Hello all, how are things? It's been a while since I've posted anything, but it's because the time has been quite busy here! Since I last posted, my travels have taken me to Puerto Escondido, an amazing little beach and surfing town in the south of México, highly recommendable as a vacation spot. In a "combi", or church-van style vehicle, we were 15 that fit inside: Marcelo and Livia from Brazil, Jenni and Kathi from Germany, Tim from Switzerland, Abby from Canada, our good friend Paco Alpizar, his wife and 3 kids, a friend of his kids (Mami), the driver, his wife and I (Check out the picture to the left). We stayed in some cabins about 20 steps from Playa Zicatela, one of the most famous beaches in the world for surfing, and even tried a little surfing, mostly failing miserably but every once in a while managing to stand up. Quite an ambitious start though, not many folks are able to learn in such an amazing place.
On the way there, we stopped in a place that is really sacred here in México, Juquila. It's very common to see trucks and bumper stickers that say "Regalo de Juquila", or "Gift of Juquila", and I had always wondered what it meant. It turns out that Juquila is a little town hidden in the endless green hills of Oaxaca (The biggest state in México, if you ironed it), where the second-most famous virgin in México, after the Virgin de Guadalupe, and it's very common to ask for things from her, which works like this: One makes a pilgrimage to the town, asks for something, and if the prayer is answered, the person is required to return every year for seven years to pay thanks to the Virgin. For example, our friend Paco asked for a son 5 years ago, and returns every year with him to the site. The same goes for the trucks, the people who drive them have asked for work, recieved it, and in tribute put it on their windshield. Pretty cool tradition. Also, as you can see in the above photo, people leave physical manifestation of their thanks too. That entire hillside is covered in little crosses, clay cars, clay children, clay houses, and any other thing that the Virgin has given to the people through prayer. Also found were various signs commemorating various pilgrimages, almost always done on foot, from places that need a week or more to arrive. The shrine was impressive, and the strength of the faith of the Mexican people never ceases to amaze.
Here are some lovely photos from the trip!
In the market of Oaxaca, the capital of the state My buddy Marcelo with the surfboard
My buddy Livia in Puerto Angelito, a little bay in Puerto Escondido
The shrine to the Virgen of Juquila, where the requests are made
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