500 Years Later, Adventure In The Land of Aztecs - Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Tepeyac

Moons Orbit Planets

Planets Orbit Stars

Stars Orbit Galaxies

Galaxies Orbit A Centre Yet Unknown to Us

Our Innate Pure Nature Inclines to Contemplate Another Example of Orbit

Which God, Honoured High is He, Made Us to Do So.

- Muhammad Umayr, Youtuber

(Continued from Chapter Three)

On the way back to Mexico City from Teotihuacan, I followed a group of fellow bus passengers and got off at a chaotic intersection. Because I wasn't quite familiar with the neighbourhood I was in, I decided to catch the Metrobus line that ran in the area. Metrobuses in Mexico City had specifically designated stations where are guarded by Police and accessible only by paid passengers. I figured probably it was the best way to move around in an unknown neighbourhood and hoped it would take me to my destination - somewhere I could see with bare eyes. 

I waited for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes. Buses only dropped off passengers at the station. The policewoman was yelling at my direction, which I wasn't sure what she was trying to say, or whether she was even yelling at a foreign tourist like me at all. Time was running out as the the day was getting late. I got out of the Metrobus station, and ventured into the neighbourhood of unknown. 

Along the way were street vendors selling handmade items like scarves & gloves, fruit served in cups, counterfeit DVDs, and cheap, low quality calendar like religious portraits of the Christ and Virgin Mary.  There were simply too many people - very hard to tell if anybody ever paid any attention to me or a foreign tourist like me had already targeted by the local neighbourhood gang.  In the end, it really didn't matter. What appeared before me was a long boulevard totally sealed off by the police, and a seemingly never ending crowd marching towards a place that was even holy to the pre-Columbian Aztecs: The Hill of Tepeyac - today the site of one of the most visited pilgrimage destinations in the whole world: The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe might appear to be a legacy of Spanish colonization in Mexico. The interesting fact is that everything about this place is just as Mexican as tacos: The ancient Aztecs once worshipped the goddess of earth at where the current Basilica complex stands.  The massive celebration that takes place every year in the name of commemorating Virgin Mary existed even before the Spaniards came, except it was celebrated in the name of the earth goddess.  In other words, even if the event of colonization never happened, we would still see a similar celebration in the same scale at the Tepeyac Hill every year. 

Statue of Jesus

Statues of Guadalupe (Santa Maria), Juan Diego, and Aztec converts

From a different angle

You may have guessed it right, I ended up visiting the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe during this annual celebration, totally by accident. 

The sea of pilgrims in the middle of a Mega city

Pilgrims from every corner of the country

Jesus Christ and Jesus Malverde

I followed a delegation from Guanajuato, the place where I was just the day before. Many pilgrims carried portraits on their backs- either of Jesus or of their family members. Some others also carried real live sized statues of Santa Maria and crucified Jesus. People visit the Basilica to get close to the cloak that allegedly had the portrait of Guadalupe (Santa Maria)  appearing as a result of a miraculous event. This event started the fast expansion of Catholic faith among the native Mexicans and eventually turned Mexico into a pre-dominantly Catholic nation today, However, to a visitor who stumbled upon this important event totally by accident, I was unaware of anything at the moment.

The crowd moved in circular motion. I only knew that I was closer and closer to what everyone was hoping to see. Eventually I followed the crowd into a smaller, more historic chapel, where hundreds worshipped towards a small picture of Santa Maria.

For most of the time while I was there, I just followed this statue of Guadalupe. I knew the Holy Mary would lead me to where she wanted me to see, although I'm not a Catholic at all

Chapel with the portrait of Our Lady of Guadalupe

After exiting the chapel, I followed the path back to the Basilica's main square. Due to the crowd at the entrance blocking my view as I entered the compound, I didn't realize that half of the square were used as the place where many pilgrims from far away places camped to stay overnight.  Some organized traditional dance performances to entertain fellow pilgrims and curious visitors like me, while many other started preparing dinner - the sun was about to set and the day was about to end.

But not for me yet.....

Smoggy Mexico City from Tepeyac Hill

That evening, I joined a different crowd at Arena Mexico. Instead of seeing enthusiastic Catholic pilgrims, thousands of fervent wrestling fans cheered and jeered in a live Lucha Libre event that was broadcasted throughout the world. The energy level, however, was on par with the pilgrimage event earlier. Maybe it was the energy of Mexico - a country that has gone through many storms, yet still standing because it's deeply rooted in dedication. 

The crowd during the day

A different type of crowd at night

All of sudden, the "friendly advices" of folks back home echoed in my mind: "If you ever go to Mexico and never stay at a resort, you will be in grave danger." A family friend , who had never been to Mexico, actually predicted that "I would be killed in Mexico City". 

Well, so far so good. After accidentally completing a pilgrimage with over a hundred thousand people at the same time in a neighbourhood unknown, that night after the wrestling match I found myself hailing Uber at 11:00 pm with a wrestler who just competed in a match I saw in the middle of the road. 

Did anything happen like what that family friend said? I think if you are reading this, you already know the answer. 

(To Be Continued in Chapter Five)