Three weeks. That’s how long it to get to the point where we wanted to be. That’s a long haul. While it’s still hot where we are, the humidity has dropped to a tolerable level, and the bugs seem to have disappeared.

The first three weeks, we traveled 2400 miles. That’s a lot of driving. The next six weeks, I expect that we will be driving half that distance – which brings our travel rate to 200 miles per week rather than 800. We will still be driving for exploration purposes, but we will be fairly stationary for multiple days at a time. This is where we want to be.

Mascota – Puebla Mágico

Our first PM in the highlands was Mascota. It is on a small mountain highway between Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. It’s at about 4000 feet in elevation. While it was still quite hot during the day 95-100°, it cooled off at night to the low 60’s.

Due to the heat, the town holds strange hours and even when posted, they are not always followed. Hours are typically 0700-1400 and again 1700-2000. But when we showed up to the archeological museum during posted open hours, it was closed. We were lucky enough to be in Mascota on both Saturday and Sunday evenings to watch the people come out in force and participate in the socializing in the town square.

Mascota is a mining town and in prehispanic times, Mascota was the head of a cacicazgo,which ruled over the populations of Talpa, El Tuito and Chacala.In 1525, the Spanish explorer Francisco Cortés de San Buenaventura arrived to Mascota, who was commanded by Hernán Cortés.

Due to the rich natural resources of the area, there are many estancias, haciendas, and casonas. Walking the streets, one misses the rich architecture inside the hidden casonas. But if you peer into the open windows and doorways, you are treated to beautiful hidden courtyards, just enough to let you imagination wander around and explore the mansions.

Talpa de Allende

Talpa de Allende, is a neighboring town about 30km from Mascota. Talpa is also a silver mining town and thus also has spectacular casonas. Many of these in the downtown or city center have been turned into hotels and little market places.

Talpa de Allende is also the destination for over three million pilgrims a year to see the Virgen del Rosario, and this specific iteration is also called La Caparita. The legend has it that back in the day, people would make disposable statues of corn meal, sugar, salt, etc. for festivals of important figures in the Catholic Church. Once the festivals were over, the statues would be buried. On one occasion, the statue of the Virgin was handed to the undertaker and as he was burying it, the ground exploded and knocked him out. When he came to, the current iteration of the virgin was in its place. Ever since, Talpa has been the destination for millions to ask favors and miracles of the Virgin.

This town was vibrant on the Sunday morning we visited – during the low season for pilgrimages. We were able to wander around town and see townsfolk, pilgrims, tourists, etc. Talpa is also know for its candies and murals. Of the candies, they are known for guava paste – so I bought a bunch.