Cafe at Arles? Could be but this is Cafe Terra Nova in Oaxaca Zocalo.

This setting on the Zocalo in Oaxaca reminded me of Vincent Van Gogh's beautiful night painting, "Cafe at Arles." Most historical Mexican cities and towns have a central plaza which is the center of social life. Most american cities don't have anything like it. This particular cafe, "Terra Nova," has a bit of modern myth about it. It is rumored to be owned by the mistress of the controversial governor of Oaxaca, Ulises Ruiz. The mini revolution in Oaxaca a couple of years ago dominated by APPO was initially about teachers salaries and morphed into an effort to unseat him. I think that's how it's interpreted.

Retrato Familiar: Marido, Mujer y Escuincle. Family Portrait, Husband, Wife and child

Outside of Abastos Market, Oaxaca, Oaxaca.

Seccion de Jarros y Tazones, Mercado Abastos, Oaxaca. Jugs and bowls.

Inexpensive ceramic products at Abastos Market.

Interior of Abastos Market, Oaxaca. Escenas del interior del Mercado Abastos

 

Normally live animals are sold outside on Saturdays. Maybe small fowl is an exception.

Sunlight passes through fabric and plastics of various colors creating a festive, ornamental atmosphere.  The seated women are selling tlayudas, big flat tortillas. A Oaxacan staple.

Dos machos y un chamaco en El Mercado Abastos, Oaxaca, Oaxaca

Chamaco means child or boy child in spanish.

Cargadores en El Mercado de Los Abastos

Oaxaca Abastos Market. Stalls on the surrounding streets.

The vast market, "Mercado de los Asbastos" has multiple warehouses, and beyond those the activity spills onto the surrounding streets. These images are from spaces on the streets.

Fresh chiles

Truck Decoration in Oaxaca. Decoracion de Camionetas en Oaxaca

Trucks are often decorated and perhaps the tradition intensifies as one moves south in Mexico. Drivers of public transport also commonly add artistic touches to their vehicles.

Scenes from Mercado de Abastos, Oaxaca

The Mercado de Abastos is the biggest market complex in Oaxaca city and the state of Oaxaca. It's an exiciting place to be with an enormous variety of goods.

The market complex is bordered on one side by the Rio Atoyac, Oaxaca's river, although it now appears more of a creek.

In the mornings men wait for work on the east side of the complex.

Azulejos (Mexican tiles), Colonia Guerrero, Mexico City

I pass this fresh tile design on my way to my local Wal-mart in the mornings. The decaying building appears to be from the "Porfiriato", the period when Porfirio Diaz ran Mexico prior to the Mexican Revolution in the 1910's, a time known for "Europeanization".

Hotel Riviera, Colonia Guerrero, Distrito Federal, Mexico

On the periphery of the colonial center in downtown Mexico City many interesting examples of signage and architecture from deco to mid-century proliferate.

Centro Cultural Ollin Yoliztli, Periferico Sur, Mexico City

On a bus heading west on the Pereferico Sur (southern segment of the most important ring highway in Mexico City) my view was captivated by this arresting pattern. Later I visited and discovered it is a cultural center next to the pyramid park Cuicuilco. The southern zone of Mexico City is known as a prosperous one relative to other zones of the city. UNAM, the mega university of Mexico is about a  20 minute walk from here.

Panteon San Fernando, Dia de Los Muertos

Cemetery San Fernando is home of many very important political figures from Mexican history, the most important, of course, is Benito Juarez, Mexico's Abraham Lincoln. As in all cemeteries, tombs are decorated with orange flowers during the holiday. In this case, though, it's not likely relatives of the deceased make the decorations and "ofrendas".

La Catrina, Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

La Catrina, a character popularized by printmaker Jose Guadalupe Posadas, at beginning of 20th century, is immensely popular as a costume during the Dia de Los Muertos holidays. The idea is elegant people, just like everybody else, are subject to death.