Los voladores

All throughout Mexico this impressive ritual is performed. It consists of five men dressed in a traditional Totonaco costume, one of them plays a flute and the rest spin upside down around a VERY high pole with NO safety net (It is breathtaking).


The Voladores are getting ready by spinning the pole so that the ropes can twist around it.


The Musician climbs up. He stays in the ceter of the pole, playing sacred tunes to the 4 winds.




The descent starts. We held our breath!






They look very focused and calm, as if they were meditating. Me? I would be throwing up...


They land gracefully (for everybody's relief), we are talking of a pole that is at least 5 stories high. I don't understand how on earth can they walk straight after that.