Guelaguetza 2012 - Floating on air

 The 80th Guelaguetza ended with a flourish last night as there was dancing in the streets and on the stages in various parts of the city and surrounding area.  We went to the guelaguetza in nearby Etla in the morning and even though we had plans to drive to see the one in San Antonino in the late afternoon, I bagged that idea and stayed in and watched the city's version on TV.  Wow!  What an event!

I guess it is like many things, the more one learns about something, the more there is to learn and the more one wants to learn.  Hey, learning is supposed to be fun, isn't it?

And so it is for me and the guelaguetza.  There are so many levels and different aspects of the thing.  There is the history, the various indigenous cultures and languages, the trajes or costumes, the dances and dancers, their joy and exuberance and then the joy and exuberance of the people watching, chanting, cheering.  And on top of all that good stuff, is a remarkable pride and I mean pride in the best sense of the word.  It is hard to put into words, but pride, joy and tradition are a good start.

 

Each region has its traditions.  And each region has a separate and unique personality.  Some are elegant.  Some are fierce and slightly crazy.  Some are subdued.  Some are sexy. Some are not sexy at all.  But all have a profound sense of pride.  It is "Here we are at our very best, showing you and the world what a magnificent culture of which we are all a part."

And people ate it up... big time.  Me, too.

 

Oaxaca definitely did this one right.  It has been deemed a great success by all those who were here and there were people here from all over Mexico and plenty of international visitors, as well.

It all bodes well, as Oaxaca is hosting a meeting of all the Mexican states tourist ministers this week.
They could not help but be impressed and yes, proud.  Sometimes, it just feels good to be a part of something so special, so enriching, so uplifting, so human.  Hmmm... I think/hope I am becoming more of a oaxaqueño everyday.

Much more as the dust settles and we all float back down to earth.