Cultural Crosswinds, Why Do the Tourists Come to Oaxaca? More Oaxaca Landmarks

Fodor’s, a major travel publication, recently declared Oaxaca to be one of several areas world wide experiencing a tourist backlash. I am not an expert on the subject, but I am very aware of not only anti gringo sentiment and graffiti, but also anticolonial graffiti and sentiment. So, while it is easy to believe that the commercialization of culture and customs here have contributed to anti-tourism sentiment, I believe that a lot of antagonism is also directed at a historical enemy, the Spanish. Much of the graffiti I see adorns statues of their conquerors. Slogans can be seen that make it clear that ethnic groups, especially, feel resentment toward tourists and the ruling elite also. We vividly remember protests and slogans being a part of everyday life when we were here in 2018. Oaxaca, as one of the poorest states in Mexico, has a large wealth gap. It also experiences severe environmental concerns, especially regarding water.

A paradox, maybe two, exist here. The colonization by the Spanish has created some magnificent architecture and history; some horrific history also for the natives. The influx of tourists has made many Oaxacans wealthy, but perhaps many more have not benefited. We manage to find some beautiful and peaceful neighborhoods, but also cannot escape the hectic aggressive nature of the city. Ultimately, I wonder what feelings we will develop in the next two months, interesting juxtapositions await.

I touched on a couple of the reasons tourists come to Oaxaca. One is the magnificent architecture that is the result of  the Spanish occupation. Another is the surrounding villages of native ethnicities and there influence on the city.  Today I want to show more of the architecture. The pictures below and the featured image are from the Museum of Oaxaca of Culture.

It is housed in a massive structure; Templo Santo Domingo. It is an incredible mix of architecture, history, ethnic cultures, bibliographical works and more. The sheer volume of religious writings prodigiously fills about 100 yards of approximately 12 foot high walls. The volumes date back centuries. Part of the mix I refer to is the interplay of ethnicities and the European culture. The artwork in Oaxaca assuredly pays homage to both, just as the history does; though the artwork of each is not always complimentary of the other.

One of my favorite things about the Museum and the Temple is the absolutely stunningly grand ethnobotanical garden, of which a small portion is pictured below. Keep in mind, theses extensive gardens are right in the middle of the city, but look as though they are in the middle of the desert.

Another site we like, not because of the architecture, though it is rather impressive, is the Centro Cultural San Pablo. It is notable for its airy openness, which is evidenced by the numerous people who regularly can be seen lying around on one of the few grassy areas in Oaxaca. This plaza exudes an air of calm as soon as you enter.  An additional positive factor is that there is a wall that has a collection of glass works reminiscent of Seattle icon Dale Chihuly. On another Washington locals note, yesterday I had on the Harold Balacz t-shirt about transcendentalism and two ladies from Coeur d’Alene picked me out of the crowd as a felloe Northwest Pacific denizen.

Today was gringo jam in the park day, about 20 musicians, including 3 Mexican brothers participated. The Mexican influence added interest to the proceedings. They contributed some different types of songs and vocals, as well as some interesting accordion work that was reflective of Flaco Jimenez and his Tex-Mex style.

Tomorrow night we will be attending a music night. Funny to me that in spite of lots of music opportunities in Spokane we have waited to leave the country to join in the fun. once again it’s about stretching those boundaries.