Oaxaca / Day of the Dead (Oct 31-Nov3)

Oaxaca was amazing.  I was there last year in November (here, here, and here) and had an amazing time.  It was really nice to go back, and I was thankful that I had seen so much last year, as 1 weekend was definitely not enough to take it all in.  On my way there Thursday I couldn't get on as early a bus as I would have liked, and then it was delayed over an hour because of all the traffic for day of the dead, so I didn't get in til about midnight, which was a little disappointing, as I had wanted to join Joe and Gareth for the night--they want to Xoxocotlan and saw all the ceremonies and altars in the cemetery there.  Gareth's friends, Speth and Curtis, were coming from Canada that day and dealt with transportation issues as well and got in a little after me, so it was nice to meet them, even though we all had to miss out on the excitement of the night.

 

There was a pool where we were staying, so Friday morning we spent lounging poolside which was so nice...while Mexico City is not cold by anyone's standards but Mexicans' (parkas when it's 14 degrees!!), it also hasn't been a tropical paradise.  So laying by a pool was perfect! That afternoon Gareth, Speth, Curtis, and I took a bus into town and saw some chocolate being made (yum!) and wandered through some markets.  I bought a gorgeous Oaxacan top that was hand-embroidered with flowers at the top.  I just love all the traditional clothing here!  That night we met up with Joe and bejeweled ourselves (spreading the sparkle love to Mexico!!), and just revelled in all the lively street celebrations.  There were parades, street musicians, and ofrendas to the dead all throughout the city.  November 1 is All Saints Day where the souls of children are remembered.  The families of the dead children go to the cemetery and cover their graves with flowers, candles, and gifts for the child.

After hanging out in the streets for awhile, we went to a bar and met up with Ignacia there.  After that we went to an art show that a girl I knew in high school had told me about!  Courtney and I played on the rugby team together about 7-8 years ago, and had lost touch, but one of our mutual friends had stayed in contact with both of us and told us that each other were in Mexico.  It was really nice to see her.  She is studying education in Canada and as part of the program is teaching in Oaxaca for the semester.  Her prof/program co-ordinator was running this art show, and all the local artists were there to chat about their art.

After this, we went back to the street parties for a bit, before walking up to a mirador Joe had told us about.  It was a beautiful view over the city, and we all enjoyed a beer up there before heading home for the night.

 

Saturday was Day of the Dead--the day for the souls of adults.  Gareth and I walked through another market in the morning, but it was pretty dead.  I think it is quite busy leading up to day of the dead, but usually people make their ofrendas a week before hand, and have already bought their flowers by the time the day rolls around, so not too much was going on.  Gareth and I both got stopped by some costumed dancers though and danced for a bit.  We then spent the afternoon buying things for me to make my own altar.  We met up with Speth and Curtis later in the Zocalo and then walked up to the cemetery.  There was a fair with games and rides and tons of vendors on the streets leading up to the cemetery.  When we went in, we saw all the altars, and some of the graves were decorated so beautifully!  I had brought all the things for my altar with me and we found an empty space where I made an ofrenda for 2 of my friends that have died.  The security guards were starting to clear people out as the cemetery was closing, but after they saw what I was doing, they let us stay and finish which was really nice of them.

After the cemetery, we walked back down to the Zocalo, met up with Joe, and said goodnight to Speth and Curtis.  On our way to a bar, we ran into some friends of Joe and Gareth from their hostel, and they had some crazy stories.  So we joined forces and heard about their adventures.  Also all over the street there were people with their faces painted as sculls, as the belief is that all the souls come back on Day of the Dead to visit, and people want to blend in with the souls, and no be targeted by them for a haunting.

 

The next day I had planned on catching a mid-afternoon bus back to DF, but the bus booking website didn't accept foreign credit cards, and then all the tickets were sold out except for one that left at 11:45 at night and was supposed to arrive at 6am at the North terminal on Monday morning.  Slightly worrisome, as I was supposed to be at work at 8:30 Monday morning in the South of the city, but I didn't really have any other options, so I booked it.  The plus side to the bus debacle was that I got to spend an extra day in Oaxaca!  First and I went to the market to buy some delicious Oaxacan cheese and bread to bring back to DF.  Then Gareth and I went to a cultural centre with an amazing exhibit on these cool rugs.  It was incredible what some of these artists had done with a medium that tends to be so traditional.  We then went to the ex-convent museum.  I had been last year, but I really enjoyed it, and Gareth had not been, so I was happy to see the beautiful grounds again.

That night I headed to the bus station, and lo and behold the bus was delayed.  I didn't get into DF until 7:30 am.  So I took the most expensive cab ride of my life to the hostel to change clothes, called the school to say I was going to be late, and then hopped onto the subway to get there.  Definitely not the greatest impression for my first day of work, but at least I wasn't scheduled to be in the classroom that morning...

Despite all the travel stress, I had an amazing weekend.  The festivals were beautiful and the atmosphere was so lively.  It was incredible to see that while people were mourning the loss of loved ones, they were also celebrating their lives.  Reflecting on the people gone in their lives was not just sorrowful, it was joyful, which was really refreshing to see.