03:23Thousands of motorcyclists gathered in the Guatemalan capital on Saturday for the first post-pandemic edition of La Caravana del Zorro (The Caravan of the Fox), the world's largest motorcycle pilgrimage of 223 kilometres between Guatemala City and Esquipulas.
The Caravan is a cross-country journey of bikers and enthusiasts who are also Catholic Church members and devotees of the Cristo Negro (Black Christ), a locally famous image of Jesus.
"We started with one motorcycle, then two motorcycles, and now we have four motorcycles of this type that are high-performance cruises, and thank God we could have the opportunity to participate now after the pandemic, because it is a beautiful tradition and journey to Esquipulas," Byron Antonio Mendizabal Jimenez, one of the participants, said.
A motorcycle rider described the event as a 16-year tradition.
"For three months we have been fixing our motorcycles and buying our jackets, because it is something that we need; we have our passion for our bikes, and we have a special day when we can dress up like this, have our bikes well-tuned, and be mentally prepared to go and come back safe and sound," he added.
The 'pilgrimage', as its participants call it, was first organised in 1961 by Eddy Villa de Leon, a motorcyclist and follower of the Black Christ of Esquipulas. Leon, along with his friends and family, started riding two-wheel vehicles that day, doing it every year while more people joined the caravan.
Guatemala: Motorcycle pilgrimage 'Caravan of the Fox' returns to life after COVID-19 hiatus
Thousands of motorcyclists gathered in the Guatemalan capital on Saturday for the first post-pandemic edition of La Caravana del Zorro (The Caravan of the Fox), the world's largest motorcycle pilgrimage of 223 kilometres between Guatemala City and Esquipulas.
The Caravan is a cross-country journey of bikers and enthusiasts who are also Catholic Church members and devotees of the Cristo Negro (Black Christ), a locally famous image of Jesus.
"We started with one motorcycle, then two motorcycles, and now we have four motorcycles of this type that are high-performance cruises, and thank God we could have the opportunity to participate now after the pandemic, because it is a beautiful tradition and journey to Esquipulas," Byron Antonio Mendizabal Jimenez, one of the participants, said.
A motorcycle rider described the event as a 16-year tradition.
"For three months we have been fixing our motorcycles and buying our jackets, because it is something that we need; we have our passion for our bikes, and we have a special day when we can dress up like this, have our bikes well-tuned, and be mentally prepared to go and come back safe and sound," he added.
The 'pilgrimage', as its participants call it, was first organised in 1961 by Eddy Villa de Leon, a motorcyclist and follower of the Black Christ of Esquipulas. Leon, along with his friends and family, started riding two-wheel vehicles that day, doing it every year while more people joined the caravan.
Thousands of motorcyclists gathered in the Guatemalan capital on Saturday for the first post-pandemic edition of La Caravana del Zorro (The Caravan of the Fox), the world's largest motorcycle pilgrimage of 223 kilometres between Guatemala City and Esquipulas.
The Caravan is a cross-country journey of bikers and enthusiasts who are also Catholic Church members and devotees of the Cristo Negro (Black Christ), a locally famous image of Jesus.
"We started with one motorcycle, then two motorcycles, and now we have four motorcycles of this type that are high-performance cruises, and thank God we could have the opportunity to participate now after the pandemic, because it is a beautiful tradition and journey to Esquipulas," Byron Antonio Mendizabal Jimenez, one of the participants, said.
A motorcycle rider described the event as a 16-year tradition.
"For three months we have been fixing our motorcycles and buying our jackets, because it is something that we need; we have our passion for our bikes, and we have a special day when we can dress up like this, have our bikes well-tuned, and be mentally prepared to go and come back safe and sound," he added.
The 'pilgrimage', as its participants call it, was first organised in 1961 by Eddy Villa de Leon, a motorcyclist and follower of the Black Christ of Esquipulas. Leon, along with his friends and family, started riding two-wheel vehicles that day, doing it every year while more people joined the caravan.