Mexico, December, 1980
Due to Jack’s involvement with the Science Museum of Minnesota, and the booming oil economy in Mexico, we host a number of fabulous Mexican scientists who are building dramatic museums south of the Border. We fall in love with Mexico on our first trip in January 1980, and return at the end of the year (with a better camera in hand!) to explore more of this rich and varied culture.
Mexico, Christmas 1980 - Jan 81. We meet Linda's mother, Hildur Lovas, in Houston and fly down to Oaxaca. We stay at the lovely Presidente Hotel, Oaxaca (a converted Dominican convent).
With family and hotel staff.
Sunday bazaar at Basilica Soledad; bustling! (I used its example to inspire Fr. Mike O'Connell to use the Minneapolis Basilica for block parties--still going strong!)
More Basilica activities...
On the streets of Oaxaca; our future hacienda in background (with Hildur and Kristen in front). Lack of roof is a small detail...
We travel to many of the crafts towns around Oaxaca, each specializing in a different art form.
Ruffino Tamayo Museum: fabulous collection of pre-Columbian art. Each room has niches painted in vibrant colors and became the inspiration for our gold-leaf niches in our fireplace at Edgcumbe.
Pre-Columbian art in Ruffino Tamayo Museum in Oaxaca.
Casa Brena: weavers. Lots of teen labor and chemicals. But beautiful output.
More weaving scenes. Santo Domingo church in Oaxaca.
Monte Alban: Inhabited over a period of 1,500 years by a succession of peoples – Olmecs, Zapotecs and Mixtecs – the terraces, dams, canals, pyramids and artificial mounds of Monte Albán were literally carved out of the mountain and are the symbols of a sacred topography.
Mitla, I believe...John and Betty Musser of St Paul were substantiall donors to Mitla excavations and restorations.
Dona Rosa's (black pottery) carried on by others after her death Santo Tomas Jolieza weaving.
Friday's Ocotlán de Morelos Market; Tlacolula--another famous market.
We visit San Antonino with a delightful parade, then meet a dress retailer who sizes up Mother! (making her quite nervous).
Atzompa, Teodora Blanca's home where she has produced her famous white pottery. We learn that she has just died so join in the mourning. Etla; Teotitlan de Valle.
Cuilapan: site of a 16th century monastery.
Cuilapan. Radish Festival in Oaxaca (large radishes are carved into various forms)--pretty wild! More street scenes in Oaxaca.
El Tule--famous huge tree--and El Tule churchyard. Views around Mitla.
More fascinating aspects of Mitla.
Yagul; Dainzu (Zapotec) where Fritz finds a carved head. Lambityeco.
Lambityeco; Spider filled cactus at Monte Alban; Cute kid.
Marvelous holiday parades in Oaxaca!
We drive up into the hills to lovely Gueletao, boyhood home of Benito Juarez. Benito Pablo Juárez García was a Mexican politician, military commander, lawyer, and statesman who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872.
Lovely Guletao...
Living Chacmool at Gueletao! (A chacmool is a form of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican sculpture depicting a reclining figure with its head facing 90 degrees from the front, supporting itself on its elbows and supporting a bowl or a disk upon its stomach.) Back at the ranch.
New Year's Eve day at the lovely hotel pool.
We drive back to the Mexico City airport and stop at a resort on the way.