Advertisement
Published: November 3rd 2006
Edit Blog Post
Flower Vendor
in front of the enterance to the cemetary The third entry and last of the cemetaries. Setting off at about two, we saw plumes of smoke coming from the university area. A woman we passed urged caution as "people were being rounded up." We were heading in the opposite direction, to the northern edge of the city and the tiny cemetary of Sn Filipe del Agua. It, too, was bustling, but in an more familiar, everybody-knows-everybody, small town kind of way. We sat on the massive knarled roots of a huge tree, just watching families go about their business, arm-loads of flowers. Sweeping, washing, making flower crosses and hearts, a few painting. A group of kids playing a roudy game of tag. One pair, obviously brothers. The older, concerned about his younger brother, kept yelling "Goose! Dame la mano!" And you would see Goose dashing in the opposite direction, hiding behind a grave mounded with flowers. He'd be caught and dragged by the arm a ways, only to wiggle away and run. They were scouting out the graves of babys. "Here's one"he'd announce, and "How old was he?". A mass was held under the branches of the same tree, and as darkness fell, more folks arrived. More kids, more
games - costumed as skeletons, devils, and vampires mostly, looking for treats, as they have been the last three days, forget the 31st. Darting between graves, hide and seek. Copal began filling the air, people setting up altars at graves, eating, drinking, talking. A marimba band sets up and beging to play. The cemetary is packed. The most tourists we've seen thus far. Quite moving. Outside on the street, the food and beer vendors are doing a rousing business, although when I said that to one woman, she said that it was so-so. Today I read that tension is mounting. The smoke we saw were busses burning at the university. It is raining. We need to go to the store.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.048s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 5; qc: 31; dbt: 0.0271s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1mb
Vicki D.
non-member comment
Love the Photos
Hi Hank, I've been thinking about you all week, but I've been so busy getting my new exhibit up, haven't had a chance to check the blog. I'm in Blog Heaven, getting to see all your fabulous Muertos photos and catching up. Oh my, what memorable experiences for you. There was a short article on the front page of the paper about troops in the zocalo (I hope I set it aside for you). On NPR, the military developments got one sentence. Do you think the white flags symbolized sympathy with the troops or surrender? Thanks for the comments about Goose and his brother. Puts things in perspective. Enjoy!