ben and i were able to get out of the city yesterday and travel to sumpango to celebrate dia de los muertos, guatemala style. it was an amazing experience. families create these gigantic kites and put them on display for others to enjoy. the backs are large bamboo sticks and they are seriously massive, so one can only imagine if the kite dive bombs into the crowd. the wind wasn't that great, so we actually left the festival before the large kites flew, but they were pretty spectacular to see. the town was full of children flying kites and everyone seemed so happy and welcoming. the kites are flown to release the spirits of loved ones that have passed away, and typically they are flown over graveyards. it's amazing how other cultures celebrate death in a positive light. i created an album "sumpango (guate)" which is worth looking at for the time it took me to create it alone. here are a few of my favorite shots of the day...
i love this little boy
graves
the food
the kites
the view
there are many more pictures in the album on the left, so make sure to check it out!
and...here's a video i took of one of the poles going up that hold the kites into place. it gives you an idea of how intense these kites are.
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