Odds and ends...

Photo 1...Me and a large pan of Lasagna. It served 15 with leftovers.

Photo 2 and 3... 'Tamale Verde'...or a Green Tamale, Masa filled with shredded pork and green salsa and wrapped in a corn husk, then steamed till tasty.

Photo 4...Two coffee's that I am drinking...Veracruz is a stronger, tastier coffee than the Oaxaca which is lighter and with much less body.

Photo 1 and 2...The old Basilica, look at the lean.

Photo 3...Pope John Paul, a tribute. (if you look behind the statue in the photo, you can see the Pope bus, his transportation when he visited.)

Photo 4...The Chapel on the hill...

Photo 1...The candles atop the Chapel on the hill.

Photo 2 and 3...The statues on the hill with waterfalls, (suspiciously 'built' looking)...and Zita and I.

Photo 4...The roof frescos.

Photo 1...This is the plaque at the entrance of the church where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared.

Photo 2...The old Basilica, built in 1536 is now sinking like the rest of Mexico. It leans to the right and to the front.

Photo 3...The New Basilica, build between 1974-76 and resembles a stadium with flashy 70's decor. Polyester suits welcome...

The original miraculous apron containing the image of the Virgin hangs behind bullet-proof glass above the altar in the new basilica. Moving walkways going in two directions transport the crowds a distance below the cloak. If you want to see it again, take the people-mover going in the opposite direction; you can do it as many times as you want.

The picture is of a woman with olive skin, rather than the white skin of European images, which has appealed to both indigenous Mexicans and their mestizo descendants. Similarly, the man that she is supposed to have appeared to, Juan Diego, was an Indian, not a European Spaniard. The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has thus been used by advocates of indigenous rights throughout Mexico's history, most recently by the Zapatista movement.

The apron Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin wore was studied by Philip Serna Callahan in 1981 with infrared rays. He reported that the portions of the face, hands, robe, and mantle had been painted in one step, with no sketches or corrections and no paintbrush strokes.

Photo 1...The new Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Built in the 70's to serve the growing parish, December 12th is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the entire area is filled with Catholics making the pilgrimage.

Photo 2...To show sacrifice and to pay respect, individuals crawl on their knees from the gates of the Basilica to the entrance of the Basilica itself. This is done on hard marble and cannot be comfortable.

Photo 3...Everywhere you look outside the gates, religious statues and items are sold.

Photo 1... The Angel of Independence
Photo 2... A look down 'Calle Reforma' from the sunroof in Aris's truck.
Photo 3...Reallt, who doesn't love Corona anyway?