It was an early morning as we left our hotel in Mexico City for Los Mochis in the state of Sinaloa. Our arrival was not quiet as Solei Tours greeted as with Sunny the mascot, a banner and several people. The Canadians had definitely arrived.
We were soon in the van for a short trip to Topolobampo, a city on the Sea of Cortez that is an important shipping port. The small city is very attractive with its brightly painted homes. This was a government initiative where they offered the people paint to paint their homes - the result very colorful! Life jackets on and it was time to head out on the sea. We were searching for El Pechocho. He is a lone dolphin found in a protected area about 30 years ago. His mother brought him to the area for protection during a hurricane but she died. He has remained here all this time and has become quite a tourist attraction. He comes right up to the boat and enjoys the scratches and rubs by people. When he’s had enough he surfaces with a stick to let you know the game is over! The water is also home to numerous birds and a pod of about 250 dolphins.
Time to leave the port behind and head to Maviri Beach. Beautiful flat sandy beach and since tide was out, it was possible to walk quite far out. Unfortunately the weather was not real cooperative and the clouds were plentiful. The highlight at the beach was a seafood feast - shrimp, octopus, fish - far too much for this group to eat but absolutely delicious.
One final stop before leaving Los Mochis took us to the Botanical Gardens. An American developed the 16 acres of garden for his wife in the early 1900’s. At one time there was a beautiful home but it was burned during the independence movement. Los Mochis is such a young town compared to all the places we have been. It only dates back to the early 1900’s so no colonial architecture here.
It was time to leave the city and make the trip to El Fuerte. Our hotel is a tourist attraction on its own with numerous courtyards, sitting areas, gardens, fountains, and art. It is also best known for the birth place of El Zorro. The Zorro show has been happening for many years and we joined it to hear his story, hear music and be embarrassed into dancing - video on that one will remain hidden in my pictures.
Although the initial 7 am start for a float on the River was not met with excitement, the 2 hour trip was amazing. It was calm and peaceful on the water and the birds were in abundance! Definitely a bird watcher’s paradise. We also walked through an area to learn more about natural remedies from our guide, Herman. These natural methods are still widely used. Our walk took us to the petroglyphs which were just discerned in 1990 but are believed to be 3000 to 4000 years old.
El Fuerte has lots to offer and next we were off to visit a small community of indigenous people and learn about their culture, dance and food. They have combined their beliefs with Christianity. Dances are only performed by certain males and we watched a 75 year man do 3 dances including the deer dance. It was fascinating and far too much to write about. We also had a chance to sample a local delicacy- home made tortillas with fried pork rinds (no calories here). May not sound great but they were delicious!
Back to town and a brief rest before heading off with Miguel for a tour of the town and a bit more history.
The afternoon was topped off with a margarita making class at the hotel bar. It was one full day in El Fuerte.
No comments:
Post a Comment