Guelaguetza

Oaxaca in July is a city full of energy.  Tourists (mostly Mexican) fill the sidewalks, women wear their traditional festive dresses, and everybody is having a good time navigating around clowns and balloons to the sound of giant aerial firecrackers.  The central event is the Guelaguetza ("Offering" in Zapotec), a pre-Colombian tradition, presented in a modern version.  On the day of the event, tourists ($60 per ticket), and locals (free in the upper sections) crowd into the specially built amphitheater to enjoy a spectacle of music and dance.  Dozens of delegations from the various regions of the state, go on the stage to demonstrate their traditions.  Their distinct multicolored dresses are wonderful, and some of the women are beautiful.  However, at the risk of being expelled from my city, I have to admit that last year, after the fifth-or-so delegation, the static dance steps made me drowsy, and all the groups blended into one.

This year, I found another way to enjoy the Guelaguetza.  I squeezed onto the sidewalk, and watched a parade.  Accompanied by their bands, the delegations pranced down the street, wearing the same vibrant costumes, and stopping every few meters to perform a short dance sequence.  That was a much better fit to my attention span.

Click on Casita Colibri, to watch a slide show of the parade