Sailfish Tournament in Huatulco
650,000 pesos in prizes. 7,000 pesos per boat to enter (3 lines)
Info. in Puerto: 582-0413
Sun 5
Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla
A national holiday that commemorates the trouncing of the French
Imperial army by Mexican forces loyal to Pres. Benito Juárez in 1862 at
the battle that effectively ended the attempt to impose the Maximilian
monarchy on the country.
Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza reported to his President that today, "Mexican troops have cloaked themselves in glory".
Among his lieutenants in this decisive victory was Porfirio Díaz, the Oaxacan who later became president and held on to power for 35 years until forced into exile by popular revolution.
Fri 10
Mother's Day
It's not a moveable feast in Mexico, it is always celebrated on this
date, which falls on a Friday this year.
Check out our dining guide that begins on page 14, then take Mom out
for a special meal tonight. (There may be a special program tonight at
the town hall esplanade.)
Fri 10 - Mon 13
Annual Fair in Rio Grande
This important cattle and agricultural center celebrates its annual
fair with stock shows, rodeos, cockfights and all the traditional
fixings of the traditional fiesta. (See Page 14 for more on Rio Grande.)
The program:
Fri 10
9 a.m. Festival Inaugural and the opening of the Agricultural, Cattle and Commercial Expositions.
4 p.m. Jaripeo, Oaxacan-style bull-riding rodeo
5 p.m. Mothers' Day social-cultural event
7 p.m. Cockfights
Sat 11
Sports events including soccer, volleyball and basketball
5 p.m. Jaripeo
7 p.m. Cockfights
10 p.m. Cultural Program
11 p.m. Castillo, spectacular fireworks display
Sun 12
Sports Contest finals
5 p.m. Grand Jaripeo
7 p.m. Cockfights
11 p.m. Gala Dance with live music
Mon 13
9 a.m. Official Closing of expositions
4 p.m. Horse Races
Rio Grande is less than an hour's drive from Puerto Escondido
Sun 12
New Moon
in Taurus at 5:46 a.m.
Mon 13 - Wed 15
Festival of St. Isador the Farmer
San Isidro Labrador is the Spanish worker saint who tilled the soil,
obviously a popular patron for rural Mexico. The Oaxacan coast is no
exception. Traditional fiestas will take place this week in such
communities as La Barra de Colotepec, Bajos de Chila, San Isidro
Pochutla, San Francisco Cotzoaltepec and San Isidro Nopala, among many
others.
Wed 15 is the actual saint's day, so the peak of the festivities will take place on the eve of the feast, Tue. 14. This is the night of the traditional castillo, or "castle", which is actually a cane or wooden tower rigged with fireworks to light up in a wondrously choreographed display of pyrotechnical magic. The cohetero, "rocket maker", also creates los toritos, "little bulls", effigies of bulls and other figures, carried on the head and shoulders of local youths as they rush around the square in a loud explosion of fire and smoke. Quite a show!
Wed 15
Teachers Day
Tribute day for the nation's maestros. Apples all around, plus another day off.
Possible civic program at Municipal Esplanade.
Fri 17
Srta. Tourism 2002
The contest is for single señoritas with at least 3 years residence in
the county, aged 17 to 23, comely and personable and who can represent
and promote P.E. as a tourist destination.
Prizes: 10,000 pesos 1st place, 7,000 pesos 2nd place and 5,000 pesos for 3rd.
8 p.m. Hotel Aldea del Bazar
Fri 24
Students' Day
Yes, do you believe? Another school holiday, this one for the kids themselves. Crowded beaches.
Sun 26
Full Moon
in Sagitarius at 6:54 a.m.
Radio, Radio
Helena Szutska, known to her listeners as "Lucy Sonido",
presents bilingual world-music radio shows on local FM radio station Esmeralda, 94.1FM.
8 to 10 p.m. on Sundays, "Chiles y Chocolates"
3 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to noon
Saturdays, "La Luciernaga"
May is a great time to be in Puerto Escondido: there's lots of celebrating going on, the "ice-backs" have left and the great waves have returned.
It seems that just about everybody is either being feted or celebrating somebody or something in May. Consider: the month starts out with Labor Day, a national holiday saluting all working people. Then May 3 is Day of the Bricklayer (Día del Albaníl); take a bow all you guys involved in construction. Not too much concrete will be poured that day. It's also the Feast of the Holy Cross, more reason for celebration.
Then May 5 commemorates the Battle of Puebla, when Mexican forces trounced the invading French, who were trying to impose rule by a foreign monarch. A day to celebrate national pride and another national holiday.
May 10 is Mother's Day. And you'd better not forget it! There's also a day to recognize teachers (May 15) and another for students (May 24). May 15 is also feast day for San Isidro Labrador, patron saint of farm workers.
Not surprisingly in a rural region such as this, many communities have opted for this Spanish saint as their patron, which means even more fiestas in the area. And furthermore, it's mango season!
Dare I eat a peach?
pondered T. S. Eliot's Alfred Prufrock, but imagine his dilemma had he been faced with a mango.
While some describe its taste as like a resiny peach, it is even messier, thanks to that big pit inside. Others say its flavor is like an apricot crossed with a pineapple. You decide.
The first local mangos to reach market here are the small variety they call criollos (creole). Soon will come the manila, the manzano and a host of varieties, some of which can weigh up to 2 kilos.
And people are crazy about them. Every spring and summer mangomania takes hold. Yet mangos are a relative newcomer to Mexico. It was the Portuguese who brought them from India to East Africa, then to Brazil, where the fruit spread throughout the Caribbean, arriving in Mexico in the early 19th Century.
So, Mr. Prufrock, here's a different way to eat a mango, if you dare. Back by popular request:
Doña Mari's Mango Salsa
Ingredients:
6 Mangoes
1/2 Red Onion
4 Jalapeño chiles
Fresh Mint to taste
Limes
Cut the mango flesh into pieces, add diced red onion, diced mint and the jalapeños (remove the seeds and veins, then wash your hands well afterwards, that's where those fiery chili oils are concentrated). Mix it all together and add lime juice and let it sit a spell.
That's where the relatively new concept of Alternative Tourism comes in. Here in Oaxaca, Alternative Tourism is divided into three categories, Eco-tourism, Adventure Tourism and Rural Tourism.
Rural Tourism means spending time in indigenous communities, participating in agricultural activities, studying indigenous lifestyles and customs, learning about traditional medicines and natural healing or studying with master artisans.
Eco-tourism is visiting places of natural beauty, nature walks, hikes and camping; wildlife photography and study of the natural flora and fauna. Ives Chavan at Tierraventura offers multilingual guided excursions with personal contacts at every turn that make a difference between a tour and an experience.
Adventure Tourism includes all of the activities mentioned above, as well as such coastal activities as diving (see Aventura Submarina for tours, classes and equipment) and surfing (Central Surf has all you'll need).
You don't have to be a super athlete to participate learn and enjoy all of these wild activities. Rock climbing and rappel is intensely exhilarating and yet slow paced. Livingston Monteverde of Tierra Dentro says says that there is no greater feeling excitement and triumph than when one is in the middle of a climb or sitting at the top with the world at your feet, and nothing more invigorating that rappelling down a 100 foot cliff. He offers basic climbing courses for beginners and climbs for all levels of experience within 10 minutes of the city and his shop has all the equipment any climber could want to buy or rent.
Flying isn't just for the birds. Paragliding is the specialty of Eco-Xplore wholse slogan is "get your feet off the ground". If you don't have the time to take the lessons necessary to learn how to do this extreme sport, Sten Maldonado will be glad to take you in tandem just so you can feel of the freedom of flying after which they swear you will be hooked and will never be truly happy on the ground again.
If heights just aren't your thing, try mountain biking. The king of mountain bike tours in Oaxaca is Pedro Martinez Mountain Bike Tours. They offer everything from relaxing guided tours around the city and day-long rides in the outlying countryside through pre-Hispanic ruins to long distance excursions over the mountains through lush forests and jungles to the coast over secondary roads. Aside from bike rentals, his shop also offers a wide variety of bicycle parts and accessories. n Pierre Spencer
When the ancients prayed for rain, they were specific about what they
wanted: Gentle, steady showers, plentiful enough to nourish the earth,
but without the winds and torrential downpours that could destroy crops
and homes.
Unfortunately that is not always what we get once the rainy season arrives. It's hurricane season and out in the Pacific tropical depressions and storms are continually forming. Most pass harmlessly by, others give us a good soaking. But hurricanes happen.
May 15 marks the beginning of 2002 Hurricane Season. Since Hurricanes Pauline and Rick smacked into the Oaxacan coast in 1997, the state of Oaxaca has aggressively fostered a culture of civil protection.
During hurricane season (May 15 to Nov. 30) an elaborate system of storm tracking, using all available national and international meteorological resources, goes into permanent effect.
Data gathered is transmitted to the National System of Civil Protection which issues bulletins to the news media every six hours, if there's a tropical depression more than 500 Km from the Mexican coast. Once a storm develops within that 500 Km, bulletins are issued every three hours.
Here in Puerto Escondido, the Civil Protection Council is headed by the Harbor Master, Cap. Francisco Quiñones Quiñones, who is responsible for issuing the local advisories and implementing emergency measures, if necessary.
Radio Esmeralda, the local FM radio station (at FM94.1), has excelled at keeping the community informed in emergency situations. (They also offer regular bulletins in English.) If you are in an area susceptible to flooding and are advised to leave, emergency shelters will be available. Otherwise, stay calm, stay in your hotel, pack in some food, water, candles and batteries and wait it out.
But be aware that during normal storms, huge amounts of rain can fall in a very short period , turning those dry creeks into raging torrents. Take care crossing these areas. And if you are driving be particularly careful and watch out for mudslides and washouts.
Naming Names: The Meteorological Service issues a list of names each year for the tropical storms that might develop into hurricanes. Here's the list for the Pacific Coast for Hurricane Season 2002:
| Alma | Boris | Cristina | Douglas | Elida | Fausto |
| Genevieve | Hernana | Iselle | Julio | Kenna | Lowell |
| Marie | Norbert | Odile | Polo | Roslyn | Simon |
| Trudy | Vance | Winnie | Xavier | Yolanda | Zeke |