Los Volodores de Papantla

Voladores Launch (Papantla Veracruz)
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Denise and I went here Sunday afternoon just for some R and R and to get out of Poza Rica for a little bit.  As one guide book describes it, Papantla is "one of the surviving strongholds of Totonac Indian life."  It is also one of Mexico´s primary vanilla growing areas.  We had a nice lunch on a cafe balcony overlooking the main plaza and with a good view of the Voladores.  I had a terrible cold (which is particularly unpleasant in the tropics, but we both had a good time.

Flyers Dance
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The Volodores are certainly the most high-profile modern example of the Totanac's enduring culture. Five brightly costumed men climb a 90-foot pole. Each one represents a cardinal direction of the ancient Veracruzan world, North, South East West and Upward. While one plays a flute and small drum, the others carefully wrap ropes around the top portion of the pole and then tie the ends around their waists.  While the musicians continues to play, the other four role over the side of the platform and begin spinning around the pole, getting closer and closer to the ground as their ropes unwind from the pole. Each flyer (English for volador) makes 13 revolutions around the pole before uprighting themselves and landing on their feet.

"one of the surviving srongholds of Totonac Indian life."

Flyer Papantla
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Some have suggested that the Voladores ritual only continues for the benefit of tourists.  While it is true that the Sunday event in Papantla is an attraction for outsiders, many communities in the area have Volodor poles in their main plazas (some even made of wood instead of metal.)  Some that I have seen in Northern Puebla State for example could not possibly be for tourists because they are simply in  areas so remote that their is no tourism.  I don't know how often these are used, but they are there.