chamula

we saw some stuff today that was very very strange. we went to san juan chamula, which is a little village of mostly mayans, outside of san cristobal. it didn't take so long to get there - maybe 20 minutes. we walked up to the main church and the plaza outside of the church, and there was a lot going on. 

first of all, i should mention that there has been a lot of firecrackers and the noise and smoke and explosions that go along with them - this has been happening for days. throughout the day, and the nighttime too. christmas eve was the worst/most. kids in the street were having little bonfires with pieces of wood, and it was late at night (maybe because they were going to midnight mass, or maybe just because that's what happens on christmas eve). we thought that the firecrackers would stop after christmas, but they haven't. last night we heard them, and at 2 or 3 am and then at 5 or 6 am and they were happening all over chamula. and i hear them now also. 

so the plaza outside the church. picture this: all the women and girls we saw were wearing the black fur skirts we see often. most of the men were wearing fur poncho/cape things, either in black or white. the men were also wearing sombreros. lots of girls were approaching us, selling friendship bracelets and keychains, pretty aggressively.  close to the church, there were 10 or 15 men standing in a line, all wearing the black fur capes and sandles that were also boots, and they were holding batons and had red and green ribbons on their sombreros. they stood still for a long time. next to them were a line of men carrying wooden trunks and one holding an armoir. there were also some men with little candles and soda bottles, and they'd pour liquid into the candles. there were a bunch of people holding bushels of tall reeds. there's a bunch of tubas and trumpets in a pile, with someone guarding them. tourists were in a line to get into the church. and firecrackers were going off.

soon they started a parade, and the brass band was going and also a bunch of banjo/homemade guitars, and men playing harps that they were carrying. they were big stand-up harps. and accordians. lots of accordians. and the firecrackers were goign off. the people were carrying the wooden trunks and the armoir. 

i didn't go into the church, but josh says that inside, there were pine needles all over the floor, and live and dead chickens, and people drinking coca cola which we'd heard about ahead of time. you're supposed to drink coca cola and then belch out your evil spirits. so that was happening too. luckily, no firecrackers inside. 

i didn't go in the church partly b/c i didn't want to wait in line in the sun and also because i was already overwhelmed with the weirdness. so while they waited in line and went in the church, i found a shady spot to sit farther away. 

not allowed/supposed to take pictures. so all i can offer is this weird description.