Wall Street Journal Oaxaca Update

A Treasure's Comeback Bid
After unrest, Oaxaca, city of temples and markets, tries to rebuild; discounts, few crowds
By JOSEPH ROSENBLOOMJune 23, 2007; Page P6
Oaxaca, Mexico
To sip a beer and savor the gentle night air at an outdoor cafe in the Zócalo ranks high on the must-do list of many tourists visiting this ancient city in southern Mexico. On a Monday evening earlier this year, however, workmen were sandblasting graffiti off the facade of the Governor's Palace on the south side of the square. The drone was a jarring reminder that all is not yet back to normal.

Corbis
The Monte Alban archaeological site in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Over some of the past year, Oaxaca, renowned for its colonial architecture and nearby Indian ruins, has been plagued by violence. Beginning last May, teachers' protests virtually shut down the city, with demonstrators occupying the Zócalo and clashing with police. As cafés, restaurants and stores closed, tourism ground to a halt.
Now, calm is slowly returning to Oaxaca, and the city is trying to rebuild its reputation as a safe destination for vacationers. Hotels are discounting rates by as much as 30%, restaurants aren't overrun by crowds, and some local businesses are trying to overcome the drop in tourism by expanding into bed-and-breakfasts and offering traditional cooking classes.
Despite its troubled history and remoteness -- roughly halfway between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico -- Oaxaca has long been a magnet for tourists. Its gracious colonial buildings and pastel-hued houses recall another era. The architecture, along with the city's many gilded churches, universities and museums, earned it a Unesco World Heritage listing in 1987.
TRIP PLANNER

See some tips on how to get to Oaxaca, where to say and what to eat.
The designation extends to the ruins of Monte Albán, a 20-minute drive from the city in the Valley of Oaxaca. The Zapotec Indians lived there from around 500 B.C. to A.D. 800. From the temples, the priests had panoramic views of the smoky-blue Sierra Madre Mountains and the green Valley of Oaxaca. The well-excavated remnants are one of Mexico's most intriguing archaeological sites.
During a recent visit, I also checked out the bustling Sunday market at Tlacolula, 20 miles east of Oaxaca. Copper-skinned Zapotecs from outlying villages, many of the men wearing 10-gallon straw hats and the women in gaily colored pinafores, jam the town's cobblestone streets to buy everything from dried chili peppers to pirated CDs.
The area around Oaxaca has a rich history of weaving, and just south of the Zócalo, a series of covered markets sells textiles, as well as pottery, wood carvings and locally produced foods.
In a sense, this is an ideal time to visit Oaxaca. Just 255,000 tourists came during the second half of last year when most of the violence occurred, down from 615,000 in the same period a year earlier, according to the state Secretariat of Tourism. At least eight protesters were killed and the overhang from the turmoil is still deterring visitors from coming to the area, says Beatriz Rodriguez Casanovas, the head of the Oaxacan state's tourism agency.
Is it safe to travel there now? At least one U.S. State Department official says yes, based on current conditions. The underlying issues concerning teachers' salaries and the state government are still unresolved, but Oaxaca remains calm.
A wood carver displaying his work
Recently, demonstrators have been staging peaceful sit-ins in the Zócalo as a reminder of their cause. Locals say they don't have the stomach for more violent forms of protest -- or the financial resources to withstand another year of sluggish tourism.
One way to check the pulse of Oaxaca's recovery is to turn an ear toward the window of Mark Leyes's second-story office on Alcalá Macedonia, the city's pedestrian north-south artery. Mr. Leyes is the U.S. consular agent in Oaxaca. When I stop by his office one sunny afternoon, he points out his open window. "During normal circumstances, the streets should have hundreds of people milling around out there," he says. "Right now, I don't hear anybody."
Roasted leg of lamb with Oaxacan black mole with spinach
In addition to fewer crowds, adventurous travelers will find plenty of room at hotels and reasonable rates -- as well an easier time finding a table at some of the city's best restaurants.
Oaxaca's distinctive cuisine draws travelers from within Mexico and beyond. Moles -- spicy sauces typically made from chilies and savory chocolate -- are the centerpiece and come in more varieties than found in many Mexican restaurants in the U.S. Though a handful of restaurants remain shuttered, there are still plenty of options. Try La Biznaga for chicken or beef with pungent mole.
The Young Weavers Work Shop and Cooperative now offers cooking classes and has opened a bed-and-breakfast. When I visited, there were no other tourists watching Gaspar Chávez demonstrate the cooperative's traditional rug-making methods, painstakingly produced on foot-pedal looms. "For eight months, we didn't sell anything," Mr. Chávez says of the cooperative's problems following last year's unrest. "We decided that, if we offered other things to the tourists, they'd buy more rugs."
For Hector Ramirez, his solution to the tourism decline is to try to diversify his woodcarving business in his yellow-stucco workshop in San Antonio Arrazola, a town on the western outskirts of Oaxaca. Rather than watch his inventory of alebrijes -- fanciful wooden figures depicting everything from cats to monsters -- gather dust, he has started marketing his product to galleries in San Francisco, Houston and other American cities. The galleries are demanding a steep markdown and getting it. When I tried to bargain with him, he shrugged his shoulders in resignation: "Something is better than nothing."
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Trip Planner
• Where to Stay: Oaxaca's grandest hotel is the Camino Real, with rooms listed at between $280 and $425, but prices have dropped more than 50% at times this year (caminoreal.com/oaxaca_i/main.php). The Hostal Casantica, two blocks from the Zócalo, is a congenial alternative, with rates starting at about $75 (www.hotelcasantica.com). The hospitable Casa de las Bugambilias B&B, well-located a half-dozen blocks from the Zócalo, ranges from $85 to $105 (www.lasbugambilias.com). • Where to Eat: To sample creative versions of Oaxaca's traditional foods, try La Biznaga (Tel: 951-516-1800 ). About $15 a person. For excellent Oaxacan-style seafood served in an open-air courtyard from $10 a person, there is Marco Polo (Tel: 951-513-4308 ). Or try a four-course lunch on a $6 prix-fixe menu at Restaurant & Bar La Olla (Tel: 951-516-6668 ). • Where to Go: The Zapotec Indian ruins of Monte Albán is a 20-minute drive from downtown Oaxaca and an awe-inspiring experience. The Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca and adjoining Church of Santo Domingo showcase Oaxaca's cultural and religious heritage. About an hour's drive from Oaxaca is the Sunday outdoor market at Tlacolula. It's a hive of buying and selling by colorfully attired Zapotecs from farms and villages in the area. There are also many other covered markets closer to the city selling textiles, pottery, wood carvings and local produce.

Summer in Oaxaca...encouraging news as of June 26, 2007

Summertime in Oaxaca, current as of June 26, 2007

Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.

According to reports in one of the Oaxacan dailies today, and in particular comments made by the Director of the state’s Hotel and Motel Association, the news looks very promising for this year’s high tourist season, especially for the Guelaguetza held during the last two weeks of July. Actually, the season, marked by colourful dance, song, procession, and much more, begins now and extends well into August, and is a festive time of the year far beyond the traditional performances held the last two Mondays of July.

The news is extremely encouraging for tourists, merchants and those Oaxacans perhaps more integrally involved with tourism such as guides, craft vendors and accommodation owners. While it has been reported that hotel occupancy is at 30% for the Guelaguetza, this means that there are still 4,200 rooms available for tourists. And for those in the industry, it means they can now look at what incentives they can afford to give to reach peak occupancy between now and mid July. It’s a classic case of win-win … hotels and B & B’s being encouraged to offer discounts to reach 95% occupancy, and tourists reaping the benefits.

Not only will sightseers get a break in cost of lodging, but they’ll be assured of even more personalized attention in the villages, towns and throughout other sites peppering the traditional tour routes in the central valleys, and as well when visiting shops, museums, galleries and restaurants, downtown and in the suburbs.

The Director of The Association, Fredy Alcántara Carrillo, has correctly suggested that even if we have protests in the zócalo throughout July (it now seems like headway is being made to resolve any outstanding issues), Oaxaca is much more than the zócalo. Protests, sit-ins and marches around the zócalo have been occurring in Oaxaca for generations, and in fact the peaceful occupation of the zócalo has been part of the allure for many travelers. So in this respect I disagree with Mr. Alcántara, to the extent that he does not acknowledge that the zócalo during times of occupation is still an attraction. Teachers and members of other foreign unions often find the Mexican way of striking fascinating and a stark contrast to their experiences in the staid North.

It’s always been safe, and certainly interesting, wandering through the zócalo when there have been peaceful protests such as those currently underway. There is now more colour and more pageantry, and more vendors plying their wares in the zócalo and the adjoining Alameda de León, than we’ve seen in a long time.

But as the Director additionally points out, Oaxaca is much more than its zócalo. It’s Monte Albán, it’s Mitla and Yagul; it’s the plethora of museums, cafés, galleries and churches outside of the zócalo; it’s the tour routes to the craft villages and market towns and other fascinating sites such as Hierve el Agua, the artistic hand-made paper mill and the Center for the Arts both located in the spectacular San Agustín Etla setting, and of course it’s tasting and witnessing the production of mezcal, of chocolate and of our famous moles. It’s attending a cooking class, having a temazcal, or happening upon an ad hoc unadvertised fiesta while walking the streets in the city or a village. And all of this will continue, as it in fact did during summertime last year, without incident and without tourists being precluded from experiencing the magic of Oaxaca. Personally, last summer while showing friends and family around the city and surrounding towns and villages, not one day went by when I was impeded from visiting the black pottery village, the alebrije towns, the colourful market days (in Tlacolula, Ocotlán, Zaachila and Etla), the Aguilar sisters, el Tule, Hierve el Agua, or imbibing a bit of mezcal in the mountain villages high above the city. This, all that we know as “the magic of Oaxaca,” will continue throughout 2007 …as will the Guelaguetza. If by some chance not in the traditional Guelaguetza auditorium, then in the towns and villages. If government or protesters are not prepared to ensure that it takes place in the usual setting, there will be, as has been the case in years gone by, Guelaguetzas by the people and for the people, in innumerable towns and villages. While I’ve seen it in the auditorium, I’ve similarly been witness to and awe-struck by the Guelaguetza in Mitla, in Etla, in Zaachila, and even as performed by youths and students of folkloric dancing, with just as much pageantry and excitement.

Restaurant Review: El Mirador

Where the locals dine…

EL MIRADOR SERVES UP MORE THAN A SPECTACULAR VIEW

Arlene Starkman

Since 1978 El Mirador has been catering to almost exclusively Oaxacans, without help from the tourist dollar. It must be doing something right! There’s the breathtaking cliffside open air view of the city below and surrounding mountains, just up the road and across from the Auditorio Guelaguetza. Perhaps more important is the consistency of its food (I’ve been dining there for about ten years.)

Descending the staircase from the parking area you enter the main level with a relaxed mixed décor of rustica pine tables and chairs in the interior, and PVC Coke chairs with linen covered tables on the patio. There’s a juke box, glass case filled with stuffed animals which muchachos can purchase to impress their señoritas, and multicolored cut-out tissue banners. The lower level has a club style modern ambience, with ceiling-high picture windows to assure the same exquisite vista, lengthy bar, raised band platform and big-screen TV. Here in the evenings you can enjoy the sounds of a guitar strumming troubadour, and Thursday through Saturday dance salsa and cumbia to the beat of a local band. Depending on the hour and day, patrons consist of friends out for an evening, work colleagues, young lovers, fiesta celebrants, and invariable during Guelaguetza, groups of dancers from throughout the state. On a Thursday evening in June, by the time we left at 11 PM both levels were at 75% capacity.

Service is reliable with a surprisingly good complement of waiters. Drinks from an extensive bar menu arrive promptly. If you haven’t tried a michelada, beer mixed with a spicy chili/lime concoction, experience it here. Salads and soups are reliable staples to begin, but for the former, stick to the green or mixed salad, since the “chef” is mainly meats and cheese atop a mound of iceberg. My daughter’s shrimp soup was light, deliciously tomato based, containing a good count of fresh camarones. For a botana I would avoid the cold cheese and meat platter, unless you’re a head cheese fan. However, both the Botanas Mirador and Oaxaqueña are scrumptious, arriving hot with samplings of traditional meats, and additional appetizers in the case of the latter. If you’re out for a light meal, consider skipping the entrée since portions are healthy. I nevertheless went for the skewered meat plate (alambre)...tender beef, tomato, yellow pepper and onion, over a bed of rice, accompanied by fries with a welcomed medley of steamed veggies.

The tlayudas and parrilladas are highly recommended. Tlayudas are oversized tortillas. They are served crunchy with a light layer of requisite asiento and refried beans, then topped with lettuce and both traditional Oaxacan cheeses. Try ordering with your choice of beef (tasajo), chili seasoned pork (cecina), or sausage (chorizo.) The tlayudas at El Mirador are among the best I’ve had. The parrillada: a hibachi-type BBQ arrives at your table, coals still aflame so as to complete the grilling of an impressive array of Oaxacan meats and vegetables including nopal and onions, sizzling with quesillo. It’s accompanied by tortillas, guacamole, salsa, a saucy bean and salchicha side dish known as charros. If you opt for this meal, go easy on the appetizers, perhaps with just a meatless tlayuda to start.

El Mirador offers casual, moderately priced dining…or an opportunity to get out for a cappuccino or drinks with light snacks. Downstairs there’s a 25 peso cover when the band plays.

Carr. Internacional KM. 3 S/N, Cerro del Fortín, Oaxaca. Tel: 51-6-58-20

Arlene Starkman operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast ( http://www.oaxacadream.com/ ), a founding member of the Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast Association.

Restaurant Review: Los Almendros, where the locals dine

LOS ALMENDROS RESTAURANT REVIEW

by Alvin Starkman

Middle class residents of major American and Canadian cities tend to have their favorite all-day Sunday brunch haunts…relaxed, clean, diner-style restaurants dishing up home cooking in a comfortable familiar environment. Six days a week from 1 to 6 pm Los Almendros serves such a function for local Oaxacans. Tucked away on a cobblestone privada close to Blvd. Manuel Ruiz in Colonia Reforma, a few blocks northeast of the baseball stadium, Lionel Leyva with wife Soledad and family have been greeting friends and new devotees since 1974. You can’t help but feel at home in this Cheers-esque setting as you watch Lionel greet his own set of Frazier Cranes .

Upon entering the quadrangle-shaped comedor you’re struck by its warmth and amiability, without a trace of pretension. Wooden tables with traditional colorful woven cloths are covered with thick plastic. Walls are adorned with framed photos of the owners with family and patrons of celebrity…no politicians, but rather actors, singers and songwriters. Two mounted deer busts serve as testimony that the Leyvas do things their way, and the throngs of faithful as evidence of approval.

The menu is limited to perhaps 15 or 20 authentic Oaxacan plates, some of which are appetizers. You can choose daily specials not often found in other local eateries. All is á la carte, so begin with one or two of the modestly priced botanas, perhaps memelas or an appetizer sized grilled meat dish, each of which is accompanied by salsa and guacamole. The house mezcal is noteworthy and definitely worth sampling if nothing else. For this visit Lionel had a tobalá and a surprisingly smooth gusano.

Although we arrived relatively early for this comida, by the time we were ready to order entrées, surprisingly the Sunday staple of Barbacoa de Borrego (bbq goat) had been sold out to patrons who knew better than we did to order ahead or for take-out. All was not lost, however, since my wife’s main dish of tender pork ribs was prepared in the same style as one of the traditional barbeque recipes, baked in a tangy sauce and enveloped in foil. Try the black beans with aromatic flavor of hierba de conejo as a side dish to any of the grilled or baked meats. I began with a generous, piping hot serving of absolutely spectacular caldo de espinazo with an assortment of carrots, beans, potatoes and requisite pork, flavored with chili pasillo and accompanied by a dish of sliced lime, chopped onion and serrano chili for added acidity, spice and texture. That, after appetizers and some of the better tortillas I’ve had in a while should have been enough, but the tongue in its traditional mole called out to me. With whole black and green olives, and a tomato based sauce flavored with onion, garlic, raisin and almond, this bowl of lean, succulent sliced meat ranked with the best. To complete the meal, if you haven’t had cajeta, the goat’s milk caramelized sweet, try it here in a light gelatin, alongside a cup of café de olla.

Just as the regulars returned to that immortalized Boston bistro every week, you too will be drawn back to Los Almendros time and again, if not on a subsequent visit during this trip to Oaxaca, then upon your return… and greeted just as warmly as the old gang.

Notes: Comida only, 1 – 6 pm
Closed Thursdays
Beer, spirits and liqueurs
Full meal incl beverage 50 – 80 pesos

Comedor Familiar Los Almendros
3ra Privada de Almendros #109,
Col. Reforma, Oaxaca
tel: 515-2863

Alvin Starkman together with wife Alrene operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ).

OAXACA:RIQUEZA CULINARIA INIMAGINABLE

NUESTRA EXQUISITA, MULTIFACETICA, NUTRITAVA, VERSATIL Y MUY, MUY MEXICANA

"TORTILLA"

Durante sus viajes por varios rincones de México, Ricardo Muñoz Zurita (estudioso de la gastronomía mexicana y chef de reconocimiento mundial) ha podido disfrutar del variado sabor de las tortillas y ha logrado compilar la variedad de exquisitas tortillas que ofrece el bello estado de Oaxaca.

Su valioso conocimiento gastronómico revela que en ese estado se comen diversos tipos de tortilla, como las tlayudas. En lugares como Villa Alta se preparan las tortillas amarillas grandes, presionando la masa sobre una hoja de plátano, comenta. Así también se elaboran las tortillas chinantecas, que alcanzan hasta medio metro de diámetro. "En Montenegro se hacen las tortillas de maíz blanco, cocidas en un comal plano, llamado roñoso, porque tiene una cuadrícula que las marca". Además, continúa " en la región del Istmo de Tehuantepec existe una gran familia de tortillas llamadas totopos.

En el Valle de Oaxaca las tortillas de maíz blanco delgadas y suaves se conocen como blanditas o blandas, para diferenciarlas de las tlayudas", explica. Igualmente, en la región chontal se prepara una torrilla gruesa y grandes que abarca todo el comal, llamada lampima. "Debe cocerse a fuego lento para que dore sin quemarse, debido al grosor de la tortillas es necesario partirla en pedazos para poderla comer". Las tortillas suaves de San Mateo del Mar son pequeñas y muy gruesas. Los cuicatecos de la cañada y los mixes de Cacalotepec, ademas explica Ruiz Zurita, mezclan la masa de maíz con pasta de plátano.

En Santa Maria Ixcatlán agregan a la masa del maíz el núcleo de la biznaga hervido y seco. En Matatlán añaden los trozos dulces y cosidos del maguey que se ocupa para hacer el mezcal. "Este adquiere una consistencia pastosa por el largo hornado que recibe, sin embargo es fibroso y se debe moler muy bien antes de mezclarlo; la tortilla es de sabor dulce". Su variedad culinaria permite que en otros sitios del estado, se revuelva la masa con trocitos de yuca, pepita de calabaza, fijoles , coyol, masa de trigo, camote u hojas de aguacatillo.

En Juxtlahuaca, señala, "se hace una tortilla llamada correosa, típica de la región mixteca; también el totopo nuevo el cual contiene maíz nuevo, totopo de sal, con sal, totopo dulce con azúcar de caña y el totopo de manteca cuya masa se mezcla con manteca de cerdo".

En Tlaxiaco se encuentran las tortillas de maíz blanco, amarillo o morado. Comenta que son ligeramente más gruesas que las tlayudas, cobran fama porque el maíz se muele únicamente en metate y se evita utilizar el molino eléctrico".

Finalmente, recuerda que los "totonacas de la costa norte del estado cuando escasea el maiz, añaden ojite nixtamalizado a la masa de maiz para hacer tortillas". Simplemnte, deliciosas.

Fuente: Revista Dia siete, articulo especial, Dinora Solis

fotos: http://www.oaxacatimes.com/html/tlayudas.html

Oleo de Diego Rivera

OAXACA;

THE VIEW OF EVERY NIGHT

IN OAXACA DOWNTOWN

JUNE 23th 2007

museum

cathedral

zocalo

COME AND ENJOY

THE NIGHTS OF LIGHTS IN OAXACA

Traveling with Children to Oaxaca

Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B

Oaxaca has traditionally been known as an adult travel destination, steeped in ruins, colonial churches, museums and a tradition for fine art and handicrafts. But having been visiting the region regularly since 1991, always with our daughter, and now having been living here for a few years and regularly toured friends and family with young children around the city and outlying sites, without a doubt young families contemplating a visit should set aside any lingering trepidation regarding both the well-being of their young progeny, and their parents’ ability to have at least somewhat of a romantic getaway.

Concerns might include wondering if there will be enough sites to hold your child’s interest, if you’ll be able to visit the vestiges of pre-Hispanic civilizations without the kids being bored to death, if you’ll ever be able to sneak away for a dinner on your own, if you’ll have to pay a premium to find accommodations with a pool --- the guarantee of an afternoon swim is always the best bribe --- and the wisdom of perhaps just having a beach vacation and saving Oaxaca for another time when you can do it without the family.

Having pondered such considerations from time to time, I can now offer valuable suggestions regarding where to stay even without a pool, what tour routes will definitely hold the interests of children and teens, and what activities exist in and around the city on a regular basis, geared to youthful vacationers.

Where to stay, and swim

Suburban Hotel San Felipe is a welcome change from the downtown hustle and bustle…the outdoor pool is in a picturesque setting flecked with rural neighborhoods and rolling hills. Several friends have also enjoyed Holiday Inn Express, at the north end of the downtown sector. But many visitors to Oaxaca prefer a more quaint and traditional environment to the somewhat sterile Americanized accommodations yet can’t rationalize the cost of hotels such as Camino Real or Los Laureles, impressive in their own right.

Most of the smaller family-owned and operated hotels, bed and breakfasts and guest houses do not have pools, but should not be discounted out-of-hand. Some have made arrangements with nearby pooled hotels for their guests to attend.

Each lodging should be able to point you to alternatives to an on site pool such one of the water parks located along the highways entering the city. These facilities have pools of varying sizes and depths, large water slides, and other appurtenances to keep the kids there for the better part of a day. A short taxi ride from downtown are Las Brisas and La Bamba.

There are two additional alternatives. Consider attending one of several “balnearios” located about a half hour out of Oaxaca in the village of Vista Hermosa, catering to entire families rather than to predominantly children. During the hot season you’ll find families and friends around the pools, playing volleyball, or sitting under palapas eating an array of local fare available from the small comedors.

Then there’s Hierve el Agua, at the end of one of the out-of-town touring routes. The site consists of two large pools fed by natural bubbling springs, in a spectacular mountain setting with a petrified mineral “waterfall.” They are safe for kids, and large and deep enough to satisfy the aquatic yearnings of any adult. Most tourists don’t get to Hierve el Agua, probably because of the distance, but in my book it’s a must for families with children, in particular if it’s done in conjunction with a couple of other stops en route.

Oaxaca relies solely on tourism for its existence, and accordingly accommodations which claim to welcome children should bend over to provide families with “the little things” such as a stroller, crib with accessories, car seat, highchair for use in their dining room, and a reference for a reliable babysitter who can come to the hotel while you’re out for an evening. At the time Hotel San Felipe provided babysitting when our daughter was pre-teen. If you search in earnest you should be able to find smaller hotels and guest houses similarly accommodating. If your child can read and the babysitter has only a limited grasp of English, give your child a series of phonetically prepared questions and suggestions [tén go ám bray (I’m hungry); key árrow na dár (I want to go swimming)]. If your child is too young, the niñera should have the experience to determine any pressing issues. All lodgings should have an English-speaking doctor on call in the unlikely event of illness.

Two child-friendly tour routes

1) Hierve el Agua:

The promise of Hierve el Agua at the end of one of the two main tour routes is the best possible means by which to keep children in check during the first half of this day trip. On the return to Oaxaca from this site they’ll be sleeping in the back of the car or van, no doubt having been exposed to too much sun and water activity.

Your morning begins with a stop at el Tule, the massive 2000 year old Cyprus tree. Make sure you get a child tour guide dressed in a Robin Hood suit to show you the innumerable images in the trunk, with the aid of a mirror. Encourage your children to trade words in English and Spanish with the little Hoodettes. A key to holding the interest of young children is to give them the opportunity to interact with others of similar ages…and it provides a good lesson in cultural diversity.

At Teotitlán del Valle, the rug village, ask your guide to take you to where you can have a demonstration where the weavers’ children and grandchildren will be present. Your kids will be able to play, touch the raw wool, try spinning it, and even get their hands wet and dyed in large vats of natural vegetable material used in the process of coloring the spun wool. While you’re searching for a floor covering or wall hanging, let the kids look for a piece with fanciful imagery suitable for their bedroom, or a mini-rug (i.e. woolen coaster) with a fanciful design. They’ll spend as much time choosing as will you. Our daughter grew up with periodic visits to Casa Santiago. It seemed like as Sarah got older, there were always two or three Santiago children or grandchildren on hand to occupy her time and keep her in tow.

If you travel the route on a Sunday, there’s no better place to keep the kids in awe than at the Tlacolula market…the colors, array of sale items, sweets, live turkeys, music, hawkers, and the handicraft market. It takes at least an hour and a half to get through the market, so the promise of a dishful of ice cream (actually a healthier sorbet referred to as nieve) while in the marketplace does the trick. One area has several stationary parlors where you can sit and enjoy a cone or plate of one of several tropical fruit flavours.

The two main ruins along this route are Yagul and Mitla, the latter more grandiose and famous. Each has excavated burial chambers to intrigue the most youthful of Tomb Raider. Since it’s unreasonable to expect children to go to two ruins in one day, regardless of the parenting tactics employed, I would opt for Yagul. It has two tombs which can be descended by all. There’s a labyrinth in which the kids can run around and get temporarily lost. Children tend to enjoy climbing the steep mountain pass leading to a fortress. At the top there’s what archaeologists claim is a bathtub hewn out of stone in which the kids will enjoy sitting. Finally, the site should be of interest to all adults, with its pre-Hispanic ball court and vista of the valley from the pinnacle of the fortress. It might be blasphemous to even suggest, but thinking of young children in particular, why not save Mitla for another trip. After all, you’re probably going to schlep them to Monte Albán, the granddaddy of the region’s ruins.

Unless you forego some the sites already noted, you probably won’t have time to visit the zoo along this highway, nor should you feel compelled to do so. The kids can always go to the zoo back home.

Regardless of which of the two roadways you take to get to Hierve el Agua, your final destination, you’ll pass goats, sheep and/or cattle being herded either at the side the road or right in front of you dictating that you yield to the flocks. Stop and encourage the kids to get out with you. Ask if it’s safe to hop on the back of one of the beasts or at least stand alongside for the photo op.

There are reliable restaurants both en route to Hierve el Agua (i.e. Doña Chica at Mitla, and roadside El Tigre at the cutoff to San Lorenzo Albarradas) as well as at the site, but if you tend to be extra cautious with the children, there are benches at the pools where you can eat your own picnic lunch. Alternatively you can relax and munch away while sitting on the rock outcroppings.

The more you permit your kids to swim, the greater your assurance that the ride back to the city will be peaceful, relaxing, and above all quiet.



2) Crafts and more crafts:

San Bartolo Coyotepec provides an extremely appealing beginning to another full day of touring. At one of the many workshops, watch a demonstration of the ancient craft of making fine black pottery without the use of a wheel or modern tools. This artistry should hold the attention of children of all ages. However, for further assurance ask your guide to take you to a studio such as Doña Rosa, where Maestro Don Valente permits children to go off to a table close to the demonstration and work with the very same clay. While the children are dirtying their hands while molding, you’ll be learning how to fashion a bowl out of freshly mined clay, water, heat, and little more. Browse the showroom and select from a broad array of both sleek and modern, and traditional pieces, while the kids look for ceramic forms of their favorite animals.

In nearby San Martín Tilcajete, some of the workshops producing carved and brilliantly painted wooden animals permit you to make advance arrangements for your children to select and then paint the animal of their choice, with guidance from one of the facility owners. Once again there will likely be an opportunity for the children to chase after and pet animals and play with kids of their own age.

For lunch, try Azucena Zapoteca, on the highway at the entrance to San Martín Tilcajete. The food is good, traditional and safe, and the grounds are spacious and include a swing set to occupy your children, within your site range, while you dine.

The village of Santo Tomás Jalieza is known for production of cotton table runners, placemats, napkins, belts and purses using the primitive back strap loom, and bedspreads and tablecloths using much larger machinery. One of the cultural experiences for children in this setting will be noticing how their counterparts from about 10 years of age help with the family trade and its financial sustenance.

At Ocotlán you’ll drop by the homes of the Aguilar sisters, who fashion clay painted figures with scenes representative of markeplaces, religious imagery, comedic love depictions and colorful fiestas. At least one of the workshops generally has a quantity of unpainted figures on which each child can express his own creativity.

Finally, a couple of minutes down the road your family will have an opportunity to witness Ängel Aguilar hand-forge knives and cutlery using only recycled metals in a rudimentary hearth. The setting is fascinating, primitive, and safe for the kids. In only a few minutes, right before your eyes, Ängel can engrave your child’s name and a fanciful drawing on a souvenir knife with a 1 inch blade and leather sheath, and more importantly the inscription can be whatever your child selects.

If you follow this itinerary on Friday, you’ll have an opportunity to wander through the Ocotlán market, similar to the Sunday Tlacolula market, though smaller.

Each of these two routes has additional stops, but this particular selection highlights sites which maximize experiences which your children will recall for a lifetime.

And don’t forget the city

Throughout the year there numerous local and international celebrations, with color and pageantry, song and dance, some specifically designed with a youthful audience in mind. The website http://www.oaxacacalendar.com should be consulted just before leaving for your trip. In addition to listing weekly events such as where and when the mariachis and the state band of Oaxaca can be heard, as well as particulars of a number of museums and galleries, it details specific upcoming fiestas and performances, when the Guerreros baseball team will be playing (a treat for sports enthusiasts of all ages), fireworks displays and most major upcoming events.

A Saturday morning bilingual hour for children is held at the Oaxaca Lending library ( http://www.oaxlibrary.com ). The library sometimes sponsors additional programs for children.

Many of the Spanish language schools have a specific curriculum for kids, so if you’re contemplating brushing up on your Spanish, there’s no need to worry about how the children’s morning time will be occupied. Casa de La Cultura also offers courses for children. Finally, there are a number of charitable organizations where foreign youth are given an opportunity to assist disadvantaged or struggling local children.

Speak to your tour guide or hotel manager for more specific suggestions geared to children of particular ages and passions. Youths with a strong interest in the fine arts might be thrilled to visit workshops of a couple of local artists, or perhaps go on an alternate tour out of the city which takes in the studio of a sculptor, a hand-made artistic paper factory, and the Center for The Arts housed in a 19th century mill. For those who have been sensitized to environmental issues or who have been exposed to camping and the outdoors, the family can spend a couple of days in a rustic mountain setting in the Sierra Norte…hiking, biking, horseback riding, and learning about how particular industries in the state are making inroads in terms of environmentally friendly production.

The options are innumerable. It’s simply a matter of doing a bit of homework, asking, and then committing yourself to a vacation dedicated in large part to your children. The inevitable rewards will include your own memories of the region’s richness and cultural diversity, and a greater appreciation of the magic of Oaxaca.

Alvin Starkman together with wife Arlene operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ). Alvin received his masters in social anthropology in 1978, and his law degree in 1984. Thereafter he was a litigator in Toronto until taking early retirement. He and his family were frequent visitors to Oaxaca between 1991 and when they became permanent residents in 2004. Alvin reviews restaurants, writes about life and cultural traditions in Oaxaca, and continues to tour the sites and villages.

La Biznaga is Back: Restaurant Review

By Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
( of Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast: http://www.oaxacadream.com )

It took a reduction in Oaxaca’s tourism and an increase in staff to bring La Biznaga back into my good books. While we never actually stopped patronizing the trendy, relaxed eatery in downtown Oaxaca, the painstakingly slow service coupled with a sometimes snooty attitude of the wait staff was enough to cause us to caution both our house guests and fellow residents. But word does get around, and that, combined with the reality check caused by the social and political unrest in the latter half of 2006 resulting in empty downtown streets (all now long gone) must have caused management to take a step back, re-evaluate, and act. And it’s worked.

The complacent attitude has disappeared. Once again waiters have smiles on their faces and interact with clientele with helpful suggestions, even when serving new faces. The staff complement has significantly increased, and now even includes a school-aged busboy-esque youngster.

Drinks and complimentary seasoned carrot sticks arrive promptly, orders are taken when you’re ready to proceed, with appetizers and main courses arriving without table discussion about how much longer to wait before just picking up and leaving.

And so a testimony to the always consistent quality and presentation of fare, and welcoming ambience, La Biznaga has managed to maintain a following of residents and tourists alike in the face of its earlier seemingly deliberate shortcomings.

The atmosphere is open courtyard, with a fashionable retractable roof protecting from mid-day sun and seasonal rains; tables and chairs are wood, á la simplicity of arts-and-crafts vogue, comfort enhanced by wicker seats and backs; a selection of palms willows off to one side, with tall leafy tree mid-court; the bar by design provides a focal point given that its selections are contained on an overhead blackboard; and a rotating selection of gallery art graces the walls. Music is most often jazz, but eclectically ranges off to other similar genres, thereby maintaining an air of coolness in the beatnik sense of the term.

Enormous chalkboards, one at either end of the restaurant, contain the menu selections, print somewhat cryptic … interesting to say the least. Be sure to bring your glasses, or strain your eyes over the tables of others, or simply get up and walk closer to the cartes du jour and you’ll be fine. On the other hand, our experience over the past three years has been that one cannot go too far wrong choosing blindly. Appetizers, soups and salads range from about 35 - 100 pesos, and entrées (meat, fish or fowl) come in at 65 to 200.

La Biznaga is known for its cocktails, and in particular its margaritas and mojitos, served as in the case with all other beverages, in classic Mexican blue accented thick hand-blown glassware (vidrio soplado). The mezcals are also noteworthy for the selections offered. Pretty well all of the bar servings are healthy, and prices across the board are competitive, mezcals beginning at, get this, 15 pesos.

But we’re here for dinner. La Silvestre is a mushroom soup, more in the nature of a light broth devoid of dairy, containing a selection of wild hongos including setas, along with bacon, onion and chile poblano … a must for toadstool enthusiasts. Rarely does a visit go by when I won’t indulge.

Las Calendas is a starter worthy of selection. While described as tamales, there is no corn, but rather squash blossom and melted string cheese (quesillo) enveloped with tender hierba santa leaf, an herb with a distinct taste used in preparation of many Oaxacan dishes yet not often enough as a single flavor source. You’re apt to recall, “so that’s the exquisite essence I’ve been enjoying all this trip.” The triptych is presented with sides of refried beans and diced spiced tomato, and topped with a drizzle of cream. Another worthy triumvirate is the Cerro Viejo, crunchy fried tortilla horns stuffed with seasoned sautéed hibiscus (jamaica) flower, presented with a center of guacamole crowned with chipotle peppers. It would be a mistake to not share each of these two tasters.

The grilled salmon is served over a bed of cilantro pesto, with lightly dressed side salad comprised of select lettuce, tomato and pineapple wedges which, together with pine nuts in the entrée provide complimentary crunches. The tuna, similar to the salmon in terms of a good sized serving prepared to the exact degree of doneness as demanded, arrives on a sea of avocado salsa and is topped with pico de gallo, a flavorful traditional combination of tomato, radish, cucumber, onion, chile and cilantro, with an added tang of lime. Finally, my own entrée on this outing consists of four filets of chicken breast each wrapped around a piece of cooked plantain with just enough walnut crumbles to be detected and welcomed, presented on a platter of puréed guava set off with swirls of cream.

The distinctive flavors one has just experienced almost call out for further indulgence, and thus dessert is difficult to neglect: on this evening healthy scoops of pistachio sorbet (nieve) are served in a margarita schooner, and chocolate truffle-cake (trufa) floats on a strawberry coulis.

It’s indeed a rarity for a restaurant to exhibit this level of consistency in quality of cuisine. Now if La Biznaga can only maintain a degree of humility translating into value-added service, there’s no stopping its continued success, nor reason for patrons to ever again hesitate stopping by.

La Biznaga, Garcia Vigil 512, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca (tel: 516-1800)

Desarrollan muestra artesanal de Oaxaca en V. Carranza

Desde el 1 hasta el 10 de junio, se realiza la Muestra de Oaxaca en la explanada de la delegación Venustiano Carranza, donde los interesados podrán disfrutar de platillos típicos de la región al mismo tiempo que observar la representación de la tradicional Guelaguetza.

En la explanada delegacional habrá platillos típicos como tlayudas, quesillo, chorizo, chocolate, buñuelos, chapulines, tasajo, tamales, dulces y nieves, acompañados de un apetitoso vaso de mezcal, así como exposición y venta artesanal de hojalatería, barro negro, cuarzo, collares, colchas, cuchillería, alebrijes, ranas, mantelería, ropa típica, joyería del Istmo y de arte popular en antimonio.


Además, se efectuará el baile de La Calenda o De las Flores que anuncia la cercanía de la festividad del Santo Patrón y en el cual las mujeres portan canastas con bellos arreglos florales al compás de las bandas de música, aunado a conferencias y talleres sobre el arte oaxaqueño, desfiles de trajes regionales, cuenta cuentos, poesía y conciertos de marimba, banda y trova.


"Esta muestra artesanal y cultural es un reconocimiento que la comunidad de Venustiano Carranza rinde al pueblo oaxaqueño y a su inagotable riqueza. Es un esfuerzo que hacemos para valorar una parte de su innegable belleza constructora de historia y tradiciones; festividades que entablan un diálogo directo con el tiempo negándose a quedar en el olvido", expresó Julio César Moreno Rivera, jefe delegacional.


La muestra de Oaxaca en Venustiano Carranza permanecerá hasta el próximo domingo en la explanada delegacional, ubicada en Francisco del Paso y Troncoso número 219, colonia Jardín Balbuena, con un horario de 09:00 a 22:00 horas.


El domingo, previo a la inauguración, una ráfaga de viento tiró una lona que golpeo a seis de los visitantes, cuatro de ellos no resultaron lesionados de gravedad y sólo dos tuvieron que ser trasladados a un hospital para su valoración, pero de acuerdo con las autoridades delegacionales, no se reportó ninguno de gravedad.

Fuente: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/429231.html

Crearán biblioteca con acervo de Beatriz de la Fuente en Oaxaca

19:13 Los 7 mil volúmenes que integraron la biblioteca personal de la historiadora del arte Beatriz de la Fuente (1929-2005) , constituirán una biblioteca y una cátedra con su nombre, que serán inauguradas por el Instituto de Investigaciones Estéticas (IIE) , de la UNAM, en Oaxaca, informó aquí Arturo Pascual Soto, director del plantel.
En entrevista, Soto señaló que a medio año de asumir la dirección del IIE, el organismo creará en el segundo semestre de 2007, una sede alterna a la que ocupa en Ciudad Universitaria, que se ubicara en el edificio del Ex Arzobispado, en el centro de Oaxaca.

La sede, que será compartida con el Instituto de Matemáticas, dijo, buscará impulsar no sólo el conocimiento del arte, sino constituirse como una referencia en la sociedad y cultura oaxaqueñas, a través del impulso de proyectos de conservación y restauración del patrimonio artístico de la región.

"Nos interesa no sólo generar conocimiento, sino la derrama de él en la sociedad, me refiero fundamentalmente a la conservación, a tener una injerencia más directa en estos proyectos, de las obras de arte, entendidas como edificios, murales, textiles, etcétera" , adujo.

La sede foránea del instituto en Oaxaca, agregó, "será en un edificio universitario en el centro de la ciudad, frente a Catedral, donde muy pronto se inaugurará la Biblioteca Beatriz de la Fuente , que conservará la biblioteca personal de esta investigadora única, irrepetible y singular, para el estudio de la historia del arte prehispánico" .

De la Fuente fue madre del rector de la UNAM, Juan Ramón de la Fuente, y es considerada una figura fundamental de la cultura mexicana contemporánea, que le mereció el Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes en 1989, además de ser la primera y única mujer integrante de El Colegio Nacional, integrado por los más destacados intelectuales de México.

En la nueva sede, enfatizó Soto, se ubicará además un polo alterno del Laboratorio de Diagnóstico de Obras de Arte, "que ha ocupado un nivel destacadísimo en las investigaciones de técnicas y materiales y que creo que podría tener una mayor injerencia desde el punto de vista de la conservación" .

La intención, señaló, "es colocarse como un referente, un espacio de diálogo con otros restauradores del país y de iniciativas distintas, el propósito es que se convierta en un espacio de reflexión en Oaxaca, sobre la conservación a todo nivel, sobre el estudio de las técnicas, de los materiales".

Además, puntualizó, "es necesario que cumpla con los propósitos de investigación de los especialistas del instituto y que apoye las tareas de académicos del INAH o de cualquier otra institución que así lo requiera, hay una parte ya activa de escultura virreinal, pero también estamos impulsando proyectos de retablos y en la parte prehispánica estamos previendo se finquen investigaciones importantes" .

Por otra parte, comentó que les interesa sumarse a la vida cultural de Oaxaca y que para ello han contado con la colaboración de la biblioteca Burgoa, organizando ciclos de conferencias y se tratando de impulsar una cátedra permanente Beatriz de la Fuente, que corresponda al ámbito de la biblioteca que llevará su nombre y que se ocupe del tema ".

De la Fuente estudió medicina e historia en la UNAM e hizo una maestría en Historia de las Artes Plásticas en la Universidad Iberoamericana y doctorado en Historia en la máxima casa de estudios.

Asimismo fue autora de 12 libros, como " Escultura funeraria prehispánica ", " Los hombres de piedra " y " Escultura huasteca en piedra", entre otros.

El IIE tiene su origen en 1935, cuando el historiador del arte mexicano Manuel Toussaint fundó el Laboratorio de Arte, de donde surgió la institución como un espacio dedicado al estudio de la historia, la teoría y la crítica del arte, así como la conservación y la defensa del patrimonio artístico nacional en sus diferentes periodos.

Desde su fundación, el instituto ha publicado alrededor de 400 libros que dan cuenta del trabajo de investigación realizado y que se han constituido como una aportación al conocimiento de las manifestaciones artísticas, además de contar con la Biblioteca Justino Fernández y el Archivo Fotográfico Manuel Toussaint.