A Blast of Religion
A Blast of Religion
by Melanie Ball
A barrage of noise blasts me from unconsciousness and propels me from tangled sheets to a tiny window. Its decorative iron grill frames dozens of figures engulfed in smoke, their blurred shapes illuminated by the glow of hand-held candles. Another volley of fire crackers moves the crowd slowly up the cobbled lane, and chases me downstairs to join them in the early morning darkness. For the next two hours I tread the backstreets of Antigua, in Guatemala, as the Month of the Rosary (October) procession makes a curlicue loop back to its starting point at 16th-century Iglesia De La Merced (Church of the Mercy). It's a noisy, smoky and moving way - even for an agnostic – to see in the dawn of another day in this beautiful colonial city.
by Melanie Ball
A barrage of noise blasts me from unconsciousness and propels me from tangled sheets to a tiny window. Its decorative iron grill frames dozens of figures engulfed in smoke, their blurred shapes illuminated by the glow of hand-held candles. Another volley of fire crackers moves the crowd slowly up the cobbled lane, and chases me downstairs to join them in the early morning darkness. For the next two hours I tread the backstreets of Antigua, in Guatemala, as the Month of the Rosary (October) procession makes a curlicue loop back to its starting point at 16th-century Iglesia De La Merced (Church of the Mercy). It's a noisy, smoky and moving way - even for an agnostic – to see in the dawn of another day in this beautiful colonial city.
- Word count: 1167 (plus 121 word facts box)
- Hires photos are also available to accompany this story
- To view the story in full, please contact the writer directly.
- Hires photos are also available to accompany this story
- To view the story in full, please contact the writer directly.
Keywords: Guatemala Central America Culture Historical Gourmet Travel Antigua festival parade Catholicism faith rituals
Stories can be cut or expanded to suit your required word count. Exclusive rights for state, country or region are available for this piece.
December 2009
Stories can be cut or expanded to suit your required word count. Exclusive rights for state, country or region are available for this piece.
December 2009
