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Hello From Taxco Experiencing The Good Friday Processions An Eerie Yet Strangely Beautiful Experience
y last couple of days in walk through town. Shortly before
Mexico were approaching noon I sat down on a little
fast and furiously. I balcony on the second floor of
packed my overnight bag early one of the restaurants
this morning and took the 9:15 am overlooking Taxco's zócalo (main
bus to Taxco again. I had already square) with a perfect view of
been here last week for the Palm the Santa Prisca Cathedral. The
Sunday Procession and had decided local crowd was already gathering
that I wanted to return to this for this procession which is
famous Mexican silver city to see entitled "Las Tres Caídas" and
its famous Semana Santa refers to the three times that
processions. I sat back in the Jesus falls down on his way to
comfortable Estrella de Oro bus his crucifixion.
and let the Mexican landscape
pass me by, reflecting back on my My egg breakfast had to wait
weeks here in this beautiful since the procession started to
country. arrive and surprisingly they were
coming into the town centre from
Although we stopped in a local another street, so I realized I
village, we arrived punctually at didn't have the best seat in the
10:45 am right in front of the house after all. A local family
Posada de la Mision, again my was sitting on the balcony on
comfortable home base for my other side of the restaurant and
overnight adventure in Taxco. I had a much better view and I
checked in and said hello to asked them if I could stand
Fabiola who had been so kind last behind them to take some photos
week as to give me a nice local of the procession. They were very
tour of town last weekend. gracious and squeezed in for me
so I would be able to get a
I checked in and went for a nice better view of the happenings.
only had one memory card on me
A throng of people had for my camera, I was even able to
congregated in front of the download my images and burn them
Cathedral, and there was a onto a CD for another 20 pesos. I
reenactment of Christ's walk must say, I have been very
towards his crucifixion. Several impressed with the Internet cafés
people were carrying a a statue here in Mexico - they are
of Christ bearing a cross on a reasonably priced, you can play
wooden frame. This statue would online games, listen to music and
be lowered three times to even download data and burn CDs.
represent Christ falling three
times on his way to his At around 5 pm I went to Taxco's
crucifixion. Ex Convento (the former convent,
now one of the churches in town)
The whole process probably took where one of the most famous Good
an hour or more and after I Friday processions in the entire
finished eating my now cold eggs country was about to start. This
(not an enticing proposition, I procession was called El Santo
might add) I headed back to the Entierro (the Holy Burial,
Posada de la Misión to catch a representing the burial of
bit of rest. The last few days Christ).
had been so jam-packed with
action that I just needed to The mood in town was downright
regain my strength a little. somber, there were many hundreds
of people in the streets, from
At 4:30 I got up again and went small children to the very
to a local Internet café to check elderly, but hardly anyone spoke
my messages. Again, at 5 pesos a word. Many people were dressed
per hour (about C$.60) the price in black. I was waiting patiently
is extremely affordable. Since I under a small ornamental tree
right in front of the Ex Convento they would have to bend down to
to see what would happen next. the main entrance of the church
and pay their respects. Each man
A group of women dressed all in had three other helpers
black was lining up and they accompanying him for safety
would participate in the purposes. They proceeded to walk
procession as animas (spirits), slowly towards the Santa Prisca
part of the 3 groups of Cathedral.
penitentes (repenting sinners)
that participate in Taxco's The women, dressed all in black
Easter week processions. The as animas, meanwhile, were
suspense was getting too much, walking barefoot as well, and
and finally the procession they were also wearing black
started. Group after group of hoods, their legs were shackled
encrucijados (men with a naked with a chain and in each hand
upper body, with a black hood they were holding a candle. Much
covering their face, and a black of the way they would be walking
robe from the belly down) were bent over. All you heard was the
carrying heavy rolls of thorny shuffling of the chains along the
blackberry bush stalks with their cobble-stoned streets.
arms stretched out as if they
were being crucified. The third group of penitentes is
called flagelantes, these are
The roll of thorny blackberry men, again hooded, with a naked
bush stalks represents the cross upper body, barefoot and with a
and there were what seemed like black robe from their mid-section
hundreds of hooded men that came on down. These men were all
out of the Ex Convento carrying a heavy wooden cross and
intermittently. With this heavy a whip made of rope that had
bundle on top of their shoulders, little nails embedded in the end
section. And with this whip they
were flagellating themselves At one point I left the
every time the procession came to procession and walked into the
a stop. Some of the men carrying town which was eerily quiet with
the thorn bundles already had no street vendors or street life
scabs on their back from being of any kind. I felt I had to get
flagelantes earlier in the week. away from this scene of black
hooded people who were
Some of these flagelantes even intentionally inflicting pain on
came out of the Ex Convento themselves. In Taxco this is a
already with a bloody back and time-honoured ritual, but when
the procession would still go on you are not used to this kind of
for two or three more hours. demonstration it does have an
Again, the atmosphere in the town impact on your psyche.
was extremely eerie, everything
was quiet, traffic had been I decided to grab a dinner in one
blocked off, there was no music of the pizzerias overlooking
anywhere, hardly anyone spoke. A Taxco's main square, right next
total contrast to the normal to the Cathedral. The building
lively ambience in Taxco. was about 4 stories high and the
top two stories were part of the
I watched this until about 6:30, restaurant with the top portion
there were literally hundreds of holding the kitchen and a
animas, encrucijados and partially open terrace.
flagelantes coming out of the Ex
Convento to participate in this It was a beautiful place with a
procession and I have to admit I perfect view of the Santa Prisca
felt quite overwhelmed by this Cathedral, the Zócalo, and the
extremely realistic re-enactment landscape stretching south from
of pain and suffering. Taxco, overlooking the rooftops
of the city. I sat down by myself black hoods, shackled, carrying
and reflected on all the images heavy thorn bundles or
that had been burning themselves flagellating themselves until
into my retina. No doubt the their entire back is bloody no
Easter week processions in Taxco doubt affected me. I heard that
are a very unique and strangely there was going to be another
esthetic special event. procession tonight at midnight,
with almost everyone dressed in
In some ways these processions black, holding candles, again
remind me of a bullfight, both of including the penitentes.
these rituals share a long
tradition, they involve suffering At this point I realized I just
and blood, and they are both an didn't have the psychological
integral part of the psyche and stamina to head out for another
the identity of the locals, while one of these processions, no less
foreigners may feel overwhelmed at midnight, by myself, when
by these experiences. everything is dark and the
atmosphere is even more eerie. So
I for one found it was difficult I decided to spend a quiet night
to remain totally emotionally in the hotel, reflecting on these
detached and the image of all visual experiences.
these people in black robes,
About the Author:
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions (http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Find unconventional travel information, cross-cultural experiences, interviews with travellers and other inspiring people. Submit your own travel stories & win an exciting Amazon River cruise! "Life is a Journey - Explore New Horizons”
Read more articles by: Susanne Pacher
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