What happens when a centuries-old Indigenous philosophy turns into a giant, colorful celebration on a mountaintop? You get the Guelaguetza Festival—a dazzling display of community, culture, and generosity that transforms Oaxaca into a living stage of ancient traditions. It’s not just a dance festival. It’s a living embodiment of the Zapotec spirit of giving.
Somewhere in the vibrant chaos of Tepito — one of Mexico City’s most notorious neighborhoods — there’s a quiet corner that draws people in like a spiritual magnet. Candles flicker, skulls glimmer in the dim light, and offerings of tequila, cigarettes, and candy pile up around a robed skeletal figure. This is La Santa Muerte, the “Saint of Death,” and she’s unlike anything you’ve seen in a Catholic church.
Imagine walking through the rolling hills of Northern England when suddenly—there it is. A stone wall, winding like a spine across the landscape. Silent. Crumbling. Ancient. This is **Hadrian’s Wall**, once the northernmost frontier of the mighty Roman Empire. Built almost 2,000 years ago, it now stands as one of Britain’s most haunting and awe-inspiring historical sites.