I have finally resigned myself to the fact that I will NOT be able to visit every single place in the world in my lifetime. I am not a billionaire (or even a millionaire.) I don’t have my dream job working for a tour company or cruise line scouting out new destinations. (I’m open to offers for that one!) Period, zip, end of story.
That is why, although it pains me to say so, there are many places I’d like to revisit that I put off in order to see new things. I’m the hamster running on the wheel, always wanting to go and mostly getting nowhere except to my desk, living vicariously through my clients.
But I have a secret place that I have returned to, one where few travelers visit and even fewer stop for a night or five or six. I know I’ll go back again, maybe even soon. This place TRULY makes you relax, slow down, and live at a snail’s pace. When I win the lottery or my ship comes in, whichever happens first, I would love to purchase a little casita so I could escape in the winter, away from Seattle’s rainy season.
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| Mineral de Pozos, truly "away from it all." |
How I got there first was serendipitous. Nest had emptied, dear dog had died, between relationships, burned out on my job. One day looking at a tour brochure, a great part of my job, I saw a day trip from a central Mexican city, was intrigued, googled it, and had a yearning to see this tranquil, somewhat rustic town that looked like it was out of a movie set. Or more accurately, out of the past. Took vacation time, bought airline tickets, rented a car, booked a room at Casa Mexicana, and off I went, all within a few days.
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| Circa 1572 Jesuit smelters, Sta. Brigita, near Pozos |
Mineral de Pozos (just Pozos to the locals) was once a glorious and sophisticated city and now is barely a hamlet. Less than 100 years after Columbus sailed, Jesuits had come to the area to convert the natives, noticed their beautiful silver jewelry, and long story short built triplet smelters which still stand. The mining community thrived off and on and by the late 1800s the population was near 70,000. Hitting the water table in the early 20th century, the town shrank and at one point dwindled to about 250.
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| Above town are nearly century old ruins of mines and grand haciendas. You can hike, bike, or ride horseback up here (or travel by car of course.) Someone will guide you for a tip! |
In the second half of the 1900s several artists moved here and it has since become kind of a mini-artists’ colony; the Mexican government also made it a national historic site which protected it from complete modernization and development. The reconstruction of the crumbling ruins has been thoughtful and respectful of colonial Mexican design. Some of the town has not been restored, giving it the antique feel.
Compare Pozos to the many nearby Colonial towns and you’ll realize it’s the perfect jumping off place for touring. About 45 minutes south is Queretero, a city of a million and most importantly: Costco. (Do you see my tongue in my cheek? But if you need something and you just can’t find it elsewhere, you’ll know where to go.) The same timing to the west would be San Miguel de Allende, rife with American retirees and streets choked with traffic, but still remaining quaint and fun to visit. I went to a bridge club there to get my weekly fix. Dolores Hidalgo, north, is the cradle of the Mexican Revolution and another fun day trip. And only five miles away is San Luis de la Paz, a city of about 30,000—you may feel you are in the middle of nowhere, but you aren't.
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| Traffic jam in the mountains. |
However my favorite day trips have been the ones where I saw intriguing names on the map, in the mountains, which I decided to seek out. Into the car, and off you go…point your car in the right direction, look for signs and if you don’t see any, keep driving. If you get lost, you will shortly get found. I wanted to see Dr Mora, Victoria, Tierra Blanca and more as they are today’s typical Small Town Mexico. (Well, I really wanted to see Victoria because that is one of my sis’ names.)
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| Gorgeous pastoral hills and valleys |
Nothing that I saw disappointed me: villages and small towns, all surrounding their churches and pleasant plazas, people busy working, smiling and waving as I went by. Miles and miles between them, sharing the road with cattle and donkeys, sometimes seeing -0- signs of civilization except for maybe a barbed wire fence or a telephone wire overhead. Road construction going on, children going to school, people in the little shops and stores, just like Small Town America up north. Security note: if you are afraid of Mexico, and I know some people are, this is more like the American Midwest. Industry and agriculture keep the people busy and prospering. They are extremely family oriented and very happy. This is far, far away from any drug violence. (Can you say that about your nearest major city in the US?)
My favorite of the small towns? Tierra Blanca, a lovely, tidy little place. The church is uphill and across the street from the village, looking down a stairway that leads through the bustling streets to the plaza. See the wall with writing on it in the photo above left? Graffiti? Advertisements, or propaganda? Nope, see below!
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| Tierra Blanca, the happiest moments in the family are when playing with the children. |
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A short walk outside of town, high desert meets thriving agriculture
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I didn't leave Pozos every day. I was there to recharge. I took long walks daily. You can visit the abandoned mines and crumbling haciendas of a century ago, poke around the town, visit the little shops, try different restaurants, meet local artists but mostly…."chillax" as the kids say.
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| You can also check out the local stud muffins. |
I was lucky enough, on my first visit, to arrive during the annual Fiesta de la Toltequidad. How excited was I to see a contingent of Huichol Indians there selling their exquisite beadwork: masks, small animals and bowls of various sizes. At prices about 75% lower than you would pay in the expensive shops and galleries of the seaside resort towns. If you are an art collector, a steal, and you are again meeting some of the artists. This culture is one of the few remaining in Mexico that has not completely embraced modernization and sadly, is expected to slowly yet inevitably bend to the forces of the 21st Century some day. Hopefully not soon. A fascinating culture, I encourage you to follow the link.
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| My photo can show you the vivid colors but do not do the exquisite beadwork justice. Meeting the artisans was a thrill for me as I had purchased their work in the past. | | |
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This festival lasts for several days, happens in July, and has, besides booths selling beautiful indigenous items, music, dancing and various shows, all springing from the past.
Now I must tell you about the hotels. I have chosen Casa Mexicana for my visits. I heart it. Rebuilt from ruins of a hacienda, each of the five suites is completely different from the other. I stay in El Arbol, so named because a tree grows through it. One even has a friendly ghost. The owner, Teresa Martinez, was an art dealer in Manhattan for years so has sophisticated taste, and the rooms are adorned with Picasso etchings. Her hostelry also includes a restaurant, an art gallery, and a gift shop with a collection of beautifully eclectic items from all over the world.
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The doorway to El Arbol, with an angel just to the right of the steps.
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There is another newly rebuilt hotel, Posada de las Minas, owned by Texans Dave and Julie Winslow. They did a stunning job--Julie did the designing and planning, and have created a modern getaway with colonial touches. A great courtyard restaurant and the "happ'nin"
bar are exquisite, too. Both places will welcome you warmly and give you plenty of attention, especially with the "what to do and where to go" questions, and will introduce you to the art scene around town.
So there you have it: a perfect place to run away to. (Oops, did I just end a sentence with a preposition? Let me try again.) So there you have it. If you need to run away, this might be your perfect landing spot.
Now for my commercial! I would be happy to help you plan a sojourn that includes Pozos. On the other hand, I receive emails daily from hotels, cruise lines, and other wonderful vendors all over the world with news and information on the bargains they are offering. Today, for example, I have in my inbox an invitation to save $500 on a rare tour to witness a butterfly migration, some new walking itineraries from Butterfield & Robinson, who really do it better than anyone, and a reminder of a sale through the 15th on Windstar's beautiful sailing vessels. Call me at 888-857-7379 or email, anne@specialtycruise.com
