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Published: November 3rd 2008
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Me & Maya Ruins...
The first of many Maya ruins to come Hola all,
Mexico, the land of tortillas and salsa, Mexican music floating in the air and tight, tight jeans... oh, and did I mention - terrible driving. After only three days in Mexico we boasted two incidents, one accident (our bus driver rammed a small car in a ridiculous traffic jam) and John was hit by a motorcyclist as we attempted to disembark from a local bus (there aren’t specified stops for the most part, rather, you tell the driver when you need off and they stop - wherever they are... The good news is that although the driver was knocked off his bike, John was completely unscathed thanks to his shield, or to the point, his oversized and outweighed bag. Truly, it was a sight, the motorist went flying off and landed directly in front of the bus and John as merely shoved and a bit shocked. However, I must say that we were ecstatic not to have experienced the myth of locals with regards to accidents. You see, they say in Mexico that people still hold traditional customs and values that contend that if you hit someone with your vehicle, you are obliged to take care of them
The c ity of Mexico
... filled with amazing architecture and this one housed some incredible murals... for the rest of their life or until you save them in return. Unfortunately now-a-days now one wants the burden of caring for someone, so it is said that if a person hits someone, they keep running them over until they are dead, opting for the arrest and 3 years in jail over a life-long debt of caring for that person!!!
Of course, despite not even brushing our teeth with the local water for health reasons, we were persuaded into trying food a few almost immediately after arriving. We had a local host who took within moments of meeting us to a local market for tostados and fresh squeezed local juice only found in that one area - and truly it was worth it!!! Not to mention, shortly thereafter we were persuaded by our host to sample some local brew… well, if you can call it a brew. It is a recipe only exiting in this one cantina (yes, he also found a cantina that allowed women - a rare occurrence - so that I could go out and see the local night life). The drink was a mix of 23 cacti and was very strong and sweet -
Day of the Dead...
decorations... if you can call them that... everywhere... so much so that we quickly opted for the watered down version with ice - truly not the brightest choice, but fingers crossed we don’t get ill... Of course, the real curse of the situation is that we were going to diligently avoid everything potentially dangerous, but now we have broken the seal so to speak and are filled with a bit of false bravado. You know, we ate it once and were fine, we’ve eaten it a few times and been fine… and yet we still have our fingers and often utter a silent prayer before each local eatery adventure. Then again, we did come up with what we believe is a rather rational justification - if we eat food contaminated with local bacterial and the works, in small doses, we might build up some resistance... well the logic sounds good enough to justify our actions for now... but I am still keeping my fingers crossed!!!
Other than food adventures, we have been getting our daily dose of culture. We have managed to visit a myriad of local markets and shops along with historic squares, negotiating with street vendors, navigating the local neighborhoods and perpetually finding ourselves. And
Stained Glass
(even more impressive without the glare in the middle... ) on top of everything, it is now Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) so the streets are filled with candied skulls and orange flowers, the wafting smell of incense permeates the air, and all sorts of décor and festivities fill the streets. All the locals prepare the tombs of their deceased for the celebration by adorning the graves with flowers (and candies for the graves of children) and offering the esteemed food and beverages of the deceased. Everything from wine and spirits to bread and tortillas can be found, and each night there are festivities, parades and music in the streets, skeletons and skulls decorated throughout the squares, and local liquor and traditional dried and salted foods for everyone to sample in the local stores. It is four full days of colour and excitement and one big party that goes all night so that everyone can stay up and welcome and rejoice with departed relatives and friends. But I must say, the best part of the whole affair is the costumes: we made our way to a small town outside of the city where they all make their own costumes themselves and dance all night to a band,
classic square
and me, of course... circulating the crowd for photos and for everyone to admire the costumes... a sight both festive and shocking!
More to come...
Trish xxx
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