Last Market Day

Trip Start Jun 11, 2005
1
16
33
Trip End Sep 01, 2005


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Flag of Mexico  ,
Saturday, July 16, 2005

This is my last Saturday in San Miguel. So I wandered the market, which is huge. I've visited a number of Latin American countries now and here's what I've learned: Jesus is extremely popular. People love him. And Jesus paraphernalia (crosses, crucifixes, 3-D portraits, life-size recreations) are huge sellers. According to my calculations (which took 12 seconds and involved me picking large numbers), these items generate $14 trillion a year in sales. I don't know exactly how much of this goes into the coffers. I've sent an inquiry email to the Pope and should hear back from him any day now.

I know I've mentioned this before, but churches soothe me. While traveling, they are a great place to escape the elements, or the crowds, or the commotion of the outside world. There really is often peace inside those walls. Admittedly, their ornateness while in the midst of such poverty does bother me on occasion 01 Bug on Dirt Road
01 Bug on Dirt Road
 . But they do serve their purpose. And today I saw an old woman who looked very content sit inside this empty church and stare at the art surrounding her. It was nice. Then I saw that she was accompanied by an old man. He had leaned over and had his head resting in her lap. They were both at peace. Totally and completely. I thought it was lovely.

But it can't all be good, can it?

A bird defecated on me today. Was it for taking pictures in a church? Was it for my sacrilege? Is it for my never ending quest for the revival of Fascism? I'm sure it was all of the above. I'll take my penance. I'll live to see another day.

For those of you who are looking at my travel pod and thinking, "Wow, these pictures really suck." I agree. I haven't found a single picture that I really like. Peru was all pictures. Mexico is all stories. What are you gonna do?

I do hope that as I venture into Chiapas and the various ruins around Mexico, the pictures will come. I've posted some of my wandering from today. They're okay.
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