La lucha libre

It is like nothing I have ever seen before. Burly men wearing glittery masks and tights "wrestling" in a ring before thousands of crazed fans. It is what I imagine WWE to be but only 6 or 7 times more fascinating. Lucha libre is mexican professional wrestling, more spectacle than sport, and way more popular here than WWE is in the states. The wrestlers each have their own ring name and personality, some wear (rather freaky) whole-head masks, and duke it out weekly in a partially choreographed partially painful match before scream spectators. I cannot even begin to explain the culture and the sensations of lucha libre, which I experienced first hand last night, so I will lamely include the governing body's website so you can get a glimpse at some video clips, though nothing with come close to actually seeing the event live. Not all luchadores wear the masks, but you can purchase them in nearly any street market, and fans walk the streets and enter the arena wearing the masks of their favorite fighters. The image of a half-naked guy in a mask is normal here, thanks to lucha libre, but I am still a bit freaked out every time I see someone wearing one. There are basically two types of fighters, and every match pits teams of one to three fighters from each category against another team and the winner is determined in three rounds, or caidas. Basically you have the tecnicos ("good guys" who play by the rules) and the rudos (the ones who fight dirty). Sometimes people root for the tecnicos, sometimes for the rudos. A good percentage of the fighting takes place in the ring, ranging from open-handed slapping (permitted), to headlocks, to body slams, to full acrobatic leaps and flips off the ropes and into the air (often landing on an opponent). Often, the fighting leaves the confines of the ring and spills out into the floor with many of the same types of maneuvers. It is not uncommon for spectators in the first few rows to be hurt during a match (our cheap seats were much higher and afforded us a better and safer view). I should make a point of emphasizing the perfomative aspects of the luchas. The wrestlers are skilled performers and at times the fight seems more like an amazing (but brutal) dance, with sequences of amazing maneuvers that are jaw-dropping. How much is raw fight and how much is fixed choreography is up for debate, but both elements are present. Personally, I preferred the latter (I'm not much into violence). There were several matches throughout the course of the evening, and the pitch and excitement of the crowd elevated for each one. Fans of all ages, genders, and walks of life shook their fists, chanted, and cheered and booed. I learned some new bad words in Spanish. I had a super fun time at lucha libre and am bummed that I not seem to be able to capture the experience in words.

All of this, of course, is happening in Mexico City, to which I arrived very early yesterday morning after taking an overnight bus from Puerto Escondido. I sat next to an interesting guy named Oscar who spends six months of the year in Puerto working as a tattoo artist, a job he loves. I also saw High School Musical on the bus.

Even though it means my trip is coming to an end (Tuesday!), I am very happy to be in Mexico City, because it means I get to spend time with some good friends here. I am staying with Victor and Stephany (with whom it is wonderfully easy to spend hours conversing with) and making time to see Sarah and Alexis (from teaching in Puebla). There is much more to say about my time here but my coffee awaits... Adiocito.