Ethiopia and Reaching Home
Posted on December 9, 2013
After finishing 27 months in Zambia and wrapping up my Peace Corps service. I spent a short week in Nairobi visiting an old Sudanese friend and then met another Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia to travel around for one month. I followed this with more traveling, but I’ve been home in Phoenix, Ariz. since October. I’m now settled back home and getting ready to work and live in the great Southwest of the United States of America.
Below are some photographs of Tigray and the area’s rock hewn churches. The area is stunning, a landscape without one area uncultivated or managed for livestock. There are mountains and hidden in the heights are small entrances to carved churches. I’ve only included a few photographs in this post, which regardless couldn’t show the true beauty of the place. I hope to add more posts from Ethiopia in the future.
La Basilica de la Virgen
Posted on May 3, 2009
Statue vendors use to photograph pilgrims and visitors with, one of many tucked away since there is no one to seel the photos to.
Today writers Alexis Okeowo and Camilo Smith and I headed out to the Basilica de la Virgen de Guadalupe in the North of the City (Red line Villa-Basilica exit). Because of the H1N1 virus or swine flu the basilica, a place of worship for thousands daily, is holding small masses outdoors and tomorrow will shut its doors completely and only televise one service at 9am.
The virus really has made this city of 20 million plus seem small and slow as a little town.
More stored statues . . . absolutely no one to sell to.
We took a stroll around after the service through the deserted courtyards, after hearing the prayer to help end the pandemic, also listed in this prior post.
Nuns stand in the back of the basilica
The faithful look up to the mantilla of Juan Diego.
Nuns stroll through the basilica.
Church service Saturday afternoon:
And the ride back home . . .
And one last one . . .
La Virgen de Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego at Tepeyac hill, where the basilica is built today.
Tomorrow . . . a post on Castigado or Punished . . . most likely one of the most entertaining and disturbing card games I’ve ever seen . . . check back!
Deanna Dent 