RATING: ♦♦♦♦
After our visit to Ocotlán, we went to the town of Jamay, which is between Ocotlán and La Barca. Jamay is quite similar to Ocotlán. It has a large central plaza, and in addition to the main church, it has a religious focal point, in the case of Jamay, it is a monument built about 1876 and dedicated to the memory of Pope Pius IX. Not sure what the story was there.
Jamay was destroyed by the same earthquake that destroyed Ocotlán. The ruins of the original church built in 1673 are still standing next to the rebuilt church, called Parroquía de Nuestra Señora del Rosario (Parish of Our Lady of the Rosary).
Despite the church’s official name, the inscription over the entrance way reads, ¡Qué terrible es este lugar!, which literally means “How terrible is this place!”. Our guide took pains to point out the inscription and to explain its significance.
The quote is based on a passage from Genesis 28:16-17: When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” (NIV)
It’s obviously an allusion to the terrifying, yet awe inspiring, nature of the acts of God. We had to admire the faith of these survivors.
Next stop-La Barca.