Oaxaca de Juárez – Day 1: Wedding Crasher
OAXACA DE JUÁREZ
Day 1: Wedding Crasher
August 13, 2022
The road to Oaxaca… Oh boy, let’s just say it wasn’t exactly a pleasant one – certainly not one to take at night by bus. I think it was the first time in my life I admitted to myself that I would’ve preferred to catch a flight instead. Just shy of twelve hours, the route we took had so many speed bumps it felt as if were driving on Lego bricks – with so many stops, it felt like Buddy pressing all the buttons in a skyscraper lift.
Again, I might be exaggerating, but you’d need some kind of superpower to sleep through the night on a trip like that – something I always thought I had. Up until then, I’d managed to sleep through the unspeakable: fireworks, my neighbour’s clarinet practice, my brother playing video games in the same room, my mother screaming at the dogs, my dogs screaming at my mother. But not this one trip. Oh no. This one trip had me on the verge of a psychotic episode – I’m talking full-on, bug-eyed catatonia with under-eye bags the size of Jupiter.
The City
Oaxaca de Juárez, like Puebla, is the capital of its own state with the same name. The city is named after Benito Juárez, a native and former president who was responsible for the separation of church and state, and who led Mexico through the French invasion to secure its independence. It is also referred to as La Verde Antequera, with green cantera stone used in many structures and constructions such as fountains, roads, and buildings. Another distinguishing feature of Oaxaca is that, out of the 68 languages spoken in Mexico, 16 are spoken exclusively by the people here.
Oaxaca, being one of the most famous tourist destinations, was, to me, not unlike Puebla in many ways: street art, colourful buildings with barred windows, music and dancing in the middle of the streets, and the usual colonial charm that comes along with such cities. I’d say wandering the streets is the best thing to do in this city, but really and truly, I could go on and on about the food and only that. Spoiler alert: it’s the best in Mexico – at least based on its reputation, the places I’ve visited and according to my undiscerning tastes. From tortas to mole, from tamales to tacos, everything left me drooling and wanting seconds and thirds (okay… fourths too.)
Crashing
Amongst my never-ending to-visit list here was the Catedral de Santo Domingo. Standing some four blocks away from the imposing cathedral, I was drawn to it by loud music and cheering. I made my way to the small square facing the church, where a huge crowd had assembled. Amidst the chaos and excitement stood two men wearing masks made of what seemed to be animal pelts and two large straw hats, with two slits for eyes, and colourful outfits made of plastic strips. Standing nearby were six women in beautiful, multicoloured traditional dresses, each carrying a basket full of flowers on her head.
Right in the centre of the parade were two tall papier-mâché figures being moved by two men on stilts – a female and a male, with a huge balloon in between them bearing the names “Audrey & Moy”. It didn’t take me long to realise what was going on. As I stood there in my trekking attire with my huge backpack, it quickly dawned on me that I had crashed a friggin’ wedding – albeit an open, public one.
The music and cheering quickly came to a halt as soon as the newlyweds emerged from the cathedral – the crowd once again erupting in a frenzy of applause and cheers. The ladies then lined up on opposite sides and began dancing to the music of the mariachis, spinning around – their colourful skirts twirling elegantly in purposeful, synchronous movements. The bride and groom, surrounded by their loved ones, started dancing along with everyone, greeting family, friends, and strangers alike (myself included), offering mezcal and tequila to anyone and everyone as they posed for photos.
Turns out, this is a Mexican tradition known as a callejoneada – a parade that takes the happy couple and their guests from the church to their reception venue. The stereotypical “the more, the merrier” attitude that is so common in Latin culture holds true here, with tourists, locals, and relatives all included in the celebration. Being part of it – completely unintentional though it might have been – was something special, to say the least. Especially when you’re being handed free drinks!