She's Back! The Virgin Returns

 Now for those of you who are playing catch up, you'll need to go back to a blog written about this time last year when we first discovered the Virgin of Zapopan and her pivotal role in maintaining Lake water levels.  If I've lost you already you REALLY need to go back to get the gist.  Briefly, what this involves is that the Virgin comes to Chapala from Guadalajara and spends the summer at the Lake moving from Village to Village to insure that the rains come in adequate measure.  She arrived Sunday July 14th and did she ever do it in style!  This marked the 4th anniversary of her coronation as La Reina del Lago (Damn! We missed that).  For four centuries she has been Jalisco's principal religious patroness and protector against strife, plagues and natural disasters.

Well, we really need her this year.  Thus far in July (according to Wes) we've only gotten a little over 9" while we usually have 25".  Conversely, Guadalajara has gotten 25" while they normally get 9-10".  This has resulted in horrible flooding in the city and a bunch of grumpy people at Lakeside.  Nobody is happy.  She better get with the program and rectify the situation.

This blog will be long on pictures and short on verbiage because well... you'll see.  Just to set the stage, the procession welcoming the Virgin goes on for about one half of a mile.  The street is covered with alfalfa bordered by crushed marigold petals (I think).  This year the theme of green and gold was dedicated to Pope Francis' trip to Brazil (think gold/green flag).  Upon this carpet parades, dances, prances and bounces the most amazing and outrageous entourage you could imagine.  Of course, the culmination is the appearance of the Virgin,  herself, ensconced on a float.

Michael and I only stayed for the parade but the extent of celebration is impressive.  After the parade there is a huge Mass.  There is an overnight Vigil.  The next morning she is escorted to the pier and loaded on a panga and sailed over to Scorpion Island (poor branding with that name) where there is yet another Mass.  After that, I get a little vague.  After some time period, she moves along to San Antonio, Ajijic, etc. etc.  We'll keep you posted on that.

The parade begins with one of the 20 troupes of costumed ritual indigenous dancers carrying their banner.

The parade route is lined periodically with these flower adorned gateways through which the parade passes.

The dancers beside the alfalfa & marigold decorated street.

The ritual dancers ranged from the very young...

to the very old.

The dancers wear these hinged metal-soled shoes as they dance on the cobblestones, which makes for an interesting sound as they dance along the parade route.

Like Father, like Son & even the baby joins the parade to welcome the Virgen de Zapopan.

The ritual dancers carry copal incense as another strums his instrument.

The costumes and headdresses of the dancers are very unique.

Costumed characters representing the devil carry whips.

One of the many unique masks & the hair is quite something as well.

The effect is not complete until one sees the complete costume of this representation of the devil.

Note the bow & arrow of one of the ritual dancers & the bright red hair of another.

Occasionally the sound of the whips cracking reverberated along the parade route.

This group of Apaches were among the ritual dancers.

Even a gorilla was among the participants.

Families marched & families watched the unfolding spectacle.

Even some seminarians joined the parade with the ritual dancers.

This particular group included a conch shell blowing blonde with a very colorful headdress.

Drums were also part of the parade. Note the opening at the bottom of this drum. A small fire is placed at the bottom of the drum to tighten the skin.

After you thought you saw an impressive headdress...

another would come along that was even more impressive.

Some headdresses were more minimalist...

while others were more ornate & colorful.

The young sound the conch as well.

When the drums pound & the ritual dancers move....

there is a riot of colors and feathers.

This three drum combo was wheeled along the parade route.

One of the drummers converses with one of the characters in the parade.

The percussion from these three drums could be felt throughout your body...

but it inspired the ritual dancers.

Another example of a colorful costume & headdress...

and yet some others.

The ritual dancers then lined the parade route...

while boys representing the Franciscan missionaries marched by...

followed by the band...

followed by a young female honor guard...

followed by a young male honor guard.

A banner depicting the "Virgen" is carried by the honor guard.

No parade in Jalisco is complete without the mariachis....

and even more mariachis.

Finally the moment we have waited for...

the arrival of the Virgen de Zapopan on her majestic float.

The diminutive figure of the Virgin of Expectation Mary aka Virgen de Zapopan. 

All too quickly after a brief glimpse...

the Virgen passes...

followed by Cardinal Jose Francisco Robles blessing the people along the parade route.

But it doesn't end there, because now the young charros arrive....

followed by the well trained dancing horses of the older charros...

and yet another masked & feathered character.

This creative individual couldn't afford a real horse, so he improvised.

If you thought the earlier headdresses were impressive...

these were absolutely amazing!

I don't know how they can wear these headdresses for as long as they do, but obviously this individual needed a rest.

Our lives continue to be really busy and we just keep meeting more and more interesting people.  In the last few weeks we've met a Baron and Baroness, a French designer who did Bruce Springsteen's house and redid a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Pasadena, and just a whole lot of other folks who end up here in unusual ways with interesting and sometimes dubious backgrounds.  Just on Sunday we had a breakfast with Ed and Ramon where Ramon made these amazing tiny little tortilla things (from Scratch!) with black beans and meat and salsa and numerous other delicious elements.  We then did the parade.  We then decided we needed to experience Mud Fest.  Mud Fest involves approximately half the male population between the ages of 15 and 30 gathering up their ATVs, motorcycles and off road vehicles and racing them in the mud flats of the Lake (I TOLD you she was not doing her job).  While the Virgin was extremely popular and there were hundreds, if not thousands on hand, the Mud Fest was more popular.  We couldn't even get near it.  Not even in the line to get near it.  Go figure.  Next year, we'll go early.  Then it was off to Robert and Luis' for Luis' birthday party which was a blast.  And then dinner with some other fun friends.

So then, we had an appointment with our Doctor on Monday.  By Tuesday Michael was in the hospital and now by Wednesday we are back home and all is well.  See, busy.  We want you to enjoy all the photos and wish you could all experience this with us (well, maybe not the hospital part).  Anyway, as soon as we get this up we will start on a Special Edition entitled:  Mikey Goes to the Hospital.  Stand by.