Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Today I kept to my breakfast at 7:00 a.m. because I wanted to walk to Xochimilco cemetery.
Walkabout #10
The Xochimilco cemetery is my favorite of all the ones we visit in Oaxaca
Now is the time for families to paint and repair the graves of their family members
The walk back to the hotel from the cemetery was visually interesting.
This morning at 9:00 a.m. we are taking a morning excursion.
Out The Window #5
Our first destination for this excursion is somewhere I have never been in all the trips I have made to Oaxaca: the famous Tule tree in Santa Maria El Tule.
The church of Santa María de la Asunción with El Árbol del Tule on the left
Lost in the translation
Sometimes you think you are somewhere to get the picture above
but karma says you are there to take this picture
These two celebrants from India got this photo from me through the magic of email...and karma.
Out the Window #6
Until we are out of the city, I forget how mountainous the region is
One of the few out the window shots I really edited but I liked the rural industrial look of this one
Our next stop was another new place to visit for me: the Yagul archeological site. This is a Zapotec site. While some evidence of human occupation dates as far back as 3000 BC, the real first occupancy of note was in the 500 to 100 BC period and hit its stride after the abandonment of Monte Alban in 800 AD. Occupied until the Spanish Conquest, the residents were relocated to the town of Tlacolula where their descendants still live today. The major work on this archaeological site was done in the 1950s and 60s.
Around this site there were huge Atta Mexicana colonies who had been working so hard over time they were actually carving their own trails into the earth
The most amazing thing is that these houses had stucco walls with red paint which is still visible on some of the walls today.
We then all went to lunch at Rancho Zapata. I got a chance to wander around the lot and take a few photos.
On part of my walk I had a friend but I felt kind of bad when he decided to run into the restaurant
Out the Window #7
When we got back to the hotel it was time for the critique of our work by Michael deMeng--the highlight of all the workshops Michael provides.
Fortification for the critique
Here is the work of my fellow travelers (with the understanding that some of this, including mine, might need further work when we get home). (With apologies: my camera battery died right after I took the portraits of the art and before the critique started so this year I do not have any photographs from the critique of my fellow artists. I also do not have a photograph of the work of the da Vinci of our group--Teresa Reaver who made an amazing piece of art).
Here is mine: Dia de los Muertos calacas musicians performing in a cementerio at night
Thanks to Michael de Meng for another challenging yet fun workshop in Oaxaca.
Tonight we head out to the San Felipe del Agua cemetery for Dia de los Muertos.
After we returned from the cemetery I had dinner at the Laundry Clubhouse with a gang of folks.
To end the evening, I took a walk down the alcala only to find that pretty much everyone is packed up and gone for Dia. However, there is still some music going and people in costumes.
Home by Midnight, it was with a little melancholy that the holiday may be done.
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