Last month I was fortunate to attend the Monday of the Hill presentation of the Guelaguetza in the city of Oaxaca for the first time. I took advantage of my trip up there and back to reacquaint myself with some of the treasures, interesting and attractive places and simply breath-taking beauty that can be found between the state capitol and the coast.

Then I had the pleasure and privilege to be invited to participate in the annual fiesta for their patron saint by the authorities of Santiago Yaitepec, a Chatino community high up in the mountains that I had never visited before.

All of this served to reinforce my love affair with this special land. Here in Puerto Escondido, with its beach culture and cosmopolitan resort atmosphere, many visitors are unaware of the rich cultural heritage and the wealth of biodiversity that surrounds us.

This issue explores some of the attractions that can be encountered nearby. And many of these places with their higher elevation offer a welcome relief from the sweltering heat of mid-summer.
-- Warren Sharpe, Editor

This Month in Puerto

La Luz, Tútutepec
See last month's issue on the La Guelaguetza and Mondays on the Hill.
With roots in ancient ceremonial rites, it is a coming together of different communities to share and strengthen their traditions with music and dance.

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

Tuesday 9
Birthday of Vincente Guerrero
The hero of Mexico'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.

Friday 12
Perseid Meteor Shower
The Perseids come every year, beginning in late July and stretching into August. Sky watchers outdoors at the right time can see colorful fireballs, occasional outbursts and, almost always, long hours of gracefully streaking meteors. Among the many nights of the shower, there is always one night that is best. This year: August 12th. And there's a bonus: Mars, in the constellation Aries, right beside Perseus, is shining like a bright red star. Perseid meteors fly out of the constellation Perseus, hence their name. Look east and you'll find you have a hard time taking your eyes off Mars. It's bewitching: maybe it's the red color or that it doesn't twinkle like a true star. It's steady. You stare at Mars and it stares right back.

The source of the shower is Comet Swift-Tuttle. Although the comet is nowhere near Earth, the comet's wide tail does intersect Earth's orbit. We glide through it every year in July and August. Tiny bits of comet dust hit Earth's atmosphere traveling 132,000 mph. At that speed, even a tiny smidgen of dust makes a vivid streak of light - a meteor - when it disintegrates. The best time to watch is during the hours before sunrise when Perseus is high in the sky. Between 2 a.m. and dawn on August 12th, if you get away from city lights, you could see hundreds of meteors.

Day of the Taxi Driver
In Mexico every trade and profession has a special day to recognize its contribution to society. This month alone includes the following : Aug. 1, phone operators; Aug. 4 is Day of the Priest; Aug. 5 is Day of the Fisherman; Aug. 8 is Street Sweepers' Day; Aug. 17 is Veterinarians' Day Grandparents' Day is Aug. 29. But, the big day in Puerto Escondido is Aug. 12, Taxi Drivers' Day. Since Puerto is a resort town, its cab fleet plays a major role in civic life. (See more)

Sat 13 - Mon 15
Feast of the Ascension of the Holy Virgin
This feast of the Ascension is celebrated in many towns and colonias, most named for Santa Maria, including Santa María Colotepec, Santa María Tonameca (near Pochutla), Huazolotitlan (see below) and also in San Pedro Mixtepec.

The traditional fiesta is a mixture of the religious and the profane, solemnity and revelry. Parades, processions, fireworks, dances, rodeos, carnival rides, big markets, sometimes cock fights and horse races, as well as the religious observations.

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

Monday 15 - Tue 16
Annual Fair, Santa María Huazolotitlan
Santa María Huazolotitlan or Huazolo, as it commonly referred to, is just 4 Km from Huazpala (See Aug 5 and 6), located in a lovely verdant valley. Huazolo is picturesque and notable for the production of elaborately woven huipiles and carved and painted wooden masks and figurines, many of which are still used in the traditional dances of the region. The town is also known for its delicious sweet egg bread, much prized throughout the region.

Huazolo is one of our favorite indigenous towns to visit, and readers who have attended the fiesta in past years report that they were made to feel like honored guests. There will be the lively calenda and convite processions, arts and crafts presentations, the bull riding rodeo called jaripeo and their amazing, colorful traditional dances, including the "Feather Dance" and the "Masked Dance."

Sunday 28
Grandparents' Day
Puerto Escondido pays tribute to its seniors with a special program including poetry, food, gifts and dancing including the elegant, tango-like danzon.
5 p.m. City Hall Esplanade.

Sunday 28 - Mon 29
Martyrdom of John the Baptist
Important festival in the Chatino town of Lachao Pueblo Nuevo, on the road to Oaxaca vía Sola de Vega. (There are some cool waterfalls nearby.)

Sun 28 - Wed 31
Feast of Santa Rosa de Lima
Beyond the wetlands complex of Chacahua National Park, Santa Rosa de Lima is a major center for the cultivation of limes, the all-purpose seasoning and astringent that is a local staple. Look for the friendly, country-style restaurant named Doña, it's in itself worth a trip for lunch. There's also a Santa Rosa near Pueblo Nuevo Lachao.

Read This Month's Feature Articles:
X-Games
Taxi Drivers
Chatino Towns
Oaxaca Valley