Oaxaca 2020 Week 7

2/26/2020

Day 43 - Week 7 Oaxaca City

This morning started off with a local phone call. The caller spoke in Spanish but when I said that our Spanish is not good, he switched to English. Unfortunately it was a bad connection. Still unable to understand I apologized and ended the call.

An hour later, Patty, one of our neighbors at Villa Maria knocked on our door to say that there was a man, a Mexican, who wanted to see us. There’s somewhat of an unwritten rule that when someone wants to get into the complex and you don’t know them, you first check with the people the visitor is wishing to see. As it turned out, it was someone I did know - from 30 years ago. It was Jorge, another member of Canto Nuevo.

During our first visit with Jaime, we had tried to get together but Jorge was out of town at that time. But here he was, in the flesh! Plus he speaks English very well!

He invited us to have breakfast with him on Sunday morning and to meet his family. We talked for about a half hour before he had to leave for work - he works at a local university helping Mexicans learn English.

I learned that he’s still in touch with other members of the band and would I like to meet them? Yes! He’s going to try and arrange a time and also said that three of the former members still play in other groups in Oaxaca. Very much looking forward to meeting them/hearing them perform. Jorge still plays the guitar but pretty much just for his family.

I’d asked Antonia if she had song titles for all the music Jaime had given us. Yes, she did - but it entailed her emailing the entire set of songs which when they arrived, most had titles. Only four lacked titles - perhaps Jorge will remember.

Unfortunately we both seem to have acquired a cough - hopefully not the start of a cold. To that end we’re restricting ourselves form spending time with others at Villa Maria.

Day 44 - Week 7 Oaxaca City

Today being Thursday we’re having to vacate the apartment for a few hours while it’s being cleaned. Still have a cough so don’t want to overexert. Perhaps sit in a couple of parks.

Trying to contact Hans Ternes but having little luck. His only email address, his LU address, bounced with a “mailbox full” error. No other contact info at Lawrence although I suspect the business office has an address and phone number. But I no longer have access. A search online via FB did produce the fact he has an account but the last time he posted anything was 2014. I messaged him but holding out little hope he pays attention. I did a search through White Pages and discovered him living in Venice, FL with a couple of active phone numbers. I’ll try calling at some point. Jorge had asked if I had contact info for him so perhaps I’ll just pass the numbers along to Jorge.

Starting another jigsaw puzzle. Probably the last before we leave since Marge will be here in a week and we’ll need the space on the table!

The young White-winged Doves look about ready to fledge. Thought they would be off the nest by yesterday but they’re still hanging on.

Departed the apartment for a leisurely stroll up “X” street to Llano Park to bask in the sun. A bit of a cool front moving through so choosing a bench in the sun made more sense.

Trying to decide whether to get a healthy smoothie, or, perhaps some slices of pizza. It was never a contest. Alas, the coffee shop that we’ve talked about getting pizza slices hadn’t made their pizzas yet. Not until 2:00pm and here it was not even 1:00pm. But too late - with pizzas on the brain we set about to find another pizza joint. Again, with no luck.

Apparently pizzas aren’t made until later in the day. How uncivilized (and no, Dominoes was out of the question). So how about some wings? Completely embarrassed we snuck into McCarthy’s Irish Pub where we shared an order of wings and a coke. Not our typical choice but hey, we’ve been in Mexico six weeks so a little non-Mexican fare is OK.

Besides, we met a young couple who were actors having just finished their last production (improv) and were breaking for lunch before catching their bus home. Nice couple and as it turned out the young man was a rabid Packer fan! He immediately noticed my Packer wallet logo when I went to pay our bill. You just never know…

Our colds have seemed to have taken a bigger hold.So much so that we opted to skip happy hour not wishing to pass anything along. Late afternoon we made a visit to the local supermarket to pickup some meds. An evening of coughing but hopefully things are quieting down a bit.

Day 45 - Week 7 Oaxaca City

One more day of feeling punk and skipping happy hour. I stayed in while Carol went shopping. An inexpensive set of earrings to replace lost earrings. And a new top.

That’s about it for Friday.

Day 46 - Week 7 Oaxaca City

A leap year February. After a night of lots of coughing and sleeping in separate bedrooms, again, I’m feeling better whereas Carol, who was feeling better yesterday - at least enough better to go shopping - is worse today.

By noon we simply had to get out for a short while. Off to La Rambla for a late breakfast. Had hoped to find a place which served just soup but La Rambla is always a good place in any event.

Hopefully, we’ll be in better spirits for breakfast out tomorrow morning with Jorge. Our late breakfast means nothing big for dinner - tea and some chocolate. But probably no happy hour again. Update: We did do happy hour and it was fine.

Day 47 - Week 7 Oaxaca City

It’s now officially March. The month Marge arrives and our bird tour takes place. But before then, much more to see and do.

This morning began when Jorge, his wife Ophelia, and daughter Rosio, picked us up and drove us to Casa Oaxaca in Reforma (not far from the large Chedraui) to join his son, Jorge, his son’s wife, Mene, and their daughter Valentina for breakfast.

Jorge, jr. and Rosio speak very good English and we spent a couple of hours eating, chatting, and learning how to eat imaginary pizzas that Valentina was making and selling.

Afterward, Jorge borrowed his daughter’s car and drove us out to the pueblo of San Augustín Etla to visit the Centro De Las Artes De San Augustín, or locally simply known as “CaSa”.

A former textile factory, Fabrica de Hilados y Tejidos La Soledad (La Soledad Yarns and Fabrics Factory) was founded in 1883. It was abandoned less than a century after its inception.

In 2000, visionary artist Francisco Toledo spearheaded an initiative to turn the then-derelict building into an ecological arts center for the arts, which opened in 2006.  

Complete with post-industrial architectural touches and a pleasing color palette of Mexican terra-cotta hues, water features, gardens, and abandoned industrial machinery dot the complex. The pools surrounding the building are part of a gravity-powered water system that cools the roof as well as supplies water to a paper-making workshop further down the hill.

The massive lower hall of the main building is used as a gallery for craft and art exhibitions. The upper floor is a setting for concerts, conferences, and many other events.

There is a small museum with a current exhibition, “Voces que nacen del subsuelo”, (“Voices that are born from the underground”). Potter Rufina Ruiz López created a compilation of contemporary works of art inspired by what was previously done in Santa María Atzompa (Atzompa has been a major producer of pottery since the Monte Alban period).

They main building house spaces for interpretative and visual art installations and learning as well as temporary living quarters for students and artists. The terraces are great places to appreciate the surrounding mountain landscapes. next to the refurbished factory is a large stately church which we found little information about.

Returning to Oaxaca central we met up with Jorge’s daughter, Rosio, to go for a beer and what turned out to be a light late lunch at Consejo Cervecero, a well known beer tasting room. The “Boy Stout” was good as was the hamburger Carol and I shared.

But we were still not done. After a brief conversation on his phone, Jorge beckoned us back to the car to drive a short distance to a home in Reforma. This turned out to belong to former Canto Nuevo members Pepe (Hector Jaime’s brother) and his wife Lety. Again, reintroduced after 30 years it was like only yesterday that we had first met.

Pepe brought out his guitar and the evening turned out to be a songfest with Pepe, Jorge and Lety singing several folk tunes. At one point Lety served some very fine mezcal - and the music continued. We have to say this was wholly unexpected but certainly a highlight of our time in Oaxaca. They only sing for their family these days so we felt very honored.

Jorge is going to try and contact the last remaining member of the band who had played at LU - Raul, a retired physician who is still playing with a local group.

Day 48 - Week 7 Oaxaca City

For whatever reason, last night was very fitful. Lots of coughing. This morning awoke feeling overly tired. To that end we walked to Chedraui to try and pickup some more over-the-counter cold medication like NyQuil.

Mexico doesn’t have NyQuil but there is an equivalent which we purchased (both daytime and nighttime). We’ll see if that helps.

Otherwise spent the day close to home reading, a new jigsaw puzzle, and generally laying low.

Day 49 - Week 7 Oaxaca City

Tuesday and another slow day. Retrieved money from an ATM, finished reading another book, happy hour (although Carol didn’t feel up to it). Very uneventful day.