Oaxaca — An urban paradise

There they go

Life isn't always fair — This little one even has a driver

But not for this little daughter of a vendadora 

This  park is for everyone

Everyday scene at Llano Park

Scene at my favorite Llano Park

Post breakfast art activities in the front courtyard at Las Mariposas

Front courtyard fountain and ficus trees about to be trimmed

Pat, Judy and Jim in the covered colonnade of the front courtyard

Just leaving the pass through

The covered passway between courtyards at Las Mariposas

Rod at his favorite table and his Kindle

Jim Parson's well used hammock on the shady side of the wall

Other side of the fountain wall

The rock wall fountain just outside my room

Scene at the organic market last week

If you've ever doubted my adoration for this  cultural mecca, doubt no more. It fills me with awe just walking to the simplest of places. Today I visited with friends new and old in the front courtyard over breakfast and just a little later in the back courtyard where my room is situated. New relatives of a friend from New York were just arriving and checking in with those already in residence. You really do have to make your reservations for the next year almost the minute you arrive or your chances are nil. It is so charming without being cutesy or overwhelming. The owner is a beautiful, gracious woman who goes out of her way to clue us in to happenings of special interest each week.

After the morning visit  I walked leisurely up to the Zocalo, picked out a table at one of the restaurants in the colonnade where I could choose between sun and shade. I took a long time to decide on what to order and finally settled on a "sopa Azteca" and a "Tlayuda sola" to go along with my agua mineral con hielo. The band/orchestra was playing on the other side of the park and well within listening distance.

People float and skip by you while you're sitting there and every moment is a memorable picture. People with babies, people with little dressed baby Jesus dolls because of this weekend's celebration of Candaleria in which children are celebrated, including the baby Jesus. Dogs of every strain are walked with and without  leashes. A man I remember from last year sat on the cement park border playing a super sweet saxophone just as I remember he did when I heard him before. It's nice to have some things not change. A beautiful, tall, slender young woman set up her boom box only a few feet away from me in the middle of the sidewalk. She settled on some particularly lively music and then produced a hula hoop and began a super lively and creative routine. Part athletic calisthenics and part an appealing salsa routine — all the while keeping that hula hoop going muy rapido.

After several hours of enjoying my lunch and the ever moving entertainment passing by me, I decided to walk home on the Alcala, a favorite, action filled walking street leading from the Zocalo back toward my neighborhood. When I reached the corner where the pseudo trolly tour bus commences, I was suddenly moved to ask the price and then hop on for the ride around the central part of the city with full discussion of history, architecture and special points of interest regarding art, craft and, of course all landmarks that had anything remotely to do with Benito Juarez, the hero of long standing in these parts.
What a pleasant and relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

I'm back in my courtyard with my little Mac Air, writing and listening to a late afternoon bird call. I haven't identified it, but I do think there were two tiny little yellow guys this morning, keeping company with a completely brown humming bird. Sorry Art, that I can't be sure of what they are. I think they may be Lesser Finches. I suspect that the same fellows I saw this morning may be the late afternoon callers. Time will tell and hopefully before Art arrives I 'll know the name of something more than the  Sparrows ( I'm told by everyone that they are House Sparrows) that seem to own the area in the front courtyard where all the food is dropped around the breakfast tables. I know they're very common but I'm fascinated by the males particularly because of their vivid, dark markings beneath their bill and neck area. I'm just not a taxonomy person at heart but I'll try to know something before you get here, Art. After that, I'll be thrilled to have you do the naming and all that goes with it.

One more thing about today: Happy Birthday, Chuck. Apple mail (or my MCN server) has moved you along and off of my mail archive list so I'm depending on family Chuck to receive this greeting and pass it on to you if possible. Email me, please, so that you'll be back in my archive. OK?  I also need for Jean Pierre to email me as well because his address has fallen off the same cliff. Oh, the inexplicable electronic age we live in. Love to all,  Jackie