Chetumal on the "Day of the Dead"

   After a long, hot day and night yesterday, we were ready to relax and do a few personal errands in the relatively modern city of Chetumal. Today is a national holiday here in Mexico, el Dia de los Muertos, the "Day of the Dead".

   This holiday focuses on family and friends, with the ultimate intention of praying for and remembering those who have died. The day-long celebration takes place in connection with the Catholic holiday of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Celebrants go to local cemeteries and build private altars containing the favorite foods of the departed. These shenanigans can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the dead.

   Because of the holiday, all the banks were closed, as well as the rental car agencies. We could not rent another car until tomorrow, nor could we exchange money at the bank. So, first we washed our clothes at the hotel. Because we really needed to get some money, we walked to the local currency exchange office and stood in two long lines. After lunch, we visited the Museo de la Cultura Maya, a sophisticated interactive museum dedicated to the complex world of the Mayans. One of the displays was the three-storied Sacred Ceiba Tree, a symbol used by the Maya to explain the relationship between the cosmos and the earth.

   Late in the afternoon, we walked to the ocean and watched fishermen bring in their nets. We ate dinner at a restaurant on the beach. Finally, we took a taxi back to the hotel. We were tired of walking.

   Tomorrow we will resume birding in Mexico.

Robert and Berry

photo courtesy of wikipedia