¡Viva Doña Sylvia Juarez!

I was on a mission today, to find this woman and I did.

 

If you have ever been to Oaxaca, in say, the last twenty years, you have seen this woman with her wonderful smile selling her delicious sweets. She carries a large basket/tray laden with candied nuts and seeds through the zocalo and the surrounding streets.  She is one of Oaxaca's iconic figures and one of the most photographed people in the city. 

I bet I have shots of her going all the way back to when I started coming here, maybe the early 90's.  I always talk with her and more often than not now, buy a taste treat, but really, I just love her smile.  She has a wonderful aura... if you believe in such things.  So I was with her and popped the question... no, not that question, silly....  but the question, "How much does the basket weigh?"  She handed it to me and ...... "You've got to be kiddin'!!!  This thing is really heavy."  "Yes, it weighs 22 kilos."  22 kilos?  That is almost 50 lbs!  Can you imagine how strong her neck and back must be?  

Now to my mission for the day and the other question I should have asked years ago... "What's your name?"  "Sylvia... Sylvia Juarez."
So there you have it.  There is a story there.  This beautiful woman carries all this weight on top of her head and has done so for years and years.  And again, if you have been here, you know Doña Sylvia always radiates, always with that smile, that amazing smile.

I still have work to do.  I want a better portrait of her and of course, more smiles and snacks.
But there you have it for now.  ¡Viva Doña Sylvia!