The Basilica of Guadalupe

Another day, another adventure here in DF! To take advantage of this sunny Monday morning, I jumped on the Metrobus and took off to the famous La Villa, a site that contains several churches and religious buildings. The Basilica of Guadalupe, the most famous site in La Villa, is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Roman Catholic religion. Every year, millions of people make a pilgrimage to the Basilica to pay homage to the Virgin Mary on December 12th. It is believed that Mary appeared there (about 500 years ago) to Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, and she asked him to build a temple for her.

"I wish that a temple be erected here quickly, so I may therein exhibit and give all my love, compassion, help, and protection. Because I am your merciful mother, to you, and to all the inhabitants on this land and all the rest who love me, invoke and confide in me; to listen there to their lamentations, and remedy all their miseries, afflictions and sorrows. And to accomplish what my clemency pretends, go to the palace of the bishop of Mexico, and you will say to him that I manifest my great desire, that here on this plain a temple be built to me."  (From http://www.sancta.org/basilica.html)

People now walk for days to visit this site, coming from states all over Mexico, and many walk the last few miles on their knees. Today during my visit, I saw a few people walking on their knees in the square in front of the Basilica. Maybe they're starting early this year?

The new Basilica, where people make a pilgrimage each December. See the man in the red shirt walking on his knees?

The old Basilica, where construction began in 1531. 

The front facade of the old Basilica.

The front of the new Basilica

Inside the old Basilica, a beautiful building with marble shrines and large paintings on the walls.

One of the paintings in the old Basilica.

Another section of the old Basilica, with a small golden chapel inside, connecting the two larger buildings.

The small golden chapel between the two larger parts of the old Basilica.

In the picture of the full outside of the Basilica, this is
the inside of the building on the right side of the church.

The inside of the new Basilica. I didn't want to take too many pictures during mass, but I had to
 snap at least one to show you! Besides, they have mass every hour on the hour from 6 in the morning
until 8 at night, so there's really no time that could I get a picture without people worshiping in it...

Behind the old Basilica, and up several flights of stairs, is the Capilla
de Cerrito. From there, you can get a great view of all Mexico City.

In front of the Capilla de Cerrito, there are four statues of the angels Gabriel, Uriel, Michael, and Raphael.
But, ever since I've started watching Dr. Who, I'm terrified of angel statues. And I never blink.

The view from the Capilla del Cerrito. You can't see in the picture,
but in real life, you can see the mountains surrounding the city.

The shrine to the Virgin Mary, where Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin
 is said to have seen an apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

The Capilla del Pocito, the last stop of my day in La Villa. 

From there, it was only a 15-minute walk to the Metrobus station, where I was able to take a direct bus for about 45 minutes back to my apartment. But, not before grabbing a delicious horchata-water to quench my thirst from walking all over La Villa! (For those who don't know what horchata-water is, it's a sweet and yummy milky water made from rice, almonds, and cinnamon. It tastes like the nectar of fairy kisses, unicorn tears, and essence of rainbow. It's that good.) After shooting a half-liter of horchata directly into my veins, I jumped on the Metrobus and witnessed two ladies get into a hair-pulling and face-slapping fight over a box. Jerry Springer should have been there. The police even escorted them off the bus! Oh yes, it's the little things that keep Mexico City an everyday adventure.