Finding the Virgen de Guadalupe in Unexpected Places

I have seen plenty of nichos before-- you know those enclosed miniature altars with the Virgen, crosses or other religious objects-- outside of people's homes and more often, along some Texas and Coahuila highways.

But in Mexico City, you can find nichos or altars to Our Lady of Guadalupe almost everywehre. The dark-skinned Virgen is considered the "Queen of Mexico" after appearing to a humble indigenous man named Juan Diego (now Saint San Juan Diego) in the 1500s.

Around the city, I have seen nichos devoted to her in some interesting places like jogging trails, subway stations, bus stations, taxi stands and even at the gym. I'll post more images of these creatively placed nichos as I spot them around the megolopolis. For now, here are two that I saw the other day.

At a boxing gym



On the way home, built in to someone's house