Sunday February 9, Festival of Zayacas

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Jorge suggested that we come with his family into town for the festival of Zayacas. This is a pre-carnival festival which now takes place every Sunday leading up to Carnival. Young men dress as women and run around the streets throwing flour and confetti on anyone that happens to be within reach. It is actually a parade that begins with the younger boys running ahead to avoid the flour. It’s all a ruse because they love getting coated with it. As in every other parade that we have experienced in Ajijic, there are also bands and the cowboys, some with their dancing horses.

We first watched the parade as it went by the plaza in town then we and everyone else moved a couple of blocks south and watched it come back the other direction. I thought that was the end of the celebrations but no, Jorge had us and his family get back into the car and we quickly drove to the bullring where the beginning of the parade was just arriving. We sat in the stands and watched while the remaining flour was thrown on everyone in the bullring (not the stands). We could see flour particles floating in the air and had to continually clean our camera lens. When there was no flour left, it was time for a little bull riding and roping.



I was glad we were with Jorge as it was another nice local experience.

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