Thank You!

This vacation to Oaxaca, Mexico has been a great one.  From reviewing the blog posts, the Quirky Living Notes, and the many photos you can tell it was a wonderful adventure.  We had never been to Oaxaca before, so it was a full course learning curve.  It really was a different vacation because of the fact of living several kilometers outside of the city core, requiring the renting of a car, visiting so many villages and sites, and then share these with our guests.  There was never a single day that we did not go somewhere away from the casa.

All of this could not have happened without the wonderful casa provided by Gene and Melinda Hanson.  It is such a stunning home and obviously loved by the two of them, judging by the wonderful Mexican handicraft décor which you see in any view from any place that you are in throughout the house.  Just having a fantastic kitchen gave Mary Ann the opportunity to show off her incredible home economic skills.  In past winter vacations we always had been in downtown areas and so ate out in restaurants most evenings.  Here we had the pleasure of enjoying Mary Ann experimenting with some excellent Mexican dishes.  If, as a result of reading the blog, or just wishing to experience true Mexican life, you should decide to come to Oaxaca, please take a look at the rental listing for El Estudio:  http://www.vrbo.com/210929.

Part of the fun of this vacation was due to the staff that makes the casas in the compound so beautiful, and run so efficiently.  We thank Rosa for being an excellent maid and Virgilio, our gardener, for keeping the grounds so beautiful.  Most of all we want to thank Sebastian and Florencio for becoming our friends and helping us whenever we needed anything.  They make quite a team and hopefully they enjoyed our being here, along with all our family and visiting guests.  Hasta luego to them all.

It was fun to meet all the neighborhood “characters”, whether residents or guests at the other casas.  Hopefully, I did not insult or slander any of them by my views and comments.  Oh, that’s right, I never used last names!

Finally, I want to thank you for checking in on the blog and hopefully, vicariously enjoying our five weeks in Oaxaca.  The blog wasn’t begun until the second week of our visit, but your encouragement by viewing it as evidenced by over 600 “hits” in the four weeks was encouraging and kept me writing every day. 

How do we find beautiful houses and condos around the world?

For those of you who may not be familiar with our travel history, and been following my travel articles and travel blogs for the past many years, you may not be familiar with or have not used the internet resources that are available for alternative housing.  That is home style housing and not using traditional hotels.  We have rented houses and condos in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, New Zealand; Panama City, Panama; and presently are in a beautiful three bedroom casa in Oaxaca, Mexico.

The two most common ways to find available vacation homes on the internet are through VRBO.com or homeaway.com.  It is my understanding that homeaway is also the owner of VRBO.  I have always used VRBO and have never had a problem.  Each rental is with the actual owner who you contact by e-mail, after you have reviewed their entry on the website.  Usually an owner’s entry will also contain a calendar so you can see if it is available for the dates you are interested in. If you are not comfortable with only contact by e-mail, most owners have posted their phone number so you can talk about any details directly.  Once you have a tentative date, it does not become cast in stone until the owner receives your deposit.  Most accept credit cards, or you can mail a check.
 

I suggest you pick a spot in the world and just surf some entries for a city or location you would like to visit.  Most vacation home entries include great descriptions, what is available in the home, the price for the various seasons, an owner’s profile, location maps, helpful location suggestions, and photos of the property.  Here in our compound in Oaxaca, there are three rental opportunities, two stand alone casas, and a separate casita (a small cottage).  Below I am listing the websites for all three off their entries on VRBO.  Our casa, El Estudio is the first one.

El Estudio:    http://www.vrbo.com/210929

El Barco:     http://www.vrbo.com/298936

La Casita del Barco:   http://www.vrbo.com/170310

Here is a look at our casa

Throughout the Oaxacan blog I have often mentioned our pleasure in staying at El Studio.  Here are a few photos that will give you an idea of the terrible sacrificies we made! (You might wonder why no photos of the master bedroom - Mary Ann was packing and it looked like a tornado had come through there!)

The entryway into the compound.  El Estudio on the right.

 

The view of the casa from the tournaround.  Our casita on right.

 

Agave, cactus and Tom at the middle of the turnaround

 

The walkway to the front door

 

Reverse view of walkway to the front door to the right

 

Entry way looking to the right as you enter front door

 

Living room viewing the kitchen behind

 

Deck off living room with view to pool and valley

 

Opposite view of deck

 

Mary Ann in kitchen with dining area to the right

 

Master bath on main floor

 

Lighted alcoves in master bath

 

Downstairs bedroom

 

Downstairs bedroom bath

 

Oppsite end of downstairs bedroom with

couch and computer area

 

Downstairs laundry and storage with

Mary Ann slaving as usual!

 

Our pool with the casa in background

 

A different view of living room

 

Decorative art on the grounds

 

More decorative art

 

The essential casa tool - "Open beer here"

located next to the mini-fridge on the deck

 

Tradition – Numero Dos, Por Favor

It seems to have become a tradition, when we spend the month or more in a foreign destination, for me to get a haircut.  We find a barbershop, in this case in downtown Oaxaca, and I take my chances. They must make haircut razors from a universal format the world over, because all I ever have to do for my complicated haircut is ask for a number 2, and barbers regardless of their language know what to do.  The number 2 refers to the attachment they put on the clippers to give a uniform cut, in my case very short.

My Oaxacan barber was a real pro.  He trimmed; cut, shaved, and I certainly came out as handsome as ever!  For this sartorial splendor it cost me all of 60 pesos, a little less than $5 U.S.  I felt so good about this, that when we got to the Zócalo, I sprung for a 20 peso shoe shine.  You just can’t have too much special grooming.  After all this work, it was mandatory that we have a “Lester Moment”.  Whenever we are traveling with Les and Carol Cooper, it is absolutely necessary that at about 11 a.m. we need to stop for a latte or cappuccino.  In honor of Les, we stopped in for a leisurely half hour of people watching and coffee drinking at the Italian Coffee Company, the local Starbuck’s wanna-be on the square.

This was our last visit to the Zócalo, and it was only appropriate that the streets around the central zone were blocked off at the corners by taxi cabs.  Whfat is a day without a protest of some sort?  Our suspicion was that they were protesting to get higher fares, which most likely were being regulated by the municipal government. This was confirmed by my shoe shine guy.  They quickly made their point as the traffic was moving normally by about 1 p.m.

Mary Ann made her final stop at a couple of her favorite handicraft stores, and if you can believe it, she found a few things we really needed.  This consisted of an Atzompa style pot and a very nice native necklace.  She assures me there is adequate room for this in our luggage and this year we will not have to ship anything!  To top off the trip she selected three sets of ear rings from a street vendor costing the grand sum of 10 pesos each, for a total sum of less than $3.  Can’t beat that!

 

Numero dos, por favor!

The Taxi's make a stand!

 

Quirky Living Note

 

Fresh fruit and vegetables – It seems that you can purchase fresh and vegetables everywhere here in Oaxaca.  You find them in the mercados, supermercados, mini-mercados, at roadside stands, vendors in the middle of the highways, tiny fruit and vegetable stores in every block, and what today was a new one.  We saw a pickup truck with a canopy going door to door coming up our street loaded artfully with fruit and vegetables.  Well, if you cannot go out, they will come to you!

Now you should believe that Oaxaca is a shopping Mecca!

Today we put our last guests on the bus to Mexico City, and so we have come to the end of our hospitality (and operating the illegal B&B).  I think Margaret and Jim Orman from Dallas, and all our guests had a great time and enjoyed Oaxaca as much as we have.  Jim and Margaret are proof of the fun of travel as we had met them on our river cruise to Eastern Europe last fall, and hit it off as mutual fun loving, and adventuresome travelers.  The drop off today was a little different than my usual trip in the dark to the airport, as we made a run to the new 1^st class bus terminal in northeast Oaxaca.  I have travelled most of all the main arterials so often I have memorized where all the topes are, although I managed to roll over one pretty fast yesterday coming back from the Etla market.  The only consolation is that Jim did not see it either!

From a reading of the previous blog postings, you can deduce that we have tried to give our guests a good overall view and experience of Oaxaca.  This has seemingly included the opportunity to enjoy and buy a lot of the Oaxacan crafts, which the city is so famous for.  This has given Mary Ann (aka The World’s Greatest Shopper) the chance to show off her skills at never forgetting the location of a great shop find.  When in Arrezola last Monday, with Margaret and Jim, the lady at the first alebrijes (wooden animals and monsters) was so excited to see Mary Ann she shouted and came up and gave her a big hug.  Now that is a true demonstration of customer appreciation!  As I am writing this, Mary Ann is busy calculating all her craft purchases so she can lawfully declare our purchases when we enter customs in Houston.  She has told me we have only bought 14 alebrijes.  No wonder the shop lady was so glad to see her, and that we were bringing more friends to visit the village.  We think between us, and all our guests, there may have been as many as 32 alebrijes bought in the two villages we frequented.  Just doing our part to help the local economy!

That reminds me that Margaret Orman is no shopping slouch, and might give Mary Ann a run for her money.  They were only with us for three full days, but Margaret was here to fix some severe shopping deprivation.  I think she even planned this out by leaving a lot of space in their luggage for a lot of “stuff”.  She has a “Mexican” background having been an exchange student to Mexico City when a teenager.  They were visiting her former exchange student “match” in Mexico City.  With her Spanish skills she was busy also buying food items you cannot get in the U.S.  Margaret probably enjoyed buying in the Benito Juarez Mercado and the Villa de Etla Wednesday market more than anyone.  The food items bought included mole, mole ingredients, Mexican drink mixes, vanilla, Mexican brown sugar, and other items I cannot even begin to describe.  Mole is a sauce to put on anything edible, mostly featured in Oaxaca and Puebla.  And what did Jim and I do during these shopping forays?  Saunter along behind humbly, of course.  Jim does have a nice new straw hat.

I want to assure you that all this shopping, whether in the villages surrounding Oaxaca, or the central zone of Oaxaca, there is no traditional chain store cookie cutter stores like you now see all of the U.S. and the world.  There are no Macy’s, Benetton, or J.C Penney’s.  Everyone here is trying to sell something, but it is nearly all locally owned. Small business is thriving, from the stalls in the markets, street vendors, hole in the wall shops, and carts moving on the streets. There are a few fast food franchises, and of course the looming presence of Walmart, but that is about it – as it should be.

 

Margaret at the Mole booth in Benitio Juarez mercado

 

Tom & friend waiting for the "shoppers"

Quirky Living Note

 

Little doubt about the marketing emphasis – In an American department store you always see mannequins, but they are facing front wise and usually emphasize clothing from top to toe.  Here in Oaxaca, usually in the daily markets, you see the effort to sell very tight jeans.  You have to see the photo below to appreciate which portion of the body the vendor wishes to suggest is the best selling point.  Our son-in-law Geoff, when discussing this marketing effort said our grand-daughter Eliza would be permitted to buy a pair of the jeans when she turned 35 years old.

 

 



What were the Oaxacan protests all about in 2006?

For 25 years prior to 2006, and since, the teachers in Oaxaca have been protesting, and in fact their demonstrations continue in the Zócalo, as we visit.  Prior to 2006 the protests usually lasted a couple of weeks. The issues in 2006 were inadequate funding and salaries as demanded by the teachers union.  The protagonists were the union,  and the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO) which was created by a popular assembly of the protesters, versus the state's governor, Ulises Ruiz Ortiz.  In 2006 the union demanded the resignation of the Governor, and in May the government responded with police against the non-violent protesters with the protesters being fired upon. This resulted in the creation of APPO, which has never been able to negotiate an agreement with the government.

In mid-June another violent confrontation occurred between 3000 police and the protesters resulting in over 100 hospitalizations.  The Governor refused to resign.  APPO declared itself to be the governing body of Oaxaca, and started putting up barricades on the downtown streets of Oaxaca.  In August the union took over the television and radio stations and Governor Ulises Ruis left and stayed in Mexico City for several months. (He remained in office until November 30, 2010; see info about his tenure and controversies at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulises_Ruiz)  On October 26, U.S. journalist Brad Will was killed in Oaxaca.  On October 29-30 about 3,500 federal police and 3000 military police removed protesters in downtown Oaxaca's Zócalo, with a backup of 5,000 army troops waiting just outside the city.  Several protestors and leaders were killed. 

“On Saturday, November 25, 2006, a large clash between the federal police and demonstrators occurred in the evening following the seventh megamarch held by the APPO. The march began peacefully, but the situation turned violent when the police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets as protesters attempted to encircle the city's Zócalo. It is unclear who instigated the violence, but the clash quickly spread through the city as protesters fought back with rocks and homemade PVC rockets. Police took the APPO encampment in the Santo Domingo plaza and arrested more than 160 people. Many APPO supporters were hospitalized, and the deaths of three protesters were reported but remain unconfirmed.” (Copied from Wikipedia)

In late November, the Chief of the Federal police said that no more violence, nor the conduct of APPO would be tolerated. Soon after, APPO removed their barricades, left the radio stations, and their leaders went into hiding.  By early December the protests had come to an end after seven months.  The aftermath of the protests and violence was a near total devastation of the tourist industry in Oaxaca, which has taken many years to rebuild.

(Much of this article is a shortened and paraphrased version of the Wikipedia history of the protests.  For much more detail and referrals to information about the key players, events, and politics visit: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_oaxaca_uprising)

Post Script:  As our stay in Oaxaca comes to an end, the national news about education in Mexico is becoming very interesting.  New Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto got a sweeping education reform bill passed.  This new policy is intended to restructure teacher selection and review based on performance, not inheritance and history.  The President of the largest teachers union (National Education Workers Union) who is Elba Esther Gordillo and has held the post 1989, said recently (paraphrasing), the current education system will be changed over my dead body.  On February 26, 2013, Mexican President Nieto signed the new law. On February 27, Gordillo and two other union leaders were arrested for embezzlement of millions of dollars of union funds. Because of the seriousness of the crimes no bail has yet been allowed.  This will be an interesting story to follow in the International Press.  

 

Elba Esther Gordillo

(Photo copyright The News - Mexico City English online newspaper)

 

Quirky Living Note

 

Blue lights on cars and trucks -  One of the more distracting aspects of night driving in Oaxaca is the use by private citizens of small blue flashing lights put indiscriminately on the front, back or maybe all over the vehicle.  Occasionally, they will drive with only these blue lights and not even use headlights.  In the U.S. this is prohibited and blue lights are allowed to be used only by law enforcement.  I have had many court cases where young Mexicans have put blue lights on their cars and have received traffic tickets for this violation.  Their response is always that they did not know it was illegal.

Expat Life in Oaxaca

Our neighbor Bill seems to be the social director of at least part of the expats living in Oaxaca.  He denies this, but does have the leadership role in organizing the music functions of those who like to participate in amateur music, both playing and singing.  Everyone around is invited, especially if you have at least a scintilla of talent.  These events used to be held at Casa Raab, down the road, but now are conducted on an irregular basis at our compound swimming pool.

Last night was one of these events.  Not only do the musicians show up, but also their families to enjoy the music and swimming pool. This music group has the name of the Bodega Boys.  When I first heard about it I researched the internet to see what it was all about.  Interestingly they had an entry on MySpace.  So you can share this sidelight of expat life here is their posting:

Howdy Everybody! This here is The Bodega Boys posting from the bodega in lovely San Pablo, Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico. The Bodega Boys are a mezcal fueled music ensemble that get together a few times a month for some serious down home, boot stompin', jam sessions. The Bodega Boys define all styles, yet are no styles. From Johnny Cash to Bob Dylan, The Beatles to Bluegrass, Hillbilly to Hellbilly, The 50's to the 70's, Acoustic to Electric, The Bodega Boys go where no cumbia, mariachi, or trova group dare. The Bodega Boys lineup is continually changing and the set list will forever be a work in progress. On most nights the lineup includes Don Antonio as "Toby Juan Adobe" on Vocals, Guitar or Mandolin, Dengue John as "Alpine Elvis" on Fat Bertha the Bass, Washtub Bass Hall Of Famer, Mr. Bill Blackson as "Black Bill" thumpin' along on the one string, Esteve as "El Vocho", Jazzy Jeff as "Jefe Jeffe", Big Bill on Bass and let's not forget Mike. Other honorary members of the Bodega Boys include Johnny Rico as "Playboy" (he'll play just about anything...), Mississippi-Boston-Berkeley-Oaxaca Brian as "The Hammer", Chet MATT-kins, Calypso Dan as "Dangerous Dan", Bray Poor as "Poor Bray, Johnny B. Goode, Alex, Disco Stu and Alex PETA. If you know at least three chords, can snap your fingers and chew gum at the same time or have access to good mezcal, The Bodega Boys want you!

It must have all gone well last night.  When I checked the pool this morning I didn’t find any bodies, so the mezcal must have been appropriately smooth.

 

 

Quirky Living Note

 

Street Construction -  Is it just my luck, or have these road and construction projects been on the books for years?  You will recall all the problems we had with our street detour.  Now the main road down to the Glorietta is under severe attack with road construction and alley detours.  Not that the road doesn’t need it!  Several blocks of the main road to our casa has now had the blacktop scraped off, one side closed, detours into alleys, and they are working feverishly.  Maybe they heard the gringo complaining about the roads into Trinidad de Viguera and San Pablo Etla!