Today is Mardi Gras or the last day before the period of Lent. Catholics and other Christians around the world celebrate Fat Tuesday by partying and binging on meat before focusing attention on self-improvement and spiritual growth leading up to Easter. Here in Mexico the pagan partying has been going on for more than 4,000 years, predating Christianity which was unsuccessful in shutting down the intensity of the outrageous parties.
San Martín Tilcajete is a small town of some 1700 located about 14 miles from Oaxaca. It is a traditional and historically a Zapotec village. The community is best known for its production of alebrijes, which are wood carvings of real or fantastic creatures painted in bright colors and intricate patterns. A local custom is that young men smear black or brown motor oil on their bodies and wear masks to run around the streets looking for girls, trying to kiss or smear oil on them.
It’s a wild scene here today. In addition to black and brown greaseball demons running around dragging whips, chains, and nooses, cross dressing is celebrated as well as a mock wedding where a costumed priest and the mayor mock established norms in the town center.
Loud marching bands parade around and there is a huge mid-day feast which includes providing copious amounts of mescal all free to the public. It is a tradition that the acting mayor pays for the food and drink.
Brad and I found a taxi to take us down the highway where we were dropped off. The taxi driver told us the he had been in the US for 8 years framing house. He learned that truck drivers are in big demand in the US right now but was not sure that he would go back.
Loud marching bands parade around and there is a huge mid-day feast which includes providing copious amounts of mescal all free to the public. It is a tradition that the acting mayor pays for the food and drink.
Brad and I found a taxi to take us down the highway where we were dropped off. The taxi driver told us the he had been in the US for 8 years framing house. He learned that truck drivers are in big demand in the US right now but was not sure that he would go back. From the stop on the highway we took a 3-wheeled tuktuk into the village itself.
It’s a wild scene here today. In addition to black and brown greaseball demons running around dragging whips, chains, and nooses, cross dressing is celebrated as well as a mock wedding where a costumed priest and the mayor mock established norms in the town center.
Loud marching bands parade around and there is a huge mid-day feast which includes providing copious amounts of mescal all free to the public. It is a tradition that the acting mayor pays for the food and drink.
Brad and I found a taxi to take us down the highway where we were dropped off. The taxi driver told us the he had been in the US for 8 years framing house. He learned that truck drivers are in big demand in the US right now but was not sure that he would go back. From the stop on the highway we took a 3-wheeled tuktuk into the village itself.
It was a wild, noisy frenzy in town. The rest of this post will feature images from the celebration.
All ages showComing at you
Its party time
Music on parade- check out this videoBack off or get greasyFun for the whole familywomen welcome too, wait..its a man whose mom is stuffing his top
“In the town of San Augustin Etla, less than an hour outside Oaxaca, a former textile factory has been remodeled into a modern center for the arts, complete with post-industrial architectural touches and a pleasing color palette. The Fabrica de Hilados y Tejidos La Soledad (La Soledad Yarns and Fabrics Factory) was founded in 1883 in the small community of San Agustín Etla. It was abandoned less than a century after its inception.”
I know about textile mills. I grew up in Somerset, adjacent to Fall River, MA. From Wikipedia:
Fall River grew to become the largest textile producing center in the United States during the 19th century, with over one hundred mills in operation by 1920. Even with the demise of local textile productions during the 20th century, there remains a lasting legacy of its impact on the city. There are currently approximately 63 mills remaining in the city. Many have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Fall River, MA
My maternal grandfather Albert Domaracki came to the US as a teen from an area of Europe that became Poland again after WW1. He obtained work as a loom mechanic in Fall River. I believe my grandmother Philomena also worked in a mill. My grandfather suffered a leg injury in the mill that resulted in his death from infection at age 57. I was only 3 when he died, and have several vivid memories of him and I being together.
While touring the huge stone building with my host Brad I discovered a small room that housed a pile of the same mechanical water-powered belt-driven cotton looms that likely killed my grandfather.
I burst into tears at the connection to Albert that I was experiencing in Mexico. I am now adding him to the list of my deceased family, as my grief expands here in this place that worships and celebrates the dead.
I have not been to a Catholic Church since 2016 when I attended a special mass for Perigrinos at the Cathedral of Compostela in Spain. Marcia and I had just completed our walk of the Camino Portugese.
Last night at 6:45 I heard the tolling of church bells from across the street from my lodging. I went there and sat for Mass with the overflowing congregation and received my ashes, which were rubbed into my hair.
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Life is short, and you do what you must.”
“In 2000, Juchitan-born artist Francisco Toledo spearheaded an initiative to turn this then-derelict building into an ecological arts center, which opened in 2006. Today, water features, gardens, and abandoned industrial machinery dot the complex.
Francesco ToledoRestored first floorStunning simplicityOuter deckFabric (natural paper and pigmentation) inserts
The main buildings have been painted with Mexican terracotta hues. They house spaces for interpretative and visual art installations and learning.
Actual plants and minerals used in original rugs from this factory.
Typical Oaxacan mountain landscapes surround the center, and the terraces are great places to appreciate the views. “
Brad and I went to a local market this morning to look over the goods as well as get a fresh cooked breakfast. I had a breakfast plate of eggs, beans, cheese, chourico and rice in mole sauce. Fresh warm tortillas accompany the dish. Chef Brad told me that mole is demanding to make as it involves 34 ingredients and takes the better part of the day to complete. It takes garlic, chili, peanuts, dried tomatoes, and other spices that are all ground to a fine powder. The result is put in the pan with liquid that is simmer for four hours. Coffee here this morning is really good and it’s flavored lightly with cinnamon as well.
Live music was provided by a crack band whose young electric guitar player offered a blistering Hotel California solo.
Eating hall
I accompanied my host Brad to a birthday party of one of his Oaxaca friends this afternoon. We shared a cab with his friend John who is wheelchair bound after he experienced a construction accident a few years ago. John has a battery powered front wheel attachment that is able to be unclipped from the front of his wheelchair and stored in the truck of the taxi , and a wheelchair that collapses and folds to fit between Brad and I who rode in the rear seat while John slid onto the front passenger seat. The party was at a large farm outside of town that also serves s a local venue hosting small private outings. The owners supplied cold drinks, and a simple roasted pork meal accompanied by vegetables and sauces as well as a birthday cake for desert. There were about thirty people there, and plenty of kids , many who were riding guided horses around large corral. It was fun for me to enjoy a social low key Sunday day of rest.
Party CentralHorse ridesJohn and Brad
I plan to watch Anthony Bourdain’s food program from his visit in Oaxaca. Another resource worth knowing about is the Omniglot, Which presents 40 stock phrases in 184 languages.
I’ve been inspired by all the busking musicians here in town. I plan to explore basic electronics that I could use to back myself up on accordion or mandolin on future gigs I may want to land when I get back home.
I met a Maine woman from Beal’s Island, ME at the birthday party who is living here in Oaxaca. She invited me to a Sound Healing workshop tomorrow within walking distance from Casa Arnel. I plan to go, as I have plenty of healing still to go after suffering two major family deaths as well as two major surgeries in these last two years.
Today was tattoo day. I had an image in mind that I wanted inked and stumbled a tattoo shop near a row of vendors yesterday and via Google translate worked out an 11 AM appointment for today. Balam Tatoo Studio:
It took a longer than expected, but the result was much better than hoped for.
Traditional skull art
From Wikipedia:
“Skull art is found in various cultures of the world.
Indigenous Mexican art celebrates the skeleton and uses it as a regular motif. The use of skulls and skeletons in art originated before the Conquest. The Aztecs excelled in stone sculptures and created striking carvings of their Gods. The worship of death involved worship of life, while the skull – symbol of death – was a promise to resurrection. The Furthermore, the skull motif was used in decoration. They were molded on pots, traced on scrolls, woven into garments, and formalized into hieroglyphs. Hindu temples and depiction of some Hindu deities have displayed skull art.
I had to come to grips with the reality of death after losing both my mother Isabel and my wife Marcia in less than two years apart. Grief overwhelmed me for several months last winter, and I continue to be dashed to the ground when waves of grief wash over me. I leaned hard into conscious grieving which included both individual and group grief therapy. I reinitiated individual therapy this past January. I read books about death and grief. Recently I had a dream of a living spirit Marcia visiting me.
I read modern books about practical aspects of Stoicism and accepting the fact that death is a part of life. One good reference is How to Think Like a Roman Emperor. One of the practices that has come to contemporary Stoicism is carrying a signet coin. Here’s a short piece from Ryan Holiday that explains it:
“Memento Mori challenge coin — In my left pocket, I carry a coin that says Memento Mori, which is Latin for ”remember you will die.” On the back, it has one of my favorite quotes from Marcus Aurelius: “You could leave life right now.” I firmly believe the thought of our mortality should shadow everything that we do, not in a way that is depressing, but liberating. It should let you cut out bullshit, it should let you decide how you’re going to treat other people and let yourself be treated, and it should determine the quality of the work that you’re going to do.”
Oaxaca has been an ideal place for me to be mostly to myself and allow my grief to enrich my life and to slowly become more comfortable with the two heads of the big Life Coin.
I had a wonderful massage today, which included a cupping procedure that felt pleasant and then warming. It didn’t take long for the masseuse to zero right in to my shoulders and upper back.
We talked a bit as she worked and I shared that my wife had died last year. I cried after she asked me , “ Who takes care of you now? ”.
Before I left the room and after I booked one more session next week she told me that I had adequate strength and a constitution that would lead me to a productive and vital future. She also said that I should look forward to love if my heart was open to it.
I have started to walk around and explore the city on my own.
I feel confident that no matter where I get lost I can just type in Casa Arnel into my Maps app and follow the route back to my lodging. The problem is that this is only possible if my phone has adequate battery power. I became anxious what I wore down to 3% charge and was nowhere near remembering distance from my room. Fortunately I used my compass app and realized that I could walk east in order to cross a street where I might recognize some of the buildings. In the future I have to remember to take along my small charging block that is standard equipment on backpacking trips. Just because I have an outlet each night enough can happen during the day to drain power , especially if I listen to music or take video clips.
I had a wonderful dinner with Brad last night after the restaurant that we first chose to eat was closed due to a power outage in that part of Oaxaca. We walked for 15 minutes until we hit an area with power where Brad recognized one of the restaurants. It was primarily a Italian restaurant serving handmade pasta with local vegetables and meats. I had a neat looking shot of Mezcal as part of the meal. The antipasto plate was superb, followed by a churico, mushroom/ pizza cooked in a handmade clay oven on that Brad reported was the largest that that he had ever seen.
Covid-19 impact ( from a health website)
“Between September and November, the pandemic slowed down to code “yellow light,” with no reported cases or deaths. Many people felt that the pandemic was over and started up postponed celebrations with “everyone using masks and maintaining a safe distance,” because fiesta organizers and sponsors were anxious to comply with their ritual commitments. However, it was difficult to abide by the health recommendations, especially in church. Organizers disinfected before each mass and restricted access to prevent contagion. People were asked to maintain a safe distance and use hand sanitizer, but there were those who refused. However, some were happy to go to mass after months without seeing the priest.
Some people who recovered from the virus report that few people other than close family offered support while they were quarantined. This made things difficult because they couldn’t go out to buy food. Family members who lost someone to COVID-19 (or suspected COVID-19) had no community support, company, or condolences, and they had to hurriedly bury their dead in compliance with the official mandate. The dead were buried the next day, with none of the customary ceremony. For fear of contagion, community members did not bring flowers, candles, money, or food and drink, as is the custom. Both the grieving and the wider community suffered from this conflict between social obligations and health measures.
Some people who recovered from the virus report that few people other than close family offered support while they were quarantined. This made things difficult because they couldn’t go out to buy food. Family members who lost someone to COVID-19 (or suspected COVID-19) had no community support, company, or condolences, and they had to hurriedly bury their dead in compliance with the official mandate. The dead were buried the next day, with none of the customary ceremony. For fear of contagion, community members did not bring flowers, candles, money, or food and drink, as is the custom. Both the grieving and the wider community suffered from this conflict between social obligations and health measures.”
Oaxaca is a destination where everyone is grieving someone or something: people who experienced a vehicular accident and lost the ability to walk, people with partners who died, victims of childhood abuse, survivors of interfamilial incest, and cancer patients undergoing active treatment.
Oaxaca is a ancient vessel that can hold us all, as we sail uncharted waters through deep seas of daily obstacles. I am saddened to learn that this most ancient of all cultures was practically erased in 1521 when Hernan Cortes’ handful of adventurers mounted horses, protected from lances and arrows by armor, as they discharged weapons which spat fire and death. Overnight the world changed.
I plan to return here but better equipped to communicate with the residents. Maybe adult education classes, maybe Duo Linguo , maybe something else but I plan to learn basic conversational Spanish !
Today’s I Ching reading was Darkening of the Light. “Without an ever present sense of death, life is insipid.”. It refers to efforts the ego makes in order to gain control when one fails to meet the demands of an adversity. The ego replays old doubts and subsequent fears from childhood patterns, which only reinforce the need to try harder or to kindle guilt. If a person is able to stand back and observe this monologue as a bystander he will recognize an action from the ego’s playbook and separate out the deception fostered by the ego and restore what belongs with the person. Meditation is one of the means of observing this separation, which might also present in dreams. Being caught in the logic of the ego, one imagines that things are only brought about by effort and striving, and propels one onward to more effort and striving. It is the ego that pulls the shade on the light, causing one’s eyes to miss seeing daily blessings like the wonderful birdsongs outside my window right now in Oaxaca.
Today I made phone calls of condolences to my two remaining sisters-in-law following the death of Marcia’s oldest sister Gail. Ongoing waves of sadness have tracked me down here in Mexico, where I have been able to grieve Marcia’ death more freely that I have been able to in the business of my life in Maine.
I brought my melodion here and have been able to spend time each day practicing Balkan music in preparation for an upcoming Ukrainian fundraiser in Maine. It’s a tiny keyboard that one activates by blowing through a flexible plastic tube. I enjoy the time to write, read, walk, talk with friends old and new and eat simple nourishing, fresh food.
Today I had the first pedicure of my life. I am able to get around the city on my own now and walked about a mile to work through the communication needed when neither person understands what the other is saying. The session lasted 45 minutes and was highly successful. I won’t post a before picture but at one point Astria made good use of a Dremel tool in abrading persistent callous from both heels from thousands of miles of backpacking over the last 15 years. Partially ingrown toenails were expertly freed up and the finished product resulted in my feet feeling lighter and better functioning than I hoped possible. Cost was $6.50 in US equivalent dollars.
Bye, bye callousThe finished product!
I also visited a tiny but most excellent art supply shop where I bought a new pocket notebook, a set of 24 colored pencils, and a 0.5 mm ink pencil. I have the need to draw from nature.
I have had a hard time figuring out how to get into the mountains and bike. I found a local outfitter that has a very attractive full day package deal.
Here’s the description of what’s planned for the day: “We meet at 8:00 AM in Macedonio Alcalá 802, Centro, Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, ring the bell ‘’A’’, between Bicibella and Café Punto Paz.
Oaxaca has quickly become Mexico’s Mecca for MTB Enduro riding. There is a current boom of the sport, but the trails are free of traffic for you to enjoy at your own pace. New trails are being built currently, so you can ride different trails every day.
We bring you this all-inclusive adventure, hassle-free for you to enjoy: 1 Full Enduro Day. Flow, speed, jumps, drops, rock gardens, technical sessions, this is MTB Enduro Paradise, honestly.
The adventure is not only special because of the magnificent riding in the mountains and forests. Oaxacan culture is present throughout all moments of the day. You will get a close-up look at some of the most interesting towns and communities. These towns are tucked-in between the mountains, and each with its own charisma will embrace you with the best hospitality and service, delicious food, and a comfortable and unique stay.
The beauty of Oaxaca is that it offers great outdoors, unparalleled culture, the best food in Mexico… for a truly authentic experience you will never forget!”
Today’s I Ching reading is associated with the mouth and is entitled Biting Through. It reflects getting to the truth. The inner truth is what a person’s memory of what harmony feels like. It is not at all the same as reaping knowledge from a collection of words.
It is uncanny to me that what learning from my daily practice of consulting the I Ching is wisdom from 2500 years from China. After spending one week in Mexico, I’ve learned that the same perennial concepts have emerged in a completely isolated culture, halfway around the world here in Oaxaca.
Today’s two microadventures were expressions of art. In the morning, Brad told me to wear sun protection since would be walking through a part of town where we’d be exposed to the full power of the sun.
First, we walked through a vast recreational complex with a state of the art track and field facility that is open to the public.
From there we ambled over to a reclaimed quarry, which was mined 700 years ago to build the city of Oaxaca.
A vast amount of excavation and subsequent construction resulted in an inspiring pathway up and down along in ancient cleft, which is now lined with bricks, cobblestones, and hand hewn blocks of limestone from the nearby mountains.
Brad surprised me by handing me a few pieces of bread that I threw into a small pond at the base of an overlook.
The patterns that the school of large fish made were spiral vortexes, the same image from Marcia’s ring that I wear on my little finger. I successfully threw a few larger pieces of bread toward a group of a half a dozen turtles that were sunning themselves on an exposed rock. The fish were more adept at consuming the food falling from the sky, but one turtle chomped into some nourishment. We all take and what we can defeat ourselves. This morning’s I Ching biting through image applies here.
In the afternoon, Brad took me to a cloister for nuns adjacent to the large crumbling cathedral in the center of the city.
It was a gigantic complex that continues to be restored, and now serves as a museum, housing some of the treasures of human culture dating back 4500 years.
The Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca is in the ex-convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán: one of Mexico’s most relevant historic monuments because of its architecture and history.
The cloister has renaissance characteristics, such as the semi-circular arcades that support domes as elegant ribs. The pilasters in the hallways are adorned with religious paintings. A monumental staircase makes accessing the upper floor possible. The stunning ornaments of the dome accompanying said staircase is also worth mentioning.
A monumental staircase makes accessing the upper floor possible. The stunning ornaments of the dome accompanying said staircase is also worth mentioning.
The Chapel of the Third Order is currently in use as the “Fray Francisco de Burgoa” library. It hosts an archive of over 30 thousand valuable volumes. Among those are 12 books written before the invention of the printing press. This library has the distinction of being named a “Memory of the World” by UNESCO.
On the upper floor, there are old cells previously used by the religious, which in this day and age are used as permanent exhibit halls.
I’ll post a few photos of some of the artwork on display, but I was particularly drawn to this relatively small gem of gold workmanship that uncannily expressed the essence of this morning’s hexagram.
This masterpiece is a wonder of Mixtec metalwork for its enormous aesthetic quality; however, it is even more valuable for its cosmogonic meaning. Each of its elements reveals complex cultural context and transmits the essence of the site itself as a chamber of the ancestors. The pectoral shows a character wearing a lavish feathered serpent headdress – Coo Dzavui (Koo Sau), “Rain Serpent” among the Mixtecs -adorned with precious elements, such as quetzal plumes and jade rosettes, insignia of the nobility. The buccal mask, a fleshless lower jaw, evokes the priestly function of communicating with sacred bundles; in other words, of speaking with or for the Ancestors. They are indications suggesting the ritual function of this cave or Mixtec cahua. Furthermore, the calendrical counts read on the shoulder pads, one Zapotec and one Mixtec, are written testimony of the convergence of both cultures and ancestral lineages in Tomb 7 and at Monte Albán.
Much of what follows came from QR codes downloaded and then edited electronically with my iPhone.
Another mindblowing object that survived from the Monte Alban complex at the very top of a nearby mountaintop was a human skull adorned with turquoise that likely served as a vessel at some point.
It’s a foundation piece reflecting thousands of years of human experience, now reimagined in present time, against Oaxaca’s welcoming culture.
Here’s more about the turquoise skull: “THE FACE OF THE LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD
From the first glimpse he caught of the interior of the space at the start of the exploration, the skull with turquoise mosaic attracted Alfonso Caso’s attention as an impressive and unique piece.
Today it is known to be a ritual object, the representation of Mictlantecuhtli, “Lord of the place of the dead,” made with a human skull which stable-isotope chemical studies suggest that might come from a location associated to the commercial route of the turquoise, probably Chalchihuites, in Zacatecas, northern Mexico. The cut on its upper part suggests it was conceived as a vessel of some sort. Its entire surface was decorated with small bits of turquoise and greenish mosaic; the eyes were represented with two shell disks perforated in the middle and the teeth of the upper jaw with red shell plaques. Inserted in the nose, the pointed white shell represents a flint knife, one of the distinctive features of the god of death. The lower jaw was articulated with a bone from another skull. The technique of turquoise mosaic was part of a rich aesthetic tradition present at various sites of Oaxaca and other regions such as Central Mexico and the Maya zone. However, skulls decorated with turquoise are extremely rare pieces. The example from Monte Albán Tomb 7 is the only one from this tradition that has been found in a sealed archaeological context, which guarantees its authenticity and gives it incomparable cultural value.”
Additional perspective on gold vs.silver adornment:
“The abundance of gold in Tomb 7 is in sharp contrast to the small number of silver pieces. However, in reality, none of the objects are either metal in a pure state. Ancient smiths sought alloys or mixtures to produce certain characteristics in shape, malleability, and appearance. Gold, a soft metal by nature, gains hardness by alloying it with silver and copper.
Only twenty-four pieces are largely composed of silver, but their presence is highly significant, because they convey a cosmogonic intention underlying the materials.
Alfonso Caso identified evocations of the nocturnal aspect of the cosmos in various silver objects, in contrast to allusions to the sun in gold objects. The most eloquent objects are the small half gold, half silver solar disks. They symbolize day and night, the diurnal sun and nocturnal sun. These pieces capture the unfolding dualities and complementary opposites permeating the Mesoamerican cosmos and rituals.
PRECIOUS METALS, PRODIGIOUS METALSMITHS
Since ancient times, Mixtec gold objects have been emblems boasting the power and skill of a unique metalworking tradition. Oaxaca was one of the leading gold suppliers for the region of Central Mexico in pre-Hispanic times. The find of more than 3.5 kg of gold in Tomb 7 quadrupled the total number of pre-Hispanic gold pieces known up to that time. Alfonso Caso recorded 121 objects composed of hundreds of elements.
But beyond the quantity, their opulence arises from their exquisite manufacture, which attested to the awe-inspiring craftsmanship of Mixtec metalsmiths in countless techniques.
They hammered gold leaf to be sewn onto garments; cast and polished more substantial objects such as the Mictlantecuhtli pin with its bleeding heart detail; and created exquisite scultpural pieces in the lost-wax technique and delicate false filigree reproducing delicate metal threads by soldering pieces of gold cast in wax molds.
A CONSTELLATION OF BEADS
During the exploration of Tomb 7 it must have been astonishing to gradually uncover the seemingly infinite number of beads of all sorts of materials, colors, textures, and shapes sparkling amidst the earth under the illumination of flashlights. As Alfonso Caso notes, these beads were found in the greatest number, and for cataloguing purposes, they were strung together according to their arrangement on the tomb floor.
In addition to gold beads in countless shapes, there were many bell-rattles that were probably part of the trimming of breastplates, bracelets, or anklets.
More than a kilo of turquoise pieces was recovered, including almost 7000 beads, lembellishing embroideries or necklaces, and small plaques that might have formed mosaics or have been affixed to a perishable support, such as leather or wood.
Caso also found beads made of jade, rock crystal, shell, coral, jet, pearl, stone, and even teeth. A particularly noteworthy example of the latter was a strand of feline molars and fangs.
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PRECIOUS STONES, MASTER LAPIDARY CRAFTSMEN
JADE, ROCK CRYSTAL AND TECALLI
The properties and rarity of certain stones gave them the status of precious object throughout Mesoamerica.
Jade and greenstone were highly prized raw materials. Their color related them to vegetation and fertility and their use was restricted to the ruling class. The fineness of the jade carving in Tomb 7 denotes the remarkable command of Mixtec craftsmen over hard, dense lapidary stone.
However, rock crystal was even denser and more difficult to work. Caso found it “materially inexplicable” how artisans could have polished pieces of this material to such perfection.
He recalled how at first sight the rock crystal vessel, when filled with dirt, looked like black clay for its impeccable surface.
In contrast, the softness of tecalli -a type of alabaster generically known by this name by the Nahuas- allowed craftsmen to work it in fine sheets, emphasizing its translucence.
I wrote today’s entry as I lay on a chaise lounge at the rear of Casa Arnel, where I’m sweating profusely wearing just my walking shorts. At home in Maine I’ve been in the habit of taking at least two saunas a week in a small room that I built off the bathroom on the first floor of my house. I’ve had a life long, vitamin D deficiency as did my mom Isabel and unfortunately no amount of sun, even after 6 months of walking at altitude in shorts and short sleeve shirts results in my body, producing enough vitamin D to stay healthy. So the sun fails me, and I have to bite through the natural source of energy pouring down from the sky from the sun God, to take a daily or weekly pill.
As I was leaving my sunspot on top of Casa Arnel I realized that my chaise lounge was right in front of a wall decoration that reflected the omnipresent Grace and power of the sun.
Today’s featured attraction was taking a bus and taxi out to Teotitlan, 18 miles northeast of Oaxaca. The town is known for textiles, especially it’s rugs, woven on hand operated looms,using wool from local sheep, and colored with natural dyes. The town was established in 1465 by Zapotecs.
I began by visiting the daily market, where dozens of vendors set up to sell Chinese toys, electronics, sunglasses, woven baskets, rugs, vegetables, fruit, meats, and fresh cooked lunches on tarps placed on the street or in permanently established tables that surrounded a small town square. The daily selling starts at 7 AM and runs until 2 PM. The market dates back to 1520.
My friend and ultimate tour guy Brad ordered me an ample tortilla, cooked over a wood fired pan with charred spots that was filled with a seasoned bean paste topped with fried squash blossoms, green onions, and melted cheese. Small clay bowls of fresh avocado sauce and thick salsa accompanied the plate. It cost was about $1.50.
At home, I enjoy a small piece of dark chocolate almost every day. I once bought a small paper-wrapped disk of sweetened Taza chocolate for $8.00. It was exceptional . I hoped to purchase some similar product at the market but didn’t see any vendors offering it. As the market was closing around 2 pm, vendors were breaking down booths and packing up to leave. I was waiting by some benches when a tiny hunched-over woman shuffled toward me carrying two loaded hand-woven bags. She reached down into one of them and pulled out a plastic bag that was filled with a dozen relatively heavy chunks of sweetened chocolate. Although she spoke zero English and me close to that in Spanish, she was able to communicate that she wanted 150 pesos for the bag. I did not want to argue her down, so she shuffled off down the street after I paid her the equivalent of $8, which is exactly the same price I paid back home for just a 2.7 ounce piece of stone ground, organic dark chocolate.
The next shopping microadventure was for handmade candles. Little did I know that I’d be bringing home several unique and meaningful candles made by Doña Viviana Alávez, who was featured in an article in the March 2022 issue of Vogue: “This Oaxacan Family Is Breaking the Mold of a Centuries-Old Candle-Making Tradition”. Donna was in full force, beaming in her colorful dress and shawl, greeting customers with outstretched arms in a grand gesture of welcome. I refer to the article above for a more details about Donna’s unusual life and magnificent legacy.
Donna’s candles
I bought several candles, primarily for gifts. I would show them to you but a boy of 8 or so assisted Donna with the wrapping paper, bubble wrap, and boxing of my individual candles.
I have realized that I am now at one of the most opportune ( I decline to use the word “best”.) locations on the planet to open up to an extended period of grieving the recent deaths of my mother Isabel and wife Marcia. Not only is there a Catholic Church a block away from my room but I am literally surrounded by images of death that are prominently displayed on the sides of building, posted to fences, and sold in countless shops and stores. Granted, I am considered a lapsed Catholic, however, there is no true or lasting escape from twelve years of Catholic school.
I decided to set my timer to the hour when I would take a photo of one of these images from the point I happened to be walking around during the day. Here’s what I saw:
And at the end of the day, I received an email that my deceased Marcia’s older sister Gail died in Falmouth after moving to an assisted care/ rehab facility.
I’m falling deeper into grieving and experiencing a period of consistently synchronous events here in this very special part of the world. The focus on death as well as life here in Oaxaca has catapulted me into cherishing each moment that is given to me.
Last night was most unusual in that I laid down to sleep at midnight but didn’t get to fall asleep until 3:15 AM. I had been unwilling to accept that a huge celebration was taking place at my hotel. Even after Brad pointed out that the multihued glow of 1/4 mile distant lights and a deep throbbing bass line over dance music that we were homing in on to finish our evening was coming from Casa Arnel.
I totally enjoyed my breakfast this morning. I had a huge latte. a cinnamon roll, scrambled eggs with chourico, and a couple of bean tortillas.
None betterDon Brad, my master Oaxaca host
Today was an easier day suitable for a 15 mile bus ride to Tolcuala where a huge open air market with hundreds of vendors would fit my weary body’s need to dial back a bit. There was plenty of walking to be done at the crowded market.
How about a pet bird? Maybe they’ll have mescal? Meat street
I walked past the usual mountains of cheap Chinese sunglasses, jeans, sunglasses, hats, and belts. In addition, there were colorful handwoven baskets pottery, shawls and baskets of all shapes and sizes.
I was looking for a souvenir espresso cup adorned with a colorful rendering of a skull. I was half tempted to buy what would have been a $5 pair of brand new Levi jeans. I didn’t buy anything but enjoyed looking.
While sitting down on a stone wall, I initiated a conversation with a young man in his 30’s from Poland. He was here accompanying his Polish wife who is working here in Mexico for a brief period. I switched to my barely passable Polish language skills and then his wife came and sat with us and we continued to chat. They live near Warsaw and Krakow. Places that I hope to visit in the near future. We exchanged contact information via WhatsApp with a plan to connect in Poland. I also invited them to stay with me in Maine if they ever get the opportunity to visit New England.
Tonight is Super Bowl Sunday but I’ve lost interest in watching since my favorite team the Patriots got knocked out of the Playoffs early.
I hope to catch up soon on last night’s lack of sleep.
Tom Jamrog's Weblog 