The walk

The fireworks started at 4am. As we made our way to the square in front of the Parroquia, the world was quiet and gentle and we could still see the stars. We walked up to the square behind folks that were descending from all of the different colonias, or neighborhoods. As we came into the square, we found ourselves amongst hundreds. A few groups were practicing for ceremonial dances that would kick off the walk. Faces were painted, giant drums were being practiced on, and the 4am mass was taking place in the Parroquia. Ted and I sat perched on the edge of a stone ledge in front of the grand iglesia. We weren't quite ready to join the CASA group as we wanted to take in everything that was going on around us. More fireworks! A little background on the walk. San Juan de los Lagos is the second largest pilgrimage site in Mexico. In the end of January and beginning of February, millions will walk from all over Mexico to the town of San Juan to visit the basilica where there is a legendary statue of the virgin. CASA joins the pilgrims for the first 7 kilometers of their journey, as a way of bringing awareness and raising money for their prevention against violence program. So here we were. Ted went in search of coffee. When he left, moments later a young boy and his step-uncle? (we actually never found out if that was correct) came over to where I was and the young guy plopped down right next to me. He started talking to me in Spanish. He asked me if I was from San Miguel and why I was walking. Ted returned and sat on the other side of me (with bread and a cup of sweet fruit tea), very curious as to what had transpired since he left! I asked the boy how old he was and what his name was. He said he was 13 years old and his name was Daniel. He asked me if the guy sitting next to me was my brother or my husband to which I replied husband, and then he said I was pretty, shyly, as he looked at his knees. I introduced him to Ted and then we continued talking although he spoke quietly and REALLY fast so I had difficulty understanding him. I gathered that he had come from Queretero with his step grandmother and aunt and maybe uncle. He was part of a church group that was participating in the 9 day trek, through the countryside, on foot. I asked him where his grandmother was and he said she was in the church taking mass. The fireworks started again, the people dressed in Native costumes starting dancing. The drums roared at the same time that the enormous bells of the parroquia started ringing.

Daniel asked us to go with him, adelante, in the walk. We were both confused but said okay, not knowing at all what we had signed up for. The pilgrims started filing out of the church, holding statues of the virgin and Jesus placed in glass boxes. They carried satin banners with the names of their churches, scripture, and saints. There was also a group of men, each carrying a very large crucifix resting on their shoulders. Daniel beckoned to us to follow him and he went up to a group of pilgrims that were from a church in Queretero and found his grandmother. He said something to her and then turned around and said, "Leila and Ted" and something about how we were joining them. She looked very taken aback but nodded and smiled and there it was. As we walked with them, I looked behind me at the the whereabouts of the CASA group but could not see them. "Oh well, I thought, I'll just find them later." In my mind, this invitation, completeley random and gracious could not be refused. A couple of lovely women kindly pointed out to Ted and I that we needed to fall into formation. There were two lines and I needed to be in one, and Ted in the other. We started out. Friends, family, people, never have I participated in anything like this walk. I have too many images and feelings to share from yesterday but some of them that stick out are: walking for the first two hours with the Queretaro church group. There are a group of people that follow along the side of the pilgrims with megaphones and small bibles. They sing scripture and songs and the pilgrims echo for the entire walk. We joined in, as much as we could. Hundreds of people were outside of their homes in anticipation of this event. They offered sweet tea, coffee, bottles of water, oranges, bread, sweet bread, cookies and long canes of sugar to be used as walking sticks. The generosity and support were overwhelming. We moved from the city into the country within an hour and still there were people that would join us as we went. At our first rest, Daniel (whom had kept an eye on us the entire time) pulled a large piece of plastic out of his bag and asked us to sit down. There were trucks set up all over the camp where hundreds of people were lining up for free food. Tortillas, rice, beans, and tortas filled with pork meat were handed out along with flavored water in plastic bags. We had brought along some snacks of our own and had gathered a lot of sweet bread along the way so we had a little feast. Daniel asked us why we weren't getting in line for the food so I said "Alright, I'll go for it, do you want anything?" He told me that he wasn't feeling well and he only wanted to drink from a little juice bottle he had. I walked to find food, leaving Daniel to strike up a hilarious conversation with Ted about marijuana and the U.S. and I ran into the CASA group. The promotores greeted me with hugs and smiles and everyone said they thought I had gotten lost! All of the northamerican people were heading back in the CASA van after this first part and Nina asked me if I wanted to continue on with the promotores (who were walking the whole distance, to the pilgrim camp) or to go back with them. I said we would continue. I went back to Daniel and Ted and relayed the info to Ted. We talked more with Daniel and I started to gather that Daniel was pretty lonely. He didn't join his grandmother or aunt for the rest, he seemed to articulate that they were just family because of a stepfather. I asked him about school and he told us he had dropped out of school after the 5th grade. He wanted to know if we had children, where we had come from, and what we were doing in San Miguel. When Ted told him how old we were he said we were as old as the mountains! As the firework went off, indicating to us that the walk would begin again, I made the tough decision to fall back and walk with the CASA group. I wanted to stay with Daniel, I know he wanted us to. I just felt that is was my responsibility to continue on in solidarity with the promotores. As we started walking, I fell back and Ted went up to Daniel to say good bye. He explained what we were doing and then they shook hands. I didn't want to say goodbye. For some reason, in the moment, I couldn't. It was a moment of weakness or call it what you will. I just couldn't. As we continued walking with the CASA group, there was much laughter and stumbling with the promotores. A few of them were decked out in butterfly wings that had statements on them and they were holding hands as we plowed through dust, rocks, bounty of cow and horse crap and a very rugged steep countryside.

I was exhausted and I was so happy. There was more rest, more food, more walking, cactus countryside pee stops, more people, more singing, more prayers, more food, more kool-aid, sun, and the comfort of the CASA van when I thought I would pass out. As we neared the end of the days walk, and drove towards the pilgrims camp to drop off food and items for the CASA group that were continuing to walk through the weekend, we passed the pilgrims in the car. I had been searching for Daniel during all of our stops and hadn't seen him. I wanted to thank him and hug him. I thought perhaps he had to stay and rest somewhere because he wasn't feeling well. But as we were making our way to the camp, there he was, his face in a sea of many, holding his sugar cane. Ted and I were in the trunk of the van (only space in the car and we got to ride with no seat belts!!) and spotted him from the back window. He saw us. I saw a huge grin come across his face. Ted and I started waving like maniacs, "Daniel, it's Daniel"!!!! He kept grinning, and started waving back. Thank you Daniel.