Maria- Virgen de Guadalupe

Yes, so much for leaving for Oaxaca yesterday. That's starting to seem like much more of a Friday plan. I could stay in this town (Mexico City) for months and not run out of interesting shit to do see read watch covet. Today it was the Basilica where ol' Juan Diego saw the brown skinned Mother of God, who commanded him to cut some flowers and build a temple.

I was convinced to go last night by my hosts, the Gallo family. Light headed on their lime juice and tequila, poured out of a giant plastic no label jug, I knew I knew for sure I had to go. So deeply tied to Mexican culture/identity, the Virgin of Guadalupe is a perfect Mestiza symbol. The religion of Europe, brought over with disease and horses and guns and perfectly evil greedy men, made truly Mexican. It cannot be stressed enough the importance of Mary´s appearance HERE, dressed in Mexican garb, with dark hair and dark skin, speaking Nahuatl. She is usually referred to as 'Nuestra (our) Virgen de Guadalupe.' It was her image that the early revolutionary armies carried as their banner against the occupying forces. Not going to see where she appeared, where she is celebrated, I would have missed seeing the heart of Mexico.

So I went, and was underwhelmed. Beautiful architecture, especially the New Basilica, built by Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vásquez in the mid '70s, but I felt none of the passion and interest that I had last night, tequila fired up, in the Gallo's kitchen. It was chingado hot, and they had the usual pro-life propaganda, the Catholic give us some money christmart stylee, and everyone looked bored. EXCEPT- in the Basilica, a young girl walked on her knees to the altar, carrying a bouquet of roses (important in the Virgen myth), Christ's love visible on her face. Despite my agnosticism, my feeling that faith is dangerous, it was beautiful to see.

Yep, yep, time to go back to the Gallo's before they get nervous. 'There's problems in this neighborhood, all these kids doing the marijuana,' they warned me. Tomorrow the Anthro Museum and a castle, some more greasy ass delicious street stall food, and amateur soccer. Love ya miss ya all very much.