Feb. 9 Day 19
On this beautiful sunny day we are taking a side trip to a little mountain village, La Noria, founded in 1585. It is 40 miles northeast of Mazatlan. We stopped along the way to see a country cemetery which has some rather large and very colorful shrines. We learned that on Nov. 2, a holiday in Mexico called “the day of the dead” family members come to the cemeteries to celebrate the life of their loved ones. We also learned up to 4 people can be buried in each grave, one on top of another. A burial plot like the one in the picture would cost $5000 and that does not include the shrine or decorations. As we travel down the highway the guide points out some of the agricultural farms in the area: a 37,000 acre ranch with feed lots and large Milo fields which is used to feed the cattle. We also see fields of avocados, tomatoes and mango, nut trees and date palm trees. Our next stop is to La Vinata, the only Tequila Distillery in the state of Sinaloa. We learned the process of making Tequila from the Agave plant. One of the most interesting facts to us was that the Blue Agave grows only in Mexico and no other country has the right to make Tequila They may make something similar but they cannot call it Tequila. It has been made since the 1400’s`first by the Indians in Mexico. We traveled on to La Noria and found it nestled down the mountain side in a bowl-shaped area. In this little town are several leather shops specializing in saddles which are sold all over Sinaloa. We saw one saddle being rebuilt for a customer. We watched a couple of artisans making sandals and belts. The man making the sandals has to make 15 pairs a day to keep his job and he gets paid $20 to$25 for an 8.5 hour day. Other items they make include shoes, purses, billfolds and knife and sword shields. All were for sale. From there we walked up the hill to a very small Catholic church. This church was built on the hill to cover a ceremonial Indian ground in order to stop this tradition and lead them to Christianity. The church was built in 1751 and refurbished in the 1990’s. The church has 4 services as there are very few pews and originally there were on pews and people set on the floor. We walked back down the hill to have lunch at a restaurant in the home of the cook and owner. It is in a room open to the courtyard. Very plain but comfortable. We were given a choice of chicken enchiladas with mole or green sauce and shredded beef. Both were served with beans and rice. It was definitely authentic Mexican Food.