We arrive in Casas Grandes!!!

Saturday November 21st, 2009

We left Tucson in the morning, and arrived at the border in Douglas, Arizona at 11:30am. Once we arrived at the border, we called and left Spencer and Emi MacCallum a voicemail message to let them know when to expect us. We crossed over into Agua Prieta, Mexico and the adventure began!!!

Since we are traveling further south into the heart and soul of Mexico, we had to obtain a tourist card and a permit to temporarily import our car. Right after crossing the border into Mexico, there is an office that issues everything right in one place. We just crossed the border, made the first right turn, and parked behind the building. Okay well to be honest... it was our second time, and we still went to the wrong building! But a really nice lady saw our lost souls.. and pointed us to the building on the other block where we were really supposed to be... but that is a secret, so don't tell anyone please! (Sounds so much cooler when we know what we are doing!)

The people were so nice! The Mexican Immigration official who issued our tourist permit even suggested that we would only need a seven day permit, and then we would not have to pay a fee... totally free! Cool! Only thing is that we would have to make sure to return to the office by the seventh day to surrender our permit. That worked out perfect for us. Then we were on to the window to pay the fee for the permit on the car. That went smooth and easy as well. Everyone had a bright smile, and were more than willing to assist with information. We even did a bit of translating for an American man who was headed to Hermosillo, but the officials did not understand what he was trying to tell them in English. Then he was on his way, and we were at the booth to purchase Mexican Auto Insurance. That went as smooth as could be as well, and the lady who worked there even explained that we might want to think about buying a 6 month or year insurance policy, since we drive often in Mexico... that will save us a lot of money! Now I know there are a lot of people who are very nervous traveling to Mexico right now, and especially in the border regions. I understand those concerns, but for our part, I must say that the people we encountered at the border were extremely friendly, especially honest, and definitely helpful! A great first impression for what lies ahead!

We were off.... traveling down Mexican Highway 2. First through the city of Agua Prieta, then east through the mountains of the Mexican State of Sonora and into the Mexican State of Chihuahua. Now... how shall I say this... those mountain passes are a trip! Everyone we talked to later on in the trip, and in our research before hand, said they won't drive through those mountains. To be honest, it was a rather nail biting experience.The road way is quite narrow, and full of trucks. Most of the way, we had a double trailer gas tanker truck in front of us, and a regular semi or two behind us. Then throw in some really crazy drivers with nerve... and you have a real mess. I suppose there are not tons of little road side memorials on the road for nothing... just glad that one of those crosses did not have my name on it! I think that a lot of those were probably from head on accidents caused by people passing on blind curves! Good Lord! I sure would not drive this road at night, but during the day I was fine with it. The mountain scenery is just incredible, and I would not have wanted to miss the sights! Besides, the mountain driving was the most entertaining of the road travels. We did have one funny moment through the mountain pass... as soon as we hit the pass, and mind you in the middle of nowhere in Mexico, our Check Engine light came blaring on! Ack! Now exactly what can you do in that sort of a situation? It is not like there is a Toyota Dealer on the side of the mountain... so we just kept on driving..and praying..and driving... and praying... (And to this day the light is STILL on, and we are still procrastinating on getting the issue fixed! Too much to do, too little time.)

When we arrived in Janos, Mexico, we then switched to Mexican Highway 10 South towards Casas Grandes. Here, right below Janos, there is a Mexican Immigration checkpoint. We stopped and showed that we had the temporary permit affixed to our windshield, and we were waved through with no problems what so ever. there were lots of stands tempting us with the Mennonite cheese that the State of Chihuahua is famous for, but we were on a mission and a time line... off to Casas Grandes...

We found Spencer and Emi's house in a flash, upon arriving on the new one way street into town. And we made friends with their three dogs right away. Emi came out and greeted us, and then took us over to the Casa del Nopal, where we would be staying. This was one of the destinations that I was really excited about... the old restored adobe homes that Spencer and Emi purchased, refurbished and decked out with local antiques. A great adventure in the authentic spirit of the Wild Wild West! Thank you to Spencer and Emi for making that possible for us. It is a memory that we will cherish forever.

Spencer was already at Casa del Nopal, giving a tour to a group of people from Cathy and Marshall Giesy's Fiesta Tours International tour group. Anyone interested in a tour in Latin America, should be sure to check out their tour offerings at www.fiestatoursint.com They have some great tours, not only to Mata Ortiz, but also whale watching in Mexico, Visits to San Miguel de Allende, Oaxaca, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Peru. The Giesy's are incredibly interesting and very knowledgeable... and their tours sound like a lot of fun!

 

Spencer let us join in on the tour, and we learned a lot about the history of the house, and the history of the area. The house is incredible, with a wood burning stove, adobe walls, tile floors and antiques galore. The grounds of the adobe houses are spectacular... so rich in history and natural, rustic beauty. I believe that there is a special place in heaven reserved for Spencer and Emi... they are fantastic custodians of our collective history and our environment, as well as special envoys of peace in this world. A shining example to all of us!

Next we were off to the Catholic church that is being built in Casa Grandes, La Capilla de la Divina Misericordia. It is being built to replicate the ruins of the Convento San Antonio de Padua, a church from the 17th century that was done in the adobe style. This was the style of Chihuahua's earliest churches.

The painting behind the altar was done by a local artist, Gisela, who trained in Italy and actually painted churches there. She also lived in the United States for awhile, but has returned to Casas Grandes to care for her mother. We were blessed to visit Gisela's home and studio, which overlooks the ruins of Paquime. Gisela oversaw and designed all aspects of her home, including the second floor sanctuary that over looks the mountains and a field frequented by some gorgeous horses.

We were amazed to hear that one of the local government officials had tried to pass a plan to use this gorgeous land that neighbors the Paquime Ruins, and turn it into low income housing. Surely with so much open land, there must be a better location to be found, rather than on the border of land rich in cultural heritage. Thankfully, this project never reached fruition.

After our visit, Spencer and Emi dropped us back off at our new home, La Casa del Nopal, before heading on to a dinner at the home of Phil and Jeannie Stover in Mata Ortiz. It was the Trader's and Friends  Yearly Meeting that weekend, and we had 15 minutes to unpack the car and freshen up! One...Two... Three... GO! We were going to be lucky enough to attend this dinner, and it would turn out to be a pivotal point for all the great experiences we had on our trip. The Stover's were very gracious hosts, and there home is beyond gorgeous! It was funny being in a house full of strangers, but so many people came up to us and welcomed us.. it turned out to be a great evening. At the dinner we met Daniel, whose family lives at the Hacienda San Diego... a very historic local Hacienda that I will tell you much more about later in the blog, as we had the pleasure of a personalized tour and visit with his family. Daniel is a very gracious and helpful young man! He gave us a tour of the house, inside and out, and introduced us to his sister Diana. These two are some of the most lovely people around! Diana also gives tours in the local area, and runs a gift shop out of her office at La Casa del Nopal. If you ever need translation assistance, or a knowledgeable guide in the area you can contact Diana through her website at  www.agavelindotours.com

Through Daniel, we discovered that they have relatives living in Downey, California which is right next to where we live, and where I go grocery shopping and errand running several times a week. It really is a small world, and we should remember that we are all very connected in this world.

During the dinner, we also had the pleasure of meeting Adalberto Perez Meillon, who owns a gallery in Ensenada, Mexico close to where the cruise ships dock, is an outstanding artist and painter, and also owns a beautiful home in Mata Ortiz. You will learn a lot more about Adalberto as the blog goes on... we were lucky enough to develop a friendship with him during our trip.

By that time, we were tired and we had had quite a long adventure. When Spencer and Emi left, we decided that it would be best to follow them back to Casas Grandes. It was dark outside...like pitch black dark outside... and we were not that familiar with the lay of the land yet. we said our good byes and our thank you's and headed out. As soon as we walked outside, we were just blown away by the beauty of the sky at night... a million stars everywhere! We followed Spencer and Emi down a little dirt road that was the cut through back to the main paved road... a little road that we never found again! Our beautiful hosts guided us all the way home, and we settled in for the night.

This is the bed that I got to sleep in....

a bed with a lot of historical value, and a trip to think of who may have slept in this bed before me. Spencer was able to get this antique bed from the Hacienda San Diego. it was part of the original furnishings of the home. As a result, it could have been the bed that the legendary Mexican Revolutionary PANCHO VILLA slept in! As well as the bed that Mexican President Francisco I. Madero slept in. Who knows...

Off to bed with visions of revolutions in my head.....