Festival de los Moles - 2019 Edition

Where to start?  And how could I possibly savor the over twenty moles offered in yesterday's Festival de los Moles held, once again, in the Botanical Gardens?

We've been to this gastronomic event every year and learned, simply, you can't try them all, not even close. The best approach is to take small spoonfuls of a few to get started and then, for the next round, listen to people as to what they are raving about and try those.... and that just about does it. 

There were just too many to ever sample them all.

Then live vicariously by shooting other peoples laden plates of deliciousness.  It was almost as good as eating.... almost.

Like this amazing mole amarillo with lobster.

Everything looked so good, but I was very nicely sated.

You can see it was easy to get carried away.  My mother always said, "Your eyes are bigger than you stomach."

And these friends from Teotitlan del Valle who made thousands of tortillas for the festival and have for the last five years.

Of course, there's always room for nieves!

Another wonderful gastronomic experience! ¡Viva Oaxaca!

A Picture Worth a Thousand Words....

'Nuf said

The Art of the Dance....

It is always a challenge to shoot dance of any kind.  Does one try to take in the whole or focus on individual details? With the danzantes de plumas in Teotitlan del Valle, it is easy to do both. 

This new group of dancers is exceptional, already very tight with the choreography of maestro Javier Gutierrez.  They are more than ready for another appearance in the official Guelaguetza in the city.

A classic shot of one of the subalternos.

This shot of Doña Marina, Jimena Vicinete Lazaro, looks like something from a different time.

La Malinche, Yaretzi Bazan Ruiz, twirling with El Pecacho in the background.

A wonderful beginning to their three year commitment.  If they are this good already....

Things are looking up.

All smiles.....

The convites in Teotitlan del Valle are always a wonderful combination of serious solemnity, pride, happiness and joy and you can see it in the faces of the participants....

The look in those eyes...

And those smiles...

And don't forget those baskets are heavy and catch the wind as they walk the almost five km.

And of course, it is always such a joy to see one of ours favorites, Beatriz Ruiz Lazo.

Back for the danzantes today....

Old becomes new again...

Convites, the processions of unmarried women and girls in Teotitlan del Valle, are always uplifting and beautiful events.  They are always filled with happiness and pride, as the participants join in this traditional celebration.  And yesterday's was no exception..... 

In the last few years there has been a return to trajes, outfits, woven from natural colors. 

I wish I knew more about their emergence, but they look great and nice to see the very young wearing them as well as several others, maybe fifteen out of 200.

As always, beautiful weaving....

And quite a departure from the other traditional look.

¡Vive le differance!
.

Plumas forever...

It is always such an honor and delight to see the danzantes de pluma in Teotitlan del Valle.  And this week is extra special as a new group presents its first performances as they begin a three year commitment.  

The village is celebrating its annual recognition of la Presiosa Sangre de Cristo and the church atrium was packed to see these excellent dancers.  There are eleven dancers in this group, nine danzantes led by Moctezuma, Rene Alaves Lazaro,

A wonderful dancer with sharp clean footwork,

Joining him are La Malinche, Yaretzi Bazan Ruiz,

And her alter-ego Doña Marina, Jimena Vicinete Lazaro, here with one of the subalternos.

On Wednesday the wind was quite strong and the penachos, headdresses, caught the wind and the strain on the dancers' faces was obvious. 

It will be so much fun following this group and getting to know them all, starting with Maximo Ruiz Hernandez.

Let's dance! ¡Y viva Teotitlan del Valle!

People get ready...

There's a train a comin'.....

"Without women there is no revolution." 

I am so with them.

Everything Must Go!... and they weren't kiddin'

Grand Liquidation Sale!  They were serious!

Fourth of July - 2019

 

Tanks on the Mall and concentration camps on the border.... not a pretty picture and nothing of which to be proud.  The quote is from R. J. Velarde's poem Suave Patria "Patria: your maimed terrain is clothed in beads and bright percale."  Perfect for today.

Soup in a Bag...

It is so nice to be back where such wonderful fresh produce is so readily available.  This morning, in the little Friday market in Viguera, this bag of freshness caught my eye.  All the ingredients for sopa de guia, a soup made from squash, its tendrils, flowers and leaves, all in a corn based broth. I've never made it before, but I've had it many times.  It's a true Oaxacan soup.  Normally, the broth is made using corn husks, but there was a pickup truck loaded with fresh corn, so....

The finished product was quite close to the real thing.  Very tasty and oh so healthy!

And enough for days!

Welcome back...

It is good to be back in Oaxaca.  The transformation of the countryside is dramatic.  Everything is so lush and green now.  The garden is a jungle!  The sunflowers in the garden were barely a meter tall when I left now they are well over two closing in on three.... Oh, there are some mighty weeds, too.

Not in Kansas anymore....

It has been a very wet and cold spring in New England and everything is incredibly lush and green.  I'm here for a few more days and after six months of the dry season in Oaxaca, it is otherworldly.  My garden here is pretty much no or low maintenance. It has to be, but I love how wild and natural it looks.  My "lawn."

And so much fun to see dogwoods that I planted as tiny seedlings. 

Look at them now!

I know the rains have come to Oaxaca.  Actually, they had started just before I left, but I'm excited thinking how much the gardens there have been rejuvenated by the return of the rains.  But for now, I am enjoying all the hosta, myrtle, pachysandra and Solomon Seal, all very low maintenance.

Cazadores de Tesoros

Most of the TV I watch is in Spanish, but every now and then, I see something in English with subtitles in Español.  It's a great way to learn the language and expand my vocabulary.  And so it is with the History Channel's "American Pickers" or as it is known in Mexico, "Cazadores de Tesoros" (Treasure Hunters.) In it, two guys from Iowa, Frank and Mike, travel across the country in search of valuable antiques.  Some of the things that always excite them are old signs of any sort.  They pay good money for them.  I bet they would love this one from just done the road from mi casa.