Fat Tuesday

Since yesterday was Fat Tuesday, the culmination of Carnaval, we decided to look for something fun to do here in the city. Selso discovered that Mercado Juarez, which we visited last week, hosted festivities so we planned to go there.

Our first stop was the zocalo for some much needed coffee and hot chocolate.

On our walk to the Mercado, we stopped by the Templo la Compania de Jesus/Iglesia de la Inmaculada. It had a lovely golden altar.

I mentioned a few days ago that there are a large number of churches in Oaxaca (over two dozen in the Centro alone). The churches are all Catholic, and many are the Dominican order (although the one above is Jesuit). The Dominicans were the first order to arrive in Oaxaca after the Spanish conquest, and had the duty to convert and minister to the indigenous peoples here. Many churches include convents where the Dominicans lived, although few of the convents are still in use.

At Mercado Juarez, Selso bought a beautiful pair of leather sandals and we chatted with the vendor. He told us that typically events are held to celebrate Carnaval, but this year they were canceled because there wasn’t enough money, due to fewer tourists this year.

Our next stop was the Mercado 20 Noviembre to have lunch. Selso and I each had a delicious tlayuda, a large, crispy tortilla covered with beans, meat, cheese, avocado and tomato. A couple from Belgium sat down next to us and we enjoyed visiting with them. We also passed on Peace Bear! They were happy to take Peace Bear back to Belgium and pass her along there. The picture above shows Peace Bear in front of the Catedral, on the zocalo, which we've passed by numerous times, but haven't been in yet.

After lunch we returned to the house where I had a nap and the kids played. In the late afternoon we went to a park we’ve driven by every day – El Llano. It’s a beautiful park, with fountains and a statue of Benito Juarez, a Zapotec Indian from Oaxaca who went on to become President of Mexico.

The kids played tag for a bit and then we checked out the Templo de la Virgen de Guadalupe.

This church has beautiful stained glass windows conveying the story of the Virgen of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico.

We were ready for dinner, and found a restaurant on the south side of the park to eat, and then home.