Category: Mexico

Postcard from Oaxaca, Mexico: More street art and signs of protests

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Randomly combining more photos of street art encountered during our month in Oaxaca with signs of protesters. Sometimes the messages seem the same.

The pulse of everyday comings and goings downtown seem barely affected by the those encamped in the middle of the Zocalo round the clock. Garlands of holiday decorations encircled graffiti. Band concerts continued. El Dia de los Rabanos went on much as planned, artistic displays surrounding the tents in their midst. Radish carvings were replaced by the return of the authorized shoeshine stands, bearing their own messages of peace and tolerance preached by the city.

But no matter how lively the scene, the spirits of the missing 43 haunt the city.

Postcard from Oaxaca, Mexico: Favorites on the food front

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The Mister came across a blog post somewhere online that read, “La Biznaga is the reason I moved to Oaxaca.” Can’t find that post, but we feel almost as strongly about the place. Casually comfortable, a diverse menu and hands-down the best, most generous and potent margarita we have ever had anywhere.

As during our prior visit a year earlier, our other favorite spot is Los Danzantes. Danzantes is more upscale in service and price, but still avoids feeling stuffy.

Since writing about food in Oaxaca numerous times in 2013, I’ll just let photos speak for these two restaurants.

Los Danzantes grilled octopus with roasted beets
Los Danzantes roasted watermelon and tomato salad
La Biznaga margaritas
La Biznaga squash soup with ginger
Los Danzantes grilled flank steak
La Biznaga las calendas, hoja santa stuffed with quesillo, zucchini blossoms and poblanos
Los Danzantes quesillo fundido with huitlacoche, epazote and serrano chiles
Los Danzantes mashed plantain filled with Ismo-style wedding stew
Los Danzantes rosemary flavored creme brulee
La Biznaga susto, coconut flan in caramel and mezcal suace
Los Danzantes, hoja santa stuffed with goat cheese
La Biznaga La Tehuana, watercress, pear and roquefort salad
Los Danzantes shredded chicken with Candy’s red mole
La Biznaga Zandunga, chicken breast wrapped around plaintain in guava mole
La Biznaga Mazunte, tuna with asparagus, roasted tomatoes and avocado
La Biznaga Geulaguetza, chicken breast with purslane, cacti, sweet potato chips and black mole
Los Danzantes
La Biznaga Turista, nut-encrusted redfish over salad
Los Danzantes creamy rice with purslane
Los Danzantes seafood chilpachole
Los Danzantes, chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese

I promise the Mister and I did not consume every bite of these during our month-long stay. Some friends joined us part of the time, so we had the opportunity to sample some additional dishes.

And, if you ever hear we have packed up and moved to Oaxaca, blame it on La Biznaga.

Postcard from Tlacolula de Matamoras, Oaxaca, Mexico: So many saints lost their heads….

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Generally, statues of saints lining the walls in churches are robed modestly and depicted holding the iconic symbols associated with their lives, but a Baroque side chapel in the Church of La Asuncion de Nuestra Senora in the bustling city of Tlacolula de Matamoras does not cloak saintly sacrifices. The beautifully restored Dominican church dates from the middle of the 16th century.

The walls and ceilings of the chapel dedicated to El Senor of Tlacolula, a “black Christ” credited with performing miracles, are covered with gilded sculptural reliefs graphically illustrating the violent ends to the lives of numerous saints. Bloody wounds and severed heads testify to the gruesome suffering the martyrs endured for their faith.

Dim lighting and flash restrictions hindered our efforts to share the unusual portrayals, save for soft images of a severely gouged San Judas Thadeo enthroned behind Jesus astride a burro and poor decapitated San Pablo.