into the wild...

The streets are covered in orange and yellow marigold flowers, traditionally used in Mexico to show spirits the way to the cemetery. Colorful, hand-cut papers and countless candles frame the entrance; people travel in a musical procession for today death is not mourned, but celebrated.
As each family arrives at the grave of their loved one, they clean and decorate the site with new flowers and bright papers. Then, an altar begins to take form: big candles to burn through the night are lit and special belongings from the deceased are set in place. A mirror is included for the spirits to recognize their own face, along with a bottle of tequila, a pack of cigarettes, skulls made of sugar, ‘mole’ (a savory blend of chocolate, nuts and chilies over chicken, rice and beans that the family will eat the next day after the spirits have eaten their share), bread, and perhaps toys and candy if the grave belongs to a child. To unify everything: copal, a precious resin used by the Mayans and Aztecs, ignites and its sweet smoke smudges the altar, and the family, and contact with the spirits is initiated.
The whole graveyard turns festive; everywhere the grounds are decorated with bold flower mandalas and candles, kids run in the passageways, their parents play cards, others strum guitars and sing folk songs while passing around bottles of cheap mezcal. The grandmothers carry warm tamales in their baskets, 50 cents a piece, and they feed people who have forgot to bring food, or tourists like me. ‘Tamal’ is a corn dough with beans or chicken ‘mole’, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed; and like ‘pozol’, it is part of Mexico’s ancient heritage, and made directly on a small clay pot over coals, mixing ground cacao, corn, chile and sugar. The grandmothers stir the blend for at least an hour until it thickens and then serve it in handmade clay cups, that will keep your hands warm at sunrise.
A beautiful silence now abides in the candle lit cemetery as the first rays of sun crawl up from behind the mountains and over the shimmering lake, it’s time to celebrate the conquer of life over death.
A conch is blown to every direction in a prayer for the ancestors. Aztec dancers gather around a fire; they have brought special offerings to burn. The cool wind is infused with copal and flower fragrances, senses are re-awakened, and it is easy to feel transported to ancient times. The eyes open now as powerful drumming brings everyone to a dance where life and death are threaded in joy