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| From 2025 09 15 Tashkent |
Come with us as we walk through the doorway. This photo-of-the-day is from the Hazrati Imam complex in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It consists of a mosque, a couple of madrasas, and a mausoleum. The complex dates back to the 16th century. It houses the Caliph Usman Quran. Written on deerskin, it's one of the oldest Qurans in the world, maybe the oldest.
Bonus photo after the jump.
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| From 2025 09 15 Tashkent |
This first photo-of-the-day from a new destination is of the tourist information desk in the Tashkent, Uzbekistan, airport. Flying into Uzbekistan might sound like the end of a long trip, but it was nothing compared to the travels of Marco Polo in the 13th Century. He traveled the Silk Road of central Asia on his epic journey lasting 24 years. And to think he did it without once coming across a tourist information desk.
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| From 2025 06 03 Oaxaca |
The tourist bus says, "Traveling through Mexico is taking you towards adventure." As we leave one adventure waypoint, we are invited to "Come Back Soon" ("Vuelva Pronto"). This photo will serve as our last photo-of-the-day in Mexico, at least on this visit. Next stop: Uzbekistan.
A bonus photo is after the jump.
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| From 2025 06 03 Oaxaca |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in the town of San Pablo Villa de Mitla in Oaxaca, Mexico. According to Wikipedia, "The main attraction is the ruins of the pre-Hispanic city of Mitla, which is best known for its buildings decorated with mosaics of small flat stones that fit together to create designs, especially fretwork." Of course, there's a Christian church built on the ruins.
Bonus photos are after the jump.
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| From 2025 06 03 Oaxaca |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of a mural on the wall of the Distileria Espina Mezcal, a traditional, artisanal Oaxacan mezcal brand produced by a family-run operation, known for its authentic, craft methods.
A bonus photo is after the jump.
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| From 2025 06 03 Oaxaca |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of El Árbol del Tule, a Montezuma cypress in the church grounds in the town center of Santa María del Tule in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Its trunk is reputedly the largest in the world, at an estimated diameter of 31 feet. Its age is estimated at 1,500 years.
"Silent giant stands
In the town's quiet center.
Time rooted in bark."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2025 06 03 Oaxaca |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in central Oaxaca, Mexico. It shows a mural on the wall of Galeria de Arte Jesús Villafan. If this draws you into the gallery, you won't be disappointed by the artwork for sale inside.
"Bright paint on the wall.
Oaxaca's vibrant spirit.
Magic in the sun."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2025 06 03 Oaxaca |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Mercado Benito Juárez, in Oaxaca, Mexico. Google describes it as a "bibrant covered marketplace with vendors selling produce, prepared foods, crafts & textiles." Some of those "prepared foods" are insects.
"Beneath the high roof,
Vendors call to passing crowds,
Life in every stall."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2025 06 03 Oaxaca |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Monte Albán, near Oaxaca, Mexico. According to UNESCO, "Monte Albán is the most important archaeological site of the Valley of Oaxaca. Inhabited over a period of 1,500 years by a succession of peoples — Olmecs, Zapotecs and Mixtecs — the terraces, dams, canals, pyramids and artificial mounds of Monte Albán were literally carved out of the mountain and are the symbols of a sacred topography. The grand Zapotec capital flourished for thirteen centuries, from the year 500 B.C to 850 A.D."
Bonus photos are after the jump.
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| From 2025 06 03 Oaxaca |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of a random street in Oaxaca, Mexico. MULT is an abbreviation of Movimiento de Unificación y Lucha Triqui, an organization working for unification, human rights, and justice for the Triqui people of Oaxaca.
"In Oaxaca streets,
Triqui struggles paint the walls.
Hope marching mutely."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2025 06 03 Oaxaca |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of a random street in Oaxaca, Mexico. It's a colorful city. That is all.
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| From 2025 06 03 Oaxaca |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of a random street in Oaxaca, Mexico. It's a colorful city. That is all.
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| From 2025 06 03 Oaxaca |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of graffiti in Oaxaca, Mexico. I am not an expert on Mexican political movements, but when I see "8M" alongside phrases like "Fuimos todas," "No es no," and "Oaxaca feminicida," I think it signals that the graffiti is connected to the feminist mobilizations that take place annually in Mexico on International Womens Day, March 8 (shorthand: "8M"). The graffiti says the protests were large ("We all went"), they were against violence against women ("feminicida") and they signaled demands for justice, safety, and equality. I might be male, I might be American, but I'm feeling solidarity as I read this cry for justice in a foreign land.
P.S. Today is March 8 all over the world.
"Read the foreign words.
The meaning crosses borders.
Justice has no flag."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2025 06 03 Oaxaca |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of La Malinche volcano in Mexico, outside Puebla, if you can call any volcano "outside" a city if it presents this view to the neighborhoods at the foot of the mountain. I personally find it scary, but it's probably less likely that a resident of Puebla will die in a volcanic explosion in their lifetime than a resident of, say, Richardson, Texas, will die from a tornado. I wouldn't be reassured by Wikipedia calling it an "inactive" volcano. That plume of smoke suggests to me that could change at any time.
"They say 'inactive,'
yet smoke braids the morning air
as summit exhales."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2025 06 01 Puebla |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Arena Puebla, a regular venue for Mexican-style wrestling, called Lucha Libre. The sport is known for its colorful masks, high-flying acrobatics, fast pace, and dramatic characters divided into heroes and villains. A packed house, with a mostly local audience, many dressed as their favorite fighters, shower the ring repeatedly with cheers and boos. You can't help but enjoy the spectacle.
Bonus photos are after the jump.
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| From 2025 06 01 Puebla |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in the courtyard of Museo Amparo in Puebla, Mexico. "The Amparo Museum is considered one of Mexico's most important cultural and exhibition centers. It features galleries dedicated to its collection of pre-Hispanic art, one of the most significant in Mexico held by a private institution." I was won over by its beautiful courtyard.
"Floor like cobalt sea,
Amber columns holding sky,
Courtyard a retreat."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2025 06 01 Puebla |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken on the street on my walk to the Templo de Santa María Tonantzintla in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. This church was small and nice, but I had seen enough churches. A man shoeing a horse on a small, quiet street on my walk to church caught my eye. Man and horse (and tourist) all seemed satisfied.
"Man and beast are still,
A job well done in the sun,
Church ahead can wait."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2025 06 01 Puebla |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies, a Catholic church located atop the Great Pyramid of Cholula, in San Pedro Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. That's the church at the top of the hill. At the base is a partial reconstruction of the Pyramid that used to go all the way to the top of the hill.
Another photo is after the jump.
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| From 2025 06 01 Puebla |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Puebla, Mexico, at a restaurant we chose to eat at. Food was fine, but we found it odd that the bar was closed, with "LEY SECA" posted over it. The translation is basically: "Yes, we are a bar. No, you cannot drink today." The reason was it was election day. I guess the thinking is that it takes away an excuse the electorate could use for electing bad politicians: "Don't blame us. We were drinking." Texans don't have that excuse for the results of our elections.
"Election Sunday,
the barroom stays out of it.
Beer can wait its turn."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2025 06 01 Puebla |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Puebla, Mexico, at Taller Talavera de la Reyna. It shows ceramic plates arrayed on the ground, some broken. I can't explain it (the plates). I can explain Talavera de la Reyna. "Angélica Moreno founded the Talavera de la Reyna workshop in 1990, with the objective of preserving, rescuing, innovating and valuing one of the most important artisanal processes in Mexico." Today, you can watch artisans at work and purchase their products. It's worth a visit.
"Not trash, not display,
just ceramics marking time
through chips and edges."
— h/t ChatGPT