It's Holy Thursday. Also known as Party Town, Antigua Guatemala. Or maybe
"The Savior's dying for us! Let's celebrate by getting trashed and staying up all night!" My friends and I aren't getting trashed. But we are going to stay out all night. Because that's what they tell us you do. Alfombra work is well underway all over the city. Families and friends meticulously spreading flowers, sand, sawdust, and even chocolate (Oh Fernando's Kafe, how I miss you!) into intricate carpets covering the ground in front of their homes or businesses. We walk, we take lots of pictures. Somewhere in the city the processions are moving to somber music. Men dressed in purple robes swaying back and forth carrying the heavy onda. Depictions of Jesus' last days being carried through the streets. We giggle as we pass the robed teens as they
"comen boca" after their time in the procession. Can you do that? Can you
chchchchtt at me dressed in a robe you wear to pay penitence?
We eat and get coffee at Cafe Contessa. Coffee and cheese cake at roughly 2am. Perfect! We check on Alison. Pobrecita. We probably should have gone to the doctor...Spend some time in the office before heading out again. We walk. A lot. Always more alfombras to take pictures of. People hurry to make them perfect before the processions come and pass over them. Ruining them, but then so will the dump truck that immediately follows behind each onda with Jesus on top to scoop up what's left. One alfombra is lit with candles. Do they blow them out before the men walk over? We don't stay to find out. The smell of incense hangs thick.
4 am. Beth and I have cracked. Everything's funny. And funnier still. The rest of our small party thinks we're crazy. They don't get the joke. We look like we fit in with everyone else, but we're not drunk...We make it till morning. Decide to stay longer and find the procession. Bed is calling, and we're looking rough! But sure. We find it way far away, but everything's far when you've been walking the city all night. It was a good procession to see. Don Carlos' voice in my head as I watch it pass,
"mira en su expresión. Llena con la emoción. Es muy, muy precioso." I don't know how many times we heard that something was muy, muy precioso.
Look in his face. How it's filled with emotion. It's beautiful, precious. "
Puedes sentir su dolor para nuestros pecados." You can feel his pain for our sins. I can see it, what he's talking about. But I don't get it. The processions, the alfombras, the robes...it's a lot, you know? And a lot of you are drunk. Does that help you connect with His pain? We're all out here having a grand old time. Hey! This procession has horses and men and armor. It's cool to watch, but what are you really celebrating? Your savior, like this?
We disperse. Fall into bed and pass out. Holy Thursday, Antigua. Check that one off the list.
