Monday 24th January 2011…….yes the first photo is AM!!!!!!

This is the time we left the house this morning for Sara to participate in this..

Founded in 1542, San Juan de los Lagos is set in the Los Altos region of Jalisco, an area distinguished by its devotion to the Roman Catholic faith. The Cathedral there is home to the diminutive image of the Virgin of the Immaculate Concepcion. Since 1623, numberless miracles have been attributed to the little Virgin, and San Juan de Los Lagos is visited by millions of the faithful each year. In fact, only the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City draws more religious pilgrims than San Juan de los Lagos.  A few years ago I actually visited this beautiful old church.

There is an organization here in SMA called CASA…Centro para los Adolescentes de San Miguel…this is a multi functional group that caters to rural women and their families and offers shelter, intervention, education and out reach help…it also is a Midwifery school…as Sara was a Midwife  for many years this organization is dear to her and they were offering for participants to raise money and join this walk and the pilgrims for the first 7 km…..hence us being up so early as the walk started from down town at 6.30am…

 

Sara and her new friend…I was on the scooter riding ahead and then checking in on them for water and clothing disposal…..the following pictures describe this epic walk which is so important and sacred to the pilgrims!!!!

A real hot spring..

The pilgrims…

Many places were handing out free refreshments..

After 7km they reached the river which is where Sara’s group stopped…

The wheel barrow collection I think was for the bridge construction!!!

The walkers from CASA were to get a ride  back but some of them decided to walk back and Sara was one of them…. … way to go girl!!!!

She doesn’t look too happy about this!!!

Part of the participation was an invite to tour the Casa compound and we did this funnily enough the building is right next door to Casa Hogar so I knew about the building but just thought it was a large school it is actually a combination of school, church, theatre and classrooms and dormitory for the mid wife students…the tour was very informative and made interesting by these little ones…

The building id very beautiful

One of the functions of CASA is education and they go out into the Campos and educate and one way they do this is by plays and we were witness to one which was very graphic and so well done on family violence..

We got back to the house around 12.30pm and I know that Sara was tired and I was proud of her for walking for this group, raising money and completing about 15km.

We both had a lazy afternoon and then I went into the local store for groceries…

Just want to praise my scooter, Bonita, she starts every time and most days it is three trips into town and look at all the groceries she can carry….a very faithful companion!!!

It was a great day and to be a little part of such important culture is wonderful…….