Magical To My Eyes

 

The hour before sunset is especially magical to my eyes. The light is softer and seems to take a rosy cast. Long shadows race across the landscape. For a photographer or artist it is wonderful drama.

Lately I have taken to walking just before sunset.  We have lived for over two years here in San Pedro Ixtlahuaca, Mexico and up to now never really walked around our area. Partly a fear factor for there are stray dogs and we are “gringos” that do not know the community for the most part. 

We are half way into the dry season. It has not rained for three months. All the green fields have turned brown. Somehow, there are trees that maintain their green leaves. Of course the cactus plants have not a care in the world.

There are many dirt roads that meander over the hills. I follow them, sometimes venturing into a dry field, relishing the space and quiet.

Oaxaca Textures

The central district of Oaxaca is about a forty minute drive from our home on the outskirts of town. The trip would take about half the time but Mexico is the land of speed bumps. They are called “topes.” We need to slow down and cross over at least 50 to get into town. They have a purpose: making drivers more cautious. I see fewer accidents than up north in the USA. 

After 2 1/2 years here, I can say I am still getting used to them.

Our village of San Pedro Ixtlahuaca is a typical Mexican pueblo. The main resource is the church that sits next to the municipal offices. Basic shops and a cemetery complete the picture.

Amy and I are artists and do not have issues with being alone. Our home satisfies most of our needs. We can be creative, feel insulated and comfortable, tend our land with myriad plants and be entertained at night in our living room in front of a big screen television. 

We have not known each other but a short while in the entire scheme of our lives. We married in 2018 and discovered we have had remarkably similar journeys. Both of us share sophisticated backgrounds, having lived in exceptional urban environments most of our lives. 

We go into Oaxaca several times a week for the familiar thrill of sophistication and intellect.

The above pictures are a visual taste of the vibrancy, art, culture and textures of Oaxaca, Mexico.

A Mexican Home

It all seems a dream. About six months ago, I saw a Mexican home listed for sale online. It is on the outskirts of Oaxaca, Mexico. The pictures showed a house Amy and I loved. Furthermore, the price is about 1/4th the cost of a similar home in Santa Fe. We both feel the situation in America is getting too weird, and for the same amount of money, we could live much more lavishly somewhere else. 

Now we are in Oaxaca for a week. Our first visit was to see THE HOUSE. It is as described on the website. Three bedrooms, two studios, two bathrooms, chefs kitchen, plenty of nooks, crannies and storage, extensive grounds with exotic plants and drip irrigation . . . we feel it is for us. The house was built by a socially conscious German couple, who hired the same architect that designed for Lila Downs, a world famous Mexican-American singer who has a home in Oaxaca. When the owner's partner died, she returned to Germany and left the house with a caretaker. 

Amy and I both agree that love surrounds this place and is evident in the fabric of its life. The German woman worked passionately to help rural cooperatives get on their feet. An indigenous caretaker is in the house, and is from an agricultural collective a few hours away that grows coffee, vanilla beans and spices. 

The property is perfect for two artists. We need to make big adjustments to leave our home country but in the end it's worth it. The village is called San Pedro Ixtalahuaca—about 1/2 hour drive from Oaxaca. 

Nothing around but a church, school, and a few tiny shops. 

The house and land is ringing our bell. Now to decide.

(Note: Since writing this post, amy and I have bought the home and are preparing to move there.)