Day 22

After settling into our luxury motorcoach we headed toward the Sierra Madre Occidental, inland from Mazatlán. Today we explore several towns in the foothills.

There is some major road construction taking place in this region. From the international airport, a bypass will provide a direct route to the Emerald Bay resort region, north of the congested city. A new highway east to Durango will complete a commercial artery to Durango and on to Galveston, Texas in the United States.

We took the original highway toward Durango. As it climbs from the coastal plain the curves began. This is the kind of road to make us appreciate having an experienced local driver. As beautiful as the scenery is, it would be hard to enjoy if we had to concentrate on driving our rigs along the road.

Colorful Malpica

Our first stop of the morning was the town of Malpica. Here we walked down a cobblestone street past brightly painted houses.

Fresh Pan Dulce

Our noses announced that we had arrived at the bakery. Fresh Pan Dulce (sweet bread) was cooling on racks after coming out of the brick oven.

You might think we had not eaten for a week (not a likely chance on this tour!) the way folks anxiously bought the delicious breads.

Creating Tiles

One of many designs

We walked across the street behind an unassuming small house to learn how unique floor tiles are colored and manually pressed using a long lever. This artisan has been practicing his craft for more than thirty years.

Along the road to our next stop, the city of Concordia. We stopped at a local furniture manufacturing operation. Beautiful cabinets, chairs and tables are built using a variety of local woods. Many of the pieces are hand carved with nice designs.

In Concordia, our bus parked across the street from an enclosed area where dances and festivals are celebrated, and right in front of the municipal jail. Several of us could not resist the opportunity to walk inside, past the bars – perhaps recalling our mis-spent youth?

Our guide led us to the municipal building where there are a series of murals depicting the history of the region from the time of the Aztecs. On display is one of the few petroglyphs from pre-Columbian times. A local reporter took a number of pictures to go with a story about tourism in the area. If any of you happen to read the local Concordia newspaper, let us know if you recognize our picture.

Street in Copala

We visited the town square and church. In the square is a huge rocking chair celebrating the furniture industry in the region. Several people climbed onto it for a picture opportunity (anyone remember "Edith Ann").

We left Concordia behind as we climbed higher into the Sierra Madre to Copala, once a thriving mining town dating form the mid-1700s.

It was past mid-day when we arrived at Daniel's Restaurant, a lovely open-air venue. The tortilla chips disappeared fast and our Mexican lunch filled the remaining hollow. But wait, there was more. The specialty of the house is a Coconut-Banana-Cream Pie. Somehow, everyone found a place for one more bite.

St. Josephs – Completed in 1774

Incredible Masks

After lunch we strolled up the street past quaint homes and shops to the town square. On the edge of the square is a place specializing in something unique. An artisan creates fantastic masks of colorful leather. The designs are quite unusual and reminiscent of costumes from Cirque du Soleil.

Ken & Carole

We returned to our homes on wheels late in the afternoon. We all were tired but enriched with another facet of this culture.