Our Last Day Here

We arrived back in Santiago yesterday after a three hour bus trip from Finisterre. When we got off the bus, I realized that it was the first time I had ever been in a bus station. We just don´t have those in Atlanta (or maybe we do and I just was missing out). On our way from the bus station into the city, I got to be navigator as we walked. You should be proud of me; I only got us lost twice and that was before my dad told me I was holding the map upside down.

After we got into the city, we went to the pilgrim´s mass in the cathedral. Luckily this time they swung the botofumeiro, or giant incense burner, which was really cool. They hoist it up on a thick rope that is attached to a pulley system on the ceiling of the church. It takes about 6 men to swing it. I was nervous that they were swinging it so high that it would hit the ceiling.

After mass, we went shopping for clothes to wear home on the airplane because we figured the people would not want to be smelling our sweaty clothes that have only been washed in a washer twice the whole trip. It was neat because the shopping mall had a BJ´s type store on the lower level and shops like a mall on the upper two levels. There was also a large courtyard in the middle.

Today we are going to go to the tomb of St. James and say a special prayer for the mission to Honduras because they have helped us with their prayers and we hope to help them with ours. We are so proud of all of those going on the mission and wish them safe travels and good spirits.

Caroline