El Dia de Los Muertos Tour to Oaxaca, Mexico By Gail and Ed Apple, Tohono Chul Park members and Docents
"¡Vámonos, vámonos! Quickly followed by three sharp claps, this was a familiar sound to the 28 hardy travelers who joined Education Director Jo Falls, Piet Van de Mark and Mary Ericson on the Baja's Frontier Tours Day of the Dead trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. These sounds emanated from our energetic Zapotecan local guide Esther Bonilla, a combination of drill sergeant and actress. She was a delight and kept us on a tight leash and a rapid pace as we explored the beautiful Spanish colonial city of Oaxaca and its surrounding villages.
Most of the participants started their journey in Tucson to Los Angeles to Mexico City and then to Oaxaca on Sunday, Oct. 29. It was good to see Piet and Mary's smiling faces when we arrived. We were soon enjoying a margarita and a snack at the Hotel Misíon de Los Angeles. The hotel was set in delightful, spacious gardens with warm and friendly staff to assist us. It also was home to an elusive black squirrel, which most people did manage to spot during the week.
Bright and early on Monday morning, we walked to the La Mano Magica gallery for the director's informative lecture on the local customs that accompany Day of the Dead celebrations. A typical altar (except for its laptop computer) was used as a backdrop for the talk. Among other things, we learned that altars are personalized to reflect the lives of the returning spirits.
Next, we visited the excellent Rufina Tamayo Museum with its collection of pre-Hispanic pottery and sculpture. A walking tour of the Zócalo (main square and hub of the city) followed with visits to the cathedral and the ornate church of Santo Domingo, whose interior was beautifully decorated in gold leaf. Pope John Paul celebrated mass in the church in the early 1980s. We enjoyed lunch at a nearby restaurant with many samplings of local dishes. The hardier souls also sampled the fiery local mescal. Lunch is the main meal of the day in Oaxaca. It is called comida and is eaten around 2 p.m.
Tuesday - folk art day! We boarded our comfortable bus for a visit to the village of San Bartolo Coyotepec to see a demonstration of how the local black pottery is made. Basically, it is formed by hand using a dish as a crude potters wheel. It is fired in the ground after air-drying. A local youth wearing a magnificent headdress performed a lively dance for us. Members of the group who tried the headdress found they could barely life their head, let alone their feet!
Following comida at a village restaurant, we watched wood carvers in San Martin Tilcajete where the famous brightly painted animal figures identified with Oaxaca are made. Rooms full of recognizable and imaginary animals with intricate designs proved an irresistible temptation for many of the group. Then, in Ocotlan, we were privileged to see the clay sculptures of the three Aguilar sisters in their home studios.
In the evening, the group visited a local cemetery to view a number of altars demonstrating different customs from various regions around the area of Oaxaca. At another cemetery, we saw a sea of flowers and candles among the graves. There was a festival-like atmosphere as families gathered for the night vigil to welcome and honor their dead. We returned to our hotel a tired but cheerful lot for a well-earned rest.
Wednesday morning, we were on the bus again for a visit to a third cemetery to view the beautifully decorated graves in the daylight. Then we headed off to Teotitlan del Valle for a demonstration and lecture on how their fine quality wool rugs are made. This was fascinating, especially on the use of natural dyes such as cochineal, indigo bush and acacia pods. As in other villages, most of the population seems to be involved in their special art. The young people are also very active in these traditions.
Before returning to our hotel for the comida, we stopped to see a massive 2,000-year-old cypress tree at El Tule. The walk around the base of this huge tree helped to stimulate our appetites for the locally famous molé dishes that were prepared for our lunch feast. See Jo or Mary to find out which of the four molé sauces was the favorite. The afternoon was free for individuals to visit to the market, museums, churches, shops or for taking a siesta.
On Thursday, we visited the Dominican Monastery at Cuilápan, started in 1555 but never completed. It was set on a hillside with breathtaking views of the countryside. We stopped in Zaachila to visit and experience the local market where you could purchase all manners of food. The huge mounds of molé paste were interesting to see among other things. The comida awaited us upon our return to the hotel and then a free afternoon followed.
The highlight of Friday was our visit to Monte Albán, the mountain top site of an important city that once housed more than 40,000 Zapotecs. It was begun in 600 B.C. and continued to be a mecca for trade, religion and politics until it was abandoned in 700 A.D. This immense and beautiful area was dotted with buildings, some decorated with elaborate stone carvings. We also observed the well-preserved ball court, where competitors were only allowed to use elbows and hips to maneuver the ball. Esther explained that the winner may have been honored by being sacrificed to the gods (perhaps this is the origin of the term football widow!).
Many hours could be spent at Monte Albán, but eventually we pressed on to the village of Atzompa with its cream-colored pottery and genuine fence made from Mexican fencepost cacti. Back at the hotel, our group enjoyed a farewell late lunch of many courses. Esther entranced us yet again as she showed a Zapotec woman's use of her rebozo shawl from childhood until burial. The late afternoon was free for a last look at the delicate Monte Albán gold treasures at the regional museum, an ethnobotanical garden tour or a chance to absorb the atmosphere of Oaxaca. Then we faced the final challenge--fitting into luggage the rugs, wooden animals, pottery and other tangible evidence of a memorable trip.
On Saturday, we took the long trek home, enriched by our exposure to the arts and culture of a unique area of Mexico.
