San Juan del Rio is paralyzed

This afternoon at 2 I left the house to take some important papers to Marta. She lives right in the center of town. In the picture, the street in front of the police, is where I want to go. He told me to turn right, which takes me to the highway to Queretaro. I DID NOT want to go right. Did I have a choice?? NO.



So, why is San Juan paralyzed?? These hundreds, probably thousands of pilgrims heading for San Juan de los Lagos (St. John of the Lakes) have arrived in town, and will be here for two or three days, resting. They have paralyzed our town. Thanks, Alan, for letting me know - Yolanda also told me last night - that they're heading for the Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico City. It will take them 8 days to get there. The women came through town the day before and today was the men's turn.





When I turned and looked ahead, all I could see was pilgrims. To the end of the road, around the corner, to the end of that road, around the corner, thousands of them.






Now I'm heading for the highway to Queretaro. I didn't have a choice, nor did dozens of other cars! I headed toward Queretaro and got off at the first exit, along with many others, and headed back toward San Juan. I took the bus station exit thinking maybe the traffic wouldn't be so bad. WRONG! It took me 45 minutes to get back home! At least I had a good story I was listening to!







And I never got to Marta's house! But when I arrived home, who should be sitting out front of my house but Victor, Marta's husband! She had asked him to come get the materials! Now he's wondering how he'll get home!!


The saddest part of the story is that these thousands of pilgrims are depending on their pilgrimage to get them to heaven, someday, somehow. So sad.