Our last night in Varkala was October 31st: Halloween in the US, UK and New Zealand and the first of the Mexican dias de los muertos (Days of the Dead). Separate conversations with the Levitt-Campbells, with Rocio y Carlos, and with the Funky Art Cafe staff got me all excited, and we organised a party.
Rocio got hold of flowers, candles and coloured paper to build an altar de los muertos, on which we put food, drinks, sweets, even cigarettes that our dear departed would like. I added coffee and fish curry for mi abuelo Howard and my grandmother Biddy to share - Heather got a cup of tea and a fag for her nan Fran. We chatted, telling each other a little about those we'd lost - it was warm and personal, but upbeat and not at all maudlin. A great tradition, I think!
Later, the local children shared food from the altar, and sweets our young ones gave out:
After a while, Carlos (who should have won a fancy dress prize for his Igor), started playing a borrowed drum, I played some guitar, and we let off the fireworks that Max, Myra, Melissa and Rosa had gone into town to buy the day before (on their own!). Then we hauled hard on a big rope dangling off the edge of the cliff, and pulled up a giant palm-frond fish to dance with.
Tied to the belly of the fish we found more sweets, and children and adults alike scrambled for them. It was a great party.
- Mark
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