.El Fuerte, Sinaloa, el tres de Deciembre 2019

It took 2 minutes for Uber to be at my apartment and another 5 to be at the bus station.  I boarded and once again we were on our way, just me and the Mexicans rattling around in an old school bus-

It was an hour and a half trip through mainly farmland-

and some scrubland-

Once in El Fuerte, I paid attention and got off a block and a half from my hotel, rather than having to backtrack.  My room is small but new and nice-

El Fuerte was founded in 1564 and sits on the banks of the river that bears the same name-

El Fuerte means fort and this one was reconstructed in 2001 to look like the old one, they think-

The original was built in 1610 to protect the town against Indigenous groups.  It has some interesting displays for a small town museum including a room filled with photographs of anyone and everyone who had something to do with the town, as well as weapons, art and a hearse that was built in 1885 and used only three times by the wealthy Orrantia family-

There’s also a Shaman‘s mask-

The town used to be a trading post for the gold and silver that was being mined in the Copper Canyon.  It also served as a link to the northern regions of California, Arizona and Sonora, which at that time were all Spanish territories.  There’s a monument to teachers near the fort-

that says-

which loosely translates to “Homework is not easy but with dedication and true vocation, everything has a solution and education is inheriting knowledge”. 

There are some gorgeous hotels in the historic centre including the Hotel Santa Elena which is the former hacienda of the Orrantia family-

The inside restaurant is beautiful-

The Hotel Posada del Hidalgo, also once a hacienda, is the birthplace and childhood home of Don Diego Della Vega, or as I know him, Zorro.  There’s a statue of him in one of the many courtyards-

There are many hummingbirds flitting around the bar-

There’s also a gorgeous dining room-

beautiful sitting areas close to the rooms-

and other courtyards-

There were religious ornaments at the entrance to most of the hotels.  This is Noah’s Ark-

And Adam and Eve at the Hotel El Fuerte-

The Hotel El Fuerte-

has a gorgeous lobby-

and front desk area-

The Rio Vista Hotel looks out at the river and the lobby is very strange-

Many haciendas have internal portales, but the Plaza de Armas-

complete with bandstand, palm trees and fountains-

is flanked by them on the south side at the Casa de los Portales-

The Palacio Municipal, or City Hall, was built between 1903 and 1907.  It takes up an entire city block and five archways-

lead through the brick exterior to an inner courtyard-

Murals in the stairwell depict the history of the town-

On one end of the Plaza de Armas is the Catholic Church-

 ready for Christmas-

Lupper was tacos el vapor - tougher than normal tortillas filled with mashed potatoes and frijoles, then topped with queso-

and minced chorizo in a tortilla, covered with frijoles.  Neither were as good as what I’ve become accustomed to-

I’m looking forward to wandering amongst more beautiful buildings tomorrow!