A church on every corner

The Zócalo, Christmas Eve, 10pm

Chrissy and I were engulfed in a sea of happy families filling all available space behind the roped off streets of the procession route. Each church (and there seems to be one every few city blocks) had its elaborate nativity float beautifully decorated, crowded with gorgeous ladies and school children dressed up in their finery, as angels (or fairies?) waving a wand at the spectators. Infant Jesus was the centerpiece resting in a fancy cradle.

Between each float was a brass band or some sort of orchestral group, somewhat disreputable and incongruous in their working clothes, enthusiastically whooping it up as loudly as possible! How many times they circled the zócalo (central plaza) I lost count. Sky rockets roared off and exploded in the heavens in a spectacular shower of colored sparks and Catherine wheels whizzed unexpectantly close by. Interspersed were acrobatic teams, paraplegics in wheel chairs, sports teams, and huge three meter high clowns who swayed around like drunken giants and bobbed up and down to the beat of the music.

Crash, bang, tinkle, tinkle... next to the Cathedral we watched amazed at people throwing plates, pottery, even furniture over their shoulder onto a growing pile of rubble! Investigation revealed that this was the traditional "Breaking of Plates" ceremony. It marks the end of the current year's worries and the dawn of a happy and prosperous New Year.

Christmas Eve parade

Never before have I experienced such fantastic celebrations. Pity the organizers of the Sydney Mardi Gras weren't here taking notes! I exhausted my supply of film and we decided to totter off home. Then we noticed everybody was heading for the nearest church, so we did too!

I am not normally a church goer. Weddings and funerals are my limit. But for the Latinos, their whole lives revolve around the Catholic Church. I reflect that I have visited (and photographed) more churches in Latin America than within a lifetime elsewhere.

The church was packed with families for the Christmas Eve service. About 11:45pm everyone queued up to go forward and receive a blessing from the priest. Children carried a doll dressed in swaddling clothes, depicting the infant Jesus (taken from their nativity scene at home) to be blessed also. We followed too. No one seemed to mind foreigners joining in.

By midnight it was all over. We wandered along cobblestone streets to the Plazuela Labastida and our lodging at Posada Margarita with the occasional skyrocket lighting up the darkness.

Around Oaxaca

Posada Margarita is a family-run guest house, double storied, colonial style with a central courtyard hidden away behind archways that house craft shops and an Internet cafe. There is a sunny rooftop area where you can write your journal whilst sipping rum and coke.

Wooden skeletons for sale

Adjacent is the Plazuela (little plaza) with many interesting stalls, selling oil paintings, silver jewellery and woven goods. A grotesque attraction are two wooden skeletons sitting in armchairs (leftovers from the Fiesta of the Dead). They produce a steady cash flow from tourists wanting to be photographed with them. El Topil restaurant here is great for home cooking, garlic soup being a specialty.

Oaxaca Specialties

A curious thing about Oaxaca is the frequent peeling of church bells, followed by a slow bong, bong, bong etc, all with no apparent relation to the time of day. We decided there must be a secret communication between churches, or else the bell ringers had got stuck into the mezcal!

Yes, we tried and loved mezcal, the Oaxacan version of tequila, but drew the line at bottles having a worm in the bottom. I'm sure this is just a tourist stunt. Usually 40 proof, mezcal with a dash of lime juice, has a smoky flavor and to me is more pleasant than the stronger tequila which is best camouflaged in margaritas!

The central food market (Mercado Juaréz) is a fascinating place to explore. We found Indian ladies with piles of dried grasshoppers, whole bodies or cheaper for just the legs. Chrissy bought a sample to test out as an hors d'oeuvre. More to my liking was Oaxacan chocolate and chocolate drink. Special factory shops in town grind the cacao beans and produce different varieties of chocolate on the spot in view of the customers.

Santo Domingo

One of the most beautiful cathedrals in Mexico is Santo Domingo, a masterpiece of the Dominican Order which is adjacent to their old monastery that now houses the Regional Museum and Library. It is located just behind Posada Margarita. Although the Dominican monks had strict vows of poverty, chastity and obedience (and so had some rapport with the local Indians) they sure made up for it by having a stunning gateway to Heaven! The numerous capillas are magnificent and the ceiling decor is unbelievable! I could die happy there!

The adjacent Regional Museum is top class and housed within the massive stone walls of the old monastery. The archeological history of the region from 500 BC to colonial times is expertly displayed and explained in detail.

Gran Plaza, Monte Albán

Monte Albán was the Zapotec Indian capital from 500 BC to about 750 AD and is located on a hill top a few kilometres west of Oaxaca. When we visited it certain buildings were roped off. A few months earlier a major earthquake had caused damage and there was a risk to tourists. Assuming a major earthquake every decade, it is not surprising that these wonderful Zapotec and Mextec Indian cities are now in a somewhat ruinous state.

The library consisted of endless rooms of floor to ceiling bookshelves of ancient tomes, some exceedingly large, written in Latin and early Spanish. I could visualize monks peering over these by candlelight getting a thrill now and then, perhaps.

Then I focused on a display cabinet with the first edition (1556) of "De Re Metallica" written by Georgius Agricola, a treatise on mining and metallurgy as then conducted in Central Europe. Wow! Here was a book that revolutionised the New World and its application created untold wealth for the Spanish colonists. Spanish galleons came to Mexico (New Spain) with people, books, weapons and machinery (transfer of technology) and returned with silver, gold, spices, dyes and new plants.

Iglesia de Tlacochahuaya

We found all the Mexican churches fascinating and awe inspiring compared to the ho-hum Australian variety. Of particular interest was the Iglesia de Tlacochahuaya, near Yagul. Beautifully decorated and built by Indians in the 16th century, it houses "Christ on the Cross" made of sugar cane and sheaths of wheat. However, the Indians also display wooden images of their Sun and Moon Gods, an interesting compromise of religious beliefs in one church.

Oaxaca, like many Mexican cities, is a place that you can return to many times and enjoy old and new experiences that give you an uplift and reason for living!

Oaxaca

Capital of Oaxaca State, population ca 400,000, altitude 1550 meters.

A well preserved Spanish colonial city, originally an important religious center (Dominican). Now a favourite with tourists for handicrafts, festivals, cafés, restaurants and a relaxing atmosphere.

Explore the ancient cities of Monte Albán and Yagul and craft markets at the many Indian villages located along the Valles Centrales. Tourism is a major industry.

Access

By bus 442 kms SE of Mexico City (6½ hours from Terminal Oriente) or by plane, Mexicana and Aeroméxico have many flights daily from Mexico City (1 hour, ca US$75).

Accommodation

Plentiful hotels, posadas, B&B's etc. Best area is around and north of the Zócala.

Mid-range cost US25/40 single/double and budget US$10/15 or less. Check Lonely Planet Mexico Guide for details. Recommended for location etc is friendly Posada Margarita on Plazuela Labastida, US$12/15 con baño, upstairs is best.

Supermarkets

Tiny family-run shops are the norm. Only supermarket of note is "Gigante" located west on Calle Independencia near intersection with Victoria.

The central market (Mercado Juarez) is great for fruit, vegetables, meat and mezcal if you are in a DIY cooking/drinking mode. The adjacent Mercado 20 de Noviembre consists mainly of comedores and is a good place for a meal with the locals.

Internet Cafes

Numerous around town. Try corner of Calle Garcia and Trujano; also the arcade at Posada Margarita; and Terra Nostra at Morelos 600.

Tours

For a DIY tour of Monte Albán catch the bus at Hotel Mesón del Angel located SW of the Zócala at Calle Mina 518. In the hotel lobby is the office for Viajes Turisticos Mitla (Phone 6-61-75). They also have guided day tours to Valles Centrales. Each village has a market on a different day so the route varies accordingly.

Teotitlán weaving

For example, we did a Monday tour (10am to 2:30pm, costing 120 pesos excluding entrance fees) and visited the craft market at Teotitlán, ruins at Yagul, the church at Tlacochahuaya and we were shown the Oaxacan specialties cochineal dye and mezcal, with free samples!

Other Tour Agents are numerous and offer a similar range of services e.g., Zapotec Tours.

Climate

Warm and dry all year. Check the weather report for Oaxaca now.

Exchange Rate

One US dollar equals 9.3 Mexican pesos, but check the rate today.

The Author

You can visit Allano's web site by clicking here.








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