We just got home from a great Los Amigos rendezvous in Oaxaca with 33 members and on the way there and back, we stopped off in Mexico City to visit the Sunday market, Lagunilla. I love that place - it's such fun to search among the stacks and stalls on all the streets but especially nearest the corner of Reforma and Eje 2 where the antiques are displayed. There are always more treasures than one can afford or at least afford to carry on an airplane these days, so decisions are hard and things always have to be left that you never forget. This trip I found a Gordito pulque pitcher made in Barrio de la Luz prior to the 1950's but I don't know how old it might be. I already have one in my collection, but knowing how rare they are, I had to have this one, too. This Gordito has duplicates on display in the Tucson Museum of Art, the San Antonio Museum of Art and in my own collection as well as being featured in several books. In addition, while in DF, we accidentally walked into an exhibition on the history of pulque in Mexico. I say accidentally because we were really looking for a Starbucks, but it was further down the street and we were happy to find this. Turns out the building with the exhibition had been owned by the founder of the first pulque establishments (pulquerias)and he owned more than 600 on or before the turn of the century (1890's).

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Oaxaca is wonderful and waiting to receive tourists back again. Tourists are visiting but it seems we saw more Europeans than Americans during our week long stay and there is no reason to stay away. If you want a great itinerary, check out the one we used by going to Events and choosing Memories of Past Trips. We'll soon have photos of our rendezvous posted in the photo album of that section, too. The food is great and there are more restaurants than you'll have time to try. The same is true for folk art stores and markets - they are full of all the wonderful things we have come to find, hand embroidered textiles from every village, hand carved wooden alebrijes, amazing tin work, beautiful jewelry in gold and silver, masks from various parts of the state and the list goes on. A purchase of one of our members is pictured here being held by Mary Jane Gagnier, owner of La Mano Magica of Oaxaca. These were from her private collection and made by the now deceased Zapotec brothers and Grand Masters, Delfino and Timoteo Lopez Godinez, who for more than 60 years made these beautiful processional figures from dried flowers.

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