Santiago and the Evil Saint

Santiago

Finally making some excursions toward the end of the week in San Pedro, Nina, Kerry, Becky, and I took the boat over to Santiago, a larger town on the lake with few tourists despite quite a few shopping stalls that made the climb up the hill into town quite a gauntlet of eager vendors.


A key reason I wanted to explore Santiago was to visit the current home of the local evil saint, Maximon (aka San Simon). I still don't fully understand the concept of the evil saint, but locals ply him with liquor, cigars, and other offerings, hoping their prayers will be realized. They trot him around town in a big annual procession, after which he resides with a different resident each year so as not to play favorites. This year, he's in a steamy hot concrete room with a few drunk dudes lounging around chatting. I just offered cash (figured he could pick his own poison) and only gave him that because his keeper forced a donation in order to snap just one pic.

Not intended to be a swim up bar.

The lake rose dramatically last year, wiping out various buildings too close to the waterline. Above you can see what happened to a park by the Santiago docks.

Santiago fisherman in late day light.