Almost ready to leave Oaxaca —
That's probably not really true. I could stay in Oaxaca much longer and still not be ready to leave. This will be a very quick review of the last days as they went by like a flash.
I had my last day at the class on Friday and was treated to lunch by Juanito and his partner at the Organic Market. What a treat. I bought a small pendant from a vendor while I was there. He introduced me to "Piedra fossila" or fossil stone. It is micro fossil embedded stone that looks like abstract mini line drawings on a beige to grey background. Skip would have loved these and I feel a need to collect a few. I'll try to get a decent picture of one soon. My friends escorted me back to the Institute just in time for my last intercambio session. All these "lasts" cast a mixed veil over the day.
Saturday I walked everywhere and tried to see as much as possible. The amazing figures in cement which have been displayed on Calle Alcala since I arrived are still here and I'll talk about them in a few days when I sort through my pictures for the best ones. These are amazing tributes to the many immigrants who have died while trying to cross the border from Mexico to the U.S. They were done by artist Alexandro San Dieto, from 1999 to 2003. There are 2501 of them, each representing one of the known victims. They are arranged in groups, standing in the walking street (Alcala) for several blocks. An incredibly moving public exhibition. I promise to give you some examples in a day or two.
Sunday I was picked up at Las Mariposas by Jacobo Mendoza and taken to his home/Studio in Teotitlan del Valle. I spent several hours there with him and his wife Maria Louise looking at their beautiful work space, talking about their processes and how they feel about their work. Then they each sat at their looms and worked for a few minutes so I could get a few photographs. I bought three more rugs from them; One by Jacobo, one by their son, Jacobito and one by their daughter, Sylvia. How I'm going to get them on the plane tomorrow is another matter. It was a thrill to be with these lovely people and see their beautiful new work space.
Today I squeezed in a tour of the Ethno-Botanical Gardens. What a treasure! I had almost decided to put off going there until next year, but something just compelled me to do it today. I'm so happy that I made the effort. It seems to have been one of the longest tours Carol Turkinin has given there. Two and a half hours of walking in about six acres of wondrous planting representing the Oaxacan botanical history from thousands of years ago to the present time.
I'll post some pictures from the above activities and then must get some sleep before tomorrow's van from the collectivo comes to take me to the airport for my flight, first to Mexico City and then on to Puerto Vallarta. Primo is picking me up in Vallarta and taking me to El Tuito. More from there soon.
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