Día de Juquila in San Juanito

[bixaorellana]

I wound up having a fun and illuminating excursion on December 8, thanks to a casual conversation a few days ago with the nice couple from whom I buy fruit. They mentioned they lived in the colonia San Juanito (officially called San Juan Chapultepec), which is perched on a hill just south of the city. Since this is one of the colonias that has the extra day of the dead celebration, I took the opportunity to ask them about that. They urged me to visit San Juanito for the festival of the Virgin of Juquila.

The veneration of this Virgin is widespread in Oaxaca, with almost every cab and bus sporting an image of her, plus people routinely making pilgrimages to the town of Juquila, but joining in a celebration of her day was new to me. The real reason for going was because there was a danza de la pluma listed on the printed schedule of events. This never materialized, but didn't matter in terms of enjoying the day. My fruit vendor friends characterized the celebration as "a real fiesta of the people" -- a perfect description.

The throng was almost impenetrable when we arrived, so I have no photos of the endless, packed aisles of food stands, nor the crush at the exit from the church. It wasn't until we went all the way around & climbed up to the church yard that I could manage to get some pictures. My observant friend saw that this girl was receiving objects -- milagros and candles, mostly -- from people, then holding them up to the statue of Juquilita for blessing, then returning them.




Meanwhile, other helpers were receiving the already blessed candles from people and finding places for them in the rapidly growing sea of candles.




"Hmmmm."
Note the milagros pinned to the cloth behind her ~


The little houses in the tree on the left represent requests to the Virgin for housing ~


This little store of religious items was conveniently placed near the church entrance. I asked that lady second from the left about the significance of the yerba de borracho (Clinopodium laevigatum) that everyone was carrying. She explained that it made up the bed on which Jesus was born, & that people were taking it into the church to make that bed ready for December 25.


Some of the many, many vendors selling yerba de borracho ~


It was a gorgeous day, although it turned quite chilly when the sun went down ~




People milled around, listening to the band, chatting, or waiting to go into the church ~


The entrance to the church, with just a hint of the lily glory waiting within ~


I'm off to bed, but hope you all will come back later, as there is much more to show.

[mossie]

Another very interesting thread Bixa. You certainly make religion a much more colourful affair than we do.

[bixaorellana]

Thank you, Mossie! It's true that a big part of the culture of this country is incorporating religious tradition into life at all turns. What I found interesting about this particular observation was how very sincere and pious the participants were. Most of them seemed to be rural people who made a special trip into the city for this celebration.

Well, to continue with where I left off last night, with lilies and the church ~~





The aroma from all those lilies was intoxicating. When we finally worked our way up to the altar, we pressed ourselves out of the way of the crowd, there against the wall between that statue in the niche on the left and the column of yellow lilies. There was a nook there where I could point the camera at the altar. But I almost didn't want to leave because of the scent of the lilies.

[bixaorellana]

Once out the door, the faithful could get blessed with holy water by this personable priest.

This is the gate to go back down to the aisle where we originally entered. By this time, the throng had cleared a little.


Wish I could have managed a picture on our first pass through here, as with the hordes descending the stairs and the blind beggar with his upraised arms, there was a very medieval feel to the scene ~


Another blind beggar, at the base of the stairs, this one with a violin ~


And again into the fray. This young woman is one of many selling "flores para la Virgencita". Note the Lincoln log looking things on the table at the left. That's jamoncillo, a dense candy made with raw sugar and ground nuts and seeds. There were acres of it for sale.


My attention was completely caught by this old lady & her husband, first at a stand, then up on the church grounds ~

[htmb]

Bixa. Wish I could express myself better, but must say your photos are stunning!

[Deleted]

Oh, the lilies in the church are outstanding. Do you have any idea how long they stay there (since obviously they can't be there indefinitely)?

The priest looks like he will enjoy splashing anybody until they are completely soaked.

[mich64]

Sensational photos Bixa! The flower displays, decorations and tributes are such increbile arrangements. I can imagine becoming overwhelmed by the beauty and aroma. The last photo is beautiful, a woman in adoration.

[bixaorellana]

Thank you, Htmb! I found those to be exactly the right words -- they made my day.

Kerouac, I guess the lilies stay there until the festival is officially over. Usually religious days are celebrated for eight days and, as today was the 10th, two days after the feast of the Immaculate Conception (aka, Virgin of Juquila), they'll probably be there through the weekend. I noticed that many of the lilies in the outside arch were still in bud.

I think you characterized the priest correctly. I said, "Don't bless the camera!", so he waited until I held it behind my back before sprinkling me, which he did with a smile and a wink.

Thank you so much, Mich. It was impossible not to be moved by the unabashed shows of piety by all those people for whom it might have been a hardship to travel to the city for this event.
I forgot to mention that the yerba de borracho has a strong, clean minty odor, adding to the scents of all the flowers.

It was great being up on the hill where San Juanito is situated. I stood on one of the benches & used the zoom to capture the antennas & the stadium that you all might remember seeing in some of my photos. But in the other pictures, those things loom over my house, instead of my looking down at them.


The band played off and on for hours ~


Sweethearts enjoying the music ~

It's time to leave the churchyard again & go see what else is going on ~




We're on the lower level now, on our way to where there is more of a carnival atmosphere. There is yet a lower level, with the amplified sound of barkers urging people to come try their hands at the usual midway games.
Lots of yerba de borracho along with dainty autumn flowers ~

[bixaorellana]

So yeah -- about that carnival atmosphere: in contrast to the traditional food stands on the other side of the church, this section offered fairgrounds food along with some very miscellaneous merchandise ~

Oh, the horror! The horror!






Snake oil salesman ~




As you can see from the picture above, it was chilly. I was in a lightweight dress for the hot weather earlier in the day, so was pretty cold but enjoying myself too much to go home. Besides, we had another stop to make. We're going to leave San Juanito & go up to the top of the hill to La Cuevita for more festivity.

First, a last shot of Oaxaca from here. See the cloud bank rolling over the mountains because of the cold air? (get Mossie to explain it!)


And more lines in the sky as the sun goes down ~

[bixaorellana]

We took a moto-taxi up & up & up to La Cuevita, with the driver singing loudly (but well) all the way up there.

So here we are in La Cuevita. Can you tell we're higher up now?





But we're going higher yet. We climb on foot to the tiny chapel perched at the top of the hill and look down ~



The pennants are over the Juquila fiesta en La Cuevita ~



All the play money, the little houses, the livestock figurines, etc. represent the favors people are asking of the Virgin ~







It's getting darker and c-c-colder ~




We've climbed back down and are now approaching the cave that gives this little town its name. It goes straight back into the rock. The line to get inside was very long and moving slowly, so we left it to the faithful & merely peered in from the outside ~

[bixaorellana]

There were huge awnings set up over the entrance to the cave and all the way back to the open space in front of the municipal building. There were bands and dancing and throwing of favors under the awnings. The giant dancing figures were at the open end ~

















And then it was time to get into another moto-taxi to get down the hill to where the buses would take us back to Oaxaca.
This driver was playing music -- Creedence Clearwater Revival -- so we sang at the top of our lungs all the way back down, to the delight of the tiny ancient lady sharing the moto-taxi with us. She shook our hands and told us she thought we were really great because we were so alegre. It was a lovely end to a lovely day. I may go back next year!

[Deleted]

Those altitude panoramas are outstanding and give a great idea of how the whole area is laid out.

[bjd]

I like all the old ladies with their braids plaited with ribbons.

I find it very difficult to get an accurate idea of Mexico. There are all Bixa's threads with the photos of celebrations (religious and otherwise), the colours, the food, the flowers and, of course, the people who look as though they are enjoying themselves or participating fully in the religious aspect of things.

On the other hand, in the news, we are fed a constant diet of political and judicial corruption, drug cartels, murder and demonstrations against the government. I find it hard to reconcile these two aspects of the country, even though I know "if it bleeds, it leads" in the news media.

[tod2]

You have done an outstanding job on this photo-essay Bixa! But then ALL your essays are outstanding
I would like to go along with what bjd said about getting an accurate idea of Mexico. But then I know it's HUGE and all areas are different. That view from so high up was terrific! Kerouac put it better but I would like to agree. Looking at the people in the photos I don't see any tourists - were you the only 'gringo'?? (Forgive my movie and comic book terminology)but I'm sure you will sort me out!

[Deleted]

I wonder if anybody has ever done a serious study about the attraction of inflatable animals, cartoon characters, vehicles, etc. everywhere in the world. I actually cannot remember if such things existed when I was a small child (probably not because they needed to improve the quality of the plastic), but boy kids absolutely love that stuff and demand it everywhere.

[htmb]

Bixa, do you know what might be happening in the photo of the man holding a microphone and talking with an older woman who looks like her foot is resting on his leg?

[breeze]

bixa, I've never seen such a floral display. Thousands and thousands of gorgeous lilies. All the foliage I could see looks like it's lily leaves--there's no other foliage added?

I have the same question as htmb. Is he intending to heal her foot?

Somehow I can love a simple white and blue church like this one, but I can't love one that is gilded and crammed with statuary.

The vendor in #8, wearing the checked apron, seems to glow. And then in #10, the photo of late-day light falling on the woman with long braids is a gem.

What smiles and modest glances you get from the people whose photos you are taking. When I look at photos I took in France this fall, any time there's a crowd, someone in it is giving my camera the evil eye.

Wonderful view of the hills. So many trees in your city, I'm glad to see.

I love the idea of you belting out Bad Moon Rising or Proud Mary on your way home. The end to a perfect day out!

[htmb]

Most of Bixa's subjects seem to give her the loveliest of smiles. Must be lots to do with both Bixa and the calibre of the people she photographs.

[bixaorellana]

Many, many thanks to all of you for the warm reception of this thread! I so much appreciate the compliments, feedback, & questions. I've quoted parts of what you all wrote in an attempt to answer all the questions ::

Dec 11, 2014 6:02:40 GMT kerouac2 said:

Those altitude panoramas are outstanding and give a great idea of how the whole area is laid out.

Thanks for that, as I felt I was maybe banging you all over the head with the long vistas!

Dec 11, 2014 9:34:14 GMT bjd said:

... I find it very difficult to get an accurate idea of Mexico. ...

Dec 11, 2014 15:17:31 GMT tod2 said:

...
I would like to go along with what bjd said about getting an accurate idea of Mexico. ...

As Bjd pointed out, the dramatic and horrible stuff makes it into the news, not day-to-day quietly boring life. I guess the worst of the drug war stuff goes on closer to the northern border and in pockets where drug lords hold sway. But life in most of Mexico goes on peacefully as it has for ages, undoubtedly a side effect of regular, law-abiding people being out and about until well after dark. Of course there is crime here, but I don't have to go around looking over my shoulder fearing violence against me as I did when I lived in New Orleans.

Dec 11, 2014 15:17:31 GMT tod2 said:

... Looking at the people in the photos I don't see any tourists - were you the only 'gringo'?? ...

Tod, I wasn't the only gringa .......... my friend who accompanied me was the other one!

Dec 11, 2014 20:53:08 GMT kerouac2 said:

I wonder if anybody has ever done a serious study about the attraction of inflatable animals, cartoon characters, vehicles, etc. everywhere in the world. I actually cannot remember if such things existed when I was a small child ...

Don't you remember those inflatable punching bags? They had rounded bodies with weights in them so they'd spring back up when bopped. I don't think many other toys were inflatable except for beach balls.

Dec 11, 2014 22:46:02 GMT htmb said:

Bixa, do you know what might be happening in the photo of the man holding a microphone and talking with an older woman who looks like her foot is resting on his leg?

That's an old-fashioned snake oil salesman! Isn't he sleazy looking? They always look like that, with crisply ironed, spotless shirts & good grooming, but with pompadours or some other hair (or beard, as this one) style that just screams televangelist. He's giving his patter to the crowd as he prepares to smear something or other on the lady's leg or foot. Lately those guys have been promoting wintergreen. They'll have a bunch of it dried and spread out on a small sheet. You're supposed to buy a little bag of it (for $100 pesos!) to soak in rubbing alcohol & then anoint your aches with the resulting ointment.
Many weekly markets are marred by the speakers the patent medicine men mount on poles to endlessly wheedle the crowd into buying their miracle cures. There's nothing like cheerfully selecting foodstuffs only to have a phrase like "gummy eyes" invade your consciousness.
Incidentally, you can see the woman patient in the penultimate photo of the OP & yes, it does appear she has trouble walking.

Dec 11, 2014 23:40:10 GMT breeze said:

.. All the foliage I could see looks like it's lily leaves--there's no other foliage added?
...
I love the idea of you belting out Bad Moon Rising or Proud Mary on your way home. The end to a perfect day out!

Breeze, looking back through the pictures, I spotted a spray or two of palm leaves & a few carnations used as accents, but lilies carried the day!
Hee hee :: the first song was Have You Ever Seen the Rain?, but I don't remember the second. Maybe my friend will see this & fill in that important blank.

I failed to quote you & Htmb on your very kind comments about people smiling at me when photographed. Of course I smile & make eye contact with them, but I think it also helps that my camera doesn't have a viewfinder & is quite small. That way I'm looking directly at them over the camera instead of their being confronted with that single, lifeless eye.

[mossie]

Bixa you give a wonderful feeling of the culture of the place, get right inside something which is so foreign to me.

Your cloud is "orographic cloud" caused by the wind pushing the air upwards over the hill or mountain, as it rises the temperature and pressure drop cause the moisture to condense out and form the cloud. Carried to its ultimate conclusion, rain or snow may fall.

[tod2]

Mossie, so would this also be called orographic cloud also known as the 'table cloth'.
www.dyna.co.za/Table%20Mountain%20&%20Waterfront.jpg

[fumobici]

What a vibrant and colorful and authentic looking scene, bixa. I think you are very lucky to be able to experience immersion in that ancient and rich culture.

[mossie]

Tod, yes, same difference. You can see that the cloud is composed of a liquid as it appears to be falling over the top of the mountain

[bixaorellana]

Mossie, thank you so much for the kind & gratifying words and for that great explanation on the cloud.

Fumobici, thank you for looking & appreciating. I do feel lucky to live in a place that fascinates me & that I love.

[tod2]

Yes, thanks Mossie! I will now proudly exclaim 'that's an orographic cloud formation' when next see it in Cape Town.