Hello
Well ive been a little bit naughty and not updated you on my travels in a while. Lots to tell.
I´ll start with the Dias de Meurtos (Day of the dead) 3oth Oct-2nd Nov celebrations in Oaxaca City, the weekend Age flew in to join the adventure. It was such a fantastic weekend. The whole of the state of Oaxaca and I think Mexico (but Oaxaca being the best place) celebrates in such style and the energy is electric for this occasion. In the main plaza, the Zocalo, huge sand sculptures were being created like murals that adorned the floor and you couold feel the buzz inthe air of things to come. On the night of the 3oth, lots of processions flooded the streets, hundreds of party goers in halloween masks, fancy dress, kids of all ages, teenagers, adults and oldies all dancing in the streets to the familiar sound of regatone, this quick beat drummed out by small brass bands, 3 or 4 average looking men, no uniform or formality, just brought together by their love of music, amazing talent and they were surrounded by hundreds of followers, everyone being swept up in this warm, crazy, contagious excited buzz!
The lovely thing was, looking around, no one was exculded from this event, everyone was caught up in the energy, and there was something for everyone to enjoy. Everyone was merry, but no one was too drunk, or was self concious or too cool, everyone just got stuck in and had a good old giggle. Age saw wrestler masks on the sat afternoon, as wrestling is a really big thing here in Oaxaca, so of course, he wanted one, and bought me one too, and named me the Pink Stink! but I won´t be keeping that name!! With candy floss in one hand (yes I am a Blackpool girl!) and rum and pinapple in another we put on our masks and quickly joined a parade and danced and jigged and laughed our way all around town with the rest of the masked prosession, getting laughed at along the way, as even though wrestlling is a big thing here, im not sure that it had a place in the Halloween - day of the dead celebrations! After a lot of running around, we snook off for a bite to eat to re-charge, at some fantastic local street food stands, here we enjoyed Tlludya, it´s like a big crispy tortilla with chorizo, cabbage, beans and avocado on with picante salsa applied liberally over the top, yuuum yummm! mexicans travel far and wide to these stalls to gorge themselves on this and then head off, back on their journeys, and I can see or rather taste why.
On the evening of the 2nd, we took a trip to the Pantheon, the main cemetry, to see this side of the traditions. The 1st and 2nd are 2 days to remember the loved ones who have passed on, old and young. I had never seen anything like this, the whole of the cemetry was awash with thousands of bouquets of beautiful flowers, they covered every single grave. Families sat around the graves, sang songs, lit candles, ate toffee apples! chatted, cried, laughed, drank and toasted the memory of these family members that they had loved and that had no gone on to a new exciting place. The Mexicans believe that on these 2 days, the souls of the dead come back and visit their families, so I suppose, they party, and put on a good show for them. I felt privaliged to see this and be a part of it, even if from a distance, and quite over whelmed, as even though this isn{t my culture, it´s lovely to believe that for this day (and it being the day before my birthday) someone that I have loved and that isn´t here anymore, may be close by and in my presence, by my side, it´s comforting.
Well, after a crazy few days in the city, I took Age up to the Oaxacan hills to La Villadda for a few days of lazing by the pool and relaxing, perfect. Oh yes, and my birthday of course. What a fab way to spend it, the sun was shining, Age made me a beautiful card full of fresh wild flowers and decorated the room with them too, and had bought me my favorite Baci choccies from Italy to enjoy too. Happy happy happy.
Bye for now, but I have lots more to update you on so keep tuned as I won{t keep it so long till the next issue xxx
I´ll start with the Dias de Meurtos (Day of the dead) 3oth Oct-2nd Nov celebrations in Oaxaca City, the weekend Age flew in to join the adventure. It was such a fantastic weekend. The whole of the state of Oaxaca and I think Mexico (but Oaxaca being the best place) celebrates in such style and the energy is electric for this occasion. In the main plaza, the Zocalo, huge sand sculptures were being created like murals that adorned the floor and you couold feel the buzz inthe air of things to come. On the night of the 3oth, lots of processions flooded the streets, hundreds of party goers in halloween masks, fancy dress, kids of all ages, teenagers, adults and oldies all dancing in the streets to the familiar sound of regatone, this quick beat drummed out by small brass bands, 3 or 4 average looking men, no uniform or formality, just brought together by their love of music, amazing talent and they were surrounded by hundreds of followers, everyone being swept up in this warm, crazy, contagious excited buzz!
The lovely thing was, looking around, no one was exculded from this event, everyone was caught up in the energy, and there was something for everyone to enjoy. Everyone was merry, but no one was too drunk, or was self concious or too cool, everyone just got stuck in and had a good old giggle. Age saw wrestler masks on the sat afternoon, as wrestling is a really big thing here in Oaxaca, so of course, he wanted one, and bought me one too, and named me the Pink Stink! but I won´t be keeping that name!! With candy floss in one hand (yes I am a Blackpool girl!) and rum and pinapple in another we put on our masks and quickly joined a parade and danced and jigged and laughed our way all around town with the rest of the masked prosession, getting laughed at along the way, as even though wrestlling is a big thing here, im not sure that it had a place in the Halloween - day of the dead celebrations! After a lot of running around, we snook off for a bite to eat to re-charge, at some fantastic local street food stands, here we enjoyed Tlludya, it´s like a big crispy tortilla with chorizo, cabbage, beans and avocado on with picante salsa applied liberally over the top, yuuum yummm! mexicans travel far and wide to these stalls to gorge themselves on this and then head off, back on their journeys, and I can see or rather taste why.
On the evening of the 2nd, we took a trip to the Pantheon, the main cemetry, to see this side of the traditions. The 1st and 2nd are 2 days to remember the loved ones who have passed on, old and young. I had never seen anything like this, the whole of the cemetry was awash with thousands of bouquets of beautiful flowers, they covered every single grave. Families sat around the graves, sang songs, lit candles, ate toffee apples! chatted, cried, laughed, drank and toasted the memory of these family members that they had loved and that had no gone on to a new exciting place. The Mexicans believe that on these 2 days, the souls of the dead come back and visit their families, so I suppose, they party, and put on a good show for them. I felt privaliged to see this and be a part of it, even if from a distance, and quite over whelmed, as even though this isn{t my culture, it´s lovely to believe that for this day (and it being the day before my birthday) someone that I have loved and that isn´t here anymore, may be close by and in my presence, by my side, it´s comforting.
Well, after a crazy few days in the city, I took Age up to the Oaxacan hills to La Villadda for a few days of lazing by the pool and relaxing, perfect. Oh yes, and my birthday of course. What a fab way to spend it, the sun was shining, Age made me a beautiful card full of fresh wild flowers and decorated the room with them too, and had bought me my favorite Baci choccies from Italy to enjoy too. Happy happy happy.
Bye for now, but I have lots more to update you on so keep tuned as I won{t keep it so long till the next issue xxx
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