Christmas eve 2004
John and I are in the Hotel National in Oaxaca, our second hotel in 2 nights. The first was over a discoteque, which didn´t make much difference last night because we had been without sleep for about 40 hours. The hotel National is next to the Mercado where all kinds of fod, clothing and household items are sold. Our luggage did not arrive until today. It didn´t get on the plane in Houston because the plane was full of Mexicans returning home for the holidays with loads of boxes of gifts and huge suitcases. All planes were packed with people and luggage. This morning I finally bought some Mexican clothes since I was burning up in my Seattle turtleneck.
Coming to Oaxaca from Mexico City by bus, we passed through many geographical regions: dry flat farm land- harvested corn stalks standing in conical bundles; mountains covered with suaro cactus off into the distance looking like ten foot pencils stuck along the horizon; mountains covered with mesquite and pines. Throughout the ride we were treated to videos of terrible murders (an Italian film) and Good Morning Vietnam with Robin Williams, interspersed with instructions to fasten our seat belts, which no one did.
Today I saw a family of very short adults - one full grown adult no taller than my hip. Many indigenous people are very short and carry baskets of bread or other cargo on their heads. The women´s hair is braided with ribbons and tied up on their head with towels.
Last night on the Zocalo was La Noche de Los Rabanos. Yes, its incredible, but radishes are carved and arranged in the form of local indiginous costumes, crucifixes, nativity scenes, even representing local candies. 107 years ago, some friars got the idea of marketing root vegetables by carving them and this is that tradition. The radishes are long tubular roots, with many spiraled growths, not little round red things.
Tonight there are processions to the cathedral on the Zocalo and we will watch these with gratitude for our maletas being delivered.
Thinking of you during the holidays.. Love Cathy and John
2 Comments:
Wow, this is beautiful! I can't wait to meet you there!
Hi you two,
It's nice to hear from you. I thought I was surely going to call you before you left. Thank you Cathy, for the tickets to the CSL event-I'll invite a friend if I'm able to go or pass them both along. I thought it was humorous that your luggage didn't keep up with you. I was just thinking how fortunate that you were going in that direction. Arriving in Seattle in a sundress would surely be a more stressful problem.:-) I've been enjoying my part-time job at the Municipal Court. I'm going to Eric and Sarah's for Christmas day. They are leaving for D.C. the day after, drivng and stopping in Montana for a week or so of snowboarding/skiing. Sarah will return to manage the packing of their things to prepare for the move. They found a small apartment but will quickly look for a condo to invest in after they have a chance to look around. I'm not sure just when I'll see Leigh this holiday - we keep missing each other by phone.
Happy Holidays
Love, Jane
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