Travel With Candace

So our rag-tag, Guadeloupean crew (myself, friend Andrea (pictured), and cousin Reggie) recently discovered a new beach called “Plage de Babin.” This isn’t your ordinary sun, sand and snorkel beach; it’s where Guadeloupeans go to find mud - yep, mud.

Mud baths are the draw to this spot in Morne-a-L’eau and whole families stop by to partake in the messy fun. You wade out into the water until you start to feel the slick mud between your toes. You go under for a few handfuls of the gray muck and carry it back to the shore. There, you slather a thin layer of mud all over your body and wait until it dries before rinsing off. The whole process is pretty fun and your skin feels extremely soft and smooth after the fact.

The mud is good for your hair as well; though I wouldn’t recommend it for people with locks. It takes days to get rid of all the little rocks and shells – not fun.

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In the weeks leading up to the actual 4 days of Carnival many cities host Carnival celebrations and parades. Organizers invite Carnival groups from all over the island to participate and give their citizens a treat. The groups march through the city and people line the streets and their balconies to watch. The march usually concludes at a central location, likely the town plaza, where one can find the bulk of spectators, vendors, and general excitement.

I live in Morne-a-L’eau and though my group, Akiyo, was marching I decided to watch the parade and experience my town’s celebration. You don’t get to see much of other groups when you are marching, so for me it was a new experience. Everyone was in a festive mood and it was fun to see my students out of class. They were running around everywhere! It was a great atmosphere and I’m glad I took the time to watch; though I did catch some friendly flak for not marching.

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I had repeatedly seen the term “Léwòz” written on event posters and fliers, but never quite knew what the term entailed. I attended my first Léwòz recently and found it to be fun and interesting.

At base, a Léwòz is a coming together of people who enjoy the celebration of Guadeloupean music and culture. It is an all-night drum/dance fest that starts around 9:00 and can end as late as 6:00 in the morning. Food and drinks are sold, people socialize, dance, and generally have a good time. Traditional Gwo-Ka music is played and continues almost non-stop with drummers ans singers switching off as needed. Anyone can dance in the middle of a huge circle created by the crowd, as sown in the video above.

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So my legs still hurt from this week’s Carnival march. The Akiyo group marched from Point-a-Pitre to Baie-Mahult and back, which is about 16 kilometers or 10 miles!

The costumes this week were made from dried banana leaves and people wore bull horns (or something of that shape). There were some really interesting variations on the costume. Unfortunately my digital camera of 4 years died on me Sunday night so I have no new photos. I don’t even have a picture of my own costume! Anywhoo, I included some images from 2006 so you get the general idea.

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So misinformation was abound on Sunday as I tried to participate in the Carnival parade. Decked out in military green and the cardboard drum I’d made with my rasta buddy Deka (pictured), I looked for Akiyo for hours. It turned out that Akiyo left their headquarters earlier than usual and took a entirely different route than anyone expected. I wasn’t the only one confused, many passersby that saw my costume stopped me to inquire about the groups whereabouts. Sadly, I was of no help.

I never got to march with Akiyo on Sunday, but was able to watch some of the other Carnival groups pass by. In the end, witnessing the variety of costumes and music was a fair consolation; though I couldn’t raise my arms in the crush of people to get good pictures.

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I’m coming up on the last few days of the school vacation for All Saints’ Day or “Toussaint” as it’s known in French. Falling on November 1st, All Saints’ Day is a Catholic Holiday recognizing all saints and martyrs, known or unknown link. In Guadeloupe the Holiday is a two-day celebration that spurs big family dinners and trips to local cemeteries where many candles are laid on the graves of departed loved ones. This tradition isn’t sad or morbid, actually, the sheer number of people, the joyous camaraderie, and numerous vendors make for a party around and in the cemetery.

The festivities in Morne a L’eau, where I’m stationed as a teacher, are some of the most famous on the island due to the town’s unique and expansive, black and white cemetery. It seemed like the whole commune came out to celebrate on Friday evening; I saw a number of my students and their families. As I ascended through the narrow walkways and stairways that pass between the tombs I was amazed at the scene. What seemed like thousands of candles bathed the cemetery in reddish glow and illuminated the hundreds of people that sat, walked, and visited amongst the graves late into the evening.

Witnessing this tradition in action was definitely one of the most interesting experiences I have had thus far. Additional photos from the cemetery can be found here.

Editor’s Note: Some of the pictures in the album are a bit blurry due all the different levels of light but I thought they might still be of interest.

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