Apartment in Oaxaca

I decided last summer to spend July in Oaxaca whether or not I'm accepted to the NEH Spotlight on Mesoamerica institute. While I was there, I stumbled on a hotel that reminded me of some of the motor hotels we used to stay in when we drove across the Southwest from Los Angeles to New Orleans in the 1960's. I met the family who runs the Hotel Villa de Campo and saw some rooms and junior suites and knew then that I would be back. The price -- about $750 a month for a double suite -- can't be beat, and the location, in a quiet neighborhood not far from the Santo Domingo complex where many of the Guelaguetza performances were held, is perfect. I figured I could spend the month studying Spanish and visiting all the villages and churches I missed last summer, returning to the papermaking cooperative at San Agustin Etla, and investigating the political situation more thoroughly.

But I am looking forward to being back in Mexico this summer. Long before I fell in love with Italy, I loved and dreamed of Mexico as the place I would escape to and looked forward to our trips to the border towns when my dad's job took him there. Last summer Oaxaca felt like it was in a time warp, very 1960's in some ways and nostalgic for me. But I loved it for itself, the mountains and villages, the kindness of the people, the layers and layers of history, and the sense of something bubbling just beneath the surface, almost hidden from tourist eyes, a real grassroots movement to be reckoned with. I expect to be back to my old self by the spring, in fact, even better than I was before the surgery and treatment, rested from my sabbatical and more fluent in Spanish. So NEH or no NEH, I'm psyched to have the opportunity to return.

A hot topic

Gang killings in Oaxaca force response from governor

While drug killings are practically nil in Oaxaca province, political violence is not unknown. This is the latest in a long line of recent bloodshed, some of which was happening under our very noses last summer.

For example, the last day we were in Oaxaca, a priest in his 80's was tortured and killed in a supposed botched robbery at one of the beautiful church/temple complexes downtown. This would be odd enough since most churches' treasures are not hidden away and you wouldn't need to torture anyone to find out where they were. But this priest was also an outspoken advocate for indigenous human rights, a very dangerous position to take in a country where the oligarchy is still pretty powerful.

And then there is the ongoing situation in San Juan Copala which has gotten very little press in the US, and the murder of an American expat in August whose body was just discovered in October, and . . . . I could go on and on. Even so, if I had to choose between navigating drug violence and political violence, I'd say political violence is easier to avoid. I thought I was alert and open to what was going on beneath the surface, but I clearly missed a lot of what was happening right under my nose. However, I never felt threatened or endangered. And when you think of it, a lot goes on right under our noses in our own communities with very little effect on our daily lives.

Oaxaca or bust redux

Images via www.rivieramaya.net

The following paragraph appeared on the NEH Oaxaca website last week:

"Thanks to funding from the NEH, the Summer Institute for Teachers will be happening in Oaxaca from July 4 to 29, 2011. We will begin accepting applications in March. Spanish-language ability is not a requirement for applying to this Institute."

So, hooray! The institute will be offered again in July, beginning a week earlier than last year, but still encompassing the Guelaguetza performances that made our trip so super last year. Fortunately, the dates coincide perfectly with the plane/apartment reservations that I already made.

Now I just need to be chosen again! :-)

The Cramp

A quiet movie about a disaffected young Frenchman in a small Oaxacan village on the Pacific coast. It dragged in a few places but was ultimately very satisfying emotionally and visually. Sadly, there was very little dialog, and a lot of it was in French and English as well as Spanish, so I didn't get to practice my new skills in espanol. But it was a great choice for my birthday movie, and I ate the best mole verde I've had since Oaxaca at El Ranchito del Agave. BB didn't like her food or drink, but I will definitely go back there again.

Discovery of the night: There are delicious cupcakes in New York, and they're made by Mitchell London!

Frugal Traveler

Seth Kugel is making his way through Mexico this summer on his quest to travel frugally. Read about his adventures in a small village in Oaxaca below:

TRAVEL | August 17, 2010
Frugal Traveler: Picking a Spot, Any (Undiscovered) Spot, in Mexico
By SETH KUGEL
San Juan Teitipac, a corn-farming hamlet in Mexico, is jammed with intriguing customs, welcoming residents, unforgettable meals, beguiling landscapes and rich history. .

Rodolfo Morales

image of Tres Mujeres con Perro via www.artnet.com

Morales is the second member of the Holy Trinity. He's officially considered a Mexican surrealist, but he worked in various media, mostly oils, but also photography, ceramics, collage, and weaving, among others. He single-handedly revived the village of Ocotlan after becoming well-known as an artist, establishing the Rodolfo Morales Cultural Foundation to restore local churches and set up classes for students in literacy and computers. His house, a five minute walk from the marketplace and the cathedral, is now the center of the foundation's activities while the convent next to the cathedral has been restored as a museum.

Free photo slideshow made with Smilebox

Our apartment in Oaxaca

We rented a lovely apartment in the Jalatlaco barrio just on the other side of Calzada Republica. It was far enough away from the zocalo to be very quiet even on the nights when the Guelaguetza festival was at its height but only ten minutes from Santo Domingo and even closer to what became my favorite area, the Paseo Juarez "El Llano," a park that was always lively and full of families and walkers and no tourists.

We really got into the rhythm of Oaxacan life, staying up late, sleeping late, having a leisurely breakfast, and taking a nice siesta in mid-afternoon!