Our 4 hour bus ride inland to Merida was great, in a Greyhound style bus. Everyone very helpful everywhere we go. Merida is a clean, friendly city where we feel very safe.
The Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) celebration was very interesting. "This holiday is celebrated throughout Mexico... It focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey." On October 31, various community groups decorate altars in the Grande Plaza or city park, that are made of sticks and palm fronds held together with rope and the odd nail into the shape of a little hut about 3x3 m.
Inside the hut they have a table with photos of dead family members along with some special memorabilia and favourite foods.
On the floor in front of each altar was a cross made out of marigold petals, candles or sand.
Members at each altar were dressed in traditional Mayan outfits ready to have their photos taken.
Inside the hut they have a table with photos of dead family members along with some special memorabilia and favourite foods.
On the floor in front of each altar was a cross made out of marigold petals, candles or sand.
Members at each altar were dressed in traditional Mayan outfits ready to have their photos taken.
The thousands of spectators shoulder to shoulder, parade in front of the dozens of altars hoping for free food and taking as many photos as possible.
We were given fresh tacos made by hand and fried on a pan on an open fire. Yummy! The woman was thrilled that we took it.
Most people dressed up in traditional garb for this 3 hour event. Music plays everywhere either at the altar or in a separate section.
Turtle shell drums...
Such a great event to be part of! TV cameras were rolling everywhere so maybe we were even filmed being only two of very few tourists.
We were given fresh tacos made by hand and fried on a pan on an open fire. Yummy! The woman was thrilled that we took it.
Most people dressed up in traditional garb for this 3 hour event. Music plays everywhere either at the altar or in a separate section.
Turtle shell drums...
Such a great event to be part of! TV cameras were rolling everywhere so maybe we were even filmed being only two of very few tourists.
Later in the evening we went to the area where they have the 'parade' of people who are dressed up at the family altars area. Thousands of people were in these closed off streets. We kept waiting for a parade but soon realized that the 'parade' that they were talking about was not a parade as we know it but rather an area where people walk from a specific area to the cemetery - so, they 'parade' to their dead ones. It is to honour the dead. When they leave the cemetery it is symbolic of telling the dead to go back to where they belong now.
We eventually found a face painter for $2.50 for both of us. It took about 10 minutes each with lots of people watching. Many people smiled at us and gave us the thumbs up all night. When we later asked why we got such a response, we were told that Yvonne looked like a popular Mexican character, Catrina ... Ha. Who knew!
We walked for several hours during this parade of people seeing musicians, altars, food vendors and dressed up people.
There was a huge police presence especially when the mayor of Merida officially opened a game of 'Pok Ta Pok' - a heritage soccer game that involved hitting a 4 kg ball with the hips, knees, heads and elbows before hitting it through a stone hoop. The losing team's captain would then decapitate the winning team's captain! This was considered an honour in the Magan culture! Luckily they just used some kind of crude ball for this ceremony now. So, we r certainly happy that we decided to come early to Merida to partake in this celebration.
Here are a few other interesting, random shots of Dia de Los Muertos:
Grandfather and grandson.
There was a huge police presence especially when the mayor of Merida officially opened a game of 'Pok Ta Pok' - a heritage soccer game that involved hitting a 4 kg ball with the hips, knees, heads and elbows before hitting it through a stone hoop. The losing team's captain would then decapitate the winning team's captain! This was considered an honour in the Magan culture! Luckily they just used some kind of crude ball for this ceremony now. So, we r certainly happy that we decided to come early to Merida to partake in this celebration.
Here are a few other interesting, random shots of Dia de Los Muertos:
Grandfather and grandson.
On the weekend we took a local bus to a northern beach town called Progresso. Cruise ships come into this town 2 or 3 times a week. The cruise dock is apparently 7 km long because it is too shallow to get closer. We certainly couldn't see the end of it. Too bad it was so windy and churned up that we didn't swim.
Local fisherman working his net off one of the peers by the long dock.
A stormy afternoon in Progresso.
Local fisherman working his net off one of the peers by the long dock.
A stormy afternoon in Progresso.
Our language classes at Calle 55, are going well - intense though. The 4 hours is definitely long enough. Most students are from Canada and recently retired too. We're having some great conversations and fun at the cantinas in the evenings. Our neighborhood pub has 2 for 1 drinks most mights for about $1.25 plus huge amounts of free snacks so we haven't needed to buy dinner.
Merida is very much about their culture so most evenings they have free events in a park. This could be traditional singing and dancing, or bands playing where streets are shut down for locals to dance. Many dress up in their fine clothes and show how it is done. We have of course tried to mimic them but I think we have to come back again to just do dance lessons. Ha. Not a bad idea!
We know that we are getting into the Mexican way of life when we walk on the shady side of the street, have a siesta in a hammock in the afternoon,
shower several times a day, eat guacamole and beans with our eggs in the morning and wear sunglasses from morning until night! Ha. Not so at home we hear!
shower several times a day, eat guacamole and beans with our eggs in the morning and wear sunglasses from morning until night! Ha. Not so at home we hear!
This weekend after our course is finished, we are going to rent a car with a couple from Quebec and drive south to Campeche via a town called Pomuch.
Wait for our next email to hear about something special that they do to human bones...Should be interesting!
That's all for now.
Take care everyone! Drop us a line and let us know how you are doing too.
Hugs,
Yvonne & Shayne
