What I realize now, thinking back on the adventure, is that in the back of my mind during the entire trip was the dread of traveling with farm animals inside of a vehicle for 8 hours or more. Any one who knows me knows that I have a nose that will sniff out the slightest odor. It is a gift and a curse. I anticipated being nauseous for the duration of our trip home and I was preparing myself for it. I kept secretly hoping that the search for animals would prove fruitless.
After finishing our meal at the outdoor market, we drove to Los Alamos. The highway leading to the city was surrounded by beautiful hills. Carlos mentioned that Los Alamos is very popular with Americans who come down to hunt and fish for vacation. I was aware that there are areas in coastal cities like Mazatlan, Sinaloa with enclaves of American ex-patriots but I wasn’t aware that Los Alamos was one of them. As we drove into the city, I began to understand why. We first drove to the plaza. It was beautiful and, on one side, was the Catholic church. Within the plaza was an absolutely beautiful gazebo surrounded by plants and flowers and palm trees.
The ceiling of the gazebo was a work of art:
We walked into the church silently as there were several people praying. It was very much like previous Mexican churches I had been in and I appreciated that it was open to the public during the day instead of only during Mass.
We walked around a bit and absorbed the atmosphere. As we talked I learned that Americans living in Los Alamos outnumber Mexicans. I found this surprising and yet not surprising. If I were to retire to Mexico, Los Alamos would certainly be one of my choices. This also explained the number of police officers patrolling the city on foot, all polite and extremely helpful. I guess the city knows that to keep the area attractive to Americans, they need to supply what Americans want: police protection and lots of restaurants and shops.
On one of the hills surrounding the city is a scenic overlook. We drove up there to take in the sights. It was really beautiful and I wish the picture here could convey the openness, the smell of the blossoming trees and the feel of the wind blowing. At the summit of the hill was a gazebo and several seating areas hewn from stone. Artistry and craftsmanship seemed to emanate from the city below us, so full of color and life.
We posed for a group picture before heading back down and toward Navojoa.
1 comment:
Looks like we were following each other down there hehehehhehehe. I was in Alamos and Navojoa this past Easter. Alamos is beautifull, and the food at Hacienda de los Santos, excellent! You should try it sometime.
Greetings!
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