Santa Ana Zegache - Dos

I returned to shoot the church in Santa Ana Zegache this afternoon in search of the elusive shot I know is there. I took a different road, the one that heads for Huatulco, and the drive was quite easy, not nearly as rough. The sun was behind me and the light was getting nice. You can see what a difference the facing sun can make.The clouds, building, rolled in from the west and the sun was going fast for the day. Time to shoot fast.Everywhere I looked, I notice more detail. They really painted everything. Detail from under a window.Details from the stockings.I could see the rain moving in with flashes of lightening, all pretty dramatic. We had a nice rain last night and things are turning that vibrant green that was not even on the horizon even a couple of weeks ago. Maybe the rainy season is arriving. Every drop a blessing.
However, I did not get the shot I know is there. I plan on returning, maybe even tomorrow. Depends on el sol.

Rewarding stupidity

If there is one thing I know, it is equipment, you know, stereos, amps, all that fun electronic stuff. It has been a constant in my life with lots of concerts produced and gigs all over the place. Back in the day, I was "the guy with the van" in the bands I played with and hey, my bio says I am "one of the pioneers of electronic music" so I must know my stuff, right?

So I was watching a movie and listening to the sound through the stereo and there was a weird delay. So I got out the manual and started reading. The manual is in Spanish and, in an effort to save money, is for six different Samsung models, of which mine is one.

I have had this system since I moved in last August. It was one of the first purchases for the place. When I got it home I was disappointed that it did not have a USB input for an ipod/ripped movies and only one aux channel, but what the heck, it sounded fine. I figured I got one of the models that did not have those options even though it appeared to have them according to the box. Oh, well.

Today, as I read the manual, it kept referring to things I just could not find on the unit. I picked it up. Looked at the front, back, sides. I could not find what they were talking about. This is a sleek looking unit, nice, with a shiny black front panel.

As I put the unit down I noticed that the front panel had popped open and there were all the things I had not been able to find for eight months. A USB input! Not only had I not been able to find them, but a few weeks ago I had gone out and purchased another unit that would play ripped movies. And the whole time it was all right there. Arghhhh!

It is not like I had not looked time and time again for these functions, I had. I just figured I got a different model. So when I ultimately found the hidden door, I laughed. Perfect! Not too dumb, eh?
I rewarded myself for my stupidity by buying these plants at the nearby vivero. There are fifty plants there - 30 different cacti. All for under $17 US, including a nice tall full gardenia plant.

Santa Ana Zegache

I am on a mission, but it is, as of yet, uncompleted. I went back to Santa Ana Zegache to try to get a decent shot of the church there with the sun shining on it's remarkable painted facade. I was there a couple of weeks ago and it was just past sunset and it was raining, but the place put a hook in me and I had to go back. Santa Ana Zegache is to the south of the city of Oaxaca and it's recently completed restoration was, in part, sponsored by Rodolfo Morales, the famous painter who lived in nearby Ocotlan. Check out the before and after pictures and read a little bit about the place.

Well, I thought I had the timing right for the light, but was, of course, exactly back-asswards. I am not satisfied with these shots, but one can see how magical this place is.Every square inch brightly painted, Painting inside the main entry arch.The interior with a spectacular retablo and wonderful wall decoration.The central dome ceiling. Amazing.The church is very hard to shoot because there are no good sight lines. Trees obscure the front once one gets inside the courtyard and shooting from outside the arch has its challenges. Here's a way to get a good shot of the front, but these guys didn't offer.
They follow me everywhere...what's up with that?

So I will head back across the large flat valley again next Monday. And I mean large, flat and fertile valley. There were people working the fields and I saw crops ready to be harvested even though we are just coming out of the dry season. There were lots of fields of roses, good looking corn, lettuce, onions, cabbage. The soil looked so rich, it was wild. And there appeared to be plenty of water. It is a real breadbasket or vegetable basket. Being in such a huge flat valley felt strange, as the norm is being surrounded by or in the mountains. The road through the valley is very rough. I picked up a couple of campesinos who were headed in the village and had a decent conversation with them even though my Spanish is still weak.

I love being stupid now after being a genius my whole life. When they got out, they asked, "Cuanto? How much? " I said, "I will only be here 15 minutes." Then I realized what they were asking and laughed. "Nada y gracias."

Gracias, pero no - No Daylight Savings!

Mexican Indians, Teachers Oppose Time Change

OAXACA, Mexico – Tens of thousands of Indians in the southern state of Oaxaca who orient their lives around the sun have decided not to move their clocks forward one hour for daylight savings time, which went into effect on Sunday in Mexico.

Indians in 418 Oaxaca municipalities who live according to their own “uses and customs” have maintained this position for the past 14 years, saying the time change is imposed on them without their consent and brings them no benefits, different indigenous spokespersons told Efe on Tuesday.

Some 3.8 million people live in Oaxaca’s 570 municipalities, 70 percent of whom are Indians belonging to 16 ethnic groups.

“We use God’s time here, not the government’s,” one Indian in the Oaxaca town of Magdalena Jaltepec, part of the Mixtec region, said when asked why his people refuse to move their clocks forward like the rest of the country.

Velas de concha - Candles from Teotitlan del Valle

For years I have admired the amazing candles I have seen in the church at Teotitlan del Valle. I finally found one of the families that makes them and ordered a couple of large white beauties. Actually, it was no too hard to find the Vasquez family. It must have been that large sign in front of there place on the the main drag, Av. Juarez No. 84. How could I have missed it before?
It took a couple of weeks for them to be done, but it was Semana Santa and they were very busy as you can imagine. Well worth the wait. don't you think? The flowers, rosas y callas, are all wax and it was hot today, so it was the first time I used the AC in the car. They were happy and so am I.

PSA

Public service announcement the Teotitlan del Valle way.

Semana Santa - Holy Week

"Celebraciones de Cuaresma 2010" ended today with Easter. "Cuaresma" refers to the 40 days leading into this final Sunday. Oaxaca is packed with tourists, certainly a good sign for businesses. There is an international look to visitors with lots of Europeans and people from the Far East wandering the streets. All of them are clutching cameras, so I fit right in. And lots of mexicanos, as well. Oaxaca is a popular destination for Semana Santa.

It was a long week. Starting with Palm Sunday in Santa Ana del Valle.To the traditional callejoneada on Thursday, a moving street party with lots of musicians from the local university.There is a reason people come here. It is a festive and, at the same time, a somber week, full of rituals, celebrations and traditions. And of course, Oaxaca knows how to welcome visitors. There were food stands set up everywhere and the smells were way too tempting for most.I did the best I could, but shooting at night in large crowds is tough, at least for me. For the Good Friday "Procession of Silence" the crowds were too much to deal with. I was glad I got there early enough to get some shots because once the event began it was sardine city. It helps being a foot taller than most of the people, but having a big gringo standing in front did not endear me to some. It balances out as I try to walk under the makeshift awnings and roofs that are thrown up everywhere. I get whacked in the neck by ropes and cables all the time. Not to mention having permanent lumps in the head from smacking into things down here regularly.
Procesion del Silencio began at around sunset on Friday. Lots of iconic images. The crosses that they are carrying are quite heavy.

Many beautiful images. Some of the banners to be carried.
As I watched all the pageantry, saw all the richness and riches of the church, and having learned some of it's history in Mexico, I could not help but think of it's current problems. It was a long week.

Buñuelos

From last night.... It doesn't get any better than this, except maybe for the taste and experience of eating them. Buñuelos come in many different forms, These are Oaxaca's version. The bowls are filled with a syrup made from sugar, cinnamon and guava (I think) and one breaks the buñuelo and dips it in the liquid. Afterwards, for good luck, the bowl is broken by throwing over one's back,

Alebrije!! Oaxacan Woodcaving?

Alebrijes, woodcarvings, are what help make Oaxaca famous. This one looks like a typical one from either Arrazola or San Martin Ticajete.
So is this the world's largest woodcarving? Call Guiness? No, this one is paper mache and they are common through parts of Mexico. "Alebrije" means nightmare or fantasy creature.