November 4, 2002 - page 2

Saturday, November 2, we had the opportunity to go to a cemetery. Since tradition holds that the spirits return to the grave at 6:00PM, the families have prepared the graves with fresh dirt, flowers, candles and fruit to entice the spirits back. The atmosphere in the cemetery was not really one of sadness; rather the people seemed to be celebrating life as they held their vigil. There were mixed attitudes regarding our presence in the cemetery. Some families invited us to take part in their celebration, while others asked us to leave them alone. All in all it was a remarkable experience that everyone should have.