EL SANTUARIO DE CHIMAYO

Chimayo, by way of comparison, is a bit like Lourdes for Americans living in the region: one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in New Mexico, and even far beyond. 300,000 visitors a year come to the site. El Santuario de Chimayo is a Catholic church listed as a National Historic Landmark. Built of adobe with a bell tower on each side, the church is 18 meters long and 24.3 meters wide. The elegant doors were carved by the ^19th-century carpenter Pedro Domínguez. Inside, the nave contains a crucifix representing the Christ of Esquipulas, almost 2 meters high, five magnificent altarpieces and a small sculpture of Santiago the Great. In an adjacent room, you'll find all the abandoned objects and photos of believers who have benefited from a miracle. Surrounding the site are numerous small souvenir stores selling crucifixes, jewelry and other objects. On the main road is a zany vendor who has built his stall from his own paintings on wood. Christian symbols are painted in a folkloric style. He also sells nuts and red pepper, as well as sage to purify the air. It's a bit of a tourist trap, but it sells some intriguing items nonetheless. The Chimayo site itself is very soothing, with a river at the edge of the parking lot at the bottom of the hill and the public garden near the small amphitheatre.