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The Mysterious Loretto Stairs and Other Unusual Sites in Santa Fe

17 Jun

Santa Fe is a city of many diverging elements coming together to create a unique city. The art of the Navajo, Apache, and Pueblo people; and the multitude of art galleries and jewelry stores; the churches and religious sites; the unusual round State Capitol building; and the original adobe buildings; the restaurants; the museums, all combine together to give the visitor and the residents a place that stimulates the senses. 

My husband, who is enamored with AI, asked what would be the best 2.5 hour walking tour of Santa Fe. Its description of four places became our morning walking tour. None of these places take long to visit, unless you want to stay longer.  For this ‘tour’ you will be walking up hill on the Old Santa Fe Trail Road, which is right by the La Fonda Hotel downtown. Finally, you can always take your water bottle in with you.

The Loretto Chapel and its mysterious, mystical stairs is worth the visit.  The chapel was once part of a girl’s school and was designed by the same architect as the Santa Fe Cathedral. The mystery of the stairs starts when the architect died before the staircase was built, the nuns were distraught and prayed for help.  An unknown carpenter appeared, built the stairs and disappeared. 

The staircase is a lovely gem to see, whether you believe that it was built by St. Joseph or not.  How it suspends and curves upwards without support is astonishing.  And it is beautifully carved.  But besides the beauty of the stairs, the chapel itself is lovely.  While you sit and visit, you listen to the story of the stairs.  This is no longer a consecrated church, so religious services are not held.

Two blocks further up the hill on Old Santa Fe is East De Vargas Street.  Turn left to walk through a narrow road to the Oldest House in Santa Fe, but I recommended you first go across the street to the San Miguel Mission Church. 

The San Miguel Mission Church sits on a hill on the hill. Probably a good place for watching what is going on around you. It is the oldest Catholic Church in the United States. People can attend mass on the first Sunday of each month.

It is not a big building, but it has a big history.  First built soon after the Spanish came into Santa Fe in 1598, the mission church was used by the Franciscan priests who came to New Mexico with the Spanish to convert the indigenous peoples and serve the Spanish settlers.  It was partially destroyed in 1680 when the pueblo peoples revolted against the Spanish and the church for the cruel treatment.  They burned the roof, destroyed some of the walls, and killed the priests.  The church was rebuilt when the Spanish returned about 30 years later. 

When you walk in there are two artifacts to notice. The first you see on the — the Victory bell that was brought from Spain. The bell had a long history that included helping Spain expel the Moors.  The story is whenever the bell rang, the Spanish had a victory.  The bell came to New Mexico for a Spanish family. But after the Pueblo Revolt, when the Mission was rebuilt the bell was put in the church belfry.  The second item hangs on the wall to the left. It is a 300-year-old replica of the painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe from the Mexico City Basilica.

The church itself is small and simple. The wooden ceiling is wonderful.  After you finish viewing the chapel and listening to the talk by the docent, please go down the stairs to the second room.  There are photographs that show the building from different angles, as well as two photos of the oldest house before it was restored.

Now you can go out of the chapel and down the steps to the side which lead to De Vargas Street.  Immediately across the street is the oldest house. The house, from the 1600s, is built on the remains of a home in what once was part of a pueblo It is attached to a gift store.

 You go into the store and to your left to enter the house.  There are just two rooms to see and they are tiny. But as all sites, it is worth seeing to understand how people lived.  If you are a bit claustrophobic, try to go when there is a not a group going in.  It gets tight.

When you are done at the oldest house, return to Old Santa Fe Trail Street and continue past the San Miguel Mission. Turn right on Paseo De Peralta.  You will soon come to the State Capitol building.  It is unusual in that it is both round and NOT built in the pueblo style.  (Which is what I thought it would be!). When we went there was an art show on display. But even if it is not there, it is worth going in to see the rotunda and the lovely architecture.  You basically walk in the main door and go out the back door getting you back to E. De Vargas street.

After this part of our tour, we went for lunch!  There are many, many excellent restaurants in the Plaza area.  So go and enjoy.  Also while walking around you will see many galleries and statues/art on the sidewalks.  Take time to enjoy them.  You might want to take a break and rest after lunch or do this next part in the morning.

Martyr’s Cross and Marcy Fortress.  There is a way to drive to get closer to this site, but my husband and I did not have a car, so we walked.  It is located on Paseo de Peralta, the same street as the capitol building, but in the other direction. Depending on where you are staying will determine how you go.  But since we stayed near the Cathedral, we took Palace Avenue to Paseo de Peralta and turned left. You can see the cross on the hill and just head in that direction!

The entrance to walk up is marked by an adobe sign and arch.  You are going up hill.  There are rest areas where you can sit at the ends of each switch back.  And take water!! It is dry in Santa Fe.  The walk up was fun. Along the way are plaques that tell the history of Santa Fe, and as you go higher the views get better and better.

The Cross of the Martyrs honors the 21 priests and 380 Spanish settlers who were killed during the Pueblo Revolt  in 1680. The first cross was erected in 1920s. Over time it was replaced twice, the last time  in 1977 with a metal cross.

To be honest, we did not continue up the path to see the ruins of Fort Marcy.  It had been a long day, and we still had to walk about a mile or so back to our hotel.  But you can easily get to it. But that path is not paved.

However, we did get some fantastic photos of Santa Fe from the top.

Santa Fe’s  Multitude of Museums
The Great Rio Grande River Gorge and Taos Pueblo
Learning about the Crypto-Jews/Conversos in Santa Fe

https://www.lorettochapel.com/

https://www.sanmiguelchapelsantafe.org/

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Santa Fe’s  Multitude of Museums

9 Jun

Museums, museums, museums.  So many to choose from, so many to see.  We went to six museums over our six days in Santa Fe.  I decided I would list them all in one blog from my favorite to my least favorite.  That is not to say that any of them were bad, just that these are how I enjoyed them. 

New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors.  Located behind the Palace of the Governors, on Lincoln Avenue right off the Plaza, The New Mexico History Museum is a great place to understand Santa Fe and the relationships among the Native cultures, the Spanish heritage and the American ‘invasion.’  With three floors of exhibits and the additional space located in the Palace of the Governors, there is a lot to see here.  Way more than I anticipated, which is why I ended up not seeing all of it, even though I had good intentions to return on another day to complete seeing the exhibits in the Palace of the Governors. I do love learning history!

The first floor packed in 500 years of history!  It was a lot to take in, but really explained the importance of both the Native and Spanish and Catholic influences on New Mexico.  When the United States took over the New Mexico territory, the relationship between all these groups changed dramatically. 

One of my favorite exhibits was in the mezzanine, “Settling the Standard: The Fred Harvey Company and Its Legacy.  Since Fred Harvey started in Kansas City, and I have seen the displays at our History Museum, I was delighted to see the story retold here.  This exhibit was much more in depth than the exhibit I have seen at a Kansas City museum.  It might have to be another blog!

The next two museums were at Museum Hill, just outside downtown: the Museum of Folk Art and the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture.  We decided to go to the Museum of International Folk Art first, turning to the right as we entered the museum plaza.  (I recommend getting a Culture Pass, which includes a number of museums for a $30 fee.)

The first exhibit we visited was “Multiple Visions: A common Bond.” Alexander and Susan Girard donated their extensive folk art collection to New Mexico, and it was added to the Folk Art Museum.  When I entered this room, I was first excited and then overwhelmed.  The art seemed endless; it covered walls, hung from the ceiling, filled hundreds of display cases. We walked around the entire room, looked in every case, and were mentally exhausted, visually overstimulated, but filled with the joy of the art.

Luckily the next two rooms were much calmer, so we could feel more ease as we left the building.  I really enjoyed “la Cartoneria Mexicana,” which was several rooms of unusual creatures made of paper and paste.  Between the first exhibit and this one, there is a short movie that explains how the exhibit displayed.  I liked it. The creations made of paper and paste were magical.

The final room held the curators’ favorite pieces.  It was a calming room!  A short visit to the gift show then we walked the outside labyrinth to continue the calming process.  You really do need to rest your brain after being at the Folk Art Museum.

We ate lunch at the lovely restaurant on the hill, and then went over to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Really an excellent place to learn about the indigenous peoples in the “Here, Now and Always” exhibit.  The statues outside the building brought me joy, especially the one of the young hoop dancer, it reminded me of the young girl we had seen doing the hoop dance in the Plaza. 

 Inside there was all the information needed to understand the native peoples who lived in the New Mexico area. The pottery, the weavings, the baskets, the jewelry, and the information on how they lived before the Spanish and then the United States took control is important to know.  Another great museum.

IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Art: Near to the St. Francis Cathedral, this museum showcases the work presented by the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). It displays the most progressive art.  I loved the interpretations of traditional objects and the jewelry.  There were some pins that looked like bugs that were stunning.  I loved a silver belt made by Denise Wallace and beaded cuffs made by Marcus Amerman. 

However the room filled with plastic bags, I viewed, I walked through the room and I tried to understand it.  I just did not get that exhibit. But then it was about the artist being frustrated about the inability to communicate, so perhaps I did understand it.  However, like anything else, art is subjective and there were many other exhibits in the museum I did enjoy.

Georgia O’Keefe Museum: Just a few blocks from the Plaza, on Johnson Street, it is an easy walk. My instructions: Get your timed tickets in advance. This is a small museum, and they limit how many can be there at any one time!!!    See the movie first!  No one told us about the movie, so we did not see it until the end. 

The museum goes in one direction, so you have to turn around and walk back through all the rooms when you finish, so you could do one side going and the other side going back. As for the art. If you enjoy Georgia O’Keefe’s work you will enjoy this museum. I actually liked the last room the most, where there was information about her life, “Making a Life” and her art supplies. I have to be honest, much of her later art did not appeal to me. But it is interesting to see.

New Mexico Museum of Art: Situated catty corner from the Plaza on Palace Avenue,the museum building is set up like a hacienda.  You can walk around the exhibits in a circuit, or you can cut through the courtyard.  I loved the murals that decorated the courtyard.  I am not a big fan of some modern art, and so these exhibits were not my favorite.  However, I like to see what younger artists are doing, so I enjoyed seeing the interpretations of pottery design.

Other blogs about New Mexico: https://zicharonot.com/2024/06/06/the-great-rio-grande-river-gorge-and-taos-pueblo/.

Learning about the Crypto-Jews/Conversos in Santa Fe

https://www.nmhistorymuseum.org/

https://www.moifa.org

https://www.indianartsandculture.org

Home

https://okeeffemuseum.org

IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA)

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The Great Rio Grande River Gorge and Taos Pueblo

6 Jun

I wasn’t sure what I would see when we arrived at Taos Pueblo.  Our tour for the morning had been cancelled due to a funeral, but fortunately they were able to reschedule for the afternoon.

Before we even arrived at the Taos Pueblo, we had already visited the city of Taos, where we had time to walk around, see some sites and eat lunch.  We chose to see the Kit Carson home. The most striking bit of information I found there was that Kit Carson’s first wife was Arapaho, as was his oldest daughter, and he had adopted three other native American children who had been orphaned.  These facts made it difficult to reconcile with the same man who was supposedly so cruel to the Navajo people.  However, there is some dispute on what he actually did for and against the Navajo nation. But I digress.

Taos the city, has a nice, small dusty plaza (due to construction), but after being in Santa Fe for five days, it paled in comparison. No matter, I was still glad we had a chance to visit it and see the sites.  After lunch I was ready for our next adventures.  I was not disappointed.

As we drove a bit out of Taos, our tour guide pointed out the flat area we were passing through.  It did look perfectly flat, until it wasn’t!  As I was sitting near the front,  I was among the first to notice a giant rift in the land.  A deep canyon, where at the bottom, ran the Rio Grande River.  Here it did not look so wide, but as we were 600 feet above it, who knows!  As we drove across the bridge, we were amazed that this gorge was here. 

The bus stopped at a overlook area, where others had also come to see the gorge.  Some were students drawing pictures of the bridge and gorge. Some were just looking across in amazement.  Others were shopping for art sold by native artisans.   My husband and I joined the group that traversed over some stones and the barrier to get to the highway and the bridge to view the raging waters from above. Wow! It was well worth going out to see it, even though it was not in our original schedule, making me glad that our trip to Taos Pueblo was changed to the afternoon.

After seeing the depths of the Rio Grande River Gorge, we traveled back towards Taos tothe Taos Pueblo, the home of the Red Willow People.   Since there had been a funeral, there were some places that were off limits. But the main areas of this World Heritage Site were open for us to see. 

My first thought was ‘perfect setting. What an ideal spot to put a town, where a creek runs through it. With all the snow melt, the water was really running through it.  While most people took photo after photo of the North Pueblo and the South Pueblo, I took photo after photo of the water.  “el agua es vido.”  Water is life.

A young college student provided context for us.  Her family is a member of Taos Pueblo, and they still have a home the Pueblo, even though they do not live at the Pueblo full time.  Only 10-15 families actually live there throughout the year, with no running water, but the creek, and no electricity. These are part of the requirements of a World Heritage Site: no changes.

Our tour started in the Chapel.  We were not allowed to take photos inside.  But there were three things that I was surprised by.  First, it wasn’t a statue of Jesus above the alter, instead it was a statue of Mary.  Second, the decorations surrounding the niche holding her statue was a mural of vegetables, large green leaves. It was very peaceful.  Finally, there was a decorated coffin in the room.  Our guide told us 95 percent of the members of the Taos Pueblo were Catholic, the other five percent practiced the indigenous religions.  The coffin was to remind them that they were forced to convert and that many died.

In my mind this makes no sense, why practice a religion that you were forced into to following, while being such a painful past you keep a coffin in your church.  I even asked.  Her response was noncommittal, but in Taos Pueblo I have the feeling from the décor of the church that their Catholic practice is not exactly what they do in Rome.

We learned the history about what happened in 1847, when women and children were gathered in the San Geronimo Church for protection from the US Army.  It did not protect them. The Army destroyed the church and killed about 150 people.  Not a good way to start off a relationship between the Taos people and the US government.  But we know that the US government and people were often cruel to the indigenous peoples of the USA.

Taos Pueblo should be seen to understand the relationship of the indigenous people with the Spanish of the early 1600s to the United States in the 1800s to the present.

For those interested in shopping, many of the homes are now storefronts for both food and art. But for me the highlight was just seeing Taos Puebl0 as it would have looked in the 1600 when the Spanish arrived and later in 1800s when the United States took over the New Mexico territory.

Home

Other blogs about New Mexico: https://zicharonot.com/2024/06/09/santa-fes-multitude-of-museums/

Learning about the Crypto-Jews/Conversos in Santa Fe

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Learning about the Crypto-Jews/Conversos in Santa Fe

28 May

As the descendent of a Jewish family that was forced to leave Spain in 1492 or convert, I have always been interested in learning more about the Crypto-Jews/ Conversos of New Mexico.  It was in the 1980’s when the information about this still hidden group first started to be revealed. It started when a Jewish man named Stanley Hordes because New Mexico’s State Historians, and people started coming to him to tell him their stories.  To me it was absolutely amazing that 500 years after the Inquisition in Spain, that descendants were still hiding and still keeping this secret!

I had wanted to attend the Roads Scholar program: “New Mexico’s Conversos and Crypto-Jews in Santa Fe” since 2019.  Covid interrupted my plans. But finally we were able to attend. My family were also once impacted by the Inquisition and Spain’s quest to either convert or eliminate all Jews.  My family chose to move to Portugal and then to Holland.  Our story is written in an earlier blog. (See below.)

We had lectures from the authors of the top two books.

Our first speaker was Professor Ron Duncan Hart, who gave us an overview of the history of the Jews journey to New Mexico. He wrote, “Crypto-Jews, The Long Journey.” Jews were in Spain were given a choice, convert or leave.  Many stayed, they could not afford to go or they thought it would not last long and they would just hide their Jewishness, some decided they really would become Catholic.  But all were doubted because they were not “pure of blood, “meaning they were not just Spanish, they were tainted by either having Jewish or Moslem descent. Those converted in name only and still practiced their religion in secret, known as Crypto-Jews…hidden Jews. Those who were forcibly converted and known as anusim also secretly practiced Judaism.

In fact, so many of the Portuguese who came over to Mexico in the 1600s were of Crypto-Jewish ancestry, that calling someone Portuguese was just another way to say he/she was Jewish. Since my family went from Spain to Portugal, I began to wonder if some of my family made this arduous journey to escape the Inquisition. To be allowed to go to the New World, you had to show that you were purely Spanish, not tainted with Jewish or Muslim blood.  Horrifying!  People actually had their genealogy redone to eliminate their Jewish past to fit the needed requirement.

The Crypto-Jews of today still live in the mountains in northern New Mexico.  They still keep their secret.  In fact, one of our speakers, when asked how many crypto Jews there actually was, basically said, “We do not know. They keep hidden.  They do not talk about it.  They know who the other families in their community are like them. But it is not discussed”

We heard from two women who have reclaimed their Jewish identity.  They were each the child in the home who a parent said “Somos Jodios,” “We are Jews.”  Maria Apodaca told us how difficult it was to come out of hiding and join a congregation and have a ceremony of return.  How family members were not always happy about what they had done.  Many feel, with the way the world is now, it is better to stay hidden!

Isabelle Medina Sandoval wrote a novel based on her family’s history: “Guardians of Hidden Traditions.”  She can trace her ancestry back to Portugal and was able to claim Portuguese citizenship based on her family history.  But she also said that coming out of hiding is a difficult process.  A poet, she has written poems about the Crypt-Jewish experience.

From these two women we learned some of the cultural/religious/cuisine that continues from their Jewish ancestry, like lighting candles on Friday night, covering mirrors when someone dies, making a fried treat at the winter holidays, cleaning the house on Friday.  It is amazing to me that these traditions continue.

Schelly Talalay Dardashti, spoke about: “The New World: Jewish Ehtnicity, DNA& Genetics.“ Schelly is the founder of Tracing the Tribe – Jewish Genealogy on FB. She explained the difference in the different DNA tests and how some do not look for Sephardic DNA, only Ashkanazi.  We were told that between 20-40 percent of people in New Mexico had some Jewish ancestors.  That there are genetic links between those living in northern New Mexico and isolated areas in Central/South America.  People who were also trying to hide away from the Inquisition.  And the final link, a rather sad one, the fact that the BRCA1 mutation that causes brest cancer in Jewish women, is also found in the Hispanic population in Mexico and New Mexico and came from those original converso/crypto Jewish arrivals from Spain in the early 1500s.   Wow.

We attended a performance of “Parted Waters,” a play written by Robert F. Benjamin about the Crypto Jewish community. It tells the story of three generations of a crypto Jewish family.  The grandfather, a crypto Jew; his son, who knows the background, but identifies with his life as a Catholic and does not want to talk about it; and his son, who has never been told about his ancestry.  When the grandson makes a racist comment to a Jewish woman, the truth comes out along with the ramifications.  It pulled together all that we had learned over the week.

Our last lecturer, Chris Herbst spoke about Outliers/Ousiders and Religion.”  He provided us some history about the area of northern New Mexico and more explanations about the genetic composition of the populations today in Spain and in New Mexico.  He said about 1/3 of the population of Spain today has either Jewish or Moorish ancestry.

Throughout all of our talks we were referred back to the book written by Stanley Hordes, who wrote an indepth book about the Crypto Jews called, “To the End of the Earth.”  The Spanish/Portuguese Crypto-Jews traveled to the End of the Earth, the mountains of New Mexico above Santa Fe, to escape the Inquisition.  It is like reading a college dissertation, but it was fantastic in the depth of the research.

The Hebrew is in the triangle.

We did not spend all of our time learning, we also had time on our own to visit museums and explore Santa Fe.  We went to the  main cathedral of Santa Fe, where over the mantal of the front door, is an inscription in Hebrew and a Jewish Star on an internal wall. 

As part of our Roads Scholar program we also ate at many different restaurants with the most delicious food, toured historic Santa Fe, with our wonderful leader, Vennetta, and went to Taos and the World Heritage Site of the Taos Pueblo.

This was just a wonderful learning experience, where we were able to learn, experience, make new friends and enjoy the true wonders of Santa Fe, New Mexico. If you have any interest in learning more about the Crypto-Jewsof New Mexico, Mexico and Spain, I highly recommend this Roads Scholar program.

I will write about the other places we visited in future blogs.

Santa Fe’s  Multitude of Museums
The Great Rio Grande River Gorge and Taos Pueblo
As Spain Welcomes Back Jews Expelled in the 1400’s, I Share my Spanish Roots
Finding My Heritage In Spain
Discovering My Amsterdam Heritage in Amsterdam

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The Magic City of San Sebastian and a Bit of Puerta Vallarta

16 May

Our cruise ship spent two days docked in Puerta Vallarta, which gave us a chance to do something special.  For me that was to visit the Magic City of San Sebastian Del Oeste about 40 miles up in the mountains.  San Sabastian was the highlight of the places we visited. A small community of 600 people, it was once a thriving town close to a silver mine of close to 20,000!.  It was basically cut off from Puerta Vallarta until a winding road and two major bridges were built about 20 years ago.  Now it is about a 90-minute drive in vans up and up and round and round the winding roads.  But it is well worth the moments of motion sickness.

Our tour guide told us that in Mexico, San Sebastian is known as a “Magic City.”  It actually has been nominated to be a UNESCO world heritage site.  Personally, I love visiting world heritage sites, they take you back into time.  San Sebastian is a perfect example since its original roads/sidewalks and buildings have been maintained and all new buildings keep the character of the old colonial style.

It was founded in the early 1600s for its silver mining and was the home of three Spanish families who made a decision to only marry among themselves to keep their Spanish blood pure.  Definitely a genetically bad idea.  Over time, and the Mexican revolution, the old ways ended and now the families are fulling integrated into the community.

We visited the small museum, Casa Museo Dona Conchita Encarnacion. This tiny building, which was once the home of Dona Conchita and her ancestors, serves as a museum about the town and these Spanish families and their interconnection.  Lupita, the woman who told us about the museum is a descendant, of the Dona Conchita. 

Because it was a silver producing city, the town had some unusual security. The church, Iglesia de San Sebastian, is built like a fortress and the doors could only be opened from the inside.  There was an underground tunnel from the homes of one of the Spanish families directly to the church.  It is quite lovely once you get past the windowless façade.  There are windows, but they are placed high so people cannot break in. But inside they provide wonderful lighting.

The original steep cobble stone streets are difficult to walk on and I think to drive. No busses took us there, only vans. And once I saw the streets, I understood.  The Center of town has a lovely little plaza and shops. While there we walked to a restaurant that served us the absolutely best food we had in all of Mexico.  They serve a specially prepared beef that really is so tender and delicately seasoned.  I still savor the joy of eating there.

When we first entered the town we stopped at an organic coffee plantation, Café De Altura LaQuinta.  What an interesting place. The coffee bushes are grown among fruit trees, where the fruit just falls to the grown to provide nutrients for the coffee beans. Having all those tall trees provided the wonderful shade that the coffee needed to grow in the wonderful mountain coolness.

On the way there and back we stopped at a small tequilla factory.  Although we did not get anything there, we were able to overlook one of the two massive bridges that were built to connect San Sabastian to Puerta Vallarta.

Since we did spend a day in Puerta Vallarta, I feel a need to tell about the two places we visited there that I did appreciate. To be honest, I did not enjoy the tour we took of Puerta Vallarta.  I heard that others would have fit my interests more.  But I did enjoy our stop at the beach and at Tile Park, El Parque de los Azulejos. 

The promenade along the beach in Puerta Vallarta was lovely. With its many statues and views.  We enjoyed taking photos and seeing everyone walking.  It was Easter week so all the children were out of school and families were enjoying the lovely day. I do enjoy some. people watching, and this was a great place to do it.

We also enjoyed seeing El Parque de los Azulejos (Tile Park), which  made me think of a miniature Parque Quell in Barcelona, the lovely park designed by Gaudi. The tile benches and other mosaic inlaid objects are fun to walk through discover all the different designs. Each one is sponsored by a donor and their names are displayed on little plaques. The designs are not set on a specific theme, just want the donor wants. We were able to see one from the University of Kansas and one from the University of Michigan among the many beach and sport themes.

There is a lovely gazebo as well as a stage and seating, so I know that concerts are held at Tile Park.  It is worth visiting.  We also took photos sitting on the benches that we liked!

I did enjoy spending time at the port in Puerta Vallarta.  I can see why tourist enjoy visiting.  But to me it was a bit too touristy.  However, the Magic City of San Sabastian made it my favorite stop.

https://www.tileparkpv.com/

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Five Highlights Of Our Mexico Cruise

13 May

For 14 days in April we cruised down the coast of Mexico and into the Sea of Cortez on the Holland America Zaandam. We had a fantastic time. Here are five of my six favorite places that we visited. One place needs its own special blog.

Orchidarium in Manzanillo, Colima.

Our visit to the Orchidarium was great.  We got to see orchids in many different stages of growth, but most important, the owner gave us a great deal of information about growing orchids. For years I have been trying to grow Orchids. I have failed every time.  The longest I have kept my orchids alive is two years.  Now I know why. 

First: Orchids like fresh air and shade.  I had my orchids near a closed window on the south side of my house.  The sun was too harsh on the leaves.  Not having an open window made it sad.  Orchids live on air.    My next orchids will live in an area that only has morning sun and is near a window that opens.

Second:  Orchids do not like a lot of water!  You do not need to water them every week.  You only water them when the roots are bone dry.  Also they must be in a pot with many holes so that the water drains out.

Finally repotting an orchid puts it into decline.  Only repot an orchid after the flowers fall off.  Then do not be surprised if it doesn’t grow for a year.  I did wait to repot mine after the flowers fell.  But I thought it had died too soon.

Zihuatanejo/Guerrero:

We went to the Xihuacan archelogical site in Gerrero near Zihuatanejo.  I will say that our tour guide for this trip was very proud and inspired to tell us all about the museum and the two area we were able to see, including the very large Mesoamerican ball court. In the museum was the sacrifice circular stone that represents the goddess of the earth. I did not climb up the steps of this pyramid because on our last trip, I fell a bit coming down.  I vowed not to climb any steps without handrails again.  I just watched my husband climb up and enjoyed seeing his photos.

I love learning about the early civilizations, and I have written about our visits to other Mayan, Aztec and Mesoamerican sites in other blogs. The amazing aspect about this site is that most of it is still buried under vegetation. Just a small area has been reclaimed. But I found out from our tour guide that there are so many of these sites, they just cannot afford to uncover all of them! (See blog below.)

Oaxaca and Zapotec Textiles

The bugs live on this cactus.

Oaxaca is known for its wonderful textiles and embroidery.  This is the stop I was waiting for because I love textiles. My Dad owned an embroidery shop when I was little and worked in the textile industry for years.  I am a crafter who focuses crochet now, but I did embroidery, crewel and sewing for many years.

We had a wonderful time visiting with a family from the Zapotec tribe that weaves using wool and cotton that they produce, using dyes that they make from the cochineal bugs. We saw these bugs on the leaves of the cactus. We saw how the colors change by adding natural substances like lemon juice or baking soda.  We watched the weaving and we saw the undyed and dyed yarns.  The weavings were stunning, and I had to get myself one of the woven cotton shawls.

La Paz

Marcos
Me touching a spiney tailed iguana

El Serperntario Reptile and Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.  Marcos, our guide was fantastic for many reasons, but the most important is that he loves the Serpentario. He is a volunteer there besides being a tour guide. His love showed throughout our private presentation.  The Serperntario was founded to rescue and rehab reptiles and snakes and to take those reptiles and creatures that are not indigenous to the area out of the community so that they do not kill the local species.   I got to pet the tail of an spiney tailed iguana!

To be honest we went to see this because when our son was young we house his fire bellied newt, two geckos and a ribbon snake. So as a mom I had experiences with lizards and snakes. Also, as a young girl I loved salamanders!  Although I do not especially love reptiles now, I am interested in their survival.

There are giant turtles, snakes of all sizes, multitudes of iguanas and many other unusual creatures living safely behind the walls of the Serpentario.  The gift store has some cute items.  But I focused on getting a t-shirt for my adult child.  It was a necessary purchase!  And all proceeds help to fund this not-for-profit center.

Cabo San Luca/Blown Glass Factory:

The pile of glass to be blown into lovely art.

I have spent a week in Cabo San Luca. So when we were there on the cruise I wanted to do some touring. I am so glad we did. We had the chance to visit the Blown Glass Factory. What a delightful and beautiful spot! Besides helping the environment by using recycled glass to make their lovely objects, the building itself is a glass gem! Just walking though and looking at the ceiling, the glass art and the objects for sale is a joy. We got to see two artisans make a whale, and we learned how the glass factory came to be. We are going back to Cabo in January. I plan to visit again and this time buy something to take home!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xihuacan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textiles_of_Oaxaca

Our Mayan Adventures Continue
Finding Salamanders and Relaxing in the Black Forest
A Hudson County Embroidery Shop Started My Dad’s Career

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As Umbraphiles, we Loved The 2024 Eclipse!

29 Apr

We are eclipse chasers or umbraphiles. The first time I heard that word was from a fellow eclipse chaser with whom we have seen three eclipses. I was shocked that there was a special word to describe this passion.   But, eclipse chasing is a topic in Wikipedia, which does an excellent job describing those who travel to see eclipses.

“Eclipse chasing is the pursuit of observing solar eclipses when they occur around the Earth[1] Solar eclipses must occur at least twice and as often as five times a year across the Earth. Total eclipses may occur multiple times every few years.[2]

A person who chases eclipses is known as a umbraphile, meaning shadow lover.[3] Umbraphiles often travel for eclipses and use various tools to help view the Sun including solar viewers also known as eclipse glasses, as well as telescopes.[4][5]   “    Eclipse chasing/Wikipedia.  See link below.

In Early April I saw my sixth total eclipse along with 1700 people on the cruise ship, Zaandam, 100 miles off the coast of Mexico as part of a Sky and Telescope/Insight Cruises group. When I was a teenager in New Jersey, I saw my first eclipse.  With my husband, in our eclipse chasing, we have been off the coast of Aruba in 1998; in Austria/Hungary in 1999; off the coast of Greece in 2005; in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in 2017; and now in the Pacific Ocean. 

Once you see a total eclipse of the sun, it envelops you with its majesty and awe.  You easily understand why primitive people were petrified when then sunlight disappeared and darkness and chill covered the Earth.  Even today, with all the information about eclipses, you can hear it in the voices of the people who know exactly what is happening, but still are overcome.  Especially those who are seeing their first eclipse.  Many often say. “This is my first one, but it will not be my last!”  And if they have the means, I know it is true.

The Captain of the cruise ship was one of these first timers.  He did everything he could to get us on the path of totality aware from clouds. This meant traveling 100 miles off the coast of Mexico and centered on the eclipse path!  He was as caught in the excitement as everyone else, passengers and crew, spending time with the passengers.  “ Many asked, who is driving the boat.” And “Are all the crew members getting to see it?”  Arrangements were made so that everyone who wanted to could take a quick peek outside.

On this cruise, there were 250 in our group under the auspices of Sky and Telescope/Insight Cruises, and 100s of others who came with other astronomic groups to see the eclipse. There was even a group of Trekkies who came in association with our group. 

Astronomers, both professional and amateur, astronauts, physicists, college professors, scientists, and many ordinary people like me, who just love the thrill of seeing the sun go black and the corona become visible. 

To feel the cool breezes as the sunshine diminishes.

To see the heightened shadows and the ripples in the ground.

To see the darkness overhead, while all around in the horizon, there is light.

My husband says this is where the word AWE came from. The awe of the total eclipse of the sun.

We umbraphiles own welders glasses, obsidian, special viewing glasses, binoculars, telescopes and other special materials to make our viewing the best it can be.  We, personally, do not bring telescopes. But those who do bring them are often eager to share their equipment for others to get a peek. But we do bring binoculars which were great to see the sun at totality and also to see the two NASA jets high in the sky chasing the eclipse!

The art of making pinholes that allow miniature partial eclipse to slip through brings joy to some.  People have colanders or straw hats so they can see dozens of partial eclipses showing on the ground of on white paper. Some make pinhole designs to capture a unique view of the eclipse.

It is true that before, during and after the eclipse, there are people humming the melody or singing out loud the words to “I’m Being Followed by a Moon Shadow” by Cat Stevens. I am one of the hummers.  Actually, we are following the moon shadow.

On our trip were many who had seen over 10 – 12 eclipses.  They go to every one possible.  My husband and I have missed some we wish we could have seen. But we make an effort to see as many as we can. We have spent close to 25 minutes in the darkness of the moon’s shadow in totality. And yes we already have plans to see one off the coast of Spain in 2026!  If you get the chance, chase at least one eclipse.  You will not regret it!

Totality 
Preparing For My Fifth Eclipse

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipse_chasing

S&T’s 2024 Mexico Eclipse Cruise
https://www.google.com/search?q=Lyrics+Moon+Shadow+by+Cat+Stevens&oq=Lyrics+Moon+Shadow+by+Cat+Stevens&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIKCAEQABgKGBYYHjIKCAIQABiABBiiBNIBCjExNDY5ajBqMTWoAgiwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

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Olathe, Kansas, Field Trip for our Anniversary

24 Mar

As I have written before, I love museums.  So for the last few years, my husband and I have discovered new places on field trips close to home to visit. The last two years, we have spent our anniversary day seeking new places to see. (See blogs below.). This year I focused on two sites in Olathe, Kansas.

School for the Deaf

First stop, Museum of Deaf History, Arts and Culture, A Deafhood Institute. I became intrigued by the site and the museum when I served on jury duty at the courthouse in Olathe.  Each morning and afternoon I would drive passed the Kansas School For the Deaf. and think that we should visit it. There is a personal connection as my husband is a member of the hearing impaired community and has needed hearing aids for the past six years  My interest piqued when the school I worked at added sign language to the curriculum and I met two people who taught there.

The school was established in 1861 as the Kansas Deaf-Mute Institute.  Its’ name changed over the years, using words we no longer use to describe it.  It received its’ current name in the early 1900s. The school serves Kansas children starting at age 3 and continuing through age 21. Its mission is: “To ensure that all students we serve achieve their full potential in a language-rich environment.”

The Museum of Deaf History, Arts & Culture was founded in 1988, with the museum building opening across the street from the school’s campus in 2001 and getting its name officially in 2017.

I was intrigued to see the changes in how the deaf community has been treated over the years and the rise of abundant social, cultural and educational opportunities.  Learning how sign language came to the United States through a French educator and how that changed the lives of many deaf people to me was important to know.

 For me the most interesting was watching a 17-minute documentary about the deaf community of Martha’s Vineyard.  This island had a larger than normal population of deaf people.  A large percentage of the population of the island used sign language and spoken English to communicate. Offically called Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL), it was used until the 1950s. With the development of American Sign Language, this local sign language slowly disappeared. However, some of the signs in American Sign Language come from MVLS. 

Also known as the William J. Marra Musuem, the museum is opened Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  It is free, but there is a donation box at the entrance.

About a mile from this museum was our next stop, The Mahaffie StageCoach & Farm Historic Site.  I had been there almost 40 years ago when I worked for the local Girl Scout Council for a large scout event.  I remember it as a small site with the main limestone house that was built by the Mahaffie family on land that bordered the Santa Fe Trail and ended being used as resting stop for travelers both on wagon trains or stagecoach. 

The house was built in 1865 by Beatty and Lucinda Mahaffie as a home for their family of eight children, it is one of the last remaining stagecoach stops left! Their farm was one of the most successful farms in the area.  And even though the trains brought the end of the wagon trains, this farm survived!

Now operated by the City of Olathe Parks and Recreation Department, it is a much larger restored site than I remembered.  There is now a large Agricultural Heritage Barn and the Heritage Center to explore that has exhibits and information about the family and life in the 1800s.

When we went on a Friday afternoon, the main house was closed. However, we were able to explore the Heritage Center and walk around the grounds of the farm and the buildings.   During this time of year, the house is only open on Saturdays. But between Memorial Day and Labor Day it is open from Wednesday through Sunday and has living history activities, which are also available on weekends in April, May, September and October. Cost is $3.00 a person.

https://www.ksdeaf.org

https://www.museumofdeaf.org

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha%27s_Vineyard_Sign_Language#:~:text=Martha’s%20Vineyard%20Sign%20Language%20(MVSL,to%20participation%20in%20public%20life.

https://www.mahaffie.org

https://wordpress.com/posts/zicharonot.com?s=Anniversary

Money Museum, A Numismatic Joy

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Illinois Holocaust Museum: A Response to Jew Hatred

12 Dec

During Covid, I tried to do as many activities that I could from the confines of my home.  I took online classes, I attended family life events, I even toured museums and their special exhibits.  One of the best ones I toured was the Ruth Bader Ginsburg exhibit at the Illinois Holocaust Museum located in Skokie, Illinois.  So when I knew my husband and I were going to Evanston, Illinois, for a wedding, I put visiting this museum in person at the top of my list.  It did not disappoint.

The museum opened in 2009.  It was a work in process for 40 years after the Skokie Jewish community was the object of a neo-Nazi group who decided to march through Skokie, a suburb of Chicago that is home to many Jewish residents.  The Jewish community started with a small space.  But their aim was to fight against anti-Semitism and hatred through education.  It looks like they are succeeding in their mission. 

The Illinois Holocaust Museum is worth the visit. It was designed by architect Stanley Tigerman. The building is made is to bring the visitor through the darkness of the Shoah and then back out to the light. As we went through the exhibit we could see this change. The entrance to the exhibit is dark and moody with narrow halls lined with photos, videos and memorabilia. But by the end, when we learned about the resistance and the survivors, the light increased.

While we were there on a Friday morning, there were four different school groups also going through the museum with docents.  Every so often the group would fill the space available, so we would stop to hear the discussion.  In this time of great turmoil and rise of Jew Hatred, seeing these students and their teachers learning about and basically experiencing what happened was important. 

There are many short films/videos and photographs throughout the museum that were taken by the Nazis during their killing spree as well as films taken after the war by survivors and rescuers. 

The films are difficult to watch.   I saw several students holding their hands and sweaters over their faces as they tried to block the view. I did not want to see it either, even though I have seen these images or ones like them many times.

But this time, I imagined the children on October 7 trying to block the view as they saw the terrorist of Hamas reenacting the hatred of the Nazis and they saw their loved ones murdered and waited for their own deaths.  It created harrowing moments for me.  I envisioned being held hostage by Hamas underground as if in a camp barracks waiting without food and little hope.

The Holocaust exhibit itself Is well thought out and takes you through all the stages of the Shoah.  The moment I saw the Krystal Nacht exhibit, which has a clear floor you walk over with shards of glass underneath, in front is the edifice of a synagogue with broken windows, I knew exactly what you will see next.  You can walk into a real cattle car from 1930s Europe.  It is an eerie feeling to be standing in that darkened wooden container and think about what it was like for those who were stuffed in and perished.  This is not a museum for someone who wants to avoid the past.  It puts it right into your vision.

After you weave your way through the seemingly endless horrors of the Shoah, you see a small exhibit about what happened when the Nazis came to Skokie.  It puts into ‘context’ what is happening now throughout the USA on college campuses and in some cities.  And I will say that calling for the annihilation and extermination of any people is always wrong. No matter what a college president says.

This is emphasized with the movie at the end that discusses both the genocide of the Jews and the continued times others have been targeted like the Tutsi people in Rwanda. We sat with two student groups as we watched the film.  It was not easy to watch as people testified about what happened to them during this more recent horror. Many of the students lowered their heads.  I think I spent as much time watching the students as I did watching the film.

After we finished the exhibit, we went to the Hologram theater where we spoke with the Hologram of Pinchas Gutter.  This is an excellent way to learn about the Shoah.  Those brave survivors who spent a week being interviewed and videoed while they told their story have created a way to keep the memory alive. 

The museum is not all gloom and depression.  There is the good of those who survived.  But also when we were there the special exhibit was about delis, “I’ll Have What She’s Having” The Jewish Deli.  It was a great way to wash away some of the somber emotions we were having after going through the Shoah. 

As a teenager and college student, I worked in a Jewish deli.  So for me this was especially joyful as I remember my time behind the counter making sandwiches, cutting lox, deboning white fish and making catering trays.  I would almost smell the corned beef, feel the texture of sable fish as I prepared some for a customer, and felt the smooth taste of a potato knish in my mouth.

It was good to end the visit on an upbeat note. But throughout it all I remembered that this museum was founded in response to Jew Hatred. Once again, we are experiencing a major rise Jew Hatred throughout the United States and the rest of the world. There are many who support us. However, when I look at college campuses, I know the work to end anti-semitism and Jew Hatred is far from done. What will be our response globally? In Skokie a museum was created. I am not sure it is enough.

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“I’ll Have What She’s Having”: The Jewish Deli

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Hokusai’s 36 Views of Mt. Fiji at The Bowers Museum

8 Dec

In November I was able to see Hokusai’s famous print, “The Great Wave” in person.  As someone who has loved Japanese art since childhood, this was a special moment. 

To be honest, I did not know I was going to see Hokusai’s work that day. My husband and I were in California for a meeting he was attendin.  I had the day free for my own pursuits, so I spent the day with cousins.  They recommended that we go to the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, an plan that was wonderful to me, I love museums.

The main building is new, but it is attached to the original Spanish-style home that once belonged to the Bowers family.  You enter the museum through a lovely Courtyard that leads you into the museum.  Right at the front is the Tangata Restaurant where we ate lunch.  Delicious.  From the lovely entrance and delectable food, I knew this was going to be a great day.

I used to look at every single item in an exhibit, which would take me for hours.  But now, on the advice of a friend’s daughter who was a museum curator, I find one or two items per exhibit and focus on them.  So here are my favorites:

The original building is just stunning.  The parts we could see, wood ceilings, carved doors, stone fireplaces, added to the atmosphere.  In one room there was a display about some of the original settlers and members of the Bowers family featuring their possessions in the California Legacies exhibit.

I enjoyed the exhibit, “Gemstone and Carvings.” The crystal skull made us all think of the Indian Jones movie. As for the native American art, my favorite display was the Women’s Basketry Hats that was in the First Californias exhibit. Woven by the Yurok, Hupa and Karok women, these hats caught my eye.  I would actually wear one of them!

Finally, the special exhibit, “Beyond the Great Wave, Works by Hokusai from the British Museum.”  It is only at the museum through January 7, 2024, so go soon.  It is wonderful.

The exhibit follows Hokusai’s work throughout his life, leading up to the Great Wave and then beyond it.  Seeing all these wonderful wood block prints, and the skill it would take to create them, was exciting.  There is even a short video on how the wood blocks are made.

Seeing almost all the of prints from “36 Views of Mt. Fiji” and the one that has caught the attention of the world, I was surprised, honestly, about how small the prints were in size.  In my mind they must be enormous. Instead they are all small enough to fit into a portfolio.

I enjoyed seeing the prints he made at different stages in his life.  My favorites were the ones of scenes in Japan with people going about activities. They are extremely colorful.   But I focused my camera on the Great Wave and two other prints from the series. I decided I liked these especially,  because like the Great Wave, the main color was Prussian Blue, a color that I adore. 

We did not have time to go to all of the exhibits in the museum.  In reality you cannot see everything in a museum in one visit.  But for those visiting the Santa Ana area, a visit to the Bowers Museum is worthwhile.

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