More from Las Glorias.

Well, we were going to stay here for 2 days, friday and saturday. We met this wonderful homeschooling family from BC (same school as we are with, SelfDesign!) and the kids get along great, so we had a wonderful couple of days. We built campfires at night, everyone hangs out on the beach and in the pool and ocean and listen to eachother's music, and we exchange loads of info.
But on Saturday, the manager of the campground came with the idea that he is setting up a tour of the local area, some archaeological sites and ruins, and some folklore. This is the first tour he's setting up this way and he is wondering if we are interested in doing this. The bird island tour on saturday was in the same fashion, kind of an experiment as he would like to provide guests with an option of tours of the area. Well, that sounded interesting as it would be a non-touristy thing and we would be the guinneapigs, so to speak. Later in the day he came with the marvellous idea that we would not pay for this tour, but please give him input on it and recommendations and suggestions and such. We were to take our own vehicles and pay for our lunch and a boatride on a river somewhere, and there may be a small fee for a museum too. Well that sounded great so, we add on a couple of more nights.
Sunday we loafed around, another car/tenter pulled in, a man and his 2 daughters (under 10) who is on his way south. Adventurous bunch, his little VW rabbit runs on used vegetable oil from the restaurants (this restaurant here gave him 6 gallons for free!) so that was big fun for the boys in our company. These folks also lived in Costa Rica for a year, have travelled extensively all over the Americas and then some so lots of storysharing around the campfire at night.
Monday we caravaned early, 8 a.m. we were on the road. Almost everyone from the campground went, 4 trucks (well, our van was in there). First stop was a museum in the town of Tamazula (I hope I'm spelling that right) and it was wonderful. A small old school/church building in the middle of this little town explained about the indiginous people here who were sort of 'giants', more than 2 meters tall, which totally shocked the Spaniards when they blazed through the area looking for gold in the 1500's. And, the people were war-like and cannibals to boot. We saw some of their burials - they would dismember and stuff in a pot - and their tools
and toys and such. Then the museum told the history up through the revolution until about 50 years ago. The lady was extremely informative and Horatio our guide from Mr. Moro's was very good at translating. He had made lots of notes and did his best to accomodate everyone.
Next up was a ruin of a Jesuit church in a graveyard in Bamoa. This is one of the oldest ruins in the state, very cool to see and we would have never found this on our own. It is not on any map, none of the things of this tour are in any brochures so we were the first 'tourgroup' to go through. Then we went to another ruin of a larger church and a new one built right beside it. The statue of San Ignatio is carved from stone and carried to the water canal when there's a need for rain for this fertile agricultural area. He is then asked to bless the harvest and put back inthe church. But if he is not so inclined, story goes 'there is no man that can move the statue'.
Then we had a long drive to the town of Sinaloa de Lleva, which used to be the capital of this state (it is now Culiacan). There some people met us, several ladies in suits and a distinguished looking older gentleman with cowboyhat who spoke english. Horatio explained that 'it's out of my hands now, these folks have set up a tour of the town for you'. This was all new for him as well. We arrived an hour late, due to driving conditions we think, and so the tour started later and we had to wait for lunch later....not at 1 as we expected.
We toured the tower in the town which is the oldest building -we were told- in north Mexico, the Californias, Baja, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah. An old Jesuit Mission, it was the base from where priests would go out and convert the natives. The tower is all that is left and it is just now realized this is of cultural value and tourists may want to come and see, so the new Mexican government is helping financially to make this town more appealing for tourists. As mentioned, we were the guinneapigs! We were asked many times on the tour how we liked everything and were we enjoying ourselves. More pictures were taken OF us than BY us!
We also got to tour the 'new' church built in 1600's and recently stucco'd and painted over by the current priest, reasons unknown, and we visited the municipal hall and the room where decisions are made with its pictures of all mayors since the town's beginning, and a prominant doctor's home which is now a cultural center and houses a museum, library and such.
Then, at 3:30 and noticing we were fading in and out with our attentionspans, we went to a restaurant by the grand Sinaloa river and had a wonderful meal of which some was free, provided by the folks giving the tour. The Ceviche was new for us, made with raw scallops, and pickled fish, all not cooked but 'cooked' in lime and onion. Very tasty and our stomachs are still o.k. today..!
By 5-ish we figured that is the end of the tour, long day and seen a lot. Nope.
We drove a couple hundred yards up the road and a dancing troupe was waiting for us (by now we're several hours behind schedule so who knows how long they've been waiting for us). These were highschool aged dancing school students performing 3 local dances for us, a ranch wedding, a traditional Sinaloense dance and ? another one oh yes a native dance in native costume.
And they did a fabulous job. Lots of colour, loud music, enthusiasm and pride. And it was all put together for us! We felt very humbled and priveledged. Again, more pics were taken OF us than by us. And some of us were asked to join in the dancing.....Earl and I haven't danced since our wedding....but the kids guided us well. Lots of fun.
THEN, we thought that was it for the tour, getting late now. But nope, on to the riverboat tour. A half-hour jaunt on a trimaran which looked like it could barely hold 5 people let alone 25...very interesting and more dancing here, by us!
We could not get the kids involved in the dancing, they are too shy!
THEN, we thought THAT was it, but no...one more stop on top of the hill overlooking the pueblo. It is not a big town, 11,000 inhabitants only, and we had a great view up on the hill into the state of Chihuahua, up and down Sinaloa state. There is a shrine of the Lady of Guadelupe up there that people pray to for the wellbeing of Mexico, and their homestate, and their hometown and everyone they know. Candles were lit.
Then, THAT was the end of the tour. The people made an emotional speech thanking us and saying, like they say Viva la Mexico! - Viva la Canada and the canadian people here with us today (there were a couple from U.S.A. and Quebec but we were an all-inclusive friendly bunch of tourists).
Well, we arrived home at 7:30 in the dark, it was a long long day but what a fabulous tour. We definitely recommend coming to Mr. Moro's and doing this tour - the kinks will be worked out and it will be shorter for sure - to everyone.
More fireside talk and reminiscing and a good nights sleep. It's cold here at night, though.
We decide to stay another night....