A Garden Shrine to Guadalupe

These photos are all of a small garden park dedicated to Guadalupe,
who seems to be the #1 religious figure in Mexico.

This morning I walked thru this San Miguel neighborhood, San Antonio, and then over to a main road, looking for one of the viveros I saw on my first day in San Miguel. Didn't find it. I think I was on the wrong road, although people kept telling me it was just ahead. One lady showed me the rose-colored Mandevilla she had bought there. Oh well, I probably walked right by it.

I had noticed on this trip that I seem to be mostly taking photos of men, which seemed strange to me. Strange because it's the older women's faces that are appealing to me. So today, I thought, ladies only. And guess what, not one woman would let me take a photo. Even after we had visited for a bit, and I had bought someo f whatever they were selling.
Since men and boys seem to generally jump at the chance to be photographed, it seemed odd. My current intrepretation of this cultural phenomena (I think that's what you could call it) is that many older women in Mexico are totally convinced they aren't attractive. Younger girls often pose for me the minute they see the camera, but not the middle-aged and older senoras. And they are the ones with the most interesting, beautiful faces and eyes.
Oh well. I decided to keep coming back to the places where older women are working at their stands, and see if they will get comfortable with me. I have noticed that once someone is brave enough to let me take a photo, and I have shown show her and her friends what the photos look like on the little screen, they laugh and let me take their pictures. Oh course, as far as I can tell, every man in Mexico seems to think he's God's gift to women. Usually in a nice way, but not always.
I did find a special garden shrine to Guadalupe, built on a wide spot on the sidewalk, and , I think, maintained by the store right behind it.