Its an honor to be thrown into an active volcano and sacrificed to the Gods...so they say.
It is Christmas eve and today is the day people actually celebrate Christmas here in Nicaragua. It's hard to believe that though as everyone around town appear to be very much "business as usual". Business doors swing open, local market vendors are setting up for the day, and tour companies are still taking us foreigners around.
I woke up early so i can stroll around town. Got myself up to the church bell towers to have an overlook of this beautiful city of Granada. I'm so in awe of this place - i can't even find the words. The view from the tower was amazing...saw right up to Lago Nicaragua. I must have taken about 50 pictures from up there alone. All of the churches around town were gearing up for night masses and I was so excited to see what it was all going to be like. Though, the moment I step out of any of the many church doors I entered, I w
as still baffled; it seemed like Christmas was just a preparation but was starting to look like it was going to be just that - preparation. It looked like it was going to be anti-climactic and the next day would be any ho-hum day. Maybe it was just another night for people to get drunk and be merry.
I went off to do a tour of Volcan Masaya. A bus took us up to the site where we saw the active volcano steaming and hear it roaring. The sun was starting to set and pretty soon we saw the lava glowing. We peered down it carefully making sure not to fall in. We tried to capture the whole experience on our cameras...but there was no doing it justice.
Before the sun completely disappeared on us we went into some caves to see, hear, and be ricocheted by bats. All cameras and flashlights were turned off and everyone was asked to be quiet. The bats were alive and they were fluttering around us. We went further into the save until we could not go any more.
Our ranger guide's name was Joel. He tells us that back in the Mayan days, people were chosen to be sacrificed and thrown into the live volcano. This was apparently an honor to be sacrificed. A child would be chosen at a very young age and prepared
throughout the years to fulfill this tradition. They had to be in the right mindset and of course, willing to be the human sacrifice for the sake of the rest of the people of the town and it's God. A ceremony would be held, and the child (at about 12-14 years old) would gladly go in to their happy ending. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be prepped and know that on a specific date, all things that i know, all things that I Love, everything...would be no more. Of course, the Mayans believed in the afterlife and that the Gods would reincarnate the chosen to something (usually an animal) and give them a pleasant life. But I'm not Mayan...I believe in heaven. How timely that on Christmas eve, we learn about the human sacrifice to please the rest man kind, much as God did with Jesus.
We got back into town and i got ready right away so i can make it to mass after dinner. With the Christmas gifts i had in my hand, we walked to a restaurant called Fusion (obviously geared for gringos). On the way there, firecrackers were going off like crazy. I looked over at one barrio along the way and saw there was a huge street party happening - that's where i wanted to be. As soon as we got to Fusion, i dropped my things and told someone to order for me. I grabbed my camera and headed back to that barrio. People were drinking like they were dehydrated. Girls here, very much like some girls that i've seen back home, were pounding large bottles of alcohol while wearing their pretty dresses. Children were swinging for the massive pinata that were being controlled by one of the odler neighborhood kids. Old 'good-times' neighbors were making juices for all the kids and handing out little presents as well. Everyone was tuned in. Everyone was alive. Everyone was partaking. I, on the other hand, was observing. I strolled around a bit more until i knew i had to head back to Fusion with the others. I felt like Ritchie Rich; I had just seen something so cool yet i'm sitting here in a ritzy frou frou made-for-foreigner-restaurant listening to conversations i couldn't care about...i just want to play baseball! I realize that this year, I am not partaking in Christmas but merely taking notes of it. I was in a bit of a funk when i got back into the resto so i just sat there and ate ceviche and drank sangria. At least I can still make it to mass.
I left Fusion and bee-lined for the cathedral. I got there and the gates were being closed up. I missed it. I was told the wrong time. I sat on the steps and watched everyone else (foreigners and locals alike) celebrate. My mood was tired and easily irritable. The group saw me on the steps and came over all equally disappointed. More so disappointed that i was disappointed, it seemed like. We headed back to the hotel. The others opted to go to the bar across the street to play poker and drink. I didn't feel like it. I headed down the street to watch some more. I took my notes, I observed the festivities that surrounded. I sat and wrote in my book knowing that this Christmas, I am alone. I got back into my room and packed my bags to get ready for the next town tomorrow. This was a sacrifice i threw in the volcanoes when i signed up for this vacation. This, I knew.
Feliz Navidad.
It is Christmas eve and today is the day people actually celebrate Christmas here in Nicaragua. It's hard to believe that though as everyone around town appear to be very much "business as usual". Business doors swing open, local market vendors are setting up for the day, and tour companies are still taking us foreigners around.
I woke up early so i can stroll around town. Got myself up to the church bell towers to have an overlook of this beautiful city of Granada. I'm so in awe of this place - i can't even find the words. The view from the tower was amazing...saw right up to Lago Nicaragua. I must have taken about 50 pictures from up there alone. All of the churches around town were gearing up for night masses and I was so excited to see what it was all going to be like. Though, the moment I step out of any of the many church doors I entered, I w
as still baffled; it seemed like Christmas was just a preparation but was starting to look like it was going to be just that - preparation. It looked like it was going to be anti-climactic and the next day would be any ho-hum day. Maybe it was just another night for people to get drunk and be merry.I went off to do a tour of Volcan Masaya. A bus took us up to the site where we saw the active volcano steaming and hear it roaring. The sun was starting to set and pretty soon we saw the lava glowing. We peered down it carefully making sure not to fall in. We tried to capture the whole experience on our cameras...but there was no doing it justice.
Before the sun completely disappeared on us we went into some caves to see, hear, and be ricocheted by bats. All cameras and flashlights were turned off and everyone was asked to be quiet. The bats were alive and they were fluttering around us. We went further into the save until we could not go any more.
Our ranger guide's name was Joel. He tells us that back in the Mayan days, people were chosen to be sacrificed and thrown into the live volcano. This was apparently an honor to be sacrificed. A child would be chosen at a very young age and prepared
throughout the years to fulfill this tradition. They had to be in the right mindset and of course, willing to be the human sacrifice for the sake of the rest of the people of the town and it's God. A ceremony would be held, and the child (at about 12-14 years old) would gladly go in to their happy ending. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be prepped and know that on a specific date, all things that i know, all things that I Love, everything...would be no more. Of course, the Mayans believed in the afterlife and that the Gods would reincarnate the chosen to something (usually an animal) and give them a pleasant life. But I'm not Mayan...I believe in heaven. How timely that on Christmas eve, we learn about the human sacrifice to please the rest man kind, much as God did with Jesus.We got back into town and i got ready right away so i can make it to mass after dinner. With the Christmas gifts i had in my hand, we walked to a restaurant called Fusion (obviously geared for gringos). On the way there, firecrackers were going off like crazy. I looked over at one barrio along the way and saw there was a huge street party happening - that's where i wanted to be. As soon as we got to Fusion, i dropped my things and told someone to order for me. I grabbed my camera and headed back to that barrio. People were drinking like they were dehydrated. Girls here, very much like some girls that i've seen back home, were pounding large bottles of alcohol while wearing their pretty dresses. Children were swinging for the massive pinata that were being controlled by one of the odler neighborhood kids. Old 'good-times' neighbors were making juices for all the kids and handing out little presents as well. Everyone was tuned in. Everyone was alive. Everyone was partaking. I, on the other hand, was observing. I strolled around a bit more until i knew i had to head back to Fusion with the others. I felt like Ritchie Rich; I had just seen something so cool yet i'm sitting here in a ritzy frou frou made-for-foreigner-restaurant listening to conversations i couldn't care about...i just want to play baseball! I realize that this year, I am not partaking in Christmas but merely taking notes of it. I was in a bit of a funk when i got back into the resto so i just sat there and ate ceviche and drank sangria. At least I can still make it to mass.
I left Fusion and bee-lined for the cathedral. I got there and the gates were being closed up. I missed it. I was told the wrong time. I sat on the steps and watched everyone else (foreigners and locals alike) celebrate. My mood was tired and easily irritable. The group saw me on the steps and came over all equally disappointed. More so disappointed that i was disappointed, it seemed like. We headed back to the hotel. The others opted to go to the bar across the street to play poker and drink. I didn't feel like it. I headed down the street to watch some more. I took my notes, I observed the festivities that surrounded. I sat and wrote in my book knowing that this Christmas, I am alone. I got back into my room and packed my bags to get ready for the next town tomorrow. This was a sacrifice i threw in the volcanoes when i signed up for this vacation. This, I knew.
Feliz Navidad.
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