Travel diary: Mexico during Dia de Muertos
Cozy. Together. Creative.
Today we have a guest post from Pia from the socialbnb community, who spent two weeks as a guest at the Magic Alebrije project in Mexico.
Two weeks in the small & loving town of Tequisquiapan, with creative workshops and the feeling of being at home.
After a four-hour bus ride from Mexico City, the time has finally come: I have arrived in Tequisquiapan.I immediately like the small town. It's not too crowded, you can easily reach markets and restaurants on foot and, as is always the case in small towns, "everyone knows everyone". During a short walk with my host and Impact host GinaLinn, I was therefore introduced to some of the locals we met. I received a very warm welcome everywhere and was even invited to games evenings.
At home on another continent
I generally felt at home with GinaLinn. I had my own space upstairs, but we (GinaLina, her husband Renè and their little Chihuahua Lola) often spent time in the kitchen talking or cooking together. Gina's creative workshop is also upstairs, where I could let off steam. Gina showed me how to create art from "garbage" and papier-mâché.I was allowed to create my own alebrije from an ice cream cup, spoon, plastic lid and lots of tea bag paper.This is a traditional Mexican mythical creature whose appearance and powers you determine yourself.I also made a piñata out of papier-mâché, which I then donated to Gina's social project. Piñatas are a traditional gift for birthday parties. However, as they are very laborious to produce by hand, they are very expensive, which is why many parents cannot afford piñatas for their children. Gina's project is changing this by using the money to pay for materials and local workers to make piñatas and give them to children.
Art & Culture in Mexico
I was able to organize my everyday life very flexibly. After Gina taught me the basics of working with papier-mâché, I was able to continue working independently. I usually did something after breakfast, e.g. a trip to the opal mine or the pyramid or a visit to the local market. In the afternoon, I was able to continue working on my alebrije or piñata at my own pace. As papier-mâché needs time to dry anyway, this schedule worked well. The steps that I was allowed to accompany were: assembling and gluing the basic foundation (most of this is simple household waste that we recycle), applying several layers of papier-mâché and finally painting and decorating.
Gina and René welcomed me warmly into their little family and circle of friends. They both speak very good English, for which I was very grateful, as my knowledge of Spanish is rather limited. Gina was also very good at engaging me in conversation with the locals and translating my English. It was also very inspiring for me to hear what her life path has looked like so far. Today she is an artist, life coach and much more and is happy to share her experiences.
Dia de Muertos
My preconceived thoughts about Mexico were very mixed before my trip. However, I was able to put my worries aside after a short time. I felt very safe and never had a bad feeling during my stay. The cuisine and culture have a lot to offer, which brings me to one of my highlights, the "Dia de Muertos" or festival of the dead. At first I thought that this festival in honor of deceased relatives was only celebrated for one day at the beginning of November. However, it soon turned out that there are a whole week of events and traditions. For example, on one day all the graves in the cemetery are festively decorated with flowers and music and on other days there are traditional dances and large shrines are blessed. I learned a lot about the relationship between Mexicans and death. I had the feeling that death is more "invited" here. In the sense that nobody has to be afraid of death. I find this mentality very beautiful and, above all, exciting to experience.
My recommendation
Would I recommend a stay with Gina?DEFINITELY. If you're interested in Mexican culture, it's best to come towards the end of October to experience the Dia de Muertos. You'll certainly have more fun if you like crafting, painting, creating and working with your hands. Look forward to lots of great impressions and inspiration. For my part, I have integrated Gina's everyday "garbage recycling ideas" into my life here in Germany. :)
About the author
Pia spent two weeks in Mexico and comes from the Allgäu in Germany. It was her first trip outside Europe.
