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The highway from San José to Cartago is about 23 kilometers, and it is but one of three major routes to the town.

Starting this weekend, all those routes will be congested with pilgrims on their way to do homage to the patroness of Costa Rica, the Virgen de los Angeles.

The feast day of the Virgin is Wednesday, and the day is a national holiday. Due to a new law, the weekend is an unusual one. Monday is a holiday, too.

It is the new and controversial date for Costa Ricans to celebrate the Annexation of the Partido de Nicoya. The actual date for that is July 25, but Costa Ricans have a three-day weekend, thanks to the new law.

Tuesday is the only day that stands in the way of a five-day weekend. But this is the day pilgrims will be on the move and will be converted into an unofficial holiday.

Perhaps as many as 2 million persons will make the trip from their homes to the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles, the site of the small statue venerated by Costa Ricans.

The weekend is the biggest effort of the year for police and Cruz Roja workers. Some pilgrims certainly will be injured, perhaps by vehicles and perhaps by fellow walkers. Some may die.

Traffic deaths are possible with so many thousands of person on the road and at very early and very late hours.

A Zarcero man died last year after being hit by a car on a service road alongside the Autopista General  Cañas in La Uruca.  The motorist faced a drunk driving charge. The Policía de Tránsito will be out in force, and some traffic in the Cartago area and along the approach routes will be detoured.

Not all who march to Cartago have religion on their mind. Some are crooks or worse, so Fuerza Pública officers will be stationed every few hundred feet. Thefts and other crimes of opportunity are the unpleasant prospect for a small number of pilgrims.

Officials are trying to crack down on the number of vendors who depend on the pilgrims, but walkers frequently depend on roadside stands for water and other drinks and food.

The faithful come on foot from as far as Panamá and Nicaragua.  Some come early and are back home by the time the Tuesday morning religious service takes place. Most officials attend.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 27th, 2006 at 4:20 pm and is filed under Costa Rica News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.