Looking at Oaxaca

Oaxaca is very rural Mexican.  I am sure that there are even more rural areas that are fascinating in culture and social life.  But this is the real deal. No Americanized show here.  Even the majority of tourists are Mexican people in buses taking a pilgrimage of some sort.  Those buses have flower wreaths on the front and maybe a characterization or picture of the saint they are honoring.

The air is clean, except for the faint smell of cooking fires.  There is at least always a small breeze.  There is no rain from about October to May. Only weird surprise showers that don't last.  The mountains rise quickly and are rounded, bare and hide thousands of memories, ruins and history.

The rains start in May.  There are flowers if I look closely.  Here are some of my favorites.

Oaxaca is the land of living fences.  This is one that is just outside my front door.  They are sturdy and made of cactus.  The animals leave them alone.  I have decided that the chickenwire fences are all about keeping the stray dogs out.  There a lot of them.  Medium sized, with scruffy hair.  Some are actually cute.  They are not mean, but keep to themselves.  Any mean ones are poisoned.  (Or so they say.)

 

The city is tucked at the base of a mountain and consists small, concrete homes, weathered and painted bright colors.  Some of them are hundreds of years old.  The ancient ruins are still present in Oaxaca.  Hundreds of years ago, the Catholics came and torn down the temple.  They built the Catholic church out of the stones that the temple was made from, so that they Indians would still perceive the Catholic church sacred.