November first is an important day here in Guatemala. It is el dia del muerto, or the day of the dead. Most villages, particularly the indigenous ones, have some kind of religious festival or tradition that they all partake in. One village, called Todos Santos, has an all day horse race where all the riders get completely drunk and see who can last the longest. It is a huge tourist attraction, even though it is very dangerous! Last year, six people were killed during this festival. Other villages travel into the cemeteries at night with candles and drink beer while they mourn the dead. There are two famous villages that spend an entire year making 30 foot high kites out of paper machete. Each kite depicts different Mayan rituals or spiritual beliefs. The bigger ones do not fly, but the smaller ones are flown in remembrance of those that passed away. We went to one of these villages, located about 20 minutes outside the city. We got one huge campo with stacks of corn husks, bottles, and a multitude of crazy ice cream carts with cow bells that never cease to ring. Welcome to the Guatemala mindset “the louder…the better!”
It was crazy to say the least, but the kites were amazing! It was especially neat to see the intricacy of them up close. The day after the festival, the village begins making kites for the next year.









If you have ever lived in a big city with lots of Latins, then these guys should be familiar