Live the Life in Mexico

As we made our way from Guatemala into Mexico we expected our 15^th country to largely be an extension of our South and Central American experiences, but with extra tacos.

We did find all the hallmarks of a great Latin American country: charming colonial towns, magnificent architecture, the richness of indigenous cultures, remarkable ancient ruins and spectacular scenery. However, what caught us by surprise was how much Mexicans enjoy themselves. What we observed was a country of people who really knew how celebrate and to live life to the fullest.

It started for us in Oaxaca (pronounced wa-ha-ka) where we literally got swept up in their 482^nd anniversary celebrations. The passing street parades were not just about marching bands – it was a party. The tequila was freely flowing (and gratis), and the people were in all variety of costumes dancing, playing instruments and encouraging the crowd to join in. There were so many of these moving parties sometimes one had to stop at an intersection to let another one pass. At other times they just joined up and partied together for a while. No one cared. It must have been an event manager’s dream (or nightmare, I can’t yet decide which).

The festival program in Oaxaca was packed, but it wasn’t just about the festival. The buskers were original and there were no shortage of wedding parties in the street complete with their own hired dancing troupes, giant dancing puppets and waiters serving more tequila. Everywhere you looked something was happening.

If the city wasn’t hosting an anniversary, an international arts festival (featuring Jose Carreras no less) or a food festival, they still celebrated.

Every town seemed to have a stage on or near the main square. The performances enthusiastically incorporated all generations, with the handing down of traditional and folk dancing clearly visible.

There was live music everywhere and, unlike the rest of Latin America that we visited, it seemed rare to hear pre-recorded music. Bands played in the streets, in backyard parties and during church services. In restaurants and bars, wandering mariachi bands would sing you a song or two for a tip. We’d seen struggling musicians in other countries try to earn a living in this way, but in Mexico they seem to do well with locals enjoying their music and singing along.

All of this was fuelled by the incredible food. Mexican food quickly became much more than the staple of beans and rice we’d come to expect further south. We took a cooking course and learnt to make such things as an algave worm salsa to go with our pumpkin flower quesadillas, a peanut mole, a chili chocolate ice cream to die for and a few other things we can’t wait to recreate when we get home.

Another example of Mexicans squeezing life out of everything was the proliferation of mural art on otherwise dull walls. Many murals depicted life and political themes around the time of the Mexican revolution, and others promoted the important role of indigenous people in Mexico’s history and future. Seeking out all these murals could keep you busy for a very long time.

Mexico’s love of life was infectious and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. We felt some sadness at the prospect of leaving Mexico and Latin America as we moved closer and closer toward the United States border, but we left on a high, and ready for a new adventure.

Posted by Matt

More of the story is told in the photos and captions below. A few more are on our online gallery here.

Parade or party?

Stilt walkers take a break, leaning against the cathedral wall.

This wedding party took over the entire street.

The tequila was flowing.

In a different part of Oaxaca, more dancing.

La Danza de los Voladores (Dance of the Flyers) is a traditional ritual dance. Five men free-climb the pole to the top. One man remains there playing a drum, while the other four men (representing each of the four seasons) spin around and down attached to ropes they tied to themselves at the top. One of the “flyers” plays the flute as he descends through the air.

Waiting. Anyone having a party in San Luis de Potosi can drive past the Plaza del Mariachi to pick up some musicians for the night.

Shopping for cooking class ingredients: chillis, algave worms, cactus leaves and pumpkin flowers.

Cooking class in action and some of the results.

Making a mole, one of the most representative dishes of Mexico. Pollo Encacahuatado.

This man shares his love for one of Rivera’s most famous murals with a group of school children. The work is Rivera’s ‘Man, Controller of the Universe’ which decorates one of the walls in Mexico City’s Palace of Fine Arts. He told us that he regularly visits and sits in front of the painting for hours.

La Catrina is an iconic figure in Mexican culture representing death and the way Mexicans face it. The figure has been portrayed in many different folk art styles – these are some that were on display at Mexico City’s Museum of Popular Culture.

At the Casa Azul, we saw an exhibition named after this drawing, Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait entitled “Appearances can be deceiving”. The drawing shows her thinner right leg due to childhood polio and the corset that supported her broken spine, hidden beneath her iconic fashion style.

More examples of great architecture. The Bellas Artes Palace in Mexico City.

Colonial charm in Guanajuato.