No I am not going to start off by saying it is a lovely sunny morning so there…at this juncture I would suggest a break to get a coffee or tea as I feel a long post coming.
There is something about making pancakes outside and eating them outside which just makes them taste that much tastier, anyhow that is how I started the day. Then packed up and off to explore the town, which is about a 5-minute walk from the RV Park and the name of the town, is called Villa Corona.
What I would like you to do is just sit back and try to imagine you are walking with me through this very lovely town. The first thing that comes to mind is the music; everywhere is foot stomping music being played and usually quite loud. The next sense that comes into play is the nose; the smells are intriguing and so varied. Next use your eyes to see all the smiles on the faces of the people you pass by. Everyone says hola or Buenos Dias.
Other people in the park had told me of a hole in the wall bakery that was not to be missed. So that was my first place to find and I did, just down this very small alley way no signs at all and the aroma’s were lovely and the little girl was helping her Dad make cookies. I bought 2 whole-wheat buns, 2 shortbread cookies and yes I have to admit comfort food, 2 donuts, all for the ridiculous price of 18 pesos!!
After crossing the highway the maze of the side streets begin leading to the main Plaza. This is the centre of activity where the vendors are located. The old folks just sitting around talking and of course this is all looked over by the imposing Church. A beautiful building both on the inside and the outside.. Round the block is the school where the kids, all in uniform play and the noise and laughter is overwhelming.
Next walking through the back streets it seems every other door way is a small store of some nature, selling everything from shoes to brooms to tortillas. The locals stop and chat with each other. Many mothers have their children with them and they stop and chat to neighbours and the kid’s just play. No danger of cars, no danger of running off and getting hurt, it seems like one big happy family.
See the rainbow of colours in the different flowers and shrubs. Kids playing soccer, the universal game, the little girl crying so hard when I had given her mother some candy to give to her. Amazing how many of these lovely people speaks English and they all love to have their photograph taken.
Then the workers, the various modes of transportation from tractors, bikes to horses. This little town seems to have everything.
Now you have to close your eyes and you are standing on this street corner in a tiny village in Mexico having just witnessed all of the above when suddenly you hear loud voices come booming through huge amplifiers and you see a procession approaching you. Now you open your eyes and you cannot believe what you are seeing….an elephant, a zebra, camels…..the circus is in town!! I have mixed feelings about this because the animals looked so sad and I am sure their living conditions leave much to be desired. Then you see the looks of sheer delight on the faces of the young children who I am sure have never seen such animals in the flesh before.
After the thrill of this dies down we now try to find the Church of Sand. Other people in the park told me about this and after a hard climb up some steep hills on the outskirts of town I come the Church of Sand. This is I think the true account of how this church was built. Back in the 1930’s a man came home and found his wife in bed with another man. In a fit of rage he killed both the man and his wife and was arrested and sent to prison. Apparently in prison he found God and repented his sins and swore if and when he got out of prison he would build a church and that is what he did.
When I got to the church it was inside a locked commune and I so wanted to see inside. I stopped a young man on a bike and tried to ask him about getting in the compound and he motioned me to follow him about 50 yards down the round to a locked gate where I think he told me the man had a key. I knocked on the door and Juan opened up and I asked about seeing the church. It is amazing my Spanish is terrible but with smiles and signs and nods of head I always seem to manage. Anyway Juan got his keys and took me back up to the church opened the gates and let me in and allowed me to take photos and it was simply amazing. The photo of me with the pick is the original one the man used. To see inside how beautiful and much work this must have taken. Apperently he had no money and only a pick, axe and shovel for tools. The tunnels off to the side didn’t seem to lead anywhere but Juan was telling me about them but I could not figure out what he was trying to tell me. I think the sign is saying the church was built in 1939 with great effort and first blessed in 1959. This was just an incredible visit and it seems so many of these little towns have so much history and things going on that you would normally zoom by in your vehicle and never know.
Anyway now just please enjoy the following photographs, knowing how much joy I had taking them and I hope you enjoyed your walk through Villa Corona….