Author: David Taylor

            Sunday, on the way to the Library Boutique Craft and Miscellaneous Sale our Bus encountered an ambulance accompanying a Marathon of sorts with about 5 runners and police motorcycles and patrol cars stopping along the way to block cross traffic.  I exited to a crowd of waiting library member hoping to get there first and steal the goodies before anyone else.  I was going to pick up my La Plume coffee from the plantation owner Mark who had some waiting for me.  I bought 300 grams of whole bean coffee then picked up a hand woven basket for my kitchen utensils…rarely find drawers in the kitchen to store things in unless you own one of those custom homes with hand made mahogany cabinets like yesterday.

      Then I noticed a 19th century pewter Tea Canister from China for $60…and 7 Vinal Albums of the Beatles…Help…Abbey Road…and some Originals kept nice and in so so original album covers…5 which were in Spanish.  I had no money or ATM card so returned home to drop my stash and pick up some money.  I did take time to “Google” the Tea Canister but nothing came up like it, but the albums were a mixed bag and prices from $12 – to thousands.  I couldn’t remember at the time what they were but returned and offered the man 1000 pesos for the 7…he stuck to his 1400 Peso asking price.  I got his information and left my card for him.  I decided to email a professional collector in Melbourne Australia who is a friend and put out feelers.  I could turn them to him for a profit and he in turn could pass them on for even bigger profits.
      I wanted to have breakfast at the restaurant owned by the Chef who prepared our meal on the tour.
He came recommended for his breakfasts…all he does at the restaurant since he opened two years ago but wasn’t opened on  Sunday  Llano Park was doing Zumba as I passed through.

       I had an appointment with Ron, a black man from Chicago that I met while at Zipolite Beach in January.  He teaches English on the internet, has a lady friend and a daughter by her back in Zipolite.
He is considering opening a business and is planning on being here on a long term basis…going back and forth like me. There was a concert in the Zocalo when I arrived.

WELL COVERED BY NEWS PEOPLE

EVEN A DRONE IN THE SKY TOOK A MOVIE

We had a nice talk.  He has a beautiful rental in Zipolite for the next few months and goes down every week for a day or two to visit his daughter and girlfriend.  He has a car here.
     We agreed to keep in touch and I stopped on the way home to have breakfast at the Azul Lobo.

       Saturday I stopped for breakfast on the way to meet our group of 50 headed out on a Home Tour to see 4 different homes in the Teotitlan Zapotec village of weavers dating back to 700-800 when Monte Alban and Atzopa were abandoned. These are their descendants.

We met in Llano Park and loaded into Vans, departed and arrived at our first home owned by the now President of the library, Rebecca and her husband Tom.

 She greeted us but Tom was stricken with Montezuma’s Revenge.  Rebecca said the home took four years to build on the property they purchased and was all solar with the same electrical system as a regular home in the US.  She has all the modern appliances except a clothes dryer. She is a semi-retired Master Horticulturist and planted and designed the xeriscape garden in the desert with plants needing the most water closet to the house to catch the grey water run off.  Only the Bougainvillea need watering.  They capture all there water into a cistern through a system of troughs and pipes.  This is truly a beautiful home.

We went through the house in 6 groups with leaders guiding us and answering questions.

Michelle the Organizer of the Event

Gail our group tour guide.

Rebecca is also a Weaver…nice loom.

We ended the tour back outside then went back for appetizers to go with our cocktails…of course.

Then off like a Roadrunner we moved on to a Bed and Breakfast and home of long time residents of Teotitlan.  One of the Partner’s parents previously owned the property before they passed away.

 Bottom Right is One Owner………………………With Peter raising his hand behind him.

CASA TOLENTINE

Next we moved to our Organizer’s home not far away.   Michelle greeted us with a brief bio on the 17 room home with I think 7-8 bedrooms and a view from everywhere.

MICHELLE’S STORY WHILE I THINK I’LL FINISH THIS DRINK.

IT’S NOT WINE…AGUA FRESCA

CHEF PRETENDING TO CREATE SOMETHING SPECIAL

OPP’S…WHAT HAPPEN TO THAT SPECIAL

BEDROOM WITH A VIEW

ONE FATTY PORK RIB, WILTED SALAD, POTATO OMELET AND CRUST OF BREAD..MEZCAL WAS ONLY 10 PESOS

Dessert was waiting at our last house that sat in the middle of the desert with a 360 view from the rooftop. Norma rents the home with a long term lease from a nice older Mexican Couple .  She retired from teaching at U of North Carolina at Chapel Hill…I think. The house was small with everything you would want.

      I returned from Mexico City late Monday Eve…tired.  Tuesday Adelina came to clean my condo so I ran off to do a little shopping and relax over coffee while catching up on some reading.  I returned while she was just finishing up.  Wednesday I was booked for a tour of the Amaranth production, processing, storage and cultivation in the village of Villa De Etla.

      I met everyone at the library as we checking in then loaded the Van bound for the village.  It was market day in Villa De Etla as we entered their “Headquarters” and retail store for the sale of Amaranth…a healthy plant dating back to the Aztecs.  Most of us already used the seeds in Granola, soups, salads and candy.  The young leaves are used for salads and the older mature leaves for tacos, quesadillas, and soups. The staff passed around some samples of different products produced using Amaranth for us to sample while explaining the importance of the jobs created from the growing of Amaranth and the system they employed to maximize the benefits for the communities involved. The local and “La Puenta” (one of the non profit organizations involved) representatives took turns explaining and promoting their organization.  All four would nod affirmatively as each person took their turn talking about their specific duty or job or some of the advantages for all.  They started to look like bobble heads…nodding away automatically each time one of them said anything!
     Their points were well taken but I felt their had been some “corporate” coaching behind the scenes where they are being trained to promote donations for the “Cause”.

 We moved on to the processing of the seeds and the retail store operation.  Then off to the country farm to see it grown.  After a question and answer session with the farmer we went to the half constructed storage area where the seed were weighed in and labels with time stamps for shipment.

    Now starved we were treated to a communal dinner prepared by various members of the village that were involved in the production.  It was a beautiful day and we were invited to participate in the preparation of the meal along side the village ladies as they fried up potato cakes stuffed with cheese, grated jicama and carrots for salad, made an aqua fresca for drinks and prepared a yogurt dessert with fresh strawberries and lime for dessert.  All with Amaranth flour or seeds in the dishes.

     All for suggested donation of 50 pesos or $3 but after that wonderful sell most were donating 200 pesos or $12 when the hat was passed in the van on the return trip home.  Still money well spent and still a cheap day out.
     I left the bus and headed for the mini mart to get a bottle of wine for it was Men’s Happy Hour at Casa Charles home not far away.  I had packed some nuts to contribute to the group get together and was the first to arrive.  We had a good crowd , lively conversation, snacks a few glasses of wine and maybe a tote off the pipe.  All I know is I was tired and maybe a little tipsy upon arriving at my door.

Bed time was early…but I slept late.
    This evening I am off to the dentist for another session then shopping at Walmart. I just saw a movie about the AMA and how doctors for 20-30 years within the AMA lied to us, distorted facts, covered up, and misrepresented the Medical profession.  I was taught, as a young Catholic, to respect authority…priests, doctors, police, firemen, teachers, etc….blind respect was in hindsight a mistake…but here I am going to a Dentist that I feel is taking advantage of me and my money. 

          So I  made my appointment with the Dr  and told him I no longer wanted treatment and he could keep the $300 50% up front fee for his work, x ray and impressions but I no longer wanted any further work done on my tooth or any other work by him.  I rather have a bad dentist that’s honest and treats me with respect than a gold digger cheat that is a good dentist but a con.  He said my tooth is broken now because he started work on it.  I explained it was not the tooth I came in to have repaired and yes I understand metal in your mouth is not healthy but it takes two teeth to eat…upper and lower.  The lower that you are working on does nothing without and upper…which was removed a year ago. It is just cosmetic.  I didn’t say it exactly like that but then shook his hand and walked out the door.
       I then took the bus to Walmart, finished my shopping, and took a taxi home to make an appointment with another Dentist for next week.

        Today I played a wonderful game of Dominoes at the library.  I lost .   We all decided to go back to the Hotel we were playing at and eat breakfast…something they said would insure us a nice round table for our 2-5 hour games of dominoes in their wonderful facility.  

YES THE TRUTH….GO PAPA
    
Pope feels church and state failed Mexicans

        Thursday we met our group from the Wednesday lecture and took vans to Atzompa historical site for a tour and a long…long…climb up the mountain.  It was worth the hike.

        When we returned that afternoon we stopped in El Escapalario Cafe for an exceptional Comida Del Dia.

      This morning we returned to the Pochute Market for Breakfast. I discovered REAL yogurt without sugar and home made goat cheese so bought both to take home.

Jewelry made from Empty crushed Metal Espresso Containers

     Returning down the hill toward the Zocalo we discovered a unique cafe to return to for lunch where we enjoyed a cup of coffee.

        I then bought some Chichicara Artesanal Mezcal Del Maguey.  Del Maguey brand was made popular by an Californian artist named Cooper that took a liking to Mezcal and the Oaxacan people over 20 years ago.  He is now considered the Grandfather of the Mezcal boom in America and has fought to protect and individual Mezcal producers from the now large corporate push to take over the market.

      We had our last visit with Hector at Tres Bistro tonight before Chris leaves.

      The Pope was broadcast in the Zocalo for all to see with the President of Mexico. Papa Francisco’s visit Celebrated in Oaxaca  Click to see.
       Saturday  Halina, Helen, Chris and I traveled to San Agustin Etla for lunch and another visit to the Cultural Center. Our lunch was great but the concert we went to see was non existent.  The web sites for this Cultural Center are confusing.  We did see a Photo Exhibit I had wanted to visit and explored more of the Center.  It was a pleasant day. I overpaid for some Rotisserie Chicken and brought it back with us.

Children Play where Bodies are Cremated by the Ganges

     Sunday was Valentine’s Day.  ¡Feliz Día Del Amor y Amistad!  Happy Day of Love and Friendship! As they say in Mexico. Valentine’s Day here is for everyone…not just couples or lover’s but friends!    Chris and I took the bus to Mexico City, checked into the Hotel Principle Downtown, and had dinner at the Sushi Roll, a very nice restaurant with great food.

Some Had Different Viewpoints…Stop Abusing Children

Krispy Kreme Valentine’s Day Donuts

       Monday we left for the airport after breakfast.

 We shared a taxi with a man from Bolivia. We got her’s and my boarding pass then I left her at the security entrance to her gate and after a few hours wait I boarded my flight back to Oaxaca.  End to a nice 2 week visit. San Agustin de Etla…click to view

        Friday night Hector, our friend, came to have dinner with us.  I made some soup and salad and we staying in and enjoyed his company.
        Pochute Market was our destination Saturday morning.

After buying some flowers for mi casa, we left for Chris to buy souvenirs for friends.

Then we stopped at San Paulo Cultural Center

        Sunday we had breakfast at The Catedral Restaurant then bought some reading glasses so Chris could see.

Smoked Salmon Omelet with Cucumbers

             We called Nationwide Vision and asked for her Prescription for the $700 pair of glasses she bought there so we could maybe buy a back up pair of glasses here until she could claim the loss and get another pair for 20% of what she paid since they are partially warranted.  They were supposed to email the script but didn’t and would not give it to her over the phone!!  The reading glasses would work until she returned.  That night we joined Halina and Helen at Tres Bistro to watch the Super Bowl and have dinner.

          Today was a lecture at the library on the history of Oaxaca with lunch at Cabouche after.

POZOLE

LENTIL SOUP

SPECIAL DE DIA

 We stopped to get a Rotisserie Chicken to have for dinner tonight.  Picked up the laundry on the way home and are staying put tonight.
         Tuesday we took the bus to Abastos Market, one of the biggest in Mexico and the biggest in Oaxaca.

Abastos Market click for more.
             We took the long bus home via Montoya…my first visit.

          Today another lecture at the library and shopping for souvenirs at the Zocalo where we ran into my friend Darcy.

 Thursday we hike to the ruins of Atzoyma which was  the lecture we attended the day before.

     Sam’s Club is not the place to go on Sundays .  It was packed and you had to find a cart in the lot and bring it in if you needed one.  One onion was not an option…maybe a 10 lb bag.  I wasn’t thinking.  I took a taxi home with 80% of my shopping list to wait until Wednesday when I get back with Chris from Mexico City.

           One thing I wanted  to mention is vitamin supplements.  If you take them, bring them.  The ones I’ve found are of a poor quality and twice what you would pay in the states.  I finally found one GNC that had Fish Oil Capsules ,  Pro-Biotic capsules, and CQ10.  I paid $130 for those 3 bottles that would have been about $45…but I have them. I’m stocking up when I return and maybe bring a case and sell them to the Gringos to pay for my flight?
       It is Monday morning at 10:30 am and I am boarding the bus for Mexico City to meet Chris who is coming to visit for 2 weeks from New River Arizona.  I napped most of the way and arrived at Tapo Bus Depot at 4:30 pm.  I foolishly asked someone wearing an ID where to get a taxi.  The station is enormous.  He said to follow him through this maze of buildings, parking lots, tunnels then to his beat up compact with no designation as to what taxi company???  His own private one.  He was a genuine nice fellow so off we went at 90 mph in and out of traffic and arrived at the airport in 15 minutes.  He charged me 200 peso and I thought the last time I did that I paid 120 pesos that I thought was a rip off.  Always ask before you get in.  $12 is cheaper than Phoenix Airport so I found the gate             Chris was arriving at, had some lunch and wandered around before finally meeting her at 8:30 pm. Found a great coffee shop too.

 We got the taxi to the hotel , checked in then found a nice place Japanese place still open around 10 pm.  Great Octopus, Chicken Teriyaki, and a mixed Tempura dish.  Nice Bottle of Mexican wine and we were back by 11 pm.

       When we arrived at the airport for our 12:30 flight to Oaxaca on Volaris Air, the police at the gate would not let me on the domestic plane flight without a picture I.D.  He kept asking for my passport but I left it in Oaxaca and he would not accept a copy I presented him.  How were we to get to the gate to board the flight we had tickets for??   I fumbled around showing him my Credit Cards, Oaxaca Membership to Sam’s Club and finally, my Marijuana dispensary ID from Arizona…and he accepted that!!!

              We arrived , got settled in , and took off for the Zocalo.

The rest of the week was visiting people, sites, dining, and different events throughout the city….until Friday night.
         Nimbus is a neighborhood restaurant where we were dining on some nice Pasta dishes and enjoying the evening.

Everything was great so on the way home, I suggested a Mezcal nightcap at an old haunt of mine in the neighborhood.  The Taberina was have Karaoke night and three couples were singing away when I suggested Chris sing a song but none in English.

The one lady with the Mexican party spoke English and suggested another night we could get together where they have English and Spanish Karaoke.  We had another Mezcal and after exchanging emails we left for home.
     It was cool out and the fresh air hit us along with the Mezcal and we were holding each other up as we approached our front door when Chris just fell down.  I heard her head hit the road with a thump and when I saw blood coming out I started yelling to people gathering to call an ambulance.  Within 5 minutes, our landlord, his son and daughter-in-law, the manager and the ambulance were there to interpret and lend support…as well as a crowd.  I rode with the manager, Mary, in the ambulance with Chris to the Red Cross Hospital a short two blocks away and waited in the emergency room while they put a few stitches in her head and made sure she was OK to return home.
     We slept well that night but couldn’t find her glasses the next morning.  I think she lost them on the street and someone picked them up the next day.  We checked the Hospital, Emergency Room, and the Ambulance she rode in to no avail.
   

      Well Miriam never showed or called.  I had a nice Comida and returned home.

Seasoned Pork,Cheese, Problano Peppers on two Tortilla filled with Re-fried Beans

       Later that evening Hector and I met at Quinque for another awesome meal.  I had the fish but not sure what it was. It tasted and looked like Halibut but I don’t think Halibut comes from this area of the Pacific

Broiled Chicken Breast on Roasted Potatoes with Fresh Broccoli,Green Onions and Nopal…(Cactus Pod) .

Fresh Fish on Rice with Zucchini,Carrots, Avocado and onion

    . He came over to see my place and we had some coffee.  He thinks I’m being taken by my dentist and I agree.  Dr Mina has already started work and has half my money so I will let him complete it but want him to know that I’m not paying him more than the amount we agreed on. Hector’s sister is a dentist but he never told me.  I will go to her for cleanings and if I need further work.  There are a lot of Dentist and Doctors here that will scam you for the money.  They are certified but try to get as much money as possible…kind of like the states…referrals, tests, labs, expensive meds, etc.

    Friday I met Bob, who took over the Dominoes game for Richard when he left.  Three more players arrived.  A couple of Irish retirees from near Catskill New York and Marc , an Rochester Institute of Technology Graduate that live with his wife in Harwich Ma.  I met them at a library lecture a week ago.  We left together and he joined me for the Rotisserie Chicken Restaurant around the corner.  He is a retired Photographer.  R.I.T is noted for it’s excellent courses in Photography being the home of Eastman Kodak.  He invited me to the Cape this summer.  They have a Guest home in back and I love the area he lives in…so you never know.

     Saturday I headed for an Opera at the Teatro Macedonio Alcala..what I just call the Opera House.
Puccini’s Turandot was being simulcast from The MET in New York. I was falling asleep so left during the first intermission and returned home.

THE MET ON SCREEN

OUR MACEDONIA ALCALA

     The library’s 50 Anniversary Gala is at 4 pm in  a private home North of the Center.  I’m going to the library to get tickets for a lecture and a house tour coming up.  I’ll stop by my favorite coffee house before attending the Gala.
     I met a couple as I was walking in that live in Los Cruzes that used to live on 10th St and Greenway when I lived on 7 St just North of Bell.  Dwight and his wife are here for 2 months and it is their second time.

Chuck with a friend.

Patty (?) and Jill .  Larry with his Camera

Our President on the right.

          It was crowded but I managed to get a drink, stake out a seat in the garden and get some appetizers.  Chicken wings is not what you put out on a 50 Anniversary Gala when everyone is sharing two bathrooms and there is only one napkin at your table.

 Finger food is OK but not greasy wings with sauce.  It was good as was the dinner.  They offered Beef Wellington or Lasagna but Chef Juan Carlos gave me both when I went through the line.  It was a poor excuse for Beef Wellington.

Ted…from Vancouver B.C, Retired and runs a B & B in Oaxaca

 It was overcooked, the Puff Pastry wrapping was soggy and there were no mushroom Duxelle or Goose liver pate that makes it a Wellington…I think it was a pork loin instead. Overall the meal was good and we all had a good time.  The Jazz Band was excellent.

Nice View of the Gardens         Sunday and time to pack for my Bus trip to Mexico City tomorrow to meet Chris at the Airport then we will return to Oaxaca on the plane Tuesday.

       Tuesday I spent running around doing nothing while Adeline cleaned the apartment.  That evening I returned to the Opera House  to see Mustang, a Turkish Movie about 5 young teens caught having fun, punished, re-educated and rebelled. I forgot it wasn’t in English and only Spanish Sub-Titles so lost the meaning…

Certain Documents Require Typing by Law

      Wednesday I attended the Gay breakfast again.  This time my friend Hector showed.  We agreed to get together when Chris arrives for lunch or something.  He helped her out shopping last year. Ted, who runs his B & B brought three of his guests visiting Oaxaca from England.

Restaurant is like an Art Gallery

       I had a Noon appointment with the Dentist to start removal of my crown.  I brought the photo of my mouth to clarify which tooth was he working on.

 I had wanted to replace a cracked crown but he was replacing my Metal crown.  Metal is no good in your mouth so I decided to get that taken care of. He started but gave up when he discovered the Metal was hard? Duh.  He cut a hole in it then said it would take 4-5 sessions and a new bur to drill into the crown to remove and replace it. Not much I could do at this point.  

        I went to lunch,

bought some REAL yogurt with no sugar and returned home before leaving again to attend a lecture on coffee at the library.

        It was a full house.  The lecture was given by a man who arrived here from San Francisco in 1976 and lived in a remote village with an extended family in a one room house with a dirt floor and an out house 300 meters away.  He was a Tea drinker and hated coffee but all they drank at every meal was coffee out of large bowls.  They fed it to the babies with bottles.  He acquired a taste for it out in this remote jungle.

         There was an opening for a physical education instructor at another school for handicapped children that had been experiencing discipline problems with the blind children.  They had policemen living on premise to help and thought a Phys Ed teacher would help.  The female administrator introduced him to all the teachers and explained he would come around each day and take their class out for Physical Therapy and on weekends for wheel chair races, soccer, etc.  These are Down Syndrome, blind, Palsy, children with lots of problems.

       The plantation was on the side of a steep mountain and the coffee trees were grown in the shade at different altitude.  Everything was done by hand.  The pickers that arrived in October for the harvest were families, including children, they got paid by the amount they picked. They had to tie themselves to ropes in some areas to avoid falling of the mountain.  Mexico and the world is suffering a blight that has destroyed 90% of the crops in Oaxaca.  The government has pledged all this money to help the owners but it is siphoned off to corrupt middlemen and never gets to the growers. The pickers have gone to Canada, USA and into urban areas to seek employment and aren’t as available as before. So the future is bleak.  He gave us samples and when I returned home I realized I had his coffee that I haven’t even tried yet.  It was being sold by University students to raise money for their extra curricular activities when I bought it.

9 Naked Virgins adds a nice touch.

      I saw a German movie that night …a sort of Monty Python spoof but done by Germans in German with Spanish Sub Titles.  No more of these for me. I ate my Cubana Torta I picked up on the way home, and went to be.

     It’s 1:30 and time for me to take a shower and get out.  Yesterday I didn’t leave the house until 6:30…cooked and caught up on my “lists”.  I left around 4:30 for a gathering at A Sol, a B&B just down the street.  Sharon, who went to San Agustin with us, invited me to a roof top “Happy Hour” with the Virgin of La Noria as the focus.

Peter (Toronto)Canadian/ Halina (Detroit) Polish

David (Scottsdale) USA- Mina?(Chicago)USA

Patty ? Making a Point

Don with his drink in his pocket.

Helen…making her point with Patty and Sharon.

This was a religious celebration that ended in parade through our Colonial La Noria neighborhood.
     Halina was there and Helen came later.  We set up some chairs as the rest of the “residents” arrived with Seviche, Cheese and Crackers, Wine and Beer…now we had a party.  I met a lot of lovely people that I didn’t know and some I hadn’t seen in a while.  The parade ended up taking a different route than last year a by passed us down the street.

 No body cared at that point and the Cardinals match with the Panthers was just starting.  I excused myself and walked over to a local bar to watch the Cardinals humiliating defeat by the Panthers…I had to leave a Half Time and returned home.
      It’s Monday morning and I have a 11:30 dentist appointment with Dr Mina to take an impression for a replacement Crown as mine cracked. My dentist quoted me $1673 .  Dr Mina’s quote was around $600.  I booked a follow up for Wednesday then took the bus to Walmart to go shopping.  I arrived home around 2 pm.

MY MOUTH

     Movie at the Opera house tonight was 45 Years with Charlotte Rampling and Tim Courtenay , both excellent actors…I still have the hots for her…and she looked good!  I missed some of the dialog and the quality was lacking but for $1.80?  I would have paid that just to sit in the Opera house. This is part one of the the Oaxaca Cine Film Fest which will be 6 nights and 6 movies this week.  The second part in is May I think.