We're having a great time on the cruise. Today, we're in Loreto, Mexico, and it's a beautiful little town, very picturesque. Richard and I took a "time out" from the larger group, slept in a bit, and went into the town later on our own, took a ride in a horse-drawn cart, and visited Nuestra Señora de Loreto the oldest mission church (16th Century) in all of California. It was lovely, and I noticed that the emphasis on Jesus' suffering was not as evident there, as in other Mexican churches. The church in Topolobampo showed close-ups of Jesus' wounds in the stations of the cross, but in Loreto, the emphasis was on his rising to heaven. There was no depiction of him on the cross, only rising above it. As I am not Catholic, this has only historical and artistic significance to me. But, it was such a profound difference it caught my attention. I know faith becomes really important during times of suffering, so the suffering of saviors from Promethius to Bhudda to Jesus is comforting to others going through pain, but I like to see the focus on the more positive aspects -- the release from suffering.
Dr. Romance has been having a great time people-watching and culture-watching on this trip. One lady today, commenting on the town, said "it's not too touristy" which is amusing, since she's the very sort of tourist she's complaining about. Ah irony, how pleasurable you can be. Travel can be very useful as a new viewpoint from which to look at yourself, as well as to get a reality check on the world. The people always seem to find a way to make their lives work, no matter how crazy the governments, the churches, or the media get. In Israel, in 1988, this was evident at a border checkpoint between Israel and Palestine. You can read about that in "Getting Along With Each Other" if you're interested.
In the meantime, what have you learned from your travels?
