Materializing New Saints! – Guanajuato

When was the last time … 

… you did something for the first time?

John C Maxwell

Eclectic collection on the front of a nearby home

As you get closer to a new place, you begin to create expectations of its feel, look, size, energy, history, or people.  I did so for Guanajuato as I have for the many new parts of the world I was lucky enough to admire, and to date, I have been repeatedly happily surprised. 

Even after extensive research about Guanajuato, I wasn’t ready for the sheer positive vibes of the people, the intensity of the colors, the incredible proximity of all the houses in this slim valley, the countless opportunities to experience theater, art, music and dance, or the true influence of its tunnels and alleyways. 

It can be said that Guanajuato has some of the usual confusing clutter you find in touristic places, but it lacks the simmering resentment affecting border or beach resort towns.  Unlike Tijuana for example, ‘trouble’ is not its most profitable industry. You would think that after so many miles under my belt I would no longer be surprised, but I still often am.

Please allow me to go on a quick tangent for a change…

With the current gas crisis in the state, I started being more aware of a phenomenon I hadn’t seen or paid much attention to in this country.  Just like they wear their feelings on their sleeves, Mexican are quick to create new Gods as they go…  Below are three contemporary ones, none of which, of course, are accepted by the church even though they are ‘revered’ by millions of Mexicans.  For more on the crisis click here (Rolling Stone article).  

Creative way of representing the so-called ‘God’

of the fuel thieves (or huachicoleros)

Child ‘Saint’ … with jerrycan and syphon

The Mexican Robinhood ‘Narco or Drug Dealers’ Saint…

also ‘Angel of the Poor’ saint of poor migrants crossing borders

Believed to help against cops. 

So heavily ingrained in the culture that jurors for

the ‘El Chapo’ court case in the US were asked about him.

The Mexican cartels acknowledge: ‘We are doing a bad thing but more importantly we’re doing a bad thing for the right reasons; we’re helping the poor.’ 

Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte

Associated with healing, protection, safe delivery to afterlife.

Worshiped by drug traffickers, criminals, LGBTQs, migrants, single mothers,

street children, convicts, drug addicts, and the unemployed.

With more than 12 million followers, it is the fastest growing ‘religion’

 in the world and highly criticized by the church.

I thought I’d quickly share this twist in one of the ways locals deal with things affecting them daily.  I will get back to posting about more travel-oriented subjects in my next post.