DAY OF THE DEAD

Nov 2 is Dia de Los Difuntos (Day of the Ghosts) here and in a many other countries. It is essentially a day to celebrate loved ones who have passed on to the after life. Most everyone has the day off (or only has to work a half-day) so that they have time to visit the cemetery and lay flowers on the grave of their loved ones. OH! and everyone eats these delicious sweets called bunelos. Heres a photo and recipe: 

My sitemate and I decided to participate in the days festivities by going to the cemetery, bringing along flowers to put on a random grave and eating bunelos...after all part of our job is to integrate into the culture here! So we brought a small bouquet of flowers, walked to the cemetery in the long line of people and started the search for a grave. We were looking for the most deserving grave, something that was; Fachenta (or Incredibly Outrageous), Triste (Sad and Desolate), Parecido a algo... (Reminded us of something). 

Finally, after walking all over the graveyard we found it! It was huge, but tucked away, which was sad because it was kinda pretty. Just as we were about to lay our flowers on the grave, the real family comes up behind us and starts watching us, while we were watching their dead. Needless to say it was awkward. So we continued the search..and in the end decided that we would place our flowers on what appeared to be a unmarked childs grave. It was a bit unkept, and didnt have much grass growing on it yet. We decided that it would be for all the unmarked graves who wouldnt receive visitors this year.