---

This Month in Puerto

Sunday 1 - Friday 6
Annual Fair
Lindavista, Rio Grande This neighborhood celebrates its patron saint, the Lord of Petatlán. The diverse events offered include horse races, cock fights, fireworks and dances.

Tuesday 3 - Tue. 10
Oxbow Soul & Style
Oxbow, the French sportswear brand that has sponsored the World Longboard Tour for the last 12 years, inaugurates a new event right here in Puerto. They wanted an informal contest in which the world's best surfers could show off their stuff in a laid back resort atmosphere. The result is Soul & Style, an invitational longboarding event that will feature 15 of the world's best longboarders. See the story.

Thursday 5, Fri. 6
Annual Fair, Huaxpala
San Andres Huazpaltepec, to use its real name, is an interesting Mixtec town that straddles the Coast Highway between Jamiltepec (always worth a visit) and Pinotepa Nacional.

Sunday 8
Birthday of Emiliano Zapata
The most appealing figure of the Mexican Revolution was born on this day in 1879 in San Miguel Anenecuilco, Morelos. Under his slogan "Land and Freedom!", he became the apostle of agrarian reform and was perhaps the purest of the heroes of the revolution.

Lured into a treacherous ambush by Col. Jesús M. Guajardo in Chinameca, Morelos on April 10, 1919, he died with ten of his followers. Time has not diminished the appeal of Zapata or the nobility of his principles.

Monday 9
Birthday of Vincente Guerrero
The hero of México's Independence struggle was born on this day in Tixtla, Guerrero in 1782. As the early leaders of the 1810 insurgency were captured and executed, it fell to Guerrero to keep the uprising against Spain alive.

Guerrero was president of the young volatile republic in 1829. Forced again to take up arms against the government, he was betrayed by a Genoan ship's captain who turned him over to his enemies on what is now called La Entrega beach in Huatulco. (La entrega means the handing over or the delivery). Guerrero was executed at Culiapan, Oaxaca on Feb. 14, 1831.

Wed. 11 - Sun. 15
Mexpipe Open 2004
This year's activities include a drop-knee contest, Miss Bikini pageant, a DJ's contest. beach games and other entertainment.
Playa Zicatela 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Wed 11 - Thur 12
Perseides Meteor Shower
The annual Perseid meteor shower could be unusually good this year. The shower began, gently, in mid-July when Earth entered the outskirts of a cloud of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle.

Dust-sized meteorites hitting the atmosphere streak across the night sky, at first only a sprinkling, just a few each night, but the rate will build. By August 12th when the shower peaks, sky watchers can expect to see dozens, possibly even hundreds, of meteors per hour.

This is a good year for Perseids, for two reasons, explains Bill Cooke of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. First, the Moon is new in mid-August; moonlight won't spoil the show. Second, in addition to the usual shower on August 12th, there might be an extra surge of meteors on August 11th caused by a filament of dust newly drifting across Earth's orbit.

The best time to look for these traditional Perseids is during the hours before dawn on Thursday, August 12th. Set your alarm for 2 o'clock in the morning; go outside; lie down on a sleeping bag with your toes pointed northeast. You'll soon see meteors racing along the Milky Way.

While you're looking for meteors, check out Venus and the crescent moon, too, near the horizon.

Can't wake up at 2 a.m.? Try looking around 9 or 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 11th when Perseus is hanging low in the eastern sky. You won't see many meteors then, but the ones you do see could be memorable. Shooting stars that emerge from the horizon and streak horizontally through the atmosphere are called Earthgrazers. Slow and colorful Earthgrazers are a good target for city dwellers, because they are so bright.

Thursday 12
Taxi Driver's Day
Every profession and trade in México is honored with a day to celebrate its contribution to society. Today, Puerto's cabs are bedecked with flowers and streamers as the cab drivers take their turn. The festivities begin at 7 a.m. with a special mass and the blessing of the cabs. Then the cabs begin a parade through the streets of town, ending up at a social hall where the drivers will feast on barbecue. Raffle of prizes donated by local merchants, drink beer and dance.

You might have difficulty finding a taxi today.

Friday 13 - Sun. 15
Feast of the Ascension of the Holy Virgin
This is the Annual Fiesta in Santa Maria Tonameca (near Pochutla) with parades, fireworks, dances and rodeos, as well as the religious observations.

The lighting of the castillo (castle or tower) of spectacular fireworks always takes place on the verbena or saint's day eve (Aug. 14).

Santa Maria Tonameca is off the coast highway between San Antonio (where you take the road to Mazunte) and San Pedro Pochutla.

Among other communities which will celebrate this occasion with fiestas are Santa María Colotepec and San Pedro Mixtepec.

It's also the Annual Fiesta in the attractive Mixtec town of Huazolotitlan, just four kilometers off the Coast Highway from Huazpala, midway between Jamiltepec and Pinotepa Nacional.

Sunday 22
Day of the Fireman
Now that Puerto actually has a fire department, the day will be devoted to a "Radiothon" to raise funds and equipment for the team. Radio Esmeralda (94.1FM) begins its live coverage at 8 a.m. from the Fire Dept. installations just off the Coast Hwy. on the road to Playa Angelito. Donate cash, tools or anything of value you no longer need that can be auctioned off.

Sat 28 - Sunday 29
Martyrdom of John the Baptist
One of the most important festivals of the year in the Chatino town of Lachao Pueblo Nuevo, on the road to Oaxaca via Sola de Vega. (There are some cool waterfalls nearby.)

Sat 28 - Tues 31
Feast of Santa Rosa de Lima
There are two towns named for this New World saint, one located beyond Chacahua National Park and the other near Pueblo Nuevo Lachao, on the highway to Oaxaca via Sola de Vega.

Read This Month's Feature Articles:
Puerto Day Trips
Oxbow Soul & Style