Puebla

After 5 days in Oaxaca, we headed closer to home and spent two days in Puebla. We saw the churches there, found a giant festival, had cuban cigars, visited another cemetery still alive with Día de los Muertos celebrations, chilled on the roof of our hotel.....Good times in Puebla.

Check yourself

"Guero...ven aquí..." So I made friends here too!

Church in Puebla...and big party

Inside the church

On the roof of the Hotel....Wouldn't fly in America

Día de los Muertos....¡Días de las fiestas!

Death is dealt with very differently in Mexican culture. It is not such a hidden, unspoken, scary phenomenon. It has been present in almost every piece of Mexican literature I have read, it comes up easily in conversations....it is just different.

Basically, Mexicans know how to celebrate dead people. Being in Oaxaca for Día de los Muertos was an incredible experience. We went to the Panteon and had the chance to talk with families at gravesites. And by talk I mean party. And by party I mean Mexican style! Food, mariachis, tequila, cerveza, jokes...Just an all around good time. We spent about an hour getting to know one lady who had lost her son. Urriel was 24 and died in a tragic car accident. The car he was riding in on a long road trip collided with a cow that ended up coming through the windshield. Such a tragic event did not put even the slightest damper on the party. We joined in, became a part of the family, and CELEBRATED...well...a life given by God even though it was short. Here are some photos from the Panteon that night.

Quesillo, Mole,Tlayudas, Chocolate....Comida Riquísima!

So we got in a bus aiming for Oaxaca. Roughly 9 hours away. What a haul that was. But lets just say it was worth it. We would be spending time there during the days that Dia de los Muertos is celebrated. (Wait for it!) Oaxaca still has very many traditional celebrations since there is such a high percentage of Indigenous people. First up we visited Monte Alban. A giant ancient city on a hill that was once occupied by the Zapotecs.

Another epic adventure was in store as we took a short trip out to Mitla. We stopped on the side of the road, unloaded our bus, and piled into a fleet of rickety pick up trucks. Riding in the back was more than an experience as we embarked on a 45 minute drive up and over a mountain on all dirt roads. 




On the other side of the mountain we found the Cascadas Petrificadas....Petrified waterfalls. Super legit and a beautiful day to hike around and explore.

 We learned a lot about how everything is made. Visited a Mezcal factory (kinda like tequila...but mas fuerte!) We went to a pottery shop where the famous barro negro was invented (black clay pottery). Saw rugs and clothing being made. Went to a chocolate factory (Oaxaca is famous for Chocolate)...not to mention ate plenty of mole and hot chocolate!

In front of an Alter

Lo siento

Well....here is my apology. It has been far too long since I posted last....Up to bat should be our Oaxaca trip, on deck should be Puebla, and in the hole is Mexico City from this last weekend. (Maybe some other fun random ones in there...)

But "Here's the deal"....I have 12 more days left in Mexico, I am currently fighting a nasty sickness, and have a relatively good amount of work to do between various final projects and essays....all this while trying to enjoy my last bit of time here and having to come to grips with leaving this place.

I am sorry if we are "supposed to skype soon!" or something of that nature....just know I love you all and will have a whole month before next semester starts to catch up/hang out etc.

In the meantime, here is a picture of me, my host mom and sister.




P.S. Happy Thanksgiving! Not like we get school off or anything down here....I think I just might take a "sick day." : )

Guanajuato....¡Otra Vez!

Tim and I in front of my house

Sometime around 12 years ago, this guy started teaching my Sunday School class and would continue on to be my small group leader through the end of high school. About 5 years ago he told each guy in our small group that if we studied abroad in college he would come visit us wherever we were. This guy obviously takes commitment seriously....great leader, role model, and friend. So Tim showed up at my house a few weeks ago with a rental car and plans to get away for the weekend. I became a tourist just for the weekend as I went on a much needed "vacation."

After Tim met my family and dropped off some goodies sent from the fam back home, we headed out and spent our Friday around Querétaro. I got to be a tour guide and test my own knowledge of the city I have been in for the last 3 months! Saw lots of important places, visited some museums, but most importantly I took him to my favorite places and we indulged in many tasty treats!

De la dinastia que vale oro

These shiny words glimmered under the florescent light and caught my attention as the next pair of fighters launched themselves into the ring. This phrase was written across the back of La Mascara who was fighting alongside Atlantis. Their challengers: Último Guerrero and Volador. We were about to witness "¡La rivaldad mas candente del momento!"

My friend Matt had seen this poster on the street and decided Lucha Libre was something we had to witness before leaving Mexico. I couldn't agree more. I simply would have felt like less of a man. 70 pesos secured me a ticket and yet another chance to witness a very interesting and important aspect of Mexican culture.

Last Tuesday night, we showed up at Arena Querétaro for a night of Lucha Libre not really knowing what to expect. The only thing I could come up with in my mind was stretchy pants, ridiculous and over-dramatic fighting, and slightly overweight middle-aged men. So with a cerveza in hand, I sat down in a section complete with a fence barrier topped with barbed wire. I was next to grown men, children, whole families....you name it. An extremely interesting atmosphere.  Lots of beer, foul language, and a lot of people just extremely passionate about the event we were about to witness. The lights went down as the referee and first fighters were announced. We watched several "warm-up" fights that consisted of 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 situations. The fights (or "acts" if you will) got progressively better. All I can say is that if you have seen Nacho Libre you have gotten a pretty darn accurate picture of what Lucha Libre is. Slightly overweight (but actually pretty strong) middle-aged men wearing stretchy pants, throwing themselves dramatically around (and out of!) a ring.

NACHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

In the last little break between fights I ventured over to a lady selling Lucha Libre masks. She very patiently explained to me the names of the fighters that each mask belonged to. Knowing that I couldn't leave without one, I selected a sparkly green, white, and gold mask with a giant gold cross on the forehead. I slipped it over my head and became "Rey Misterio."



The biggest and best fight was saved for last. After an intense fight full of slams, punches, slaps, kicks and aerial maneuvers, Atlantis and La Mascara emerged victorious. I was reminded that night that "Sometimes, when you are a man, you wear stretchy pants." But also...."Beneath the clothes, we find a man... and beneath the man, we find his... nucleus."





Something in that nucleus gives rise to Lucha Libre.

Lucha Libre from Jordan Bleecker on Vimeo.

Lunes por la noche

(Monday night, October 17 at 7:46pm just outside of class)

Me: Hey Matt, are you going to do anything tonight? I mean it is Monday night and there is probably nothing going on but I don't want to go home.
Matt: Ya...Me too. Wanna just walk towards the centro?
Me: Sure. Let's do it.

So we set out walking and came to the first plaza and found about 4 people sitting down using their phones.

Silence.

But then we started to hear drums in the distance. We both turned and started walking to see what we could find. We encountered a giant celebration going down at the Iglesia de San Francisco. They were celebrating the day for La Virgen del Pueblito. They had it all: Food, music, dancing, yet another castillo, and fireworks. The giant fireworks display (shot off entirely too close to us) brought the night to a close. Remember that whole part about it being "Monday night and there is probably nothing going on?" Ya. I was wrong. I forgot that Mexicans don't plan their celebrations around their schedules, they plan their schedules around their celebrations....In Mexico, Monday is the new Friday.

Papas en espiral. Add salsa, add lime...Tasty!

This is how close you could stand next to the giant fire spewing structure!

Made of pure candy!