Brad introduced me to Omniglot.com today, a website that has collections of useful phrases in Polish, as well as Spanish and 16 other languages.
My brother Roy and I will travel to Krakow in May and I intend to be proficient in many of these phrases as possible by then. I have been disappointed at how weak I am in communicating in Spanish while in Mexico, despite a string of 120 consecutive days in using the Duolingo app. I hope to do better in Poland.
The big event on our final day in Oaxaca was the evening meal at Ancestral, a higher end Oaxacan restaurant. Ham and I treated our benefactor Braulio (Don Brad) to whatever he wished for tonight. He had been an invaluable friend, brother, and guide to our immersion in the culture and a conduit to connect with the people who we had the pleasure of meeting on this special vacation.
Ancestral
The dish that Ham ordered was highly interesting and markedly impressive. Our waiter placed a hollowed-out gourd in front of him, where were placed several vegetables and some assorted seafood. Then a serrated stone pestle mashed the food items into small pieces. The waiter then poured some rich stock into the bowl. Next, he walked over to an open fire pit and came back to the table and placed a very hot baseball-sized rock into the gourd with a pair of tongs. A couple of minutes later the liquid within the bowl began to emit visible vapor, and soon developed into a strong boil.
Volcanic bowl of soup!
On the other hand, micy drink was uniquely satisfying.
Crushed ice, enhanced lemon and pennyroyal
Everything that was served to us was unique and delicious.
On our walk back to our rooms at Casa Arnel we continued to experience the surprises of the city, such as life on the edge of a daylong wedding celebration where dancing to live music continued well into the night.
My two weeks in Oaxaca will be over tonight. My room, which included breakfast each of 14 days was $420.
Tomorrow will be a final very long travel day ( which extended itself to two days ) starting with a 3:30 AM walk with me dragging my suitcase three blocks up to the city bus terminal where dozens of displaced travelers from across the globe are sleeping inside and in the sidewalks outside the well lit modern structure.
It’s all worth it to be in Oaxaca for two weeks. Everything seems just a bit sketchy here in Mexico, but it always works out. These days, the US looks like everything is in place but lately things aren’t working out quite like they used to.
As one of my cultural heroes (and fellow immigrant ) Arnold says, “ I’ll be back!”
Located in an ex-16th Century Dominican Convent, the Center actively promotes the culture of Oaxaca through a wide range of concerts, lectures, workshops and other events. Its library, Biblioteca Investigación Juan De Córdova, focuses on how to preserve academic and cultural texts and items. Its audio library, Fonoteca Juan León Mariscal, has a selection of indigenous music. The Textile Museum is part of CCSP, but is listed on this website as a separate venue.
Massive love notesLife size clay sculptureTestament to peace Home is sometimes scarredWonderful waterflowAncient avenue
Thought of this quote throughout the day today: “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.”- Jack Canfield.
Art helps bridge the feelings that can give expression to fear and loss.
So much of what my eyes fall on here in Oaxaca reflect deeper feelings that include loss, and holding fast to those we love and have also left us behind.
An introspective day here concluded with a dinner at The Secret Garden where a musical trio of local women performed one strong set of music under the starry skies.
Three gringo amigos used a combination of a three-wheeled motorized rickshaw, a couple of taxis and a bus to get to Teotitlan and back today.
It’s easy for the unsuspecting gringo to over pay for transport here. Taxis have no meters, so the fare is negotiated before hopping in for a ride. Thank God, Brad knows all the usual prices to travel within and outside of Oaxaca. The ca. driver quoted 300 pesos for the trip there so we took the bus for under 100 for the three of us.
So we bussed over to Telotitlan.
“Teotitlán del Valle is a rural town that maintains its Zapotec culture. In the municipal market, people gather at seven in the morning to buy foodstuffs and craft materials for their homes and businesses. Most people here retain ancient customs; a majority of the inhabitants speak Zapotec.
The market here opens at 7 am every Thursday. Food, including vegetables and meat, bread and pastries are sold alongside trinkets, plastic objects, and speciality of the village rugs.
Teotitlán del Valle is a small village and municipality located in the Tlacolula District in the east of the Valles Centrales Region, 31 km from the city of Oaxaca in the foothills of the Sierra Juárez mountains. It is known for its textiles, especially rugs, which are woven on hand-operated looms, from wool obtained from local sheep and dyed mainly with local, natural dyes. They combine historical Zapotec designs with contemporary designs such as reproductions of famous artists’ work.
The name Teotitlán comes from Nahuatl and means “land of the gods.” Its Zapotec name is Xaguixe, which means “at the foot of the mountain.” Established in 1465, it was one of the first villages founded by Zapotec peoples in this area and retains its Zapotec culture and language.
The community is famous for its weavings called “laadi” in the local language, with textiles as the main economic activity. This community is known for its woven wool rugs which use natural dyes such as those obtained by the cochineal insect. These rugs can have native indigenous motifs or more modern designs.
Weaving in this village dates back at least until 500 BCE. The earliest weavings used cotton and ixtle and utilized the backstrap loom. Teotitlán would pay its financial tribute to the Aztecs in weavings.
More modern weaving was introduced here by Dominican bishop Juan López Dezárate around 1535 when the bishop brought sheep and treadle looms to the area. The new materials and looms allowed for the weaving a large, heavy duty items such as rugs, serapes and blankets. Over time the village grew and began specializing solely in rugs to be used for trade or sale in markets of other towns in the other parts of the state. With the completion of the Pan-American Highway in the late 1940s, the area was connected with Mexico City, opening up markets. In the 1950s with air travel, tourists began coming to Oaxaca and taking interest in the crafts.”- Wikipedia
I started the tasting off with this exquisite $.50 pineapple pastry. :
Yum!
Soon, Brad, Ham and I had an early lunch with was a folded quesadilla filled with fried zucchini blossoms, cheese, salsa, and salt.
Slathering up.
I realized how unique it was to eat blossoms off of a food plant like squash. You are sacrificing future creation( seed-> Fertilization-> fruit> Squash production) for the gratification of consuming the flower.
Two women cooked and served us. One of them suggested that we might stop by her home and visited shop there. That’s exactly what happened just by sheer coincidence. It turned out that her family has been making natural material rugs here for generations. I ended up buying a small 2 1/2 x 5‘ rug for $90, and when I started to regret laying out that much money, I consulted price for such rugs outside of the village at consignment shops, and learn that that rug might sell for anywhere between 400 and $600.
Our waitress, her husband, me and two rug samples:
I don’t think the rug will see any service down in the main floor of my house, and may even be displayed on a wall instead!
Teotitlán church Interior shrine – pure goldAdditional shrinePaintingReservoir above village
The long, hot and winding road back to the village
Today was devoted to securing a cab and journeying to the mountainside village of Saint Augustine which features the awe inspiring renovation of an The Fabrica de Hilados y Tejidos La Soledad (La Soledad Yarns and Fabrics Factory). Which was founded in 1883 in the small community of San Agustín. It was abandoned less than a century after its inception.
I refer the reader to the following link to my February 20, 2023 blog post, whose background information I will not duplicate. When the reader has reviewed that information, come back for a different perspective this time around. I consider this daytime outing the best!
This year’s visit saw me focusing on the historical displays on the first floor of the towering factory adjacent to the bone white church overlooking the valley below.
1883 textile factory
“In 2000, Juchitan-born artist Francisco Toledo spearheaded an initiative to turn the then-derelict building into an ecological arts center, which opened in 2006. Today, water features, gardens, and abandoned industrial machinery dot the complex.” (This and other background information from Atlas Obscura. )
Empty hall that once held hundreds of loomsStorage room
The lower level holds cultural artifacts:
Massive oil- soaked beams support the iron looms above.
Lessons in cultural masking flooded my consciousness here today.
Interpretative panels are very useful in providing background information about cultural religious practices that predate Christianity. They are essential reads so I am providing photos of several that might be useful in fostering understanding to these foreign, frightening, and compelling rituals.
The Presence of Animal Masks in DancesAnimal archetypes are an aspect of religious experience
Death and transformation are brought into the consciousness of humans whose presence extends back 13,000 years.
DANCE OF THE CONQUEST
This dance, with all its variations – Moros y Cristianos, Santiagos, del Marqués, Matachines, Doce Pares de Francia, Tastones, Alchileos, de La Pluma, Arqueros, Jardineros, Caballeros and Malinches – is present throughout all of Mexico. At the time of the Conquest, a mere 30 years had passed since the Spaniards “expelled” the Moors from Spain, after more than seven centuries. The topic was fresh in the minds of the conquerors and they saw the historical significance and analogy that Mexico offered them. Thus, a new crusade against the idolatry of the natives provided the perfect justification for the exploitation and extermination that began from that moment.
According to chronicles, the first version of this dance on Mexican soil was presented to Hernán Cortés in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz in 1524. From there it was brought to the valley of Mexico by Martín Cortés, the son of the conqueror. Later, the dance was co-opted by Catholic friars as a religious tool and means of conversion.
It not only represented the brutal clash between the two cultures but also imposed notions of the supremacy of the good white Catholic, always in opposition to the evil dark Moor with pagan beliefs. This powerful racial and religious concept was skillfully introduced and ideologically and economically exploited by the European conquerors. It took such deep root in the towns of Mexico that its results remain manifest today throughout the entire region.
Christianity and the Devil European influence Celebrations of DeathPost Spanish occupation mask
“In 2000, Juchitan-born artist Francisco Toledo spearheaded an initiative to turn the then-derelict building into an ecological arts center, which opened in 2006. Today, water features, gardens, and abandoned industrial machinery dot the complex.” (This and other background information from Atlas Obscura. )
Taller Arte Papel (Paper Art Workshop) was established 1998 by Mexican artist Francisco Toledo. Today this artist co-op aims show people how contaminant-free paper art is made.
The workshop is located in a building that was once home to Hidroeléctrica La Soledad, a hydroelectric plant that once provided electricity for all of Oaxaca.
The paper pulp comes from renewable local natural resources like bark, berries, or mica.
Raw fibers in jars are transformed into paperSeed pods are transformed into vibrant dyes
The space hosts workshops and offers studio space for visiting artists. Artists have created installations here including Toledo himself, who created and flew paper kites featuring the faces of the 43 Ayotzinapa students who were kidnapped in 2014.
Paper jewelry and notebooks can be purchased here and invested into the arts, reforestation, nurseries, and cultural and educational programs.
I bought a paper bracelet and a small notebook as souvenirs.
Today was a day where all three of us Mainers were on our own.
I used the day to do laundry. I choose to use one of the small stone sinks downstairs and wash my clothes and the cold water that’s dipped from a small cistern near the sink. Since the sun is so powerful here it’s easy to go up on the roof where they have clothes lines and hang the clothes out where they dry in a couple hours.
I caught up on blog posts. I sketched out a possible pencil drawing that I didn’t have the time to color. Lunch was on my own and I found a small café a block from here where I basically had a taco that featured tempura-style cauliflower and fresh salsa.
Super tasty cauliflower tacos
The remainder of the blog post today will feature some photos of interest.
Me, Ham, and Brad at Casa Arnel Street artExcellent entertainerFree evening rock music Rooftop shrine Casa ArnelPushcart public trash collector Catholic icons
Time to lie low and wait until danger has passedBack at it
So much goodness today. Starting with the M&M Special at Marito & Moglie.
Poached butter spiced eggs on garlicky yogurt
I’ve found a recipe for the tumeric latte as well. Good fuel for today’s tour of the Botanical Gardens, which was a challenge in the 90 degree heat here.
The two hour English tour of the Jardin ethnobotanical de Waka was limited to 25 people and cost 100 pesos or approximately six dollars. There is only one English tour per day, and despite the gloom and doom talk of long lines, waiting, and multiple failed attempts for English speakers to make the cut, Ham and I were invited right in and were walking within 30 minutes and even were provided with a straw hat and drinking fountain to help us enjoy the tour. Plastic water bottles are not allowed on the grounds but metal ones are. Sunscreen is advised.
Our guide was an Oaxacan native who knew every single Latin name of the 1000 native plants within the compound. The goal to is have all 13,000 species of Osxacan native plants established here.
The garden space itself was divided into four specific Oaxaca areas: mountain plants, food and medicinal plants, desert plants, and plants that only grew limestone terrain.
Vast ancient architecture
One of the featured attractions that held my interest was to see the wild native grass, teosinte, that was turned into the world’s most popular popular and necessary crops- corn or maize.
Teosinte plant
There are 64 trees of maize. It has been used as food for 5,000 years in Oaxaca.
We learned that corn requires humans to produce and evolve. If an ear of corn falls on the ground, it is likely to rot. Humans are necessary to husk, dry, separate, plant and tend to these rapidly growing plants, which were generally accompanied by squash or bean agriculture that entwined up the stalks.
In addition to food, corn can be used to make fuel and plastics. It out performs wheat, rice and potatoes as a global food source. It grows fast and has a relatively short life span.
The historical portion of the architecture is worth describing. It was built by Dominican monks in the late 1500’s. The site for the massive church and residential compound was initially dug down 24 feet to reach bedrock.
In the 1800s the government took over the buildings here and established a military base that lasted until 1994.
Considerable politicking went on, resulting in an attempt to level the massive in town area, and establish a vast parking lot and with luxury hotels and convention center in order to to attract international visitors. Resistance from the local population was considerable, and no small part led by the strong influence of Francisco Toledo. We’re told that while the government continues to support the museum and botanical gardens all the funds from entrance are returned to the general fund.
Han and I in the arid garden
In terms of climate, the rainy season here extends from late May into November were generally rains for approximately an hour day in the afternoon. The rest of the year is dry. During the rainy season, the roof of the buildings are used to divert rainwater into a 1,000,000 L cistern which supplies the facility with enough water to get through the dry period.
The tour concluded with the guide informing us that there was an insect that brought unimaginable wealth to Europeans who landed here in the 1500’s.
The following section is shared from the mentalfloss.com website.
“For years, people hungered for the perfect red. At first appearance, the cochineal insect doesn’t look very remarkable. It’s a tiny bug, with no visible legs or antennae, that lives in prickly pears in the arid regions of the Americas.
White areas are insects
Mesoamericans realized thousands of years ago that pinching these insects produced blood-red stains on their fingers. Much like we raise bees for honey today, they began farming the cochineal insects for dye.
“We usually think of domestication as being cows and pigs and such,” Amy Butler Greenfield, historian and author of the book A Perfect Red, tells Mental Floss. “But it turns out that the indigenous people of the Americas became quite good at domesticating insects.”
The cochineal farmers would scrape the insects off the cactus using stiff brushes, then dry them in the sun or ovens before the scales are ground and turned into dye scales. It took 70,000 dried insects to make a pound of dye. This unique red colored textiles, furs, feathers, baskets, and pots. It was also used in medicines, cosmetics, and as ink by historical scribes.
Historians don’t know exactly when the Spanish invaders learned the cochineal insect was responsible for creating this dye. “We have accounts of conquistadors—the Spanish—coming into Tenochtitlán, the central city of the Aztec empire. And one of the things in the marketplaces that they were really struck by were the range of dyes.”
At that time, producing silk and vividly dyed cloth was an incredibly lucrative business. Selling cloth was a mammoth industry, comparable to the tech industry today—but merely producing raw materials such as wool didn’t fetch a major profit. To really make money, manufacturers needed to get their hands on the dyes.
Spain, realizing it had a precious product, cornered the market on cochineal red. It became one of their most valuable exports from Mexico, second only to silver.
centuries. The vibrant hue was a great way of telegraphing a person’s power; soldiers and royals donned garments colored with its signature scarlet. But as Spain lost exclusive control of the cochineal insects and more countries were able to produce the dye, demand slowly began to fall. The invention of synthetic dyes—which were far cheaper and easier to produce—further hastened the color’s decline.
But cochineal red never really went away, and has even experienced a revival in the 20th century: Today, the insect is farmed mostly in Peru, and its signature red dye is still found in cosmetics and food coloring. Its use in modern times is not without trouble; in 2012, when Starbucks made headlines for using it to color their Strawberry and Creme Frappuccino, some vegetarians were unhappy to discover the fruity drink included insects.
I had the best under $10 late lunch salad of my life here:
Dinner was served around 8 pm from a very humble cafe that specialized in 5 freshly mare tacos along with a bottle of soda for $6
Later, we enjoyed the cool evening temperatures in the Central Park a few streets away for our hotel. The park was filled with couples hand in hand, children playing and a few food carts.
I finished up a late dessert, which was boiled corn on a stick, slathered in a mayonnaise and avocado topping, the rolled in grated cheese and sprinkled with tasty powder.
Rain, originally. Shows one with sincerity. There will be great progress and success. Perseverance brings good fortune. Great benefit wading the great river.
One should wade the great river of waiting. This waiting should extend indefinitely, and the project, idea, or hope that is contemplated may have to be abandoned, or significantly altered, because of unforeseen obstacles or dangers. The waiting period might only be a short period of time but if one is asking a question about something practical or romantic, waiting period could be a matter of weeks, months, years, or decades.
Auspicious day to take on tasks
The better part of the day today was spent on an excursion out to Tlacoloula to experience the weekly market there.
Brad assisted us in finding a taxi to make the 30 minute drive down the Pan-American Highway to Tlacolula, that we shared with two locals. We were charged the equivalent of $7 each.
Tlacolula Market is one of the oldest continuous markets in Oaxaca and across Mesoamerica. Taking place every Sunday in Tlacolula de Matamoros, a city 45 minutes away from Oaxaca’s city center, thousands of vendors, shoppers, and tourists flood in from neighboring cities and villages to engage in the bustling commerce. Tlacolula Market is largely organized by offering and sells everything you’d expect from a traditional Mexican market. There are sections for fruits and vegetables, baked goods, meats, chicharron, textiles, and crafts. And, because you’re in Oaxaca, edible crickets and critters. – Dots on A Map
Despite studying Spanish with Duolingo for nearly a year I had a rough time communicating but everything worked out in the end.
Dried chilisTropical birds for saleJesus warning vendors to keep out of the plazaPersonal service lunch of soup, enchilada and the fixings for $2They sell all sorts of home appliances here. Authentic Mexican food. Lamb stew with veggies Ham and Patrick
“ Hey guys, how’s it going?” Asked Patrick. we enjoyed “ playing music” together. Note the small leave in Patrick’s mouth. By putting his finger on the leaf and blowing, he played us a few measures of Mozart Sonata. Patrick works in Portland Maine, where he is on two landscaping crews. He is back in Oaxaca visiting with his family. Many people from Oaxaca end up spending sometime in their lives working in the United States, where they hope to earn US dollars to send back down to Mexico to help their families progress up to social ladder. We laughed and shared time with Patrick.
I bought a brand new new pair of Levi 514’s for $18, three pairs of stylin’ cotton boxer underwear for $6, a hefty pile of copal intense for $5, raw chocolate and semisweet big bar, a votive Jesus liturgical candle, and even gambled that I might eventually cave in to my Catholic roots sometime on the road ahead and got a great deal on a set of rosary beads.
I also bought these two hand made candles :
Master crafts
We had trouble finding the right bus to take back at the end of our visit so Ham scored us a personal taxi that drove us one block back to Casa Arnel for $18 each. Then it was time to take a long siesta and rest up for the highlight of the week- a night of professional Mexican wrestling !
Lucía Libre!
Lucha Libre is a style of professional wrestling that originated in Mexico in the early 20th century. It’s characterized by colorful masks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers and airborne maneuvers, which were eventually adopted in the United States.
The wrestlers usually come from extended wrestling families. It was very wild. Ham got us front row seats for $18 which is a lot of money for these folks. The 300 chairs appeared to be sold out. There were some extra chairs that ended up being used to batter the heads of certain bad guy wrestlers. It was pretty obvious that the early matches were up-and-coming future stars. By the time the evening came to a close serious battles were taking place. at one point Ham and I had to leap out of our chairs because one of the big boys was thrown out of the ring and landed right on top of our chairs. We witnessed some pretty serious pounding that ended up with actual blood being shed more than one wrestler. It was not fake blood.
Just getting startedLots of action occurred outside the ring Beaucoup tauntingHeavyweight frenzyOn the ropes
The vendors were in full force, selling masks, autographed tshirts, cheap canned beers and stickers. A full cross section of the population was in the stands with the middle aged ladies shouting the loudest for their 21st century centurions.
Ham and I shuffled the three blocks back to our rooms and called this big day of Mexican tourism over and out.
I awoke tired and stressed after a terrible night’s sleep. My HRV reading concurred!
Converging truth
So I decided to much of nothing today. Brad was invited to a ranch outside of town for horse riding exhibition.
Ham and I decided that the focus of the day would be taking in featured artifacts at the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca w/ admission $5.40. I was moved by my visit here last year where I hoped to return!
From the Lonely Planet guidebook:” The greatest treasure is the Mixtec hoard from Tomb 7 at Monte Albán, in Room III (the first on the right upstairs). This dates from the 14th century, when Mixtecs reused an old Zapotec tomb at Monte Albán to bury one of their kings and his sacrificed servants, along with a stash of beautifully worked silver, turquoise, coral, jade, amber, pearls, finely carved bone, crystal goblets, a skull covered in turquoise and a lot of gold. The treasure was discovered in 1932 by Alfonso Caso.”
The quality of the metalwork is astounding, farm exceeding contemporary metalwork in its vision, intricate detailing and reliance on natural materials, including pearls, stone, metal, fiber and teeth.
The following photos are representative of the quality of the museum building as well.
The following interpretave panel relates to the tiny gold mask:
Close up follows
The quality of the written descriptions accompanying the artifacts is superb as well.
The next panel, describing the significance of caves brought tears to my eyes. In September I will be doing a spiritual pilgrimage in Scotland, called Saint Cuthbert Way. Cuthbert was a 8th century hermit who spent much of his monastic life in a solitary cave close to the North Sea.
Here are some remaining images from Monte Alban and a couple photos of the grounds surrounding the former convent.
Surrounding gardens
Ham and I had Mexican food at Cosecha, finishing off with hot cups of cocoa with tastes far exceeding anything Nestle ever brought me.
It was so hot out today that I retired to my cool room for the bulk of the afternoon. Nibbling local nuts and immersing myself in rendering a pencil drawing of a mended plant pot that accompanied our outdoor coffee and pastries this morning.
When I arrived back at my room at Casa Arnel I was stunned to find Xipe Totec within 15’ of my room!
The doubled trigram of Mountain comprise today’s hexagram. As mountains are the essence of stillness one can understand the origins of this particular hexagram.
More balance
It’s good to have a day where emotional stillness is supported by a balanced nervous system.
Like all mornings here. Out day starts around & am by finding coffee accompanied by a croissant or in the case of today, banana bread.
Ham and Brad not in stillness concert Then out to neighborhood outskirts
The next five photos are of a massive public area that was rennovated as a city park ( formerly a huge mine) as well as a huge center which serves as a repository for Oaxaca documents.
Born on 11 March 1944 in Mexico City, Alfredo Harp is most famous for being the former owner of the biggest Latin American and Mexican bank, Banamex (now part of Citigroup), and was a billion-dollar beneficiary of Citigroup’s 2001 buyout of Banamex. He is also owner of the telecommunication company, Avantel, the second largest telephone company in Mexico.
Reimagined quarryWorking around water Quarry meets cultural repositoryPowerful stillnessStillness of water
We took in the weekly neighborhood Friday market after coffee. I bought a small hand made ornament for hanging from a rear view auto mirror
Then we ate soft corn tacos with all the fixings. This was the place where they are clocked and prepared very rapidly. It’s also on Facebook- these guys have a following and move every day to another location.
Friday market $3 for three tacosOaxaca graveyard Big day of sales
Then siesta time back at my room to cool off, hydrate and do a bit of art with my colored pencils. It’s been a while but I have to start somewhere:
Breakfast table
The evening’s activity was dinner and music- this time a couple of local women, one in accordion and the other in an acoustic guitar- both great singers and excellent entertainers.
A day for reflection and contemplating our lives. It is fitting I should complete my Arthur Brooks book today.
Today’s HRV reading What I am reading
After consulting my I Ching, and fastening my chest strap to record my daily heart rate variability score, I decided to read from Brooks to Brad and Ham as they enjoyed coffees and banana cake about the main content of his latest New York Times bestseller, “Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life”
Brooks claims to summarize his whole book in seven words:
Use things
Love People
Worship the Divine
He writes that things are to use, not to love. He quotes Saint Augustine in the year 400. “Love, and do what you will.” Both conclude that love is reserved for people and things. Misplacing love is to invite frustration and a treadmill existence.
Brooks then refers to David Foster Wallace, “There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice you get is what to worship“.
Some of us are close to worshipping coffee!
Artistic tribute
Many people still wear masks here. It is encouraged, even through use of art.
Francesco Toledo photo -> wear of masks
Each day here is the same-cool evenings and very warm but dry days. Blue skies persist.
Local intersection
The main feature of today was just walking around and visiting a couple of very large, public markets and sitting around outside and watching street vendors ply their wares.
Mole varieties- market dayDried grasshoppers!
Brad told us that the majority of the walking vendors that are hawking, trinkets, clothing, back scratchers, candy are working for someone else on a small commission. It’s not their choice to approach people all day long in the hopes that someone might pick them to give a few pesos to. A number of these individuals have small children with them that also carry inexpensive items for sale. He states these are largely indentured servants, and the objects that they are selling, are all made in China.
But the food here is genuine, inexpensive, prepared, fresh from local ingredients, and enjoyed by tourist, as well as the residents of this beautiful city.
Deliciloso !Zucchini blossoms on mole w/ cheese
And after a three hour siesta period this afternoon we ended up a stone’s throw from our rooms at Casa Arnel.
I took a chance on the tomato salad and scored.
olive oil and balsamic glaze over my IPhone lens.
We finished by hanging out on the wall in front the local church until the 10 pm group ride failed to show tonight.
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