Villa de Guadalupe, Mex. City

Friday, June 23, 2006

One of the main attrections for Meixcan pilgrams in the Villa de Guadalupe (in Mexico City) the stadium sized church which houses the origional paintaing from the church built on the site of her apperance. It seemed a sight not to be missed and as we could get there by metro Maya and I set off for there early in evening.

It was raining and the streets were cold and wet. People the few people about walking briskly past covered in seets of plastic which can be bought of 50 pesos (.50 cents)or huddled under the eves of the buildings. The metro was steemy and packed. People were cramed into cars and the only way to get in your self was to push forward and pack your self in. As we got away form the city center the crowds began to thin, until the cars were almost empty by the time we came to our last stop.

The rain had stoped but it was almost dark. The church was easily visable towering above everything else, but to get there we had to wind though a warren of street stalls. Mostly closed they gave the area an abandoned feeling. In one almost deserted area a guy walking past pinched my ass. It was too shcoking for me to be imedately furious and by the time in sunk in he was away.

The church itself is a mondern monstrosity purched on the feet of the old church, now to old and decrepid to be used. A sparsly attended sermon was talking place inside. Only a hand full of people in such as large church. The image of the Virgine of Guadalupe hangs above the alter and is quite delecte and lovely, quite out place in such a vast space.There is a moving side walk behind the alter that takes you back and forth underneath her image, adding to the bazarness of the stetting.

Outside it had finnaly grown dark. I bought a litttle image of Guadalupe and a St.'s charm bracelet from the last open street vendor to comemerate the trip. On our way back through the stalls a cop came up and warned us off, saying the area was dangerous , although we hardly need to be told. The dark and the rain giave the streets a tense and ominous feeling. We were both quite relieved to be back on the metro.