Abastos Market

The Abastos is the place to find anything you could possibly want... yes, even that. It is a huge, gritty, sprawling expanse and on Saturdays it doubles in size and density. It can be a little intimidating or overwhelming, but I like it there. In general, it is a no nonsense area. No photos. People get pissed and will let you know about it. It's OK to shoot certain things, but sometimes I just have to shoot blind, from the hip and hope for the best.It has been hot for the last two weeks with another week of the 90's to come. People are laying back and waiting and hoping for the rains. They were early last year. Maybe they are balancing that out this year. The heat does quiet the city down. At times there is almost no traffic and very few on the streets. . People are just not used to it. The temperatures are usually perfect.

However, the Abastos was hoppin' and I had a blast searching for the elusive cactus sellers and anything that looks too good to pass up.

The market may be twenty city blocks and it is filled with stalls and stands or people just hawking their goods in the aisles. The light is filtered by awnings and I have to always watch myself to make sure I don't get decapitated.

I walked the whole perimeter and cut through several times on my quest, but no luck.
The way it works, one buys ones stuff, gets a man with a diablito, or hand cart, and he takes it to an awaiting cab or bus, which is how most people get around. The places is a sea of cabs and buses, crazy driving. Never argue with a bus driver in terms of who has the right of way no matter what they try. They are not to be messed with. I park a few blocks away and walk.
The diablitos are everywhere. It is hard work and they will demand a fair wage if they think you are light. Always ask first.
These three were catching a quick siesta in the shade.It is mango season, all so sweet and inexpensive. I had one of the best I have ever had yesterday. It was perfect, just dissolved in my mouth.These bags are indestructible and lots of fun. So many colors and styles from which to chose.It is a tough market, lots of people working hard to make it. You can see it in people's faces.I like this tryptich.
Eviel is the PRI candidate for governor to replace Ulises. 'Nuf said.Quite the gown, si?Not quite what she had on her mind. She was standing just below.Ceramics stacked for sale?Almost.A quelaquezta dancer with her piña?I am there next Saturday. Join me.

Things are looking up.

I am sure it has been done, but there really should be an art book of the interior domes and ceilings of the churches of Oaxaca. I needed a wide-angle lens for some of these or maybe I should have laid on the floor. I try to get the light bulb dead center if there is one. They almost look like Fabregé eggs.

These from Ocotlan.
These from Tlacolula.
From Mitla.
From Teposcolula.

Shot Of the Day

Behind all those walls and doorways lie some of the hidden treasures of Oaxaca. It is hot today! In the 90's.

Money home slows down

Full story from NoticiasNet.mx

Remittances, money sent home, to the state of Oaxaca has decreased by 6.2 million dollars in the first trimester of the year, said Luis Abdiel Pacheco Luna, director of the Unit of Economic Intelligence of the School of Professionals of the Economy of the State of Oaxaca. He explained that from January to March of 2010, the shipment of remittances was 257.5 million dollars, registering a fall, with respect to the last trimester of 2009, of 2.4 percent. "One of the explanations of this decrease is due to the slow recovery of the real estate sector in the United States. In this sector, 7.5 percent of the labor force is of Mexican origin, representing 20.2 percent of the total Mexican workforce in the US," he said. It is expected that in the second semester of this year the shipment of remittances will recover, since confidence indices in the American market are improving.

Fresh from the tree

Naranjas, higos y aguacates.
Even though it has been very dry, which is normal, I still have a good crop of oranges, figs and avocados. The oranges are so bitter and tart they give the lips a permanent pucker. The avocados are small with a large pit, with a slight anise taste and edible skin. Nice. Nothing like picking fruit and eating it immediately. I always feel like I am ingesting months of sun and growth, lots of energy.If you have never eaten a freshly picked fig, you are missing something. Yes, Fig Newtons (from Newton, MA) are related, but there is a reason Hesse used the image in Siddhartha:
"Your mouth is like a freshly cut fig, Kamala. My lips are also red and fresh, and will fit yours well, you will. see."

Gulf of Mexico

I know, I know, this ain't a political blog or anything like that, but this is or should be criminal.

With the remains of the Deepwater Horizon rig still spewing hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico every day, BP and federal response teams are scrambling for solutions. BP has bought up more than a third of the world's supply of dispersants, or chemical substances used to break up and sink oil to prevent it from hitting land. The problem is, no actually knows what chemicals are in many of these dispersants, or the impacts they may have on marine ecosystems.

full story from Mother Jones

Yanhuitlan - progress report

One of the games we enjoy playing is the, "Where would you put this on your top 50 things to see or do in Oaxaca," game. Things shift around depending on where we are and what we are doing. When we are eating in the "Comedor Colon" in Etla, it always moves up into the top five. There are so many great choices for the list. Where do you put El Tule? or Monte Alban? Teotitlan? the church in Ocotlan? Santo Domingo, the mercado Merced? or market day in Tlacolula?

Clearly, Zapotitlan and the cactus forests are right up there, but for me, I keep returning to Yanhuitlan, which has a special hold on me. I think it is because, not only is it a spectacular site, but the story behind it contains so many lessons.
The short version - in pre-columbian times, the Mixtecs lived there in the hundreds of thousands. It is very rugged land and the Mixtec were and are a tough people. When the Spanish showed up in the XVI century, they divided Mexico between the Dominicans, the Franciscans and the Augustinians. The Dominicans got Oaxaca and Yanhuitlan. They had grand plans to convert the Mixtecs and designed a huge church and village complex complete with aqueduct that stretched for several kilometers. Unfortunately, after starting construction in the early 1520's, within fifty years, disease had wiped out the population with a 95% kill rate. Yanhutlan became a ghost town, but the church remained and construction continued. Over the years, there were revolutions and purges, but the church remained and construction/restoration continued and continues today.
Today, there are 780 people that live in the village.

When we were there last week, there were well over a hundred people working on the site. There are ten in this shot and this was the small stone-working area. Some people were grooming the grounds, some were cleaning steps and floors, but the vast majority were doing serious stonework on the exterior. This piece will go on the roof. The groove on the bottom will face up and act as a channel for water. This worker is opening up a long-sealed window in the lower front of the monastery. In the interior, the delicate work of restoring the paintings and retablos continues. The progress has been amazing, but it is a huge undertaking. The place is so huge. I outlined a person in this photo to show the scope and scale of the work.The retablos look small, but they are probably ten meters tall.The completed organ restoration. I don't know if it plays, but it sure looks beautiful.Gilded plaster pieces waiting to be installed.Praying for an on-schedule July completion.Incidentally, the spots on her face are tears of pearl or silver.
A sublimely graceful supporting arch.The entryway ceiling. Look at the exquisite detailed woodwork.The doorway leading from the church into the abutting monastery, You can see that the walls were all probably previously decorated with painting.I plan on returning every month or so to take in the progress. The place never fails to blow my mind. Top ten? Claro que si!

Markets

Saturday is market day in the city and the Abastos, which is always bustling, gritty and diverse, is always an adventure. The market may be about ten square blocks, but who knows because there are no blocks, just a sea of stalls and vendors. On Saturdays the perimeter expands to make it even more fun and daunting to shop. I went in in search of cacti. I parked a few blocks north of the market and walked around for a couple of hours, but never found what I was looking for although I did pick up a couple of nice plumeria or frangiapani plants with good roots and lots of leaves. I know the market fairly well and can normally find what I am looking for, but this is the second time this week I could not find the cactus sellers. I will keep trying. I've gotta serious cactus thang since visiting Zapotitlan.I like the Abastos, but prefer the Etla market which is only minutes from the house. I can pretty much get whatever I need any day of the week and the quality and freshness is always so good. Shopping is simply fun there.Plus I don't get many smiles like this in the Abastos.