On our visit to the famous Santo Domingo de Guzman church, we noticed a sign listing the festivities for the Festival de la Candelarias. Well, this is something we could not miss.
We arrived early, walked around the church, and sat for a bit before we were beckoned outside by the sounds of music and fireworks. Sure enough, a local band was situated just outside the door of the church, and around the corner was a woman setting off fireworks every few minutes.
I am not exactly sure what the Festival entails, but I did see a lot of people with both candles, and figures of baby Jesus. They all brought them into the church. There were dozens of them.
Soon, a procession began, with a woman holding a baby Jesus, people holding candles, and a team of guys holding a platform with a very well-dressed Mary.
There was music, singing, chanting, and it was all quite solemn. Very interesting to someone who had no idea what was happening . . .
There is one food that is tradition for this festival: tamales. So, we decided to head to the Mercado for a tamale. On the way, we came across this very cool library.
The market was hopping, and we found a couple seats at a food stall that sold traditional Oaxacan-style tamales. Yes it was delicious!
After lunch, we stopped by one of the many MayorDomo shops - very famous for their chocolate drinks. We decided on a cold chocolate milk. It was frothy, chocolatey perfection. The best chocolate drink I have ever had.
Across from the Zocalo is a modern art museum - the Museo de los Pintores Oaxaquenos. Beautiful building, and some amazing art. We loved some of the art, and particularly enjoyed the minotaur made out of computer keyboards and telephone cords.
As we knew we would, we returned to the cemetery near our loft. So many cool things to see - including a very interesting mural on the interior wall.
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