Awakening once again to songs of mourning doves and the clanging of numerous church bells, I’m counting my last few precious days here in the heart of Mexico. Ornately painted calacas (skulls), elegantly clad skeletal Catrinas, ten foot tall mojigangas (giant puppets), fireworks and parades of Dia de Los Muertos are finished. Now it’s back to life as usual the streets of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato.
Spirits of the dead are arriving to reunite with their loved ones. Few living souls can see them, but there is little doubt that the deceased walk among us. We feel their presence on this Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) here in the corazon (heart) of Mexico. San Miguel de Allende is ground zero for this celebration, and here is where you’re likely to encounter La Calavera Catrina; the elegantly clad skeletal lady who waltzed out of a Diego Rivera mural to become the embodiment of those who’ve departed, and an icon of Mexican culture.
