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| Me standing amidst Jacaronda blossoms |
March 18
I’m getting tired of house hunting, home hunting, not having a home. Today I walked and walked and walked in a new neighborhood, trying to find the address of yet another apartment. This is in the hills above where I live now. Steep! I discovered another way of getting to a downtown neighborhood – climbing up into the hilly Colonia Azucenas and walking down steps right into the other neighborhood next to Basilica de Solidad, but never found the street I was looking for. After that discovery, I walked back up to Panoramico Fortin and followed it until it turned into another street and I had no idea where I was. Still no luck finding that address. Decided that I wouldn’t want to live where no one would find me. I took a taxi home.
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| Mole asleep in our apartment |
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| Across the street from my building on Quetzalquatl |
But I was still determined to find it -- just because. I looked up the address of the apartment again, googled the directions, and tried again. This time I turned the right corner and walked UP and UP and UP the hill and found the street, Primavera – but not the building – I was looking for. But no matter – although the cardio and pulmonary benefits of that daily climb would be great, I might never leave the house!
Turning the corner from Primavera, I discovered the Escaleras del Fortin – stairs that take you from near the top of the mountain, to the central neighborhood where I live right now. I walked down the steps – beautiful views, lots of charm. Going down wasn’t so bad, but…
Some things I love about Oaxaca so far:
Walking to dinner about 7pm, there was a gathering of people on the little plaza near the restaurant, La Quinque. A poetry reading. Sitting on steps, on ledges, on the stone of the plaza – some parents and children, mostly young adults, listening to several poets reciting their work. I finished dinner and walked home, they were still there and the crowd listening had doubled.
I crossed the street from the plaza and saw a father pointing out the huge, almost full moon, to his 2-year old daughter. I love seeing so often Mexican fathers holding their children so lovingly.
Sitting at dinner, a man came into the restaurant to talk with the owner. Coming and going he gave me a big smile and a “buen Provecho” -- “enjoy your meal.”
I heard brass band parade music and left my apartment to see what was going on. A parade to honor the springtime, with small children dressed as animals, butterflies or flowers, riding bicyles or walking with their parents down Garcia Vigil to the Zocalo. The band played at the rear of the parade, which stretched for several blocks and held up traffic for even more blocks.
There are parades, fiestas, art openings, weddings, religious and secular events almost every day and evening.
Things I don’t like, so far: Not much. Water shortage and small hot water heaters. Not finding the cat food Molly likes and the kitty litter I like. Exhaust fumes from cars. Polyester bed sheets. Haven’t yet found half & half, though I hear it's available in large sizes.
March 19
Went to the Jalatlaco neighborhood to look for a health food store. Found it, and bought citronella cream to discourage the mosquitoes, lovely face cream and best of all, across the street at the Church there was the most amazing sculpture exhibit by a woman artist I had never heard of, Helen Escobedo. The exhibit is called Exodus and is larger than life-size figures of pieces of fabric, walking across the balcony in front of the church, down the stairs, and onto the plaza in front. So powerful, wrapped, appearing blindfolded. I looked up the artist, and she was of the same generation as my mother, and an environmental artist in the same tradition as my mother. Wonderful work.
Her website and another favorite work:
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| Helen Escobeda Exodus |
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| Exodus |
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