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Published: November 5th 2012
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Sugar Skulls
A popular candy made for Day of the Dead October 29-October 31
Oaxaca is a six hour bus ride from Mexico City, so basically my entire day on October 29, was spent traveling. I arrived in Oaxaca just before dark and I took a taxi with a kid I met from Wales. His name was Henry and he is a graffiti artist who is traveling around Latin America for a year looking for work painting murals...cool stuff! For the next five nights I would be staying at the Hostel Don Nino. Don Nino was quite a clean hostel and lucky for me I was the first person to arrive in my 8 bed dorm so I had my choice of a bunk. Later that night I met a few people and three of us ended up at a club/bar called Rincon.
Rincon was not a bar that appeared in guidebooks. In fact it was by sheer luck and mescal (like tequila but earthier tasting) that led us into the decorated, long hallway which ended with an intense pat down. At the time I thought a pat-down was common in Mexico but it actually isn't unless you are going to a sketchy bar. Rincon had
Some of my Hostel Friends
I'm in the far back next to a dark-haired girl named Julia (Denmark). To my otherside is the crazy Australian named Tom. Henry is in the long-sleeved grey shirt. a dance floor in the center with strobe lights and fog shooters. Surrounding the dance floor was several tables where people sat with buckets of beer so we decided to do the same. Next some random dude looked at me and said "you from the United States?" “Uhh yeah.” He then says that this is his first time ever seeing an American in this bar. Ok, so I was a bit nervous but he says I’m fine here. Rincon became even more interesting when a hot Mexican girl walked up to me and asked if I am a member of Coldplay. I thought about just busting out a lie and then singing Green Eyes but I didn't want to draw more attention so I told her the truth and she danced with me anyways. The random guy then came over and told me that an American can't just come up in this bar and dance, so to avoid angering this drunk I sat down. My Mexican chica didn’t care much because after all I was not a Coldplay member. Anyways, the drunk was an illegal immigrant who came back to live in Oaxaca after making money in the U.S. He
said "I love USA and people from Jersey." Awesome bro, I guess if you love people from that friendly state of Jersey then you would really love most Americans (no offense Jerseyites). All this happened while my friend Henry (Wales kid) and Tom (Australia), aka cheeky cheeks, just sat without attention at the table. Sorry, you have to be a member of Coldplay or American (United Stateseein to liberal travelers) to get attention here!
Another funny experience happened on the following night at a different club. This one was called Cantinita and it was slightly more touristy. Since it was the night of October 30, my birthday began at midnight. On a positive note this meant a free bottle of vodka with a carton of pineapple juice. On another note this meant that all the gringos wanted the band on stage to sing me happy birthday. Ok not so bad, but then I was forced up onto the stage and the singer made sure he said, "here we have Parker from the Estados Unidos!" To top it off it just wasn't Happy Birthday, it was a long several minute song in which I had to dance in
Abastos Market
Pork in Mexico is amazing! front of a good 150+ locals, each giving me a death stare that said, "if only guns were legal here in Mexico."
Anyways, my first full day in Oaxaca was October 30th only 2 days away from the official Day of the Dead! On the days prior to Day of the Dead, most locals go to the market places around the city in order to buy items to decorate their altars and graves with. These items typically include Marigold flowers, Red Cockscomb, skeletal figures doing activities, candy skulls, candles, and a variety of others. Altars are typically constructed before Day of the Dead and can be seen in a variety of locations around the city. Typically the altars personify the person to whom they are dedicated to. This would mean that if your deceased loved-one smoked and drank then the altar would have cigarettes and beer on it. If they were an avid fisherman then a skeleton figure with a fishing pole may be placed on the altar. Marigolds are placed everywhere because they are the flower of the dead and they help to guide back the souls. Day of the Dead is a celebration not a
sad event and during the festivities families move altars or reconstruct them on grave sites and then take part in eating and drinking. This begins on the night of October 31.
The market places were lively and very colorful. I actually went to two different ones in the city. The Benito Juarez Market is close to the city center and draws a tourist crowd while the larger and more local, Abastos Market, is more authentic. The Abastos Market is about a twenty minute walk from the center, near a poorer area of the city. In my opinion the most fascinating part of these two markets was the smells of the different market sections. From the meat section, to the fruit section, to the flower section, and to the candy section the odors are constantly changing. Also the colors are vibrant, partially because of Day of the Dead, but this makes for some spectacular photos. Compared to Mexico City markets the ones in Oaxaca were more colorful and also less crowded. Moreover, Mexico City markets had fewer traditional Day of the Dead goods and instead were geared more towards Halloween.
At the markets I chose
to buy some fruits to eat and flowers for Day of the Dead. It is supposed to be a nice gesture to bring flowers to place on graves without any. Also candy is important to bring because young kids run around going trick-or-treating. Candy sugar skulls are a popular choice but they cost between $0.75 and $3.00 each so I only bought these to bring home.
Two other sites also stood out in the Oaxaca area. They were the UNESCO ruins of Monte Alban and the Santo Domingo Cathedral.
The Cathedral was awesome with a nearly solid gold interior. It was mostly built between 1570 and 1608 by the finest artisans throughout Mexico. Inside the main entrance a family tree of Santo Domingo adorns the ceiling. Santo Domingo is a Spanish monk who founded the Dominican order. The Spanish Dominicans protected the indigenous people of Oaxaca and observed strict vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. I wish that the church had descriptions inside of the many elaborate carvings and statue figures so I could understand more. Still one of the nicest churches I have ever been to.
Monte Alban is a
Zapotec ruin largely constructed between 300 to 700AD. Its name means "White Mountain" and the site occupies the top of a mountain with 360 degree views of the valley below and the city of Oaxaca. The site was a strategic position and the Zapotecs even managed to level the land in order to build temples and dwellings. Monte Alban was most likely a popular sports city. This is hypothesized because of the large number of ball parks at the site. The ball game played by the Zapotecs is similar to the Mayan one where a ball must be put through loops on the side of the field. Monte Alban was abandoned around 950AD and then was occupied by the Mixtecs who used the old tombs to bury their dead.
I went to Monte Alban with my hostel friend from Australia that I called cheeky cheeks. He is a low level film director so he knows a lot about photography and he gave me lots of pointers at Monte Alban. The ruins themselves were impressive although the pyramids here are no match for other ruins like Tikal, Palenque, and Teotihuacán. However, the site location probably offers the most
beautiful views of any ruin. Another positive was the lack of tourists. I sure hate when I want to take photos and tourist are in them.
Upcoming: Day of the Dead celebrations begin the night of October 31
st and last until November 2
nd. These days will be filled with parades, cemetery visits, and taking part in a carnival like atmosphere that goes on through the nights!
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