El Mirador
The Guelaguetza Auditorio sits on a hill overlooking the city. Our apartment is at the foot of that hill, so a hike up is in scope, so long as we take it slowly. Our age…
I See Dead People
I know you come here for the incisive cultural commentary and the biting wit, but sometimes we’ve just seen something cool that warrants sharing. Case in point, the Panteón General, which seems to be Oaxaca’s…
Christmas in Oaxaca
We’re not big Christmas fans. For my part, there’s the whole Jew thing. We never did Christmas when I was young, so I don’t have any childhood connection to its wonders. And Dorothy’s Christmas is…
Oaxaca Tattoo
Shopping for souvenirs is tough on this trip. An object has to be either a) useful enough and light enough to warrant stuffing in a suitcase and bringing along on our journeys, or b) valuable…
Noche (o Tarde) de Rábanos
That’s Night of the Radishes to you. Or, as it happened, Afternoon of the Radishes, for us. Noche de Rábanos is easier to explain than describe. Maybe. Going back to Colonial times, Oaxaca has had…
Oaxaca Street Art
One of the reasons Oaxaca is so thoroughly identified with the arts is that the city abhors a blank wall. You’re immersed in art in Oaxaca not just through the shops and the surrounding artisan’s…
Nuestra Señora de La Soledad
We are a scant block away from the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad: the Church of our Lady of Solitude. This weekend is the Fiesta de la Soledad, and it’s happening right in our…
The Preservation Of Fire
One of the true beauties of Oaxaca is not the city itself, but the ring of villages that surround it. Many of these villages are focal points for specific art forms. In San Bartolo Coyotepec…
Woodcut Class
Bottom line: Dorothy will lose her shit if she can’t use her hands. At (what used to be) home, that meant sewing, gardening, making, with all the tools and materials necessary to fulfill whatever mission…
Home Sweet Furnished Rental Apartment
The pattern we expected to follow for housing was to take an Airbnb for a few weeks, and then spend those weeks apartment hunting for our longer term rental. I’ve read repeatedly that it’s a…