Dia del Muerto

A poster celebrating the upcoming big day at the local torta shop.

One thing I have actually looked forward to is experiencing the holidays in Mexico.  I feel pretty fortunate actually being here for the Bi-Centennial, but I was really somewhat jazzed about their Day of the Dead celebrations.  I am in the city so I knew that there would not be the true vibrancy of what happens in the villages, but I knew there would have to be some sort of fun to be had.

You knew the holiday was coming soon, when all of a sudden candy skulls starting appearing in the shops and market stalls.  This in itself, was very entertaining.  I was like a kid in a candy skull store!  Every time I passed the colorful rows of skulls, I would slow down and get a good look.  This always made me smile.  There were all shapes and sizes, chocolate, marzipan, white chocolate, gummi-skulls, skulls made of out seeds and grains, you name it you can find it.  Hey!  If you happen to be in the right (or wrong) part of town or the state, you could probably find a real skull against a curb somewhere!

Chocolate skulls...

...and marzipan...

....skulls with seeds...

...and don't forget the gummi-skulls

Call me gringo, but I was expecting to see loads of skulls and skeletons and fireworks.  I was not expecting to see all the little kids dressed in their Halloween costumes.  For whatever reason, it just seemed odd to me.  The oddest, were the poor kids who may be wearing a half-assed smear of make-up on their face, walking down the lines of traffic as they are stalled at red lights.  They wander from car to car, carrying their cheap plastic pumpkins and quietly asking for candies, money or whatever.  That-was a totally new and foreign concept to me.

The bakeries start to bake the special 'pan de muerto'.  truth be told, this is like any other pan dulce you get here.  It is white bread dredged in sugar.  There is some strange design on top too.  Now, the day before the big day, we were in a local bakery and Tonya said we should get big a one just because...that is what you do!  I choose a big puffy pan and take it home, waiting to officially celebrate like a real Mexican.

pan de muerto y cafe = gute tag!

At breakfast, I was excited to break into our big fluffy 'dead bread' and start the day off right.  You know, it was nice.  It has a bit of an orange taste in there somewhere.  Before I knew it, I had eaten about 3/4 of the loaf!  I suppose I was more into this holidays than I knew, because halfway through breakfast I realized I was even drinking my coffee out of my skull mug, which I had bought a few weeks before when Damon was here.  I felt like I was an native, eating my pan de muerto and drinking out of my skull mug.  yes, this was the perfect way to start the day.

In the afternoon, we had decided to go to a different part of town and snoop around.  There had to be dead celebrations and things to look at.  The night before, we had gone to eat in Coyoacan and it was crazy.  Traffic was inching along, streets were blocked off and people everywhere you looked.  It was definitely happening and the locals were getting primed for the big day come daylight.  We knew that this would be  a good place to go to.

Thankfully, the traffic was almost non-existent.  We manage to find a parking spot and start walking towards the square.  As we neared the square, it was obvious that there was something happening.  People were buzzing around everywhere.  There were huddled crowds scattered around.  Each of these huddles would turn out to be a different altar or dedication for this special day. 

nice hair-do and ribbon.

egg skulls

The first thing I see is the church.  It looked like all these people dressed in rags, hunched over and slowly moving in a very long line.  As I got closer I was immediately smitten.  It was an enormous line of figurines, all dressed in rags with their 'heads' bowed and making a striking visual as it winds through the square in front of the church.  Everyone was staring at this piece, and taking pictures of it and in it.  This was without a doubt, a big hit. 

the church and the line of mummies

these were so fantastic.

Scattered around the plazas and squares were loads of assorted effigies and scenarios.  Tiny bright yellow petals lay all around.  I am not sure if it is marigolds, but these flowers are used everywhere for this celebration.  There are skulls drawn with these petals on the sidewalks.  The petals are strewn in front of altars and effigies.  It is very pretty and colorful.  There are offerings with pictures of heroes and family members.  Candles burn, bread is lain,there are fruits and incense, flower petals are strewn.  There are notes to those that have passed.  There is a huge arrangement of flowers, about two stories tall.  It forms an archway, and spelled out across the top it reads "They are here, They are with us"  Everywhere you look, people are gathered and taking pictures, pointing, reading, all taking in the scenery around them.  It is truly interesting and very entertaining just watching what everyone else was doing and looking at their expressions.

this is what skeletons do for fun!

It may not be a village, but it is vibrant and fun.  It is nice weather so it makes for an even better experience as we just wander all around looking at all the different aspects of the celebration.  Needless to say, hunger soon appears.  Tonya wants to find the guy vending the big, blue huaraches.  We probe in and out of stalls looking for these hidden treasures, but they are no where to be found.  In our search, we pass a bar that was recently recommended, la Bipo.  "Hey, this is the joint Tano told us about!", I said as we found ourselves peering at their menu.  Tonya says we should give it a go, and we do.

It sucked.  Both our dishes were lacklustre.  However, all was not lost.  Tonya was all excited because at the table behind us was some young, hot Mexican actor.  I had no idea who he was, but I did hear him mention Harrods as he talked to the lady at the table with him.  Tonya kept expressing her frustration at being unable to recall what movie she had seen this guy in.  me?  I was more distracted by the assortment of salsa.  These were the best thing about this place!  There was a pretty good color range of salsa, from dark brown to something that looked like melted strawberry ice cream...with oil on top!  I sample the colors that look like they will go well with my cheese quesadillas ( I mean, how hard is it to melt cheese between tortillas!!!)  There is a light green, frothy looking salsa.  It is the winner.  When Tonya isn't racking her brain trying to think of what film that actor was in, she is helping me trying to decipher what was in this bright green salsa.  We eat more and more of it, all in the name of science, trying to decode the recipe.  This bright green salsa could be the only reason to visit this joint, trust me.

After eating, we both feel a bit grossed out.  Loads of salsa and half-assed quesadillas.  Tonya is dealing with deep-fried hibiscus blues.  Yes, the fried hibiscus quesadillas and sweet sauce proved to be a bit much...well, and the stinky bathroom she told me about.  The food was bad, but the toilet sealed the deal.  No need to return to this place, we both agree.  We try and walk of the grossness.  As we squeeze through crowds, sandwiched between food stalls and brick walls, Tonya lets out a yelp. "Look!  There he is!" She freezes and points at the guy selling the blue huaraches.  He is here.  "How did we miss him?  I know we passed by here" she said somewhat disappointed.

something scary overhead!

Put junk food in the near vicinty of Tonya, and she will find it.  Like a determined Napolean, she strides further through the crowd and stops in front of a stall filled with all kinds of candies and jellied and peppered fruits.  "You want some?" she says looking at the cart.  There is a little fat girl talking to a small child behind the cart.  We look around to see where the vendor is.  The little fat girl asks if we want something, and sets her infant brother down next to a portable TV.  If you ask me, leaving a chubby kid alone in charge of a candy stall is not a smart idea.  You know shes taken full advantage of all at her fingertips, it is obvious the way her little pink t-shirt is stretched over her wobbly belly. She is wrapped tight.  Ironically enough, there is some silly saying on her stained pink shirt,"Sweet Thing". Tonya points and asks what is this and that.  Good.  we'll take one of those and some of those too.  The chubby girl nods her head and reaches up to grab a small plastic bag, like a sandwich bag.  She carefully sticks her fat little hand in it and carefully grabs my bar of candy so that her hands don't dare touch it.  She holds it up and presses my candy on her fat belly, against her stained pink t-shirt, so she can get the plastic around it. Nice touch.  I tell Tonya that suddenly, my candy doesn't seem so tasty.  Two chubby cheeks tell us it is 20 pesos.  She politely takes our coins and says thank you, and turns to tend to her little brother.  "She was so cute though" Tonya says as we walk away laughing.

sidewalk art (some idiot stepped on it and smeared it!)