Hola hola!
Thank goodness it's Friday. Yesterday was La dia de la vergin de los angeles, or Romeria, a catholic holiday with a cool history in Costa Rica. I'm so happy I got to participate, it was tiring but worth it, here's why:
First a little history;
In the early 1600s a woman was searching for firewood by her house on August second. She found a bolder, and on it was a small, back, stone statue of the virgin Mary with a baby in her arms. The woman wanted to keep it and so she took it to her house and put it in a box. But the next day when she was in the forest again, the statue was back on the stone. She took the statue again but the same thing happened. When she told the priest he tried the same thing but again, Mary returned to the stone. They decided she must have wanted her house there and so they started constructing the church. This turned out to be a long process as their buildings kept being destroyed by earthquakes. The current basilica is earthquake resistant, and it's gorgeous!
If you get a chance look it up, in Cartago Costa rica, it's huge! That said, every year around August second (depending where you live) the country walks to this basilica to pay respects. We walked for four full hours, 12 miles yesterday. Some people start weeks before and camp their way there, some carry huge wooden crosses, lots pray with rosaries the whole way. It's amazing and the streets are just packed with people. I don't know how anyone could walk longer than we had, I was tired!
When we got to Cartago the basilica square was so packed with people there was no way we were getting close to the church. the line to get in would have had us waiting for two whole hours. It should have been expected since the whole country was there! And at the front of the church, this is wild, there are two entrances, one is for walking on your feet, the other on your knees. And most people walk on their knees, from the entrance to the stone at the back of the church. It's amazing. And in the basement, there's a river which supposedly has healing powers, and lots of people swear by it.
What an experience! The hype in Cartago was kind of similar to a state fair. Cotton candy, lots of vendors, so many lottery salesmen, just a lot more praying. Very cool.
the walk was the best part, a slight incline for the majority of it on uneven ground. Needless to say I am soooooore. Just a good stretch of the legs :)
Had my last Spanish class today and waking up bright and early to go to the beach, Puerto Viejo, on the East coast, for the weekend. So excited!
Love and miss everyone!
Thank goodness it's Friday. Yesterday was La dia de la vergin de los angeles, or Romeria, a catholic holiday with a cool history in Costa Rica. I'm so happy I got to participate, it was tiring but worth it, here's why:
First a little history;
In the early 1600s a woman was searching for firewood by her house on August second. She found a bolder, and on it was a small, back, stone statue of the virgin Mary with a baby in her arms. The woman wanted to keep it and so she took it to her house and put it in a box. But the next day when she was in the forest again, the statue was back on the stone. She took the statue again but the same thing happened. When she told the priest he tried the same thing but again, Mary returned to the stone. They decided she must have wanted her house there and so they started constructing the church. This turned out to be a long process as their buildings kept being destroyed by earthquakes. The current basilica is earthquake resistant, and it's gorgeous!
If you get a chance look it up, in Cartago Costa rica, it's huge! That said, every year around August second (depending where you live) the country walks to this basilica to pay respects. We walked for four full hours, 12 miles yesterday. Some people start weeks before and camp their way there, some carry huge wooden crosses, lots pray with rosaries the whole way. It's amazing and the streets are just packed with people. I don't know how anyone could walk longer than we had, I was tired!
When we got to Cartago the basilica square was so packed with people there was no way we were getting close to the church. the line to get in would have had us waiting for two whole hours. It should have been expected since the whole country was there! And at the front of the church, this is wild, there are two entrances, one is for walking on your feet, the other on your knees. And most people walk on their knees, from the entrance to the stone at the back of the church. It's amazing. And in the basement, there's a river which supposedly has healing powers, and lots of people swear by it.
What an experience! The hype in Cartago was kind of similar to a state fair. Cotton candy, lots of vendors, so many lottery salesmen, just a lot more praying. Very cool.
the walk was the best part, a slight incline for the majority of it on uneven ground. Needless to say I am soooooore. Just a good stretch of the legs :)
Had my last Spanish class today and waking up bright and early to go to the beach, Puerto Viejo, on the East coast, for the weekend. So excited!
Love and miss everyone!
