Back at the Port of Asuncion, Nick and I posed beside an interesting monument that honored navigators and ports.

Transcription

1 Back at the Port of Asuncion, Nick and I posed beside an interesting monument that honored navigators and ports. So far, so good. We were having a good time in Asuncion. We had accomplished our mission of finding the sisters home in the city. So our motto was: Enjoy the trip. 1

2 Our next destination will be reached by bus. We're at the bus terminal. The story of the bus ride is something that needs an entire chapter. First of all, it was very crowded, with people having to stand. It was a hot day. The local people on the bus brought all sorts of stuff on the bus. We did not get to sit down until an hour later. Jeannie was having a difficult time adapting to the situation. 2

3 Finally, the situation became somewhat bearable. Jeannie put a smile on her face. We were headed on highway 7 to Iguazu Falls. On the way, the bus stopped at a small town called Ypacarai. 3

4 We were going to stop for a day in the city of Caacupe, known as the spiritual capital of Paraguay. We had a room reserved at Hotel Katy Maria, across the street from the basilica. Most Paraguayans made a pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime to see the country s patron saint, the Virgen de Caacupe, who inspires a particular devotion in the country s people. 4

5 However, our group had food on their minds. So before even visiting the basilica, they went looking for a place to relax from the tedious bus ride, and to have a bite to eat. We must have walked through the entire city, looking for a suitable place to eat. We were really working up an appetite. 5

6 We passed by many shops selling all kinds of handicrafts, including statues of the Virgin of Caacupe and little ceramic figures. We strolled through the city s park. 6

7 Finally, the group settled on a small restaurant called Alberdin. Along the way, I stopped to listen to a song coming from a loud speaker outside a store. The mesmerizing song was by a group called Aventura ( Adventure ), and it was called Teach me How to Forget You. (Show me How to Forget You) Jeannie almost always stopped to pet the local dogs, and to lovingly talk to them. 7

8 Afterwards, I really wanted to see the inside of the Santuario Virgen de los Milagros de Caacupe, commonly referred to as la Basilica. As I approached the imposing church, I noticed the Alpha and Omega designs on the ground, and the words Servidor y Testigo (Servant and Witness). 8

9 I noticed one lady approaching the altar on her knees. Most pilgrims felt that at least the last part of their pilgrimage should be done on their knees as they approached the sacred site. I saw lots of devotees approach the sacred place, where the Virgin of Caacupe stood atop a tall rock formation. I noticed that the devotees were putting their hands on the rock. 9

10 As I came closer, I noticed that the Virgin of Caacupe wore a blue (color of heaven) flowery robe, and she had a golden crown on her top of her flowing auburn hair. A ring of stars encircled her head. She was truly the Queen of Heaven. I was compelled to come close to the Rock, which had lots of hands imprinted into the surface. I placed my hands into the indentations of the hands in the Rock and touched the divine. 10

11 When I stepped away from the Rock, I noticed a Guarani Indian to the left. He was on his knees in prayer. Even the indigenous Guarani were devoted to the Virgin of Caacupe. After visiting the Rock and the image of the Virgin of Caacupe, I decided to tour the church and look at all the scenes depicted on the numerous stained-glass windows. Video at: 11

12 There were scenes from the life of Christ, from his nativity to his crucifixion, and then concluding in his resurrection and ascension into the heavens. When I finally turned to leave the basilica, I noticed a large stained-glass mural in the back of the church depicting the legend of the Virgen de Caacupe. A Guarani sculptor received protection from the Virgin Mary, so he sculpted her image out of a tree. 12

13 As I walked out of the basilica through the central doors, I noticed that the doors had images carved into them. The center doors had St. Peter and St. Paul. The side doors had the 4 Evangelists with their representative symbols: Matthew (winged man, Aquarius), Mark (lion, Leo), Luke (ox, Taurus), and John (eagle, Scorpio). 13

14 The Sanctuario Virgen de los Milagros de Caacupe a name based on the legend that her wooden statue was saved miraculously from a flood is truly a great pilgrimage site. Susie gives a couple of girls standing outside the church a few guarani coins. 14

15 In the evening, we went as a group to witness a Mass (service). Elsa and Susie skipped out of the Mass (service) midway. They went to visit the nearby Well of the Virgin, a sacred site that was actually a natural spring. Later the next morning, Susie returned to touch the Rock. 15

16 Nick liked the statue of a priest holding a book titled, Virgen Conquistadora (The Virgin Conqueror). The book most likely showed how Marian devotion captured the hearts and minds of Paraguayans, and also Latin America. On day 5 of our journey, we took an Express Bus to Cuidad de Este. Before we board the bus, Susie and I take time to drink some rejuvenating terere (cold year mate). 16