Day 38 – 41 : Oaxaca

Oaxaca (pronounced wa-hah-kah), is a colonial town located about 300 miles south of Mexico City, and about 5hrs from Puebla.  It was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1987.

Characterized by a similar layout of the main town area with low lying colorful buildings as Puebla (without the colourful, patterned Talavera tiles), but with a more disorganized feel, the streets are constantly filled with traffic and street markets. 

It was in one of the food markets that I had bumped into my 1st group of Singaporeans on this trip, recognized purely by their speech patterns :P - a group of SMU students whom were on an exchange programme at a private University in Puebla, and had rented a car and drove to Oaxaca for the weekend. 

There were also a couple beautiful churches, namely Santa Domingo, Basilica Menor de Nuestra Senora de la Soledad and the Cathedral.

 

 

Besides visiting Monte Alban and having the opportunity to partake in a local engagement ceremony, the key reason why I was in Oaxaca was to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). 

Dia de Los Muertos, made infamous by the opening scene in James Bond Spectre movie, with massive floats and parades in the heart of Mexico City during this festival. 

However, the truth is that this isn’t how it is celebrated traditionally, and the movie had over-hyped the celebrations.  It is often a quieter affair, without the parades and floats (I heard they decided to do it for the 1st time in Mexico City this year, using some of the costumes from the movie), though the dress up is still prevalent.

Oaxaca is well-known for having one of the best Dia de Los Muertos festivals in Mexico, housed in and around the large candle-lit city cemeteries. 

Even before the actual day, there were already numerous activities around the town area, mostly around Zocalo (town square) and the road leading to church of San Domingo – shops with beautifully decorated altars, street performances, comprasas (marching musician / bands).

Even kids were out on the streets in costumes, but instead of asking for sweets, they were outspokenly asking for money in exchange for pictures to be taken. 

A trip to the Panteon (cemeteries) during this time of the year is extremely interesting. A few local Mexicans had brought Marta and I to visit Xoxocotlan Cemetery.

Instead of the usual solemness one would find at a cemetery, vibrant activities with a mini carnival and street markets were set up around the main entrance of the Panteon, along with people dressing up in skeleton or devil's outfits. 

Inside the Panteon, it was bustling. Family members had beautifully decorated loved ones graves with flowers and elaborately designed motifs as well as candles. In some instances, mariachi or musicians were hired to perform at the grave, singing joyous tunes or modern hits. 

Of course, I was also decked out for the festivity, with a face painting done at one of the numerous maquillaje stands dotted around Zocalo and San Domingo. 

 

Partaking in the Day of the Dead festivities is a grand affair and a must-do in Mexico. Seeing how Mexicans view death differently where it's celebrated in joy rather than solemness is an eye opening experience.