The Divine Day of the Dead

This One's for you Linda...

My cousin Linda was all psyched to come down with her daughter Kelly to immerse themselves totally in the Day of the Dead. However, the U.S. Passport Agency and the State of New Jersey Bureau of Records had other plans and thus they had to cancel.  So, as a consolation prize we are going to include a brief blog on the Day of the Dead for all of your viewing pleasure.

Picture (If you can and you probably can't) American Kids Doing This

Our first stop was the Malecon in Chapala where high school students were busily constructing alters to honor the Dead.  Each year there is a contest with a theme as to whom the alters are honoring.  One year it was environmentalists that were killed by cartels (long story -- has to do with illegal logging and animal trade),  This year it honored Mexican feminists.  I don't believe any of them were killed by cartels.  So, there they all were.  Maybe 150 to 200 high school kids totally concentrated on creating these very elaborate altars each honoring their favorite feminist.  The carpets and designs on them are created out of flower petals using stencils and a great deal of patience.  They have 6 hours to create them and then the judging occurs.  At five o'clock the finished products are displayed and at sundown each alter is lit by candles creating an amazing street scene.

The care, time and attention devoted to creating the altars is quite astounding, as can be seen in these photos.

This includes the items that are made specifically for the altars.

These two photos show how stencils are used to create the intricate patterns and words on the altars.

Catrinas also decorate the area around the altars.

Some of the young people are made up as living Catrina & Catrin.

This is the Pan de los Muertos made for Dia de los Muertos. It is a form of pan dulce (sweet bread).

This Catrina is very modern as she clutches her cell phone (perhaps to better communicate with the dead).

This individual is getting his Catrin makeup.

Next Stop:  The Cemetery of Course

Mmid afternoon we decided to stop by the Ajijic Panteon.  For a couple of days we would pass people as we were driving who would be carrying giant wreaths of flowers or bouquets or both walking in the direction of the cemetery.  By the afternoon of November 2 you couldn't park within 1,000 feet of the panteon (cemetery).  Outside the gates food vendors were set up complete with tables and chairs and large expanses of marigolds (the official Day of the Dead flower) were spread out to be bought and placed on the graves.

Inside the gates Mariachi band members were gathering having been summoned by families to serenade their loved ones.

In Mexico death is regarded as merely another phase of life and is not as feared as it is in some other parts of the world.  While they don't believe in reincarnation, they do believe that on the days of Nov. 1 and 2 the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead are in the closest proximity.  As they say,"the veil is thinnest at this time and it is possible to reach out to your departed family members."  So, entire families will bring or buy food and sit at the grave (sometimes with the food balanced on the crypt) and eat and chat with the deceased.  

These photos show how colorfully the panteon is decorated for Dia de los Muertos.

Finally, We Made Atlas Obscura!

Devoted blog readers will be familiar with the Atlas Obscura which is a website (and book) that lists off beat, interesting and sometimes just really strange events, locations, museums etc. around the world.  Two of my favorites were the Froggy Museum in Split and the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb.  Well, it was only a matter of time until Ajijic scored and entry... and we have arrived.  A local artist, Efren Gonzalez created an entire wall of death masks (you could purchase your very own mask & our friends Allan and Barbara did).  These masks were affixed to the outer wall of a primary school -- a tad macabre-- and are lit every year at the Day of the Dead. It is just the kind of thing the Atlas Obscura loves and thus our entry made the cut.  Michael will include a photo.

These two photos show just a portion of the skull wall.

Due to Michael's having a terrible cold we had to bail on the evening activities at the Plaza and the nighttime parade but (God willing) there is always next year.  And hopefully next year Linda, Kelly and all our other friends who want to indulge in the Day of the Dead will be able to visit with us.  

 

MICHAEL GOES TO CHESTERFIELD

I know you are asking where is Chesterfield and why would Michael want to go there and leave Deirdre in Ajijic. Well Michael at the tender young age of 13 thought he had a vocation to become a priest. Not just any priest. He decided to become a Maryknoll missionary (obviously a desire to travel to foreign lands even back then). Puberty hit at 14 and Michael decided maybe he did not want to be celibate for the rest of his life (much to Deirdre's later relief). After the first quarter of my sophomore year I made the fateful decision to leave the seminary.

However the bonds formed at that young age have somehow extended over the years and due to the efforts of some of my classmates, there have been several reunions at Chesterfield (and, with the advent of COVID, reunions over Zoom). The organizers finally decided to have an in-person reunion again in Chesterfield, MO (the former site of Maryknoll Junior Seminary). One interesting side note is that none of the members of our original freshman class went on to become priests.

The site is now Logan University, a Chiropractic College. Logan University acquired the 112 acres from the Maryknoll order in 1973 for the grand sum of $1.8 million. Quite a bargain considering the growth of Chesterfield. In 1963 Chesterfield consisted of mostly farmland and had a population of 450. According to the 2020 census Chesterfield now has a population of 49,999. It is a thriving bedroom community of St. Louis with very upscale housing, a shopping mall, etc.

The folks at Logan University were kind enough to give us the grand tour of what was formerly the seminary. All of the buildings which we inhabited in 1963 have been repurposed, but the Tower (minus the cross at the top) is still there. More buildings have been added to accommodate the needs of Logan University and its students. What was formerly the Chapel where we attended daily Mass is now the library of the University (complete with the original stained glass windows).

Due to the difficulty of flying from Guadalajara to St. Louis, I arrived Thursday afternoon and had most of Friday to explore St. Louis. I decided to go to Gateway National Park and take one of the little pods to the top of the Gateway Arch (one that Deirdre never would have entered due to phobia #4 - claustrophobia), followed by a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River. I also tried to tour the original St. Louis Basilica, but it was closed for a private event.

The old St. Louis Courthouse completed in 1828 is now occupied by the National Park Service and is part of the Archway National Park.

The view from the top of the Arch looked down on the Mississippi River with these barges passing by, one empty and one filled with coal.

The other side offered birds eye views of St. Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium...

the old St. Louis Courthouse...

and the original St. Louis Basilica.

The shadow cast by the Arch caught my eye as I was looking down on the area around the Gateway National Arch Park.

As I was walking around I was intrigued by the different ways the Arch presented itself.

This was a clear indication of how low the Mississippi River was as we cruised up the river. The markers allow river traffic to show the clearance going under the bridge. 

This bridge reminded me of the Zakim bridge in Boston.

This building of the Union Electric Light and Power was built in 1904 as a generating station...

and, as can be seen in this photo, was massive.

Looking back from the riverboat toward the Arch and the old Courthouse.

The different way this Arch presented itself depending on where you were standing was really intriguing.

The original St. Louis Basilica.

That evening one of our former classmates (along with his wife) hosted a dinner for us at their house in St. Louis. 

Rick (our host) & Bill chat while the rest go for the food.

Mike & Chris loading up their plates.

The temperature was so delightful we were able to enjoy the outdoor patio as we ate & caught up with what everyone had been up to lately.

The next day we all gathered at Logan University for a tour of what was our former campus. The Tower was still there, although with a wall added around the Tower by Logan University to protect it. On the plaque recognizing those who had donated to the wall, some or our party recognized the name of former classmates from Maryknoll Junior Seminary. Although many of the buildings have been transformed, the tour still brought back memories of our time here when we all much, much younger.

The Tower no longer had its cross at the top, but the bells in the Tower still sound at 9, 12, 3 & 6 according to our Logan U. guide.

Sierra, the Logan U photographer, was kind enough to take this photo of our reunion group.

This was one of the new buildings Logan U added.

Cynthia of Logan U. was our guide for the day.

The lobby of the Purser Center, the new building above, was quite nice...

but the state of the art auditorium was even more so. We were there during Future Leopard 

Weekend, when the campus was showcased for new applicants or potential applicants to Logan U.

The former Chapel when we attended is now the Library (note the lack of books but the many computers).

The stained glass windows in the former Chapel were retained in the now Library.

The former sacristy now houses spines, skeletons, skulls, etc. related to chiropractic studies.

Leaving the sacristy, Cynthia leads us back into the Library.

When we were students these were the handball courts where we used to play. They have obviously been repurposed and are no longer used for handball.

On Sunday some of us met up for brunch at Sassafras Restaurant & Cafe, which is located at the entrance to the Missouri Botanical Gardens. When I arrived I noticed all of these costumed children running around. Families were encouraged to bring their children in their Halloween costumes for a special event at the Gardens. After brunch we toured the gardens before wishing everyone a fond farewell until next time.

One of the costumed children at the Gardens.

The skeleton on the spider in the garden with the pumpkins below was part of the Halloween decorations.

There are 79 acres of gardens, but we spent most of our time strolling through the 14 acre Japanese garden.

We came across a young girl feeding the ducks & geese, while the fish with open mouths waited for anything to drop their way.

The size of the carp were most impressive, as can be seen when compared to the size of the duck.

No Japanese garden would be complete without the Zen garden.

The bridge over the water is a constant theme in Japanese gardens...

although this bridge was blocked so we could not walk across. 

Flowing water with a waterfall is also a common theme.

As we left this sculpture caught my eye.

The next day I was scheduled to fly out from St. Louis to DFW and then catch a connecting flight to Guadalajara. On my return I experienced all of the wonderful "joys" of air travel. Before I checked out of my hotel, I received a notice from American Airlines that my flight from St. Louis to DFW was delayed. Realizing I would miss my connection at DFW to Guadalajara, I contacted American Airlines. After finally getting a customer service agent and going through the many prompts from the auto-attendant, I let them know I wanted to rebook on another airline and get a refund for the St. Louis to DFW portion of my flight. After much back & forth between the customer service agent and her supervisor, I was told this would be possible. (Although the refund I finally received was a pittance.)

 I managed to find a flight from St. Louis to Love Field in Dallas on Southwest Airlines that would allow me to get to DFW in time to make my connection. Fortunately I have a very understanding sister & brother-in-law in Dallas. They picked me up at Love Field and we had enough time to have dinner together before they dropped me off at DFW. 

While waiting for my flight, I first received a notice it would be delayed from 8:53 PM to 11:20 PM and the gate had changed. I schlepped down to the new gate and by the time I arrived at the new gate I received three quick notices. The flight was delayed until 3 AM, then 6 AM and finally 8 AM. 

I called my sister and she and her husband drove back out to DFW to pick me up so I would not have to sleep in the airport overnight. When I arrived at my sister's house I received another notice from American offering to put me up at one of three motels which were all at least ten miles away from the airport and none of which offered shuttle service to or from the airport. My beloved sister and her husband got up at 4:30 AM the next morning to take me back to DFW.

When I finally arrived back in Guadalajara, Deirdre asked me if the trip had been worth it given the difficulties of getting back home. I unequivocally answered yes. It was fantastic to be able to reconnect with my classmates, some of whom I had not seen since leaving the seminary almost sixty years ago.