A day of holiness and awe

I had never been to Santuario de Chimayo yet had always wanted to visit.

Chimayo is a minute town, in what is possibly the most Hispanic county of the state. An apparition is said to have occurred, which was followed by several miracles in the area, hence the “Santuario” was built, which has become a place of pilgrimage among the devout.

This statue represents the three cultural entities of New Mexico. Hispanic, American Indian, and Anglo.

It’s a beautiful, uniquely styled church, set on a well-maintained property, flanked by a raging river, with many statues, altars, and homages from pilgrims. Luckily, we arrived early in the morning, so we shared our time there with only a limited number of visitors.

Altar of the indigenous community

A separate, smaller church, in honor of the Holy Child.

Snapshots in town

In the afternoon we visited yet another National Monument, Bandelier.

Similar in concept to Mesa Verde, Bandelier’s cave dwellings are however quite different. I could say that Bandelier is a mixture of Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. It is nonetheless as stunning, as historical, and of course its setting is equally magnificent.

Follow the contour of the excavated ruins. This separate dwelling appears to be communal housing with many apartment cells.

On the way back to Santa Fe, we made a brief stop in Los Alamos, a science and atomic research locale. It is here that the first atomic bomb originated.

Lastly, we both wanted to try our luck at one of dozens of casinos in the area.

Well, as expected, we left a little lighter than when we arrived.

Hasta mañana.