An unusual attraction in Buenos Aires:
Jesus Christ appeared ever so slowly from the bowels of the plastic mountain in a blast of the Hallelujah Chorus. He emerged vertically, little by little, not so much like a phoenix from the ashes as, well, like Jesus rising from the dead.
With outstretched arms, he ascended to look down with compassion on his assembled followers. He wore a loose blue robe, revealing a throbbing red sacred heart in the centre of his chest. Being perhaps 60ft in height, he was truly a giant among men, though half of the throng were women and a fair number of those were nuns.
Any who still had their wits about them raised their cameras and began clicking away. The rest of the crowd, in all its diversity, looked on in dumbstruck wonderment. They had never seen anything like it, and neither had I. But this shouldn’t have been surprising, because Tierra Santa bills itself as the first religious theme park in the world
Though some non-believers may enjoy a stroll and a scoff, many visitors who take in the faux Holy City of three monotheistic faiths — Christianity, Islam and Judaism — are often moved. "It is a very spiritual place, and a place for the soul," the park director added.
The Wailing Wall scene is dotted with papers containing wishes. An Israeli ambassador who visited donated a bit of the real wall, according to Ferro.
And he was not the only one to give his blessing: the Roman Catholic Church did as well. The archbishop of Buenos Aires called the park "a place of cultural and spiritual enrichment."
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