Oaxaca - San Agustin Etla - Ersatz Provence Lobo's photos around Oaxaca , Mexico (photography)
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Entry from: Oaxaca , Mexico
Entry Title: Oaxaca - San Agustin Etla - Ersatz Provence
Entry:
Real Time Message: July 31, 2009
Two blogs ago, we were in the process of moving from Prince George, British Columbia to Montreal, Quebec.
Those plans were abruptly changed when on July 7 Barbara received an unexpected job offer in Victoria a place we had grown to love during our four-month stay in that city in 2006.
To live again in Victoria - the beautiful capital city of British Columbia was an opportunity we could not turn down. According to a 2008 reader's survey in Condé Nast Traveler, Victoria is tied with Quebec City for third place in the list of Top 10 Cities in the America's.
ards/readerschoice/cities
On July 9, after a moving sale, the movers picked up the remainder of our furniture. Ironically, it was all carefully labelled to go to Montreal but instead, the furniture and boxes went into storage in Prince George awaiting the day when we have found permanent accommodations in Victoria.
On July 13 we turned over the keys of our condo in Prince George to the new owner and headed south in the direction of Victoria with only the barest necessities and camping equipment in the car.
So here we are back in Victoria again in search of a condo. The only difference is that Victoria is among the most expensive real estate markets in Canada notwithstanding the economic crisis. This point was brought home by the fact that a similar condo to the one we had in Prince George sells for about $200,000 more in Victoria. But as a friend of mine says, that's only chump change!
Our preoccupation with finding a new home here in Victoria leaves little time for blogging. Nevertheless, one thing is for sure, I am still keen on finishing up this wonderful (from our perspective) blog - MEXICO: 23 Destinations to Spend the Winter Months - even if it will take several more months to finish it.
Being back in Victoria continues to be an amazing experience as my encounter with an octopus on my first morning walk along the Strait of Juan de Fuca will attest.
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First Time Reader? ......here is the background to this series of blogs:
tries/lobo/9/1233502800/tpod.html
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Mexico: 23 Destinations to Spend the Winter Months
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Oaxaca
no. 18 of 23 destinations (this is not a ranking)
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Oaxaca - San Agustin Etla
This trip started innocently enough, as we were making an excursion to a little town located 17 kilometers from Oaxaca. In the end our surprise and enthusiasm couldn't have been greater. How was I to know that on this afternoon we were going to make a little side trip to Provence in the south of France.
Getting here was not as easy as it sounds as there are several destinations in the area which include the name Etla. So our first attempt saw us going completely in the wrong direction. By asking a lot of questions along the way we finally got to the bus station on the outskirts of Oaxaca from which the buses that pass near San Agustin de Etla leave.
Even then it took a wave of a hand from the bus driver to notify us that we had arrived at the intersection where the road leads to our destination. From here we took a colectivo or collective taxi (cram in ...
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Photos from this trip:
1. - stop talking about Provence! - this is Mexico
2. - our first view of San Agustin Etla
3. - inside of church
4. - another gorgeous day in Mexico
5. - colourful even at this time of year
6. - could be olive trees in Provence
7. - village street
8. - this church up the hill was our destination
9. - so Provence-like
10. - one Frenchman who recognized the similarity
11. - cool shade in the heat of the day
12. - scene I have seen many times in Provence
13. - classic scenery
14. - entry gate
15. - its a dry climate
16. - getting closer to our destination
17. - question of security
18. - apartment for rent
19. - various types of evergreens
20. - pamogranites
21. - vistas on way to white church
22. - irrigation
23. - we did not have time to go to swimming pool
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Volunteer in Oaxaca, Mexico
Oaxaca is a beautiful, lively Mexican city where you can truly experience living abroad. Take Spanish classes and volunteer 4 hours a day in your Adelante program then spend your time exploring and experiencing the sites, sounds and tastes of this wonderful culture.
Mision Oaxaca San Felipe Hotel Oaxaca
This city hotel lies in the residential area of the city only 15 minutes from Oaxaca, around 25 minutes from the airport and around 10 minutes from the bus station.Refurbished in 2006, this hotel is built in Mexican colonial style and spread over 2 buildings, each with 3 storeys. The 154 rooms command views over the extensive green spaces around the hotel and over the city and the surrounding mountains. The hotel's facilities include a lobby area with a reception desk manned around the clock, a hotel safe, lifts, a restaurant, a bar, a café and a disco. The function room Dianzu offers space for 10 to 70 persons, whilst the conference rooms Kiosco and Tehuantepec are designed for up to 1000 persons. Guests may take advantage of the laundry and room services, medical assistance and childcare on offer at the hotel. Additional facilities include a hotel shop and a travel agency. Guests are invited to take advantage of the excursion booking service and the currency exchange facility. Public Internet access is also on offer. Furthermore, a car park, a garage and transport facilities are available.Certainly, this hotel is part of the luxury and comfort that one of the most beautiful and colonial cities in Mexico can offer. Hotel Misión San Felipe Oaxaca, located in the best residential area of the city, is located only a few minutes from downtown with access to the main roads which will take tourists to the archaeological areas of Monte Albán, Mitla, Zaachila and Yagul. Mision San Felipe Oaxaca has incredible surroundings with beautiful green areas and magnificent panoramic views where you can admire the city and its colorful mosaics, surrounded by fascinating mountains.While admiring our ancestors' traditional garments and music you can not miss the joy and entertainment Oaxaca offers to every tourist. Handcrafts in gold and silver are souvenirs that will make your trip an unforgettable experience.Distances: Just few minutes away from Oaxaca's downtown, Regional Mus
Puerto Escondido mexico house for rent.
Beachfront amazing house
Day of the Dead 2015 Google Doodle
The Search Engine Google is showing a Doodle for the Day of the Dead on November 2nd in few countries, while it is showing Doodle for George Boole in many of other countries.
Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos México) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and acknowledged around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey.
In many American communities with Mexican residents, Day of the Dead celebrations are very similar to those held in Mexico. In some of these communities, such as in Texas, and Arizona, the celebrations tend to be mostly traditional. For example, the All Souls Procession has been an annual Arizona event since 1990.
Many other cultures around the world have similar traditions of a day set aside to visit the graves of deceased family members. Often included in these traditions are celebrations, food and beverages, in addition to prayers and remembrances of the departed.
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Blind family incredible band singing downtown Oaxaca Mexico. pt 1 Dec 2017
Excellent and absolutely amazing singing by the blind family singing. The boy is not blind, the girl half and the two man fully blind. The music was so amazing and random dancing at
7:35 mins into video.
Highland Hijinx Dospollos's photos around Popayan, La Plata, San Augustin and Silvia, Colombia
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Entry from: Popayan, La Plata, San Augustin and Silvia, Colombia
Entry Title: Highland Hijinx
Entry:
After a smog choking week in Bogota, desperate for fresh air we took a day long bus ride to Popayan in the south of the country. Short bus rides are a thing of the past. We travelled through the Andes for the first time, no snow peaks yet, and through the majestic coffee growing valleys of southern Colombia. We spent most of the journey hanging out the windows gawping at the views. The journey was incredible, some of the best scenery we have seen so far, which is saying something. Unfortunatley taking piccies from a bumpy bus is quite a feat so our photos probably dont do the scenery the justice it deserves. Bus drivers dont take to kindly to being asked to stop on mountain passes for a gringo photo opportunity. Popayan was a really nice place to chill out for a few days, using it as base to explore. We visited the mountain village of Silvia for the famous Wednesday indiginous market. It is one of the biggest gatherings of indigenous people Colombia. They all still wear typical dress of bright blues and pinks and bowler hats. A fantastic sight. We did our classic of looking at the Lonely Planet map and thinking we would take a short bus ride to visit some thermal springs near La Plata, about 100km away. The journey actually took 2 days in the end, as it took around 10 hours to reach La Plata. It was the roughest road we have been on so far, the bus was a truck with a bus compartment welded on to the back. You can tell when you get off the beaten tourist trail when school children run away from you when you get off the bus in the small villages. We think its the beard. Latino men dont do beards its strictly moustache only. The springs were like somewhere from another planet. Icy mountain creeks combine with hot sulphur springs to produce some spectacular landscape with multi-coloured lichens, mosses and algae, very cool. We ate one of the best meals since we have been travelling that day in a tiny wooden hut at the side of the road, vegatable soup followed by smoked trout with coconut rice, and some root vegatables which we still dont know the name of. The trout was caught in the river nearby, and smoked over the fire in the hut. The food was so fresh and heartwarming in the cold mountains, a meal that will be remembered for a long time. We then sat in the hut waiting for the bus back to Popayan, FOR 5 HOURS!!! Punctuality isn't a priority in the highlands. The next morning we headed out to San Agustin known as the Valley of the statues, where hundreds of rough hewn stone figures of men, animals and gods are dotted about dating back from 3300BC. They were very interesting at first, but there are just so many of them! We think we saw more statues than people in the couple of days we spent there. The last few stops on our way south to Ecuador were a little town of Sandona, a tiny little village balanced precariously on the side of a steep active volcano where they make Panama Hats. Luckily it was a sunny day and we saw hundreds of hats lying out on the streets a lovely sight. Then on to Ipiales to see the famous gothic cathdral built on a bridge over a deep gorge, amazing. Colombia has definately been our favourite country so far, the landscape is indescribably beautiful, the towns are really interesting and full of character, and the people are the friendliest we have ever met. Combined with the fact that not many travellers make it here, it really is a special untouched place. We both want to return some day, and explore more of this special country.
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Photos from this trip:
1. Lush highland scenery and mountain house
2. Un Rio
3. Alien Planet
4. Keith amongst the tree ferns
5. Alien being
6. Los Termales de San Juan
7. Born with the grace and agility of a Ballerina!
8. Keith getting natures steam treatment
9. Alien plant form
10. The mountain hut/restaurant/bus stop
11. Fuente de Lavapatas
12. Face of the monkey
13. Cafe
14. Guama (the Ice cream Pod)
15. Stone Coffin
16. Keith getting to know the locals
17. Tasha trying to blend in
18. Statues of San Agustin
19. More statues
20. Tashas favourite road-sign
21. Fireworks in San Agustin
22. Typical Colombian Chicken Bus
23. Market at Silvia
24. Residents of Silvia
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