Dia de las Flores (Day of the Flowers)

Dia de las flores is a regional tradition (possibly local only to this city, I'm not sure), that takes place the day before the Friday before Holy Week (Friday, today, is the Friday of Dolores). My dad thinks the dia de las flores is a celebration of the annunciation (when Mary learned she would be giving birth to that famous guy, and by learning, becomes impregnated), and my sister-in-law, Sara, pointed out its similarity to rites of Spring.

That all said, my dia de las flores was a bacchanal of party with a great group of gay men. To back up, the city is on vacation today, and spring break for the University began yesterday. I wandered around during the afternoon with my friend Megan to see the decorated eggs (yes, like that, only really different: see the pictures. They are filled with confetti, and you break them over your friends' heads) for sale everywhere. Some flowers were starting to be sold, but mostly those made of corn husks so far. In the Plaza Baratillo, the normal flower venders had more flowers than usual, and also small tubs or plastic bags with grass growing in them, like wheatgrass is sold back home. Megan and I both speculated about their purpose, and all I came up with was maybe you put them in your Easter basket. That would be kind of cute, but actually, I later saw that they are used as part of the altars to the Virgin Dolores (more on that later).

Late last night (late for me: 10:30pm), I met my friend Erika and we went to a party at the house of one of the teachers from the language school. This is where the gay men come in. We were probably about 15-20 people in all, but by the third time Lady Gaga came on, I was up and trying to learn the moves with everyone else. Oh, and I might have been the oldest person at the party, which is rare for me. At about 2, there was movement to go to Whoopees, the gay bar in town. We headed over, through busy streets full of revelers, and upon arrival, discovered that Whoopees was packed and people were not exactly forming a single line to enter.

Erika went in ahead with one of the guys, who seemed to be a regular. I had been walking with a 20-year-old (shocking!), and I grabbed his hand behind me, so I wouldn't lose everyone I knew. Some of the rest of the group seemed to have disappeared behind us, maybe discouraged by the cover, or gone off to get cash. I had the luck to know one of the guys at the door, an acquaintance whom I often see at the Bagel Cafe, and that connection got me and my buddy in faster. I felt pretty proud to have connections at the bar, when I generally feel pretty checked-out of the nightlife here. Coming in, I found Erika again and then I lost her. The place, as I said, was wall-to-wall bodies. Mostly men, but some women in couples, and some straight couples. Pounding music and lights that, well this sounds cheesy, but reminded me of the club scenes in Queer as Folk (I am not sure if this is specific to a gay bar or due to my lack of experience going to clubs or watching other tv shows with club scenes in them). I managed to find a few of the other guys, but everyone looked a bit dazed. I realized, also, that the point of the evening may have shifted now for many of them, and I was no longer a fun sidekick, but rather, in the way. Not that anyone was rude or unfriendly, just that there was a lot of looking past or over me. I found my friend Megan, or really, she found me, and after not too long there, we both decided we were ready to go. Though tempted to just hang out longer, I decided it was time. The heat, lack of movement space (there's that way you dance when you can't move, that isn't really that fun), and late hour were all motivation. Texting Erika a goodnight (last I saw her, she was heading for the bar), Megan and I headed out. Whoopees is really close to my house, so it was a nice short walk home.

This morning, as planned, my mom woke me up early to go see the actual flores part of dia de las flores. We walked down to the center, where tables selling natural cut flowers had sprung up everywhere. In the Jardin de la Union (Garden of the Union, like the central plaza), people of all ages were strolling around, dressed in nice clothes, carrying flowers they had received or were about to give to there sweeties. We also passed people still drunk and heading home or to breakfast. At the Teatro Juarez (Juarez Theater, right next to the Jardin), there was a large altar set up to the Virgin (the Virgin Dolores, or Virgin of Sorrows, is Mary as she knows her son is dying or going to die, or something related to Easter - how interesting that the calendar day comes one day after she finds out he will be born). Tables were set up for the government to give out the traditional nieves (sorbets) and aguas frescas. Also, government representatives were handing out carnations, and my mom and I each received one.

We went and found our own breakfast, and on the way back home, the streets had grown much more crowded with the crowds. Many people had nieves, which private homes and other institutions also give out today (we even saw evidence of that at the mini-super when we shopped much later - there was a canister of strawberry ice cream in the doorway).

Our landlords have also built their own altar to the Virgin this morning (see picture). They put up candles, branches, flowers, and a pretty painting of her.

No, I didn't bring my camera out last night, but pictures of the egg figures, flowers, and altars can be found here.

My Morning

This morning, a Sunday, I woke up at about 8:30 to the sounds of drumbeats down the hill. I jumped out of bed, dressed, grabbed my camera and a book, and headed down the hill in search of the source.

I should interject here that, by now, Peter and I don't usually go in search of parades -- there are so many and many of them are small affairs, just the young military band, sometimes with a religious icon, and we just don't muster the same excitement as we did 5 months ago. As I read on another travel blog, Mexicans like a parade, and any excuse is good enough.

So, why did I wipe the sleep from my eyes and go running this morning? Today is the first day of Spring. I had read that in Guanajuato, and perhaps in other cities, there is a traditional parade for the first day of Spring, that includes the town children dressed as bees, flowers, and other Spring-like creatures (ok, our landlord's grandson said he was going as a rat, but still). There are also some mini queens and kings of the Spring -- small children selected (and even campaigned for by their families and friends), somewhat like a pageant, but I think without all the scary associations we have back home. I had heard the parades happened this year on Thursday and Friday, because it's part of school, and so I missed them (I caught a glimpse Thursday of a little girl dressed as a butterfly in the back of a truck that was decked out with some decorations).

I headed down the hill. Whatever was going on had already passed my area of the center, but I could hear the drums afar. I was encouraged when I passed first a child and then a grown man carrying homemade yellow tissue paper pompoms. I headed up to the central church in town, where there was a crowd. When I got there, I just saw adults carrying yellow and white balloons and the same pompoms, slowly making their way into the basilica. One had one of the traditional banners with a saint and probably the name of their town or church. Not a cute little bee or butterfly to be found. You see, this is why we don't go chasing parades anymore.

Today is also the birthday of my favorite president of Mexico, Benito Juarez (I am far from alone in this love: he is considered to be the Abraham Lincoln of Mexico). His birthday was observed last Monday, with a national holiday.

More Smells

We got back to Guanajuato and Spring was here. The fruit trees outside our apartment are in bloom, the tree across the canyon is the brightest, leafiest green you can imagine, and the mercado is full of mangos, with the first ears of corn and guanabanas beginning to appear. These days, as I climb the arduous hill+steps to the apartment, I get to look forward to the drifting odor of the lemon tree on the property. And I get to check out the new leaves on the tiny fig tree. There is a plan that grows out of the stone walls on the property that has smallish, yellow, tubular flowers. The weather is warming -- days can be downright hottish, and nights are more comfortable. Plus, I get to look forward to a series of culture events: the first day of spring is celebrated here with children's parades, costumed as bees, flowers and other Spring reminders (our landlords' 4-year-old grandson tells me he's going as a rat. I suppose that kind of counts?). A few days after that is Dia de las Flores, which is attached to holy week, and during which young people give each other flowers. Then there is Semana Santa (Holy Week) with religious processions and passion plays. On top of all that, my parents arrive in a week and I can't wait for them to get here.
Peter has arrived in Connecticut just fine, and has already started work. It sounds like he has had a very generous offer of a place to live, and is glad to see David and his family again.

Bathroom

I think the bathroom in our language school frequently smells bad because the school is full of tourists who are more prone to la turista (aka Montezuma's revenge, aka traveler's diarrhea).

Back in Guanajuato Again

We returned early this morning from our latest adventure. I have a plan to create a separate, private blog about it. Contact me if you would like access to that and to our photos from this trip (this only applies to people who actually know me, not strangers).

Meanwhile, while we were gone, Peter got word from our friend David that he has work for him to do in the U.S. We quickly booked him a ticket and Peter leaves this Monday for Connecticut where he'll be working for David for about a month. I will stay in Gto during this time, mournfully missing him and hosting my parents, who will be here for Passover/Easter and then take off to travel the nearby areas. I am so excited to see my mom and dad!