As we began to enter the season of Autumn in Oaxaca, nighttime became noticeably cool and chilly while the days remained warm and sunny. One could practically feel the energy and excitement of the upcoming holidays in the air… Or maybe that was just us – but even so…
What an amazing past few weeks we have had! Beginning with Halloween and ending with Dia de Muertos, we have had jam packed weeks full of fun and adventure!
Eddie and I decided that we just couldn’t let Halloween go uncelebrated so a few weeks ago, we went for it. We invited our good friend Carmen over to eat popcorn, drink wine, and CARVE a PUMPKIN!!!! She showed up in her finest disguise and I must say that Eddie and I weren’t bad either… we introduced her to the American tradition of carving a jack-o-lantern, and later she introduce us to the Oaxacan tradition of dancing at the clubs until the wee hours of the morning…
Not that we have only been clubbing it and partying our days away…both of have been extremely active physically as well… Eddie has found the joy of mountain biking in the hills of Oaxaca. He especially loves all the packs of hungry wild dogs and the little bugs that treat themselves to “Piel de Eduardo” as if it was a delicacy! All jokes aside, he has seen some gorgeous scenery, found a rigorous outlet for all that stored up Oaxacan energy, and become friends with some really great people up in those mountains…
And I recently ran in a marathon! Or at least that is what the Oaxacans call a 12k. I was the ONLY gringa there and it was quiet the experience. It was a hard 12k but I got to see most of the city- twice - and I learned a new word, Guerra, meaning whitey or blondie. I heard a lot of “Vamos Guerra!” When I finished, the announcer yelled, “Aqui Viene la Guerrita!” Until recently, I thought he was calling me abuilita, or grandma. My friends set me straight however.
On to Dia De Muertos! What an amazing holiday. In Mexico, and in Oaxaca in particular, there is a lot of mixing indigenous religious beliefs with Catholicism. Dia de Muertos is an excellent example of this mix. The main celebrations occurs on the 1st and 2nd of November, in connection with the Catholic holy days of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day which take place on those days. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.
Now that the festivities are over, and we can eat the ingredients of the alters that we made (but now bland and dry as the dead already came and sucked out all the flavor…), we are on our way to recovery and ready to see what the next adventure has in store…
What an amazing past few weeks we have had! Beginning with Halloween and ending with Dia de Muertos, we have had jam packed weeks full of fun and adventure!
Eddie and I decided that we just couldn’t let Halloween go uncelebrated so a few weeks ago, we went for it. We invited our good friend Carmen over to eat popcorn, drink wine, and CARVE a PUMPKIN!!!! She showed up in her finest disguise and I must say that Eddie and I weren’t bad either… we introduced her to the American tradition of carving a jack-o-lantern, and later she introduce us to the Oaxacan tradition of dancing at the clubs until the wee hours of the morning…
Not that we have only been clubbing it and partying our days away…both of have been extremely active physically as well… Eddie has found the joy of mountain biking in the hills of Oaxaca. He especially loves all the packs of hungry wild dogs and the little bugs that treat themselves to “Piel de Eduardo” as if it was a delicacy! All jokes aside, he has seen some gorgeous scenery, found a rigorous outlet for all that stored up Oaxacan energy, and become friends with some really great people up in those mountains…
And I recently ran in a marathon! Or at least that is what the Oaxacans call a 12k. I was the ONLY gringa there and it was quiet the experience. It was a hard 12k but I got to see most of the city- twice - and I learned a new word, Guerra, meaning whitey or blondie. I heard a lot of “Vamos Guerra!” When I finished, the announcer yelled, “Aqui Viene la Guerrita!” Until recently, I thought he was calling me abuilita, or grandma. My friends set me straight however.
On to Dia De Muertos! What an amazing holiday. In Mexico, and in Oaxaca in particular, there is a lot of mixing indigenous religious beliefs with Catholicism. Dia de Muertos is an excellent example of this mix. The main celebrations occurs on the 1st and 2nd of November, in connection with the Catholic holy days of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day which take place on those days. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.
Now that the festivities are over, and we can eat the ingredients of the alters that we made (but now bland and dry as the dead already came and sucked out all the flavor…), we are on our way to recovery and ready to see what the next adventure has in store…
