{"id":7034,"date":"2017-05-12T09:00:40","date_gmt":"2017-05-12T13:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=7034"},"modified":"2017-05-08T14:00:03","modified_gmt":"2017-05-08T18:00:03","slug":"the-birdmen-of-the-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=7034","title":{"rendered":"The Birdmen of the Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 2017 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Walking along the Malec\u00f3n, in Puerto Vallarta, there\u00a0is no shortage of free entertainment.<\/p>\n

Bartenders and waitresses, line dance on the sidewalk to entice you to enter.<\/p>\n

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Renaissance figures mysteriously float\u00a0over the sidewalk.<\/p>\n

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Shiny Mexican outlaws decorate the benches.<\/p>\n

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Statues pour water.<\/p>\n

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They are all there to entertain you and make a quick peso!<\/p>\n

As we strolled along the boardwalk, at the noon hour, I noticed a tall pole in the distance.\u00a0 There was movement at the top and as we neared, I realized that there were five men perched atop this pole.\u00a0 Searching my\u00a0memory, I realized that I had seen this before somewhere else in Mexico.<\/p>\n

These were the Mexican pole\u00a0flyers (or birdmen, as they are sometimes known) who perform Voladores de Papantla, the Ritual of the Voladores.<\/p>\n

Persuading my children that we should wait, we found a shady spot under a palm tree and watched the brightly dressed men prepare for their ceremony.<\/p>\n

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The dance of the flyers is a Mesoamerican ceremony in which five participants climb to the top of a thirty foot pole.\u00a0 Suspended by ropes wound around the top of the pole, four of\u00a0the flyers, representing the four directions and\u00a0the elements of air, water, earth and fire,\u00a0fall backward off of the pole and then fly through the air upside down, sometimes in elegant birdlike poses,\u00a0as they are rotated thirteen times and lowered to the ground.\u00a0 The fifth dancer, playing a drum and a flute, remains at the top.<\/p>\n

According to legend, this ceremony was\u00a0created\u00a0to ask the gods\u00a0to stop droughts in ancient times, but is now a recognized historical and cultural dance that is kept alive by communities to honor the historical traditions and rituals of ancient cultures. Voladores de Papantla ceremony was named an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2009, in order to help the ritual survive and thrive in the modern world and may be seen in various areas throughout the country.<\/p>\n

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A school for flyer children was established in Takilhsukut Park on Tecolutla, Mexico,\u00a0where formal instruction is given on ceremony.\u00a0 Flyers must spend ten to twelve years in preparation before participation in an event and women are prohibited from performing.\u00a0\u00a0 Sometimes a dangerous event, there are many deaths each year due to poorly knotted ropes and other types of improper preparations.<\/p>\n

We were all mesmerized as we watched the colorful\u00a0flyers wind their way down to the beach below, wondering aloud how they were able to stand after the continuous spinning!<\/p>\n

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The large crowd that had gathered, rightly erupted into applause for the performers at the end of their performance.\u00a0 Truly an unforgettable experience!<\/p>\n

Needless to say…the hat that was passed, gathered many a peso!<\/p>\n

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.<\/p>\n

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Los Voladores<\/strong><\/p>\n