Dia de los Muertos

For the Day of the Dead I woke up early and went with Elvia, her aunt Gloria, and her cousin Leonardo to decorate the grave of Gloria´s husband, Victor. He died when Gloria was 23 years old, had a two year old son, Victor, and was three months pregnant with Leonardo. I did not take my camera because I did not want to be the gringo in the graveyard taking pictures. The graveyard was beautiful with all the people and the various types of flowers and colors. After we left the graveyard we tried to buy chochitos, which is a type of food that I can´t really describe, but deliciously wonderful. Unfortunately, the women selling chochitos were sold out by the time we left the graveyard. We then walked to the house of the family of Victor and spent some time visiting. Elvia and I then drove to Santa Teresa with her grandmother and cousin, Elvira and her daughter Malleli. Most of Elvia´s family is buried in Santa Teresa, but her family had already decorated the graves. We just decorated the grave of Elvia´s great-grandmother. I love Elvia´s mother, Witcha. She gives wonderful hugs and is always smiling and trying to tell me to sit down and rest and eat and drink tea. We ate tortillas of elote, instead of maize.

We went back to Gloria´s house around 12 or 1 pm where they were preparing fiambre, the traditional meal of the Day of the Dead. Fiambre is basically a mix a various different types of foods, meats and vegetables all mixed together. I did not hate fiambre, but I did not like it either. I don´t really like beets, and a large part of the meal was beets and this disgusting vegetable that is incredibly bitter and horrible. I am not really sure why anyone would like it; the bitter taste cannot be covered. My family talks really fast, mumbles, and use slang. I tend to spend a lot of time not fully understanding what is happening, but understanding enough. That afternoon was so chaotic and full of people coming and going I was really confused, but it was a fun afternoon full of new experiences and new foods.