Sadness

I guess there is no way around missing people you love. I feel just slammed by this sadness, and it just doesn't seem to let up. All the distractions in the world can't erase missing loved ones or provide an adequate substitute.

I could blog about activities and projects, books, films. You name it. I could fill the space nicely and breezily. The sadness will remain.

To those who I'm missing...

I love each of you lots.

Happy Thanksgiving

So the holiday of Thanksgiving is a complicated one. Anything that involves U.S. history is usually more nuanced that meets the eye. I think this clip captures a lot of it with dark humor.

Enjoy the holiday.

Art in Oaxaca

Oaxaca has so many beautiful things about it....incredible coast line. Colonial towns. Fabulous food. Mountains. One of the things I love about this state is that it is full of art and artists. Whole towns of artisans. The town of Octolan is the birthplace of famous artist Rodolfo Morales, who painted these columns and the beautiful mural. In the same town there is a trio of ceramic artists that create beautiful clay figures (including this couple of calaveras)...the Aguilar sisters. We got to visit their workshops on the way out of town....Then we visited a village full of wood carvers that made magical figures out of copal wood. I learned about naguals, and that each of us has an animal spirit that is linked to the day of our birth.

This is a place that feeds your spirit with beautiful art, made by humble people.

Wildlife on the coast

Beautiful wild Ventanilla beach...,no hotels!

Crocodile in an enclosure...but there were plenty in the river too!

This is a marine turtle.

This little island is a bird nesting area.


River full of crocodiles....

While on the coast we took a couple of fun excursions...one on a boat to see marine life (turtles and dolphins were all over the place), and another was an afternoon visiting the community of Ventanilla, a tiny coastal ecotourism cooperative that was one of the most impressive projects I've ever seen (that includes projects I've seen during my Peace Corps years!).

Market day

Spice and chiles for sale....
Older gentleman enjoying his pulque in a jicara gourd cup. Glass bottles hold mezcal.

Amazing empanada filled with yellow mole chicken. One of the best things I ate in Oaxaca, and one of the cheapest.
Proud pulque and tepache vendor in Ocotlan, Oaxaca

Here are more sights from Oaxaca. Our last few days were spent visiting the small villages around the capital city of Oaxaca with a fabulous guide, Jaime. Ocotlan had its market on Friday, which was fantastic. The village plaza area was packed full of people selling everything from saddles, pottery, empanadas, underwear, pots, and chiles. I LOVE Mexican markets...the energy, the crafts, the food, the people.

I got to taste pulque for the first time. As well as tepache...these are ancient fermented beverages made from the maguey plant (that also makes mezcal). I actually liked them both, a surprise.

I came home with dried chiles to make mole, jamaica flower (to make a tea in the summer), as well as chocolate, and avocado leaves (which add something magical to black beans).

A journey remembered

View from Arigalan hotel


This trip has so many highlights that I'll blog about them individually....each trip to Mexico opens up new experiences (both good and bad). I learn things about myself along the way......the way that I encounter poverty is always one that I face and confront. It is always hard, no matter how many times I go. You won't see any of that captured in photos. I learn more about the cultures, the history, the incredible diversity of this country....

So I'll start with one of the best parts of the vacation...a relaxed week at the beach. A week of wearing my bathing suit and sarong daily (and putting on flip flops to stroll to the palapa to eat our fresh seafood meals facing the ocean). We stayed up on a hotel that faces beautiful views of San Angustinillo beach, and we were a steep hillside walk to that sweet place. The other nearby beaches were Mazunte and Rinconcito. These are sleepy tiny beach towns, with light tourist infrastructure....very much still Mexican fishing towns. In fact, Fede hit it off with them, which meant he got invited to spend a morning with them fishing...and brought back a delicious fish for our dinner.

Beautiful Oaxaca

It´s sunny and glorious here in Oaxaca right now, and I´ve come down from the mountain to a cybercafe to share a few highlights of this trip...so far. First off, it is another world from life in Portland in almost every way. Rural, communal, traditional, warm-tropical....It was emotional to see family members reconnect after so many years of separation.....we are so happy to be here.

Yesterday we hiked to the corn field or milpa, and people maintain a way of life that is literally ancient. That kids have MP3 players is a bit odd, but somehow it all works. Yesterday we lost electricity, and I drew portraits by candlelight to great acclaim. It was such fun to get immediate and positive feedback as I quickly churned out 4 fast portraits. Good practice for the art classes I am missing in PDX.

The Day of the Dead altars are in every home, no matter how humble, and tomorrow we head to the coast for more sunshine and the sea.....

Sorry that pictures will have to get posted later. I try to travel light and not drag around too much in the way of electronics. My travel motto is to blend in...which means I don´t snap as much as other tourists would.