The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy (2023) s03e01 Episode Script

1
[whimsical music plays]
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 traveller,
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?
- [animals chittering]
…and came up with a list of my own.
Take a look at this.
[fireworks exploding]
- [tour guide] Welcome to London!
- [cheering]
Never felt more like a tourist.
These are some of the greatest…
[exclaims]
…once in a lifetime travel experiences
you can have.
Don't take this the wrong way,
- but this is a horrible ride.
- [laughs]
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…
- [crowd cheering]
- 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.
- [chuckles] That's the bucket, is it?
[chuckling]
[Spaghetti Western score music playing]
[Eugene Levy]
When you've got a whole world
of bucket list options to choose from,
where on earth do you begin?
[music continues]
Well, for me,
I've decided to start my adventures
by coming to a colourful, vibrant country
that's visited by more Americans
than any other on the planet.
Mexico.
I've only been to the touristo 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 colourful.
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.
- [Samuel] Eugene.
- [Levy] Samuel.
[Samuel] Welcome to Oaxaca.
- Good to see you.
- Good to see you too.
This is an amazingly
pretty little town. Very colourful.
And I'm noticing a lot of decorations.
[stammers] 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. [chuckles]
- Let's do it.
Samuel is a local weaver and farmer.
And he's agreed to show me
this festival from the inside.
[Samuel] 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.
[Levy] 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.
- [Levy] Chinas Oaxaqueñas?
- [Samuel] Yes.
[Levy] But first,
it's time to get ready to party…
Oaxacan style.
[Samuel] Oh.
- Hola!
- Hola! Hola, Eugene!
- Ah.
- [Samuel, performer laugh]
Welcome to the China Oaxaqueñas' house.
- [Levy] Oh.
- Welcome. Please join the party.
[Levy] That was scary.
- [laughs]
- [Levy] 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?
- [Samuel] They always lead the parades.
- Yeah.
So you're… you're like the hot group.
- Right? And…
- Yes, they are.
- Yeah. Yeah, we are.
- [Samuel] Right. The face of Oaxaca.
And what does your make-up,
- 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.
[Levy] 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.
- [performer] You can do it.
This was my worst subject.
- [performer 2 laughs] Oh, dear.
- Art.
I don't mean to make you nervous.
- No. It's correct.
- It's a little late for that.
[laughs]
Yeah, a-all right, I'm gonna do a line.
- [performer 2] The red line. Okay.
- [Samuel] Okay, nice and steady, Eugene.
- There you go.
- [performer 2] Yeah!
- [Levy] All right. Dots.
- [Samuel] Paint little dots.
- [performer 2] Uh-huh.
- [Samuel] Nice.
[comical, perplexed music playing]
- Why don't my dots look like this?
- [performer 2 laughing]
These are beautiful dots.
[performer 2] It's perfect.
[Levy] 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. [laughs]
[Levy] Despite my lack of skill,
they seem to think I did a good job.
- Aw.
- [performer 2] You're one of us.
[Levy] Which is great 'cause
I'd rather not have anyone haunting me.
This, I love.
Viva, Oaxaca!
[all] 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!
[Samuel] Then we could practise
our "Viva, Oaxaca!"
[Levy] Viva, Oaxaca!
[intense ranchera music playing]
[Levy] It's an amazing city, Oaxaca.
- Yeah, it-it's very vibrant.
- Huh?
- It's very alive.
- It's so beautiful.
[Levy] 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.
- [marching band playing instruments]
[Samuel] 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.
[Levy] As night falls over the city,
the procession starts with a bang.
- [fireworks exploding]
- [crowd cheering]
[marching band playing]
- [Levy] This is all Chinas?
- [Samuel] Yes.
Yeah, this is a part
of the whole delegation.
- [cheering]
- [Samuel] This is them.
- That's why they gave me the scarf?
- [Samuel] Yes. Yes.
Let's do the "Viva Oaxaca".
[both] Viva Oaxaca!
- [crowd cheering]
- [child] Viva!
[Samuel] They're dressed in black
for this occasion
because it's also acknowledging
that it's a funeral.
You know, we're honouring the dead.
And we're just going to embrace it
and dance with it.
[person] Would you like to dance?
She wants to dance with you.
[person speaks Spanish]
[exclaiming, speaking Spanish]
- Yeah! Whoo!
- [laughs]
[Levy] 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.
[whimsical playing]
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.
- [Samuel] Yes. Don't try to get on it.
- [Levy] Oh, no.
- Not Mardi Gras. [laughs]
- [laughs]
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.
[Samuel] 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.
- [Levy] Oh, I'd love to see that.
- [Samuel] Yeah.
[Levy] 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.
[employee chuckles]
This is an escape from the outside world.
[Levy] It looks spectacular.
I'm dying to see this
when the sun comes up.
[employee laughs] Do you fancy a cocktail
before you go to your room?
- [Levy] 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… [chuckles] …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.
[upbeat Latin music playing]
This is spectacular.
I mean, there's a lot to see
during the day.
[chuckles]
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.
[intense drumming music playing]
- Good morning.
- Buenos días.
- How are you?
- How are you?
Yeah, I'm good.
[Levy] 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.
[both chuckle]
[Samuel] This is Rosario's place.
We're here.
[Levy] Rosario.
- This is Rosario.
- [exclaims]
It's so nice to meet you.
- I've heard a lot about you.
- Nice to meet you.
[chuckles] Thank you.
Ángel. This is Ángel.
- Ángel?
- Say hello, Ángel.
- Yeah.
- Oh, my, my. How old?
Almost six months.
- [Samuel] It's a cute baby.
- He's got more hair than I do.
- [Rosario chuckles]
- [Samuel] And I. [chuckles]
[Levy] 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…
- [Levy laughs]
- …so you want to take big one… Maybe…
- It's okay? Just okay?
It's like standing over a volcano.
Almost killed me.
[Rosario chuckles]
[Levy] Roasting caramelizes
the agave's natural sugars,
giving the mezcal
its distinct sweet-smoky flavour.
[Rosario] This is really sweet.
- Sweet. It is. Yeah, very… Yeah.
- [Rosario] Mmm.
You like it?
- I've had worse.
- [Rosario chuckles]
[Levy] 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?
[chuckles]
- No, because we have to take…
- [laughs]
…all the fibre
inside of the fermentation tank.
[Levy] This batch of mezcal
Rosario is cooking up
is from a 300 year old recipe.
- This is a really natural process.
- [Levy] Ah.
[Rosario] We put all the fibre
inside the fermentation tank.
And here is just the fibre and water.
- [Levy] Fibre and water.
- [Rosario] You want to try?
- No.
- [chuckles] No.
- But I-I trust you.
- [chuckles]
- I trust you.
- Okay, perfect.
[Levy] For the distillation…
Ooh. Yikes!
…she adds all kinds of extra ingredients.
- Put everything in here?
- Yeah.
[Levy] Nuts, spices, fruit,
and something slightly unusual.
- Flowers?
- No.
[Levy] Oh.
[Rosario] Chicken breast.
[Levy] Don't you have enough flavour 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… [groans]
I kinda prefer it kinda southern-fried.
But Rosario says adding chicken
gives the mezcal
a unique and complex flavour.
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.
[Levy] 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.
[Rosario] You want to feel
the flavour of the fruits.
Flavour of the fruits.
- Salud, Rosario.
- [Rosario, Samuel] Salud.
- Samuel.
- Levy and Rosario.
[Rosario chuckles]
[clicks tongue] Wow.
It's strong.
It's the strongest drink I've ever tasted.
This is 61% of alcohol.
Sixty-one per cent?
I don't care what you put in, you know?
Chickens or no chickens.
- Mmm.
- [chuckles]
- It's getting better.
- For you.
- [Samuel] 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.
- [Rosario chuckles]
- Salud.
- Wow. Salud.
- Salud.
- [chuckles]
[Levy] 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.
[Samuel] 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 honour their time.
It's very special.
[uplifting music playing]
This is my house.
Welcome.
[Levy] This is a big spread.
[Samuel] 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.
- [Samuel] Yes. That's Sweet Dreams.
[Levy, Samuel chuckling]
- This is my dad. Mario.
- [Levy] Oh.
- Mario.
- Hola.
- Eugene.
- Nice to meet you.
- Mario.
- [Levy] 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. [chuckles]
- Okay.
[Levy] 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.
[Levy] Across the country,
people unlock their doors
at this exact time
so their spectral house guests can get in.
- [fireworks whistles, explodes]
- [chuckling]
[Levy] Some just need
a little wake-up call.
The fireworks open the portals
for the spirits to come into this world.
[fireworks whistling, exploding]
- [chuckling] Wow.
- [chuckles]
Welcome to Mexico.
- Whoo.
- Welcome to Oaxaca.
- [chuckles] This is how we do it here.
- Whoa.
[Samuel] It will wake up any spirit
- even if they didn't want to come back.
- [Levy] 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.
- [Samuel] 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 honour of my mom.
- [Levy] 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 honouring 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.
[emotive music playing]
[Levy] This is a chance for the family
to welcome back her spirit
and pay tribute.
[whispers] 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.
[sombre flute music]
[Levy] 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.
[Samuel] Yeah, without her here,
it's time for us to step up.
- [Samuel chuckles] Make her proud.
- [Levy] Yes. Yes.
I think your…
your mom would be very proud.
[chuckles]
- 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.
[whimsical music playing]
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…
[stammers] 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.
[triumphant music playing]
After soccer, lucha libre
is the most popular spectator sport
in Mexico.
[audience members exclaiming]
[Levy] Attracting millions
of hardcore fans every year.
- Hey, guys. Good to see you.
- [Samuel] Good to see you.
Celestino.
This is madness.
[Samuel] 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.
[Samuel] Well, the fans,
they come over here
and they get pictures.
They get, uh, autographs.
[audience member exclaims, whistles]
[Levy] In lucha libre the wrestlers
are either good guys or bad guys.
Either way,
they all seem to be very popular.
- [speaks indistinctly]
- Sí. This is my friend.
- Eugene.
- Ratzinger.
- This is Eugene.
- [Levy] Ratzinger.
- Welcome to Oaxaca. Welcome to my house.
- Uh-huh. [laughs]
- Welcome to my backyard. The place…
- [Levy laughs]
You see how people love him?
- [exclaiming]
- [Levy] He's a… He's a good guy? Bad guy?
- [Samuel] Well…
- He's a bad guy?
[stammers] 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. [laughs]
- [laughs]
- [Samuel] Nice. All the best, mate.
- Enjoy the show.
- You got it.
- Thank you. See you.
- We have seats over here, Eugene.
[Levy] Lucha libre first emerged
in the 1860s.
Mostly in working-class neighbourhoods.
And it's remained
a very affordable night out.
- Yeah!
- [audience member cheers]
[Samuel] Okay, here we go.
- [audience cheers]
- [Samuel] Good start.
Oh, fast.
They're, like, dancing.
- [audience member shouts in Spanish]
- Wow.
Nice.
[Levy] Lucha libre actually means
"free fight" in Spanish.
- [Samuel] 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!
- [audience cheers, whistles]
[exclaiming in Spanish]
No wonder you guys loved this
when you were a kid.
[Samuel exclaims]
- [laughs]
- [Samuel] Ridiculous.
[Levy] 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 colourful,
and they get to pick their favourites.
- [audience exclaims in Spanish]
- Look out!
[exclaims]
Whoo!
Ratzinger! Ratzinger!
[Levy] 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.
[upbeat music playing]
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.
[speaks Spanish]
- Okay. Okay, gracias.
- [speaks Spanish]
[Levy] 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.
- [vendor] 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.
- [Levy] Out the door? And then left?
- [vendor] Out the door. Left.
[Levy] Gracias.
- [Levy] Buenos días.
- Hola. Hola, buenos días.
Uh… [clears throat]
I need, uh, chapulines.
- [speaks Spanish]
- [clears throat]
- Yikes.
- [continues speaking Spanish]
[Levy] 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.
[Levy] Do you have a paper bag… [mumbles]
[stammers] Yeah, that's good.
Sí. That's good.
'Cause that way I get to look at it
while I'm taking it over.
- [vendor 2 speaks Spanish]
- Uh, sí. [stammers]
Bueno.
- Wha… No… Bueno…
- [vendor 2 speaks Spanish]
- [Levy] No.
- Okay.
Well… Yeah, yes.
No, no, no.
All right, one more.
[stammers] Sí. [stammers]
- Whoa. Th-That is good. That… Sí.
- [chuckles]
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 travelling
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.
- [Levy] 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.
- [Levy] 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.
[Levy] Over in the outdoor kitchen,
Samuel's aunties are preparing
a mole negro sauce
made with toasted chillies, spices,
and what else?
Chocolate.
[speaking Spanish]
[Samuel] You stir it,
and she's gonna pour it.
[Levy] Oh, I see. Okay.
Yeah, obviously
I wasn't pouring it properly.
[Samuel chuckles] 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.
[Levy] 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.
[Samuel] Yeah, don't let it burn, Eugene.
- [Levy] Uh, no, no.
- [Samuel chuckles]
[Levy] 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.
[chuckles]
- Here. This is a soft handmade tortilla.
- [Levy] Ooh. Nice.
[Samuel] We eat tortillas with every meal.
[Levy] Love a good tortilla.
Mmm.
[Levy] 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.
[chuckles]
[Levy] For this family, preparing
their loved one's favourite food
and leaving some as an offering…
[Samuel] You place it right there.
[Levy] …is meant
to nourish that person's soul
and bring back happy memories.
[Samuel, Levy laughing]
[Levy] 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.
- [Levy] Oh.
[Samuel] There's a…
a yearly ritual that we do here.
I think they're here.
[Levy] Oh, my.
The mariachi band.
[playing sentimental folk music]
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…
[chuckles] …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.
- [Mariachi band member singing]
Now this is for the living.
[laughs]
[singing continues]
Stigibeu.
- [music stops]
- [gatherers applauding]
[gentle music playing]
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 honoured to do that, Samuel.
Yeah.
- I'd be honoured.
- Yeah.
[Levy] When I first got here,
I thought Day of the Dead was
not much more than light-hearted fun.
I'll light a candle
for my mother and father.
And all of my deceased family members.
But now I realise 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.
[heart-warming orchestral music playing]
I have everyone's attention?
Next on my bucket list…
Welcome to Vienna.
[Levy] Oh, my.
These balls, they're enormous.
Of course I work well under pressure.
Oh! This one needs a priest, I think.
[person exclaims]
Whoa, is this good!