Monday, December 15, 2008

Pilgrimage to Tierra Santa

On Thursday, after eating a late breakfast at my friend Erin's new place, I was delighted to hear that Santa Tierra didn't open until 4 pm and that I would still be able to meet up with Josh, Bennett, Nick and Emery in time to check out the park. For those of you lacking in Spanish vocabulary, the park is called Holy Land and holy it is and holy it must be treated. On the dock outside the park we did a little bit of research in Bennett's guide book and discovered this is park is no where near being a joke, it is actually more of a place of pilgrimage that might be as close as some people will ever come to the Holy Land and in reality its the closest any of us will come to the Holy Land at the time of Jesus' death. So without further adieu I bring you our pilgrimage to Tierra Santa because the pictures really speak for themselves:

Outside the park getting serious before entering

Sign before entering the park giving a history and background

Ticket window: Everyone who works in the park is dressed in the garb from the time of Jesus

Josh and Nick in one of the many tunnels that network around the park with strange displays

Adam and Eve

I'll bet anything there were no "No Smoking" signs in the Holy Land at the time of Jesus

The Annunciation

Visitors to the park are on somewhat of a schedule. There are different shows that go on a schedule meant to keep visitors moving around the park. First for us was the nativity scene. The show works by lighting up different parts of the stage at different times to create amazing effects like this one. Angels in the sky and laser lights!!


The Nativity scene

Walking around the park there are statues EVERYWHERE. Not one inch of space is wasted.

The synagogue was across the street from the mosque where you had to remove your shoes before entering. The synagogue had little display windows with Jewish artifacts in them. The whole thing was like a crappier version of a religious Epcot.

Shrine to Gandhi...not sure what this has to do with anything

Statues you didn't have to pay to use or wait in line for!!

Me as a Holy Land Lady

Josh as a Holy Land Lady
S@$& gets real

Last Supper show

Flogging

Getting checked out by a Roman Soldier while Josh isn't looking

Wailing Wall that people have actually placed paper notes in as if it was the real one

Fountain of Angels, and Nick

THE RESURRECTION:

Yes, this is a forty foot Jesus that came out of the mountain to the Handel's Messiah. Out of Control!!


And then the forty foot Jesus returns into the mountain.

Crucifixes in the sun.

A view of the Holy Land in front of a view of Buenos Aires

Amazing

The Sacred Heart

Our Last show was Creation:

Everything was in Spanish...but in the beginning there was nothing...and then GREEN LASERS!!!

The moon

Stars

Land

Simba!!

One by one animals were brought out and then made their sound and did some movement. This elephant's trunk moved up and down.

A giraffe that munched on leaves

And last but not least Adam and Eve!

The park was great and I can't wait to go back when Mia and Kenney come, but this time we will go at night because I have a feeling there is a whole new level of intensity when the resaurection happens at night and everything is lit up and even more dramatic. I would recommend this to anyone whole comes to Buenos Aires no matter what your religious affiliation. It is not to be missed.

1 comment:

Reed said...

This place scares the bejesus out of me, and now even more so after your report. I simply must go.