It was dark, chilly and foggy as we walked along the road. Eventually, around 5:00 AM, the sun started to break through the fog just as we walked through a patch of forest. It was a magical moment!
We finally arrived at the church and entered at 6:00 AM. Some people entered the church by crawling on their hands and knees! This is to pay respect to the Virgin of Angels, one final feat after their long journey. The church has tall, elaborate ceilings, stained glass windows and was beautifully decorated with flowers and ribbons for the occasion. We walked to the front where people were kneeling down to pray to the Virgin of Angels, then headed outside to give space to the next people entering.
As soon as we sat down on the steps outside, I fell right asleep in the sun. I woke up a couple hours later because someone put a package of cookies in my lap. There were kind people giving out food to all of the tired travelers. We had walked for five whole hours, and even though I didn't feel tired while I was walking, my body sure was exhausted.
We stayed for mass for two more hours, where everyone gathered outside in the sun to listen to the priest give a sermon. It was interesting listening to them speak and sing in Spanish. The President of Costa Rica was there, too. It was such a cool opportunity to get to see him!
Finally, we found a bus and rode home. My host brother came with me, and it was actually his first time ever completing La Romería. I was honored that he came with my friends and me! We all ate lunch and went straight to sleep.
