Nevara went as
Yachiru from the anime "Bleach," which meant that I had to make a full Japanese costume with hakama pants and two kimonos. That was fun. Yes, her hair is pink. We wish it had been more pink, but that is what you get with temporary color. Nevara looked really good with pink hair, and I advised her that when she is older and wants to rebel, that she dye her hair pink permanently. I promised her that I would act shocked and disappointed, but really I think it would be cool.
Zorra went as, um, a
zorra. Our neighborhood decided that they would hold American trick-or-treating on the Wednesday before Halloween because Día de los Muertos fell on Sunday and Monday, making a long 3-day weekend, and they assumed everyone would spend the weekend at their beach houses. Because our neighbors have beach houses. Unfortunetly, Zorra was at camp in Veracruz, enjoying the various species of monkeys and the occasional earthquake (her favorite part). She arrived home after the Embassy trick-or-treating as well, so she missed out completely. Given the choice between a friend's Halloween party and church's Trunk-or-Treat, she picked the friend's party, and nixed her final opportunity to wear her costume. She and I dressed up on Saturday anyway, took our pictures, and she wore her costume to the friend's party (though it wasn't a costume party). Her hair is dyed red with black tips to her pony-tail -- or should I say, fox tail.
Finally, I went as the Spider queen. I made a kimono (because at this point I was a kimono expert) out of this groovy spiderweb lace that I bought on eBay. I had purchased 200 plastic spider rings which I tucked into my outfit and hair. On Wednesday, they kept failing off, and it has been reported that I have basically freaked out various neighbors on numerous occasions with my little droppings.
Raul didn't dress up though I had a whole outfit for him. On Wednesday, he was informed that he would be the duty officer starting that day, so he spent every moment when not at work with a cell phone at his side so he could take calls from distressed Americans, most of whom had drunk all their money and wanted the US Gov't to pay for them to get back to the US. There were two deaths, a runaway, a 16-year-old mother abandoned by her Mexican boyfriend, and on a happy note, a resolved kidnapping for which Raul was able to help arrange for the father take his little boy home. Only one more night of this crap left.
In my eternal quest to poison myself with the local fare, I tried tejate. This very Oaxacan drink is made from corn and cocoa flowers (?!) and wasn't awful, but on the other hand it wasn't all that good either. It is crowned by this nasty-looking frothy head on it. I survived half a glass before I gave up.
The first half of our trip to Oaxaca was to the capital -- Oaxaca. There we stayed at the Camino Real Hotel in a 16th-century ex-convent. It was heavenly. Each day we would wander past the original frescos, past the little chapel, past the big chapel, through the many unique courtyards. We were sad to leave.
Los Lavaderos -- the laundry. There is a still functioning aquaduct that feeds the convent with water and also feeds this deluxe marble laundry facility that the monks used to keep their smalls tidy.
This is my "I was so relaxed here until I handed my camera to Zorra" look.
Sunrise from our guest room.
We have a covered patio with a huge, round skylight in the roof in which many butterflies and moths (giant moths) get trapped trying to fly upwards to the sky they can see but can't quite reach.
This one didn't make it.
Another sunrise with the evening rain still clinging to the trees.
Cosmovitral Botanical Gardens in Toluca are housed in the old September 16 Market. More famously, this building is also the home of one of the world's largest works of art -- the Leopoldo Flores Valdés stained glass. (Above is just a church and home of the fine arts museum that is next door.)
The flowers seem sort of bland compared to the glass.
Another church.
Nevara went as Yachiru from the anime "Bleach," which meant that I had to make a full Japanese costume with hakama pants and two kimonos. That was fun. Yes, her hair is pink. We wish it had been more pink, but that is what you get with temporary color. Nevara looked really good with pink hair, and I advised her that when she is older and wants to rebel, that she dye her hair pink permanently. I promised her that I would act shocked and disappointed, but really I think it would be cool.
Zorra went as, um, a zorra. Our neighborhood decided that they would hold American trick-or-treating on the Wednesday before Halloween because Día de los Muertos fell on Sunday and Monday, making a long 3-day weekend, and they assumed everyone would spend the weekend at their beach houses. Because our neighbors have beach houses. Unfortunetly, Zorra was at camp in Veracruz, enjoying the various species of monkeys and the occasional earthquake (her favorite part). She arrived home after the Embassy trick-or-treating as well, so she missed out completely. Given the choice between a friend's Halloween party and church's Trunk-or-Treat, she picked the friend's party, and nixed her final opportunity to wear her costume. She and I dressed up on Saturday anyway, took our pictures, and she wore her costume to the friend's party (though it wasn't a costume party). Her hair is dyed red with black tips to her pony-tail -- or should I say, fox tail.
Finally, I went as the Spider queen. I made a kimono (because at this point I was a kimono expert) out of this groovy spiderweb lace that I bought on eBay. I had purchased 200 plastic spider rings which I tucked into my outfit and hair. On Wednesday, they kept failing off, and it has been reported that I have basically freaked out various neighbors on numerous occasions with my little droppings.
