The basilica in San Cristobal de las Casas
Lunch
The entrance to our hotel
What I do not have photos of was our most fascinating experience. I had read about Day of the Dead ceremonies in a small indigenous village; the article said foreigners are not always welcome. We decided to take a chance. When we arrived, we were told by the local authorities that we were welcome to observe the festivities, but we were not allowed to take photos. Anyone caught taking photos would have his/her camera confiscated and could face a fine or even jail. The pageantry we observed left of breathless and with a million mental images of Catholic saints dressed in indigenous clothing, the predominance of crosses painted green, the candles, the fireworks, the number of times the villagers paraded around the plaza in front of the church, the language spoken by most of the villagers, the prohibition against photos. I think it was actually a good thing that we were unable to witness all that we saw through the lens of a camera. I am looking forward to reading students' journals and blogs as they attempt to describe the morning without simply referring everyone to their photos.The trip was not without its problems. On the first day while we were at the archaeological site of Palenque, our ever present guide, Luis Medina, fell off of a 8 foot high platform and landed flat on his back. He has 3 broken ribs and a fourth is cracked. I had to step in as temporary van driver thus earning the title of "La Brava" or "The Fearless One." The wife of the visiting professor came down with a bad, bad case of Moctezuma's revenge. She earned a different title that won't be mentioned here. We had trouble with one of the vehicles in a remote part of the trip, and we ran into heavy rain storms. Overall, however, students rated this the best field trip ever. I agree.
No comments:
Post a Comment