All language subtitles for reluc1

I'm the living example of
"better late than never."

Until a few years ago,

my life was steady, predictable,
reassuringly repetitive.

But my recent adventures
have changed all that.

So, what's next for me?

Now that I'm considered
something of a traveler,

I've challenged myself to
complete my own bucket list

before actually
kicking the bucket.

I did a lot of research,

kept an open mind...

Who's going hiking in the Amazon?

...and came up with
a list of my own.

Take a look at this.

Welcome to London!

Never felt more like a tourist.

These are some of
the greatest...

...once in a lifetime travel
experiences you can have.

Don't take this the wrong way,

but this is a horrible ride.

Tick that off the bucket list.

-This is my first time in Ireland.
-Of course, I've been here before.

-Yep. Once.
-Once or twice.

-Once.
-Once.

Whether they should be
once in my lifetime...

Oh!

...is another matter.

Whoo-hoo!

-But I'd like to think...
-Whoa!

...I've gotten a
little bit bolder...

It's hard to believe
I'm actually here.

...a little bit braver...

What a save!

Of course I work
well under pressure.

...so this could be my
most memorable trip yet.

Was getting drunk with Prince
William on your bucket list?

-That's the bucket.
-That's the bucket, is it?

When
you've got a whole world

of bucket list options
to choose from,

where on earth do you begin?

Well, for me, I've decided
to start my adventures

by coming to a colorful,
vibrant country

that's visited by more Americans
than any other on the planet.

Mexico.

I've only been to
the tour is to spots.

Acapulco, Los Cabos.

Never been to the interior.

I'm not used to
not seeing ocean.

Coming inland is going to
be a new experience for me.

But so is my first
bucket list adventure,

the Day of the Dead Festival.

Let's face it, I'm
no spring chicken,

so it kinda felt like a
now or never kind of trip.

It's a festival where spirits
of deceased family members

come back to this world

for a visit.

I've seen pictures, and it looks like
it's kinda big, splashy and colorful.

And, you know, I guess I...
I'll have to find out why.

Like what it is about this relatively
kind of a sad, morbid scenario

that gets people excited.

I've come to the ancient
city of Oaxaca in the south

to experience this massive
and iconic festival,

Día de los Muertos,

where young and old alike
happily stare death in the face.

-Eugene.
-Samuel.

Welcome to Oaxaca.

-Good to see you.
-Good to see you too.

This is an amazingly pretty
little town. Very colorful.

And I'm noticing a
lot of decorations.

I'm assuming for
the Day of the Dead Festival.

Yes. Yeah, we're all
busy, uh, getting ready.

-Would you like to see? Yeah.
-Okay, let's take a look around.

-Vamos.
-Let's do it.

Samuel is a local
weaver and farmer.

And he's agreed to show me
this festival from the inside.

The Day of the Dead is a
time of families getting together

and reuniting.

We gather in our homes

and, uh, tell stories about our
families and relatives who passed away.

But it's very festive and,
uh, it's really a big thing.

For us, it's like Christmas.

Day of the Dead is
actually a two-day celebration

observed on November
1st and 2nd.

In Oaxaca, this national holiday
kicks off with a huge parade.

The next day, families welcome back the
spirits of their deceased loved ones.

And the day after, they
bid them a fond farewell.

I'm gonna show you the place
where the Chinas Oaxaqueñas live.

-Chinas Oaxaqueñas?
-Yes.

But first, it's time
to get ready to party...

Oaxacan style.

Oh.

-Hola!
-Hola! Hola, Eugene!

Ah.

Welcome to the China
Oaxaqueñas' house.

-Oh.
-Welcome. Please join the party.

That was scary.

Oh, my God. This is something.

This is major.

Oh, I'm getting excited now.

In the courtyard, a group of performers,
known as Las Chinas Oaxaqueñas,

are primping for this
evening's parade.

We are dancers and we are
like the icon of the city.

-The face of the city.
-The face of the city?

-They always lead the parades.
-Yeah.

So you're... you're
like the hot group.

-Right? And...
-Yes, they are.

-Yeah. Yeah, we are.
-Right. The face of Oaxaca.

And what does your makeup,

-which is quite beautiful and intricate...
-Oh, thank you.

...but what does that represent?

It reflects the blend between
the life and the death.

Why? Because we don't
want to feel afraid

about the death of... of
our... the ones that leave us.

We are not sad. We are
not afraid of that.

Each year, they
happily transform themselves

into a troop of
elegant skeletons.

And they've asked me to help.

For some reason, they thought I'd know
a thing or two about looking like death.

I-I'm so sorry.

-Okay, I'm gonna try something.
-Don't worry.

-My heart is palpitating.
-You can do it.

This was my worst subject.

-Oh, dear.
-Art.

I don't mean to
make you nervous.

-No. It's correct.
-It's a little late for that.

Yeah, a-all right,
I'm gonna do a line.

-The red line. Okay.
-Okay, nice and steady, Eugene.

-There you go.
-Yeah!

-All right. Dots.
-Paint little dots.

-Uh-huh.
-Nice.

Why don't my dots look like this?

These are beautiful dots.

It's perfect.

I felt so sorry
for that poor woman.

One side of her face was
just beautifully done,

and then I go to
work on my side,

and I'm kind of smudging my way,

you know, to glory.

-Oh, my God. Don't worry.
-What do you think?

-I love... I love... I like this.
-Do you love that?

-Such a liar.
-Most beautiful skeleton.

Despite my lack of skill,

they seem to think
I did a good job.

-Aw.
-You're one of us.

Which is great 'cause I'd
rather not have anyone haunting me.

This, I love.

Viva, Oaxaca!

Viva!

Gracias. And I'll be
watching in the parade.

-Adios!
-Let's go find this sweet spot I know.

-Just, uh, by the zocalo.
-Ah!

Then we could
practice our "Viva, Oaxaca!"

Viva, Oaxaca!

It's an
amazing city, Oaxaca.

-Yeah, it-it's very vibrant.
-Huh?

-It's very alive.
-It's so beautiful.

The festival's grounded
in ancient Aztec traditions,

and a belief that death was
just a natural part of life.

Something to
celebrate, not fear.

Día de los Muertos was

-an indigenous celebration?
-Yes. Exactly.

-Originally? Yes.
-Originally, yes.

And now, it's, you know... it's
a blend of pre-Hispanic beliefs

and the Catholic, uh,
religion, the Christianity.

And it's really interwoven

-that you cannot separate it anymore.
-Right.

Well, this is quite amazing.

This is spectacular.

Yes. Okay,
let's hurry up.

They're getting ready.

Vamos. Let's go over there
and then to the left.

It's gonna get busy.

As night
falls over the city,

the procession
starts with a bang.

-This is all Chinas?
-Yes.

Yeah, this is a part of
the whole delegation.

This is them.

-That's why they gave me the scarf?
-Yes. Yes.

Let's do the "Viva Oaxaca".

Viva Oaxaca!

Viva!

They're dressed
in black for this occasion

because it's also acknowledging
that it's a funeral.

You know, we're
honoring the dead.

And we're just going to
embrace it and dance with it.

Would
you like to dance?

She wants to dance with you.

Yeah! Whoo!

Pretty damn
exciting, isn't it?

It's like Mardi Gras with soul.

It's crazy.

Can't help get swept up in this

because the excitement or the celebration
is coming from such a real place.

From such great people.

This parade is
known as a comparsa.

And it will roll on by
for a full two hours.

Oh, this is a nice big
float coming up here.

-Yes. Don't try to get on it.
-Oh, no.

Not Mardi Gras.

It's a party
atmosphere about death.

And I guess if you, you
know, think about it,

it's not a bad way to go.

Viva Oaxaca!

And I'm excited about
what I'm seeing here.

Personally, I don't honestly know
whether the celebratory aspect

of death is, you
know, the way to go.

But for these people,
it definitely works.

Listen, it's been going
on for thousands of years.

This was really something.

I didn't think it
could be that exciting.

-Thank you for bringing me, Samuel.
-Yes, yeah.

Well, let's get out of
here. It's getting late.

Tomorrow, I-I would like
to invite you to my house

to see the other side
of the Day of the Dead.

The... The more intimate
family aspect of it.

-Oh, I'd love to see that.
-Yeah.

All this excitement
could be the death of me,

which would be ironic.

So for now, I'm going
to retreat to my hotel

in the countryside.

-Buenas noches.
-Buenas noches.

-Welcome to Casa Silencio.
-Gracias.

I'm happy to be here.

I could barely see the place.

This is an
escape from the outside world.

It looks spectacular.

I'm dying to see this
when the sun comes up.

Do you fancy a
cocktail before you go to your room?

-A cocktail? Yes, I would.
-Yeah. Let's go grab it.

-Enjoy your Margarita.
-Gracias.

Well, th-they're embracing death
in a slightly different way here.

They're kind of removing
the element of sadness

from it.

You know, happy is much better
to be than... ...sad.

Uh, but I'm grappling

with the idea that people
are celebrating the deceased

in-in that kind of way.

I'm not quite... quite getting
the grief aspect of it.

But there are still two more
days of this festival to come.

And Samuel's promised to show
me a more spiritual side of it

that will hopefully
reveal its true meaning.

This is spectacular.

I mean, there's a lot
to see during the day.

Tucked away in the
Valley of Silence,

this stunning boutique
hotel has just six suites.

It's in a part of Mexico that attracts
5 and a half million visitors a year.

It's a good job they don't
come all at the same time

or they'd have to
rename that valley.

It was kind of a fun night.

I mean, you know,
kinda big and brassy.

There is another side to
it, I'm told, and, um...

uh... we'll see what
Samuel has up his sleeve.

-Good morning.
-Buenos días.

-How are you?
-How are you?

Yeah, I'm good.

For today's ceremony
welcoming back the dead,

we need to pick
up a special item.

A very different kind of spirit.

Where are we off to today?

Today, we are going to
visit an amazing woman.

Her name is Rosario,

and she's among the few women
in the industry in the region

who self-started her
own mezcal distillery.

-She makes her own mezcal?
-Yes.

It's our spiritual drink.

And we have mezcal
for Día De Muertos.

For Day of the Dead.

It's, um, you know, a drink that
all of our ancestors have enjoyed.

My grandparents, they
used to have mezcal, uh...

A first... A little shot
in the... in the morning.

-Th-They'll start their day...
-A little shot in the morning?

-Yeah, a little shot of mezcal and...
-Just to kick-start the day?

Yeah. That's Oaxaca.

This is
Rosario's place.

We're here.

Rosario.

This is Rosario.

It's so nice to meet you.

-I've heard a lot about you.
-Nice to meet you.

Thank you.

Ángel. This is Ángel.

-Ángel?
-Say hello, Ángel.

-Yeah.
-Oh, my, my. How old?

Almost six months.

-It's a cute baby.
-He's got more hair than I do.

And I.

Rosario, a single mom,
makes mezcal the old-fashioned way.

But the industry is
traditionally an all-boys club,

so she's quite the trailblazer.

I didn't come from
mezcal family.

I just make mezcal because
I really love to do it.

She's a real mezcalera.
Mezcal maker.

I'm part of the whole process.

Well, let's have a look.

Mezcal is made from
the agave plant.

So the first part of the
process, chopping them up.

And chucking huge pieces onto
an open fire to slowly roast.

You have to look where is the
perfect space for this one.

I-I've got my perfect
space right here.

It's okay. Now, this is a small one...

-...so you want to take big one... Maybe...
-It's okay? Just okay?

It's like standing
over a volcano.

Almost killed me.

Roasting caramelizes
the agave's natural sugars,

giving the mezcal its
distinct sweet-smoky flavor.

This is really sweet.

-Sweet. It is. Yeah, very... Yeah.
-Mmm.

You like it?

I've had worse.

Then the soft, sweet parts
of the cooked plant are chopped up

so Rosario can
extract the juice.

To chop all the agave
is like 18 hour.

Do they stop and take a
break? Do they have a coffee?

No, because we have to take...

...all the fiber inside
of the fermentation tank.

This batch of mezcal
Rosario is cooking up

is from a 300 year old recipe.

-This is a really natural process.
-Ah.

We put all the fiber
inside the fermentation tank.

And here is just
the fiber and water.

-Fiber and water.
-You want to try?

-No.
-No.

But I-I trust you.

-I trust you.
-Okay, perfect.

For the distillation...

Ooh. Yikes!

...she adds all kinds
of extra ingredients.

-Put everything in here?
-Yeah.

Nuts, spices, fruit,
and something slightly unusual.

-Flowers?
-No.

Oh.

Chicken breast.

Don't you have enough flavor
here without putting in a-a...

-just big piece of raw chicken?
-This is the special mezcal

for this Day of the Dead.

I was actually shocked to find
out chicken is an ingredient

in-in making an
alcoholic beverage.

You know...

I kinda prefer it
kinda southern-fried.

But Rosario says adding chicken

gives the mezcal a unique
and complex flavor.

And because it's steamed in the
still, it won't make anyone sick.

It's a mezcal that
represents fiesta

and, uh, tradition.

You said you don't come from a family
that was in this business, right?

So, w-what do they think of
you in this line of work?

This is really difficult.

And when I say, "I wanna make
mezcal", they say "Are you crazy?"

Because it's too hard?

Because it's a ma...
uh, a job for men.

And you'll never
make a living at it?

No.

Five years after
she started her business,

Rosario and her crew

are producing about a thousand
bottles of mezcal a year.

Are you ready?

-So...
-This is the Mezcal de Pechuga.

This is the final
product right here.

Including the chicken.

-Sure.
-Well, let's try what you guys made.

You want to feel
the flavor of the fruits.

Flavor of the fruits.

-Salud, Rosario.
-Salud.

-Samuel.
-Levy and Rosario.

Wow.

It's strong.

It's the strongest
drink I've ever tasted.

This is 61% of alcohol.

Sixty-one percent?

I don't care what you put in, you
know? Chickens or no chickens.

Mmm.

-It's getting better.
-For you.

-Wow. It's a beautiful bottle.
-Thank you. Gracias.

For your help. For your coming.

This is crazy. Thank you.

-Thank you to you.
-What a treasure.

And now I'm tasting the fruits.

-Salud.
-Wow. Salud.

Salud.

As much as I enjoyed it,

I'm going to donate my
bottle of mezcal to Samuel

who plans to leave it as
an offering to the spirits.

It's an essential part
and component of the altar.

-Of the altar?
-Yes.

Uh, at home for Día De
Muertos, we'll set up an altar

and we do that to remember
our, uh, beloved ones.

This, uh, Day of the Dead is
gonna be a very special one for us

because, uh, my mother just
passed away this summer.

So this is the first time
we're putting an altar for her.

-I'm sorry to hear that, Samuel.
-Yeah, you know.

It's part of the
cycle of life, and...

-So that's why we, uh...
-That's something.

You know, we make
the best dishes.

-You know, we bring the best mezcal and...
-Yeah.

...put the most beautiful
flower arrangement.

Just to-to honor their time.

It's very special.

This is my house.

Welcome.

This is a big spread.

Yeah. On this
side, we have all the looms

that we use for the weaving.

Our weaving business.
That's my dad's loom.

And my brother's
there in the back.

-Bull.
-Yes. That's Sweet Dreams.

-This is my dad. Mario.
-Oh.

-Mario.
-Hola.

-Eugene.
-Nice to meet you.

-Mario.
-Nice to meet you.

-This is my brother Celestino.
-Celestino?

Nice to meet you.

I think it's... it's
getting close to three,

so we should start to get
ready and go towards the gates

to welcome the spirits.

-Vamos.
-Okay.

It's believed that every
November 1st at 3 p.m. sharp,

the spirits of deceased
ancestors return.

Everybody will keep their gates
open from today till tomorrow.

Across the country,
people unlock their doors

at this exact time

so their spectral house
guests can get in.

Some just need
a little wake-up call.

The fireworks open the portals for
the spirits to come into this world.

Wow.

Welcome to Mexico.

-Whoo.
-Welcome to Oaxaca.

-This is how we do it here.
-Whoa.

It will
wake up any spirit

-even if they didn't want to come back.
-Oh, my, my.

According to folklore,

the returning spirits
will inhabit the house

for the next 24 hours.

Something families all around
Mexico have been preparing for.

-This is my family's altar room.
-It's beautiful.

And we're going to place the
mezcal over here in the middle.

If you can reach.

Right.

-This is in honor of my mom.
-Right.

She's one of those
strong Oaxacan women.

-Mm-hmm.
-She was the jefa.

The boss of the family
in a very sweet way.

So, this is our first
year honoring her,

and just embracing her
teachings, her memories.

To keep them alive.

Because when we remember her,

when we tell her stories,

uh, she's still with us.

And that's the most
important thing.

-She will always be here.
-Yes. Yeah.

This is a chance for the
family to welcome back her spirit

and pay tribute.

So my dad's
gonna be blessing the altar.

Also, I was playing
the flute for my mom

when she, uh, was really ill
and she got the news that...

that her illness was terminal.

And just... the music just helped us
process what we didn't say with words.

I lost my own mother
to cancer almost 40 years ago

so I do know what this
family is going through.

There was just a lot of
emotion running through it.

You know, for him and-and
for me. I think for everyone.

You know, it's never easy.

It's a beautiful ceremony,

and it's, uh, definitely
the kind of... the flip side

of the Day of the Dead parade.

This definitely kinda
puts an underbelly on it

that makes a little
more sense to me.

It's gonna be a tough year.

Yeah, without her here,
it's time for us to step up.

-Make her proud.
-Yes. Yes.

I think your... your
mom would be very proud.

-Feel a presence here right now?
-I'm feeling joyful right now.

I'm feeling very happy.

Content. My heart is full.

Everybody hopes you're
going to be remembered.

I h-hope there's a
smile on people's faces,

you know, when they remember me,

and, um... Yes, I hope
there's a lot of crying.

I hope there's a lot of crying.

You know, just-just
for the first day.

And then, uh...

And then you can just
break out the mezcal.

Samuel says his mother
loved to have fun.

And so tonight, he wants me
to get a taste of something

his whole family used to enjoy.

Samuel invited me to a, uh...

Lucha libre, it's
called. The Mexican wrestling.

I've never been to a
live wrestling match,

so I've gotta say...

that's gonna be something.

After soccer, lucha libre is
the most popular spectator sport

in Mexico.

Attracting millions
of hardcore fans every year.

-Hey, guys. Good to see you.
-Good to see you.

Celestino.

This is madness.

As kids, we used watch, uh,
Sunday lucha libre like religiously.

I-I used to watch
wrestling when I was a kid.

Not... Not this, but I would
get into it when I was a kid.

Well, the fans,
they come over here

and they get pictures.

They get, uh, autographs.

In lucha libre the wrestlers
are either good guys or bad guys.

Either way, they all
seem to be very popular.

Sí. This is my friend.

-Eugene.
-Ratzinger.

-This is Eugene.
-Ratzinger.

-Welcome to Oaxaca. Welcome to my house.
-Uh-huh.

Welcome to my backyard. The place...

You see how people love him?

He's a... He's a good guy? Bad guy?

-Well...
-He's a bad guy?

What do you think?
Do I see the horns on my mask?

It's-It's a devil
and it's not good.

-Exactly.
-It's not good.

You're the bad guy, but
I'm gonna root for you.

Yeah, I am the bad guy, but I
am the good person.

Nice. All the best, mate.

-Enjoy the show.
-You got it.

-Thank you. See you.
-We have seats over here, Eugene.

Lucha libre first
emerged in the 1860s.

Mostly in working-class
neighborhoods.

And it's remained a very
affordable night out.

Yeah!

Okay, here we go.

Good start.

Oh, fast.

They're, like, dancing.

Wow.

Nice.

Lucha libre actually
means "free fight" in Spanish.

-Ow!
-I think they're having as much fun

as the audience is having.

Which leaves the wrestlers free to
try out all kinds of crazy moves.

Wow!

No wonder you guys loved
this when you were a kid.

Ridiculous.

I mean, you can understand
why families would come out

to watch this

because they get to go crazy,
the kids get to dress up.

You know, it's very colorful, and
they get to pick their favorites.

Look out!

Oh!

Whoo!

Ratzinger! Ratzinger!

My new amigo
Ratzinger came out on top.

And I was never more happy
to cheer for a bad guy.

Kinda reminds me of when I was
a kid with my family, you know?

That's where you had your fun.

I mean, I get it. It's
where I come from too.

It's working-class. It's
family, friends, food, you know.

That-That's what it is.

Today, families across Oaxaca
welcome the spirits home.

Tomorrow, Samuel says, we'll
give them a fitting send-off

back to the underworld.

On the final day
of the festival,

most families here gather
for a special meal.

I hear it's kinda
like Thanksgiving.

Samuel's invited me over,

but first, he's asked to pick
up a few items at the market.

Uh, I need four blocks of cacao.

And, uh, chapulines.

I'm not entirely
sure what that is,

but, uh, I'll find out.

Excuse me.

Uh, cacao.

Okay. Okay, gracias.

Well, Deb does
the shopping normally,

but sometimes we
go out together.

But I'm really kinda basically
told to stand back, you know.

Cacao.

-Buenos días.
-What can I get you?

In Oaxaca, chocolate's not
considered candy or a treat.

It's a staple part of the diet.

Gracias. Uh, I need chapulines.

Chapulines, uh, over there, sir.

Over there.

-Out the door? And then left?
-Out the door. Left.

Gracias.

-Buenos días.
-Hola. Hola, buenos días.

Uh...
I need, uh, chapulines.

Yikes.

Okay, my Spanish
might be a bit rusty.

But from what I can see,

chapulines look like something you
might swat with a newspaper, not eat.

They look like
insects. I can't tell.

They could be, uh, cockroaches.

Beetle, or, uh, grasshopper.

-Grasshopper?
-Mm-hmm.

Do you have a
paper bag...

Yeah, that's
good. Sí. That's good.

'Cause that way I get to look
at it while I'm taking it over.

Uh, sí.

Bueno.

Wha... No... Bueno...

-No.
-Okay.

Well... Yeah, yes.

No, no, no.

All right, one more.

Sí.

Whoa. Th-That is good. That... Sí.

It was a, uh, very successful
shopping trip, yes.

I got... I got
everything I... I needed.

I got the, uh, chocolates.

And I have the bugs right here.

I'm on a pretty
strict diet right now,

and chapulines is not on it.

Before I deliver
my parcel of bugs,

I may have to catch my breath.

-Uno cappuccino.
-Cappuccino.

Yes. Gracias.

I think I'm actually
getting a little better

at understanding there are things
that are worth experiencing

because, you know, you're
only passing through once.

Currently, you know,
I'm 77 years old.

You know, in the final
act, as they say.

And what I'm doing now,

I would love for my grandson
to be able to get out

and start traveling as early
in life as... as he can.

I'll be long gone by the
time he hits that point.

But, you know, I'd
be a liar to say

these experiences have
not made my life richer.

Because I think they have.

-Hello. Eugene.
-Samuel.

Welcome home.

-Hola.
-Hola.

I have cacao.

Gracias. Thank you so much

-for getting the ingredients.
-And chapulines.

Yes.

You probably had a good
chuckle out of that.

Yeah. They're grasshoppers
and they're very tasty.

-Right.
-Thank you. Yeah.

Well, let's go and meet my
aunties. They're here at the back.

And they're just
finishing the mole.

Over in the
outdoor kitchen,

Samuel's aunties are
preparing a mole negro sauce

made with toasted chilies,
spices, and what else?

Chocolate.

You stir it,
and she's gonna pour it.

Oh, I see. Okay.

Yeah, obviously I wasn't
pouring it properly.

We're gonna eat
this with rice and with turkey.

And turkey's really a very special meat
that we also eat on special occasions.

Okay.

Well, you know there's an enormous
amount of pressure on me right now

because I do not want to
be the person responsible

for, you know,
messing up this meal.

Yeah, don't
let it burn, Eugene.

Uh, no, no.

I'm joining
Samuel and his relatives

in the family altar room

for this traditional
and very special meal.

Mole the way his
mom used to make it.

-Here, Eugene. You're our special guest.
-Ah. Gracias.

Uh... I've n...
I've never had mole.

-How spicy is it? A little spicy?
-N-Not too spicy.

-A little spicy.
-All right, that's good.

-Stigibeu.
-Stigibeu.

It means, "With the
blessing of the moon."

-Stigibeu.
-Stigibeu.

-Here. This is a soft handmade tortilla.
-Ooh. Nice.

We eat tortillas
with every meal.

Love a good tortilla.

Mmm.

The turkey-mole
combo is definitely unique.

But how many ways can you
say no to the grasshoppers?

-They're really tasty.
-I-I'm sure.

They have six times more iron,
zinc, and magnesium than beef.

-So...
-Yeah, I-I get mine from milk.

For this family, preparing
their loved one's favorite food

and leaving some
as an offering...

You place
it right there.

...is meant to
nourish that person's soul

and bring back happy memories.

I now understand
why it's a celebration

which is celebrating the...

the moving on from this world

to another realm.

Yeah.

And that is reason to be happy.

It's a wonderful thing to know
the spirits are returning.

-Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
-Right?

After the meal, the
spirits of the deceased

will return to the underworld.

So, we'll follow them
back to the cemetery

to give them a proper
send-off, until next year.

Oh, my. Look at the flowers.

It looks like the
whole village is here.

Oh, my God. This is something.

Families have lovingly
decorated each grave.

And plan to spend all night
here paying their respects.

And partying.

-This is it. This is my mother's grave.
-Oh.

There's a... a
yearly ritual that we do here.

I think they're here.

Oh, my.

The mariachi band.

So when the song starts,

I'm gonna offer a little mezcal
blessing to my mother's tomb.

Well, it's-it's not the kind of
thing I would expect at a, uh...

at a cemetery.

To kind of... You get to a point
where you can, you know, celebrate...

...with a party
and with-with laughter.

And with, you know,
drinking and with music.

I think it's a wonderful thing.

I think it takes
the sting off grief.

And we'll make a cross.

Now this is for the living.

Stigibeu.

If you're thinking of your own
people, of someone special,

dear to your heart,

we have a community chapel here

where if you wanna send a little prayer,
a little thought, or an offering.

I'd be honored to
do that, Samuel.

Yeah.

-I'd be honored.
-Yeah.

When I first got here,

I thought Day of the Dead was not
much more than lighthearted fun.

I'll light a candle for
my mother and father.

And all of my deceased
family members.

But now I realize
how meaningful it is.

It keeps people
connected to their roots,

easing their fear of death.

To me, this may be a
festival of the dead,

but really, it's all
about celebrating life.

I can see why it's on
people's bucket list,

but I think tourists actually
don't quite understand

what Day of the
Dead is all about.

They're really into
the festivities of it.

But the underlying richness,
I guess, of that holiday

comes from what people are
actually doing as a family at home.

It's based around a celebration.

And I'm really happy for
Samuel and his family

and I think it's
a wonderful thing.

And it was wonderful
to experience.

It was pretty special.

I have everyone's attention?

Next on my bucket list...

Welcome to Vienna.

Oh, my.

These balls, they're enormous.

Of course I work
well under pressure.

Oh! This one needs
a priest, I think.

Whoa, is this good!