroom is used as a sacrament to open the gates of the mind. This ritual is seen as a purification and as a communion with the sacred and the later use of the mushrooms as less sacred or even for recreation was seen as a terrible sacrilege.
Maria Sabina had visions on the "little saints" that someone (Wasson) was coming and would take the tradition to the world after 500 years of secrecy under Spanish rule. As a result of that action, giving the secrets of the "little saints" to outsiders, her son was murdered and her house burned to the ground. During the later years of her life she lamented that "the power of the sacrament had been lost in the clouds," and ending up speaking English instead of the Mazatec. She lived to age 91, passing away on November 22, 1985.
In 1955, ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson visited her hometown of Huautla de Jimenez, Oaxaca, and brought spores of the fungus, which he identified as Psilocybe mexicana to Europe where the fungus was cultivated its active ingredient was later duplicated as the chemical psilocybin in the laboratory by Albert Hofmann in 1958.
American youth began seeking out Sabina and the "holy children" as early as 1962, and in the years that followed, thousands of counterculture mushroom seekers, scientists, and others arrived in the Sierra Mazateca. Sabina cultivated relationships with several of them, including Wasson, who became something of a friend. It is rumored, that many important 60s celebrities visited María Sabina, including rock stars such as Bob Dylan and John Lennon.
Eventually the lack of respect for the sacred and traditional purposes caused Sabina to say that she felt that the ceremony of the mushrooms had been desecrated and polluted by the hedonistic use: "From the moment the foreigners arrived, the 'holy children' lost their purity. They lost their force, they ruined them. Henceforth they will no longer work. There is no remedy for it."

Yeah for the ancient traditions (older than the Catholics)

2008-11-19T17:04:00.000-08:00

compare and contrast.....The mural in the town hall, the church, and the venders
As J. says....the Mexicans are not really Catholic....
Here are pictures of the church in Huautla de Jimenez (a Mazatec high in the mountains of N. Oaxaca)
Preparing for a fiesta in the church (the virgin of Candelaria, I think)
Venders selling all that is needed for the ceremony, copal (a resin used for many thousands of years by all the indigenous peoples of Mexico) cacao beans (chocolate beans), candles, bark paper for writing sacred words, candles, and eggs (represents the soul, spirit, and the eternal cycle of life)

Oaxaca¨´s virgin de Soledad

2008-11-19T16:21:00.001-08:00

w

(the first two pictures are in the cathedral and the third is outside and shows those stubborn mules that are part of the story of why this virgin is in Oaxaca)
The most famous Virgin in Mexico, is of course, the virgin of Guadalupe, but there are many more. The state of Oaxaca has several. In the city of Oaxaca, the Virgin of Soledad has her own cathedral, and of course, her own set of miracles.
Here is the legend, from this web site, if you want to read more

In 1620 a mule train camped outside the city of Oaxaca discovered an extra mule which did not belong to anyone in the group. The mule refused to move and when prodded rolled over and died. When the pack it carried was opened, it was found to contain the statue of the Virgin of Soledad. Taking this as a sign from heaven,a church was built and later basilica which stands today on the spot where the statue first appeared. The statue was clothed in luxurious velvet robes embroidered with gold and pearls and wore a golden crown, much as you see her now in the Basilica.
Because of this miraculous selection of Oaxaca by the Virgin she became the parton saint.
The Virgin had a number of other robes, jewels and golden crowns. Several years ago, there was a robbery of some of the Virgin's jewels. The patroness of Oaxaca still has a crown and a number of beautiful robes.

Mi nuevo amigo

2008-11-18T12:28:00.000-08:00

Aqui esta un foto de mi nuevo amigo. Yo creo que el es guapo y tambien intelligente.
(Here is a photo of my new friend. I think he is handsome and intelligent)
Su nombre es Antonio y el es un estudiante a Learning Center. Tambien, Antonio trabaja muy duro en la escuela. El hace daysayuno y limpia los cuartos perfectamente.
(His name is Antonio and he is a student in the Learning Center. Also, Antonio works very hard in the center. He makes breakfast and cleans the rooms perfectly.

Predigo que él será muy exitoso en su vida.
( I predict that Antonie will be very successful in his life)

Market day in Zachilla

2008-11-18T08:40:00.000-08:00

Notes on the photos:

By the way, if you object to the treatment of animals in this market, please educate yourself on the reality of that plastic wrapped chicken or turkey you buy in the grocery store, also know that these chickens, turkeys and ducks lived outside and were free to forage for bugs and free to eat the corn they were given in the fresh and open air until the day they were brought to maket

In the first picture the woman is selling atole a drink make made with masa(corn meal) and sweetened with cinnamon and brown sugar.
I do not know what kind of edible flowers are displayed in the second picture, but I was told they were sweet. and the last picture is the lime seller, the reason for the lime is explaned below.

The cultivation of corn from its original ancestor, a wild grass from southern Mexico called teosinte,which still grows here and is does not look like any corn we know today happened first in the valley of Oaxaca. The many different varietes of corn one can see in the mercados attest to the complex and ancient creation of different colors and types, used for different types of cooking. The discovery that using lime with the corn to release the nutritents and the fact that beans with corn make a complete protien is one of greatest discoveries in the history of the world.

Some estimates say that there may be over 85,000 varieties of corn unique to Oaxaca. This represents perhaps the greatest diversity of any known crop in the world.

However, when maize is the dominant food there is a problem because corn lacks niacin. A lack of niacin causes pellagra, a chronic disease caused by a deficiency of niacin. Pellagra can also be avoided by eating corn in the form of tortillas. This ancient tradition of the Mesoamericans requires corn grains to be boiled with an alkaline substance, which in Mexico is lime. So in every mercado you see the ladies selling lime to be used in cooking corn to make tortillas.

Zaachila, pueblito near Oaxaca

2008-11-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

A large unexplored (Zapotec)pyramid mound sits near the center of the town. The history of the pre-hispanic city is unclear. One theory is that the site flourished 1100 and 1521 A.D.. .

The full extent of the ancient city is not known either, most mounds have inhabited structurs on them and no move has been made to excavate. What mysteries remain about this culture!

and even more colores, de Tlaccotalpan, Veracruz

2008-11-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

colores de Tlacotalpan (in Veracruz state)

2008-11-17T13:35:00.000-08:00

Amazing the many color schemes the people have chosen for the houses here.

seeds....or packages

2008-11-16T17:49:00.000-08:00

I found these seeds that were on the beach fascinating and beautiful. Someone told me that they were from a palm tree, but I cannot find any picture of a palm tree seed that looks like this. But whatever kind of tree it must be salt water tolerant and found along this coast .

To me they look like little packages waiting to be opened.

dia de Revolution...it´s coming

2008-11-16T17:15:00.000-08:00

time to get your nino his revolutionary costume, all you need is the suit, the sombrero, the gun and the mustache that your mama paints on. (as seen in Angel Carbada on the way to the Gulf beach)..Oh by the way for the ninas (girls) all you need is a skirt, ribbons in your pigtailed hair and a shawl in which you carry your baby (doll) because after all that was the job of the women to have the babies and walk barefoot behind the men.

since the Mexican history that we learned in school was cursory at best and inaccurate at worst....here is brief explanation of the holidays associated with Mexican history

First, Cinco de Mayo the holiday that most Americans seem to think is the day that Mexicans celebrate their independence is only the day that commenrates a victory by the Mexican army over the French who at the time were attempting to extend their rule over Mexico, with the Maximillan, a Haspurg as the the emperor of Mexico. Since this battle was fought near Puebla, May 5th is celebrated there, but is a very minor day in the rest of the country.

September 16: Mexican Independence Day celebrates the day that Miguel Hidalgo delivered El Grito de Dolores, and announced the Mexican revolt against Spanish rule.

and coming up soon...November 20: Mexican Revolution Day,This official Mexican holiday celebrates the Mexican Revolution of 1910.

on the road to la playa

2008-11-16T16:39:00.000-08:00

You pass through the countryside in one of my absolute favorite transports...the pickup truck with benches in the back and, usually a cover to shield one from the tropical sun. You get to breeze down the highway looking out the back and making small talk with passengers getting in and out.

In this part of Mexico the main forms of transport are the camionettas (trucks with benches) walking and a surprising number of horses used for transport and also to work the rancheros at the base of the Tuxtla mountains.

same as it ever was....Monte Pio, Veracurz

2008-11-16T16:25:00.000-08:00

This is a very remote beach in the Tuxtlas region of Veracruz, I was in the area several years ago, and liked it. you can read about that trip here.

Not too long ago, all Mexican beaches were like this, a seafood outdoor kitchen with the food served under the palapas. However, this time of year, there is almost no one there, and I was uncertain about the availability or quality of the seafood, so I opted for the self catering option as shown against the sunset. This is my standby meal available anywhere.

the only time there are crowds (or indeed much of anyone at all here is during the major Mexican holidays of Semana Santa (Easter) and Christmas, these times of year anyone who can scrap together any pesos at all heads to the beaches.
According to rumor the ruins of a hacienda overlookin the beach or from a US businessman who came to build a rubber planatation, but mysteriously left soon after, allegedly after having found the treasure of the pirate Lorencillo, known to have haunted these gulf waters.

vengo a Veracruz (I go to Veracruz)

2008-11-12T13:30:00.000-08:00

Pictures ...There are restaurants famous for cafe lechera where the very good espresso has hot milk poured into your cup by passing waiters, it is considered perfectly acceptable to tap your cup to get the waiter´s attention for a second or third cup.

The other pictures are from the aquarium. There is a visually appealing malecon (boardwal) but the odor is so bad it is not possible to walk along side.

Cortez first landed a bit north of where the port is now, and his name for the place gives you an idea of what was on his mind: Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz ("Rich town of the true cross"). In colonial times, the Spanish galleons sailed for Spain from here, loaded with silver and gold. Pirates repeatedly attacked, and on occasion captured, the city. Eventually the citizens constructed a high wall around the old town and a massive fort, San Juan de Ulúa. The walls surrounding the city are gone now, but the fort remains. It was interesting to see the infinite variety of skin color that the people in Veracurz had, as one of the first landings of Cortez and later by hundreds of years of pirates the city has been a major port of the Americas and thus has a very complex gene pool. It is not uncommon to see children with light skin and blue eyes born to dark skinned very Mexican looking parents or vice versa.

We (Aria and I) went to Veracurz city, and I must say we tried very hard to like it, and as my readers know I tend to be forgiving of Mexico´s many problems and faults. The people of Veracruz are some of the most wonderful, friendly, and kind people in any part of Mexico and giving the character of the Mexican people that is a significant statement. And I have been to many other parts of Veracruz state in other trips and loved those parts of the state. But I must say the port city of Veracruz, which is much larger than the capital of Veracurz state, Jalapa, which by the way is a wonderful place, is spoiled by the terrible contamination of the water and the area of the port and city. As my friend Aria says, It was hot, filthy, and smelled horrible and I got bitten by bugs¨ which I concur with except the bugs seemed to like her much more than me. Veracruz did have one potential advantage, however, with the exception of Va. Beach, the city has the ¨best¨ collection of the tackiets souviers and T shirts I have seen, if wanted to seriously damage a friendship, you could bring someone a ¨gift¨ from Veracruz. Really, it is a great tradegy that every toilet that flushes in the city seemingly goes directly into the water, although my friend Gary who lives here in Oaxaca says that times he has been to the city it has not been that bad....but this was seriously awful and so tragic. Veracruz city does have a pretty good aquarium, with lots of educational messages about how we need to take care of conserve the water, water is precious....and so forth. Sad and ironic that the contamination has been allowed to happen.

What is Jarocha?

2008-11-11T16:08:00.000-08:00

Compare the statue of the dancers in the main square with the dancers (some as young as 12) that I saw last night. It appears that at least here in Tlactoclapan, the Veracurz culture is alive and well. In this part of Southern variations of the musical/dance genre known as Jaracho emerged during the colonial period as a mix between Spanish, Indigenous, and African, music and dance.

The Spanish introduced the native indigenous population to stringed instruments such as the violin, harp, and various guitar-types. The jarana jarocha of Southern Veracruz is a distinct regional instrument and regional music/dance tradition known a Jarocha, evolved.

The footwork is an element which provides a rhythmic complement to the instrumental and vocal accompaniment. The traditional setting of the son jarocho, the Fandango, is at the center of social reunions throughout southern Veracruz. As local musicians perform the sones, people dance atop a large wooden platform.

Tranquilo Tlacotalpan

2008-11-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

From Oaxaca city we ( I am traveling for a while with Ariana, who lives in Oaxaca half the year and the other half in Washington state) went to Tuxtepec, which is on the border of Oaxaca and Veracruz state. The city and people are more like Veracruz, everything moves slowly even for Mexico, no one rushes and there is always time to talk. It is not uncommon to see and hear men walking down the street singing, just for their own pleasure.

Tuxtepec, is not a tourist town, I think we are the only gringas here, which I always enjoy. People seem even more likely to help and find out about one´s life than usual.

Tomorrw morning we go to Tlacotalpan. (tlah-ko-TAHL-pahn),

"Tlacotalpan was chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 because the "urban layout and architecture of Tlacotalpan represent a fusion of Spanish and Caribbean traditions of exceptional importance and quality... Its outstanding character lies in its townscape of wide streets, modest houses in an exuberant variety of styles and colours, and many mature trees in public and private open spaces." (UNESCO, 1998.)

The name "Tlacotalpan" is Nahuatl meaning "place between the rivers.

The image collage is borrowed from the website of the very lovely Casa de la Luz, a questhouse where I am staying.

People dress in traditional clothing and traditional foods such as arroz a la tumbada (rice cooked in fish broth), pescado a la veracruzana (fish, with tomatoes, olives, chillies, and onions)

Albrijes, and sunset

2008-11-06T18:56:00.000-08:00

The name Alebrijes was given by an indigenous villager that once had a dream in which he saw strange animals made up of parts of one animal mixed with others, and those animals were making strange sounds that he could not understand. The one and only word that he could understand was Alebrije.
Without knowing the meaning of that word he adopted it as their name. When he awoke, he took a piece of Copal Wood (which is native to Oaxaca) and started carving the animals that he saw in his dream

Many of the villages around the valley of Oaxaca specialize in different folk art. San Martin makes these albrijes, fantastical carved and painted sculptures. They were having an exhibit and later this beautiful sunset. There is something about the light in this part of the world that is magical

dance of the plumas

2008-11-06T13:37:00.001-08:00

A Mexican history lesson....Every village has it's own traditional dance with different costumes acting out part of the complicated history with indigenous and conquest mixtures. This one is called of the plumas and represents the part of the conquest that created the first Mestizos the mix of indigenous and Spanish that makes up the majority of the people of the Mexican nation. The entourage includes Malinche, (the lady in red)the Aztec princess who learned Spanish, became courtesan to Cortes, and betrayed her people and her daughter Dona Maria (in blue) the child born to Cortex and Malinche.
The dancers in the feather headresses represent the Atztecs and the soldiers represent the French who occupied Mexico for a time. This dance lasted over 2 hours and included spoken and danced story telling. The dancers took only a brief break to remove the very heavy feather heads.

On top of the world..America wins.....

2008-11-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

This morning someone told me the news of Obama as our new president. I burst into tears mingled joy and relief from fear of the very dark path that would have the alternative. I then walked all the way to the top of the cerro(hill) overlooking the town of Teotitlan.

Teotitlan, hiding out for election night

2008-11-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

On Election night I needed to go to a tranquil place where my nerves would not be shattered by potential diaster for America and the world. This Zapotec village where one can still hear Zapotec spoken is famous for the hand loomed rugs using ancient designs and natural dyes. But as I said, I went for the tranquility. I stayed in a room in a Zapotec lady´s house where the outdoor, wood burning stove cooked the corn to be made into tamales for the next morning breakfast. Burros and chickens woke me in the morning. I strolled down to the mercado where the ladies were selling and buying.

the monsters are gone, for now

2008-11-03T18:04:00.000-08:00

These monsters can be found on the streets of Oaxaca during the Days of the Dead.

2008-11-03T14:56:00.000-08:00

The main square has altars that communities from all around Oaxaca put up. Many people in the steets, all enjoying the ambience of this wonderful city.
I arrivived at the Oaxaca Learning Center after a long flight and immediately felt the tranquility and warmth of this special place. To quote from the center´s website¨,The core activity of the Learning Center is its free tutoring program, directed primarily toward high school students.

Many of the Center’s students come from distant villages where educational preparation is limited at best. Similarly, many low-income urban students have to work from an early age, attending school only sporadically. Both need help with their studies, often on a daily basis, to stay in school and realize their dreams.

So in addition to being a immaculate, very safe place to stay the money I pay to stay there goes to suport the center´s programs.

not macrbre, just celebrating the inevitable

2008-10-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

I will be in Oaxaca tomorrow, Friday.
Don't by put off by the dancing skeletons you may see. Americans like to pretend that death can be covered up by applying cosmetics to the dead and buying into the funeral industry.(not that Mexico does not have a much smaller funeral industry) but having said that I think the short and brutal nature of life in this country until very recently and the frequency of death as an up close and personal occurrence creates an acceptance. The mix of indigenous and Catholic beliefs adds another layer of complexity. If you look at the art on the local Zapotec ruins and visit the museum in Jalapa, Veracruz, and of course the Aztecs, you also see the cult of death. And, let's face it no one survives this life, and if you cannot avoid it you may as well dance with it!
Here is some background information on the Day of the Dead.
The Oaxacan altars are most commonly built on October 30th and October 31st in the homes of the Oaxacan people. The altar is generally set on a table, and then it is wrapped with a tablecloth, white sheet or with perforated tissue paper. Sugarcane is bound to the foot of the table and run high over overhead into the shape of a triumphal arch. On the morning of October 31st the offerings are placed on the altars; these offerings consist of exquisite dishes that the relatives will come to savour the aromas of. Among these offerings are the delicious Oaxacan mole, freshly seasoned by the women, the delicious nicuatole (corn jelly), pumpkin with black sugar,sugarcane, tejocotes (small wild apples), the delicious pan de muerto (bread of the dead), and the exquisite chocolate ground by stone. There is also an endless medley of regional fruit consisting of oranges, limes, bananas, jicamas, wild apples, nuts, peanuts, medlar, pineapples, and also cooked chayote.The flower of the dead – the sweet-smelling “cempasuchil” (marigolds) - as well as the oil lamps and the white or yellow bees wax candles adorned with black tissue paper are the final decorative accents. It is an old belief that the dead, after their long pilgrimage from the other life, arrive on earth tired and thirsty. Because of this belief, a gourd or glass filled with water is placed on the altar for them, as well as the other food offerings. There is usually Mezcal an alcoholic drink made with maguey, a close relative of the blue agave from which tequila is made. A resin from a local tree called copal is slowly smoking and a trail of marigold petals helps the beloved dead find their way back to their families. Pictures of the temporary visitors are part of the altars. The altars are personalized with symbols of the things that the dead liked while they were alive.
On the last day of October, the procession of souls begins with the children. They visit the altars in the late afternoon and, upon their arrival, they feast upon the food laid out for them. November 2nd is reserved for the souls of the adults who have passed on, but now return. They too shall have their fill.

strange times...

2008-10-20T07:02:00.001-07:00

In the midst of very strange times here in the US, I'm going back to Oaxaca, leaving on the 31st of October. Despite the doom and gloom of the economic situation, I think that the collapse of an old system based on consumption and a model of more building, more stuff, greed, and lack of respect for the human and ecological infrastructures is a necessary collapse.
I think the Hindu model of Shiva which celebrates both birth and destruction is an apt icon for the reality of this time and one which we have tried to bury under the idea that more stuff is the way to happiness.
Another model, one which I will find in Oaxaca is the recognition of death and destruction in the Day of the Dead celebrations. Some may think it macabre, but I admire the looking in the skull and dancing idea...the Atzecs viewed death as a transition and life on earth as a beautiful illusion.
So...I will post more when I arrive in Oaxaca. Here is a picture from my last trip to set the scene.