Petroglyphs, Cows, Goats and Lizards OH MY

Saturday p.m.
Feb 10th – we left home three months ago– Nov 10th. Sometimes seems a lot longer and others seems like we just got on the road. Guess it pertains to how the days have been going. Interesting or boring.
Yesterday we had another interesting excursion –went off roading - visited a deserted beach – viewed petroglyphs – and herded goats. Intrigued?
I had discovered another place to visit while searching the Internet Las Labradas about 30 miles north of here. I thought I got the directions on how to get there. But later found out we couldn’t get there from here. But if nothing else The Driver is persistent.
So we started north on 15D the Autopista within a few miles we were at a toll booth US$7.50 – and we had to come back through it and pay again. Better be an interesting day.

93 Pesos for an auto

I have to explain something about the “off ramps” on the Autopista – basically there aren’t any unless you’re at a big town. If you live in a little town you kind of make your own off ramp from the highway. After enough people pull off in the same place there is a dirt trail there leading to the village. And another dirt trail on the other side leading back to the highway. But the government has been real nice and built one lane bridges over the highway connecting the dirt roads. Was that explanation necessary – well yes.

dirt road off ramp

I had programmed the town of Dimas (where the directions said we had to go) into the GPS. According to the GPS we had to make a big out of the loop to get where we wanted to go – It was right we found out.
Any way I was looking at the countryside and saw church steeples in the distance – Ah Ha!  Dimas. Didn’t see any off ramps coming up. But just as we passed under a little bridge I saw a dirt road leading to it. Oops – think we should have taken that. Had no choice but to keep going. No turn arounds, no off ramps. In the distance we saw a little overpass so slowed down and sure enough there was a dirt trail – off we went up the trail to the bridge – over and down the dirt trail on the other side. Headed back towards Dimas. This time we were watching for the dirt road. Found it. Drove into Dimas – just a little village with a blue and white church.

Dimas Church

As we were looking for a road heading towards the beach we saw this big old brick building. Wonder what it was.

Very big old building in Dimas

Finally asked a girl walking down the road about where the petroglyphs were and how to get to them.  Humm not sure. Maybe that way. She pointed back the way we'd come.
Back through town we went and found a semi-paved road heading the right way. [As you've probably guessed my directions weren't too clear.]

Probably original Highway 15

We figured out it used to be the highway before the Autopista was built. In fact it was probably the very road we drove on thirty some years ago. Up ahead of us we could see some surveyors so we stopped and asked one of them. He knew what we were talking about and gave us excellent directions. We could turn around and go back to the Autopista the way we had come or continue two kilometers straight ahead- but the road would get a little rough - and we would end up back at the Autopista. A little rough? No problem that’s why we drive Willie. So we went straight ahead. Soon there was less pavement and more dirt – then the dirt narrowed down.

Getting less and less a road

Then the dirt disappeared into a small river. [My written directions didn’t say anything about this!]

OH OH

Oh well –

Now Willie needs a bath

Through the water we went up the other side and finally came to the main highway again. The surveyor told us to watch for the retorno and the road we wanted was right there to the right. We found it – another dirt off ramp but knew it was the right one as there was a symbol type monument there.

Las Labradas at last

We just had to follow the road lined with white rocks through a small village, under the railroad tracks to the beach.

Follow the White Rock Road

We made it – the beach with the big black rocks actually exists. There was even a sign to prove it.

And a small museum. The outside of the museum building fascinated me more than the few items inside. Can you imagine how long it took to build something like this?

A close up of the outside wall.

Stick by stick and sealed with mud

And there was a real pretty party/rest area too – out here in the middle of nowhere.

We were the only people around. So we followed the sandy trail to the beach. Very pretty area.

Beautiful black rock beach

Off I headed towards the rocks in search of the petroglyphs. And we found some. They are thought to be over 1,500 years old and of Toltec origin.

Reminds me of a happy face

They are associated with the supernatural and are believed to have been a method the Totlecs used to communicate with their gods.

A figure and other drawings

The represent the dreams and visions of the Toltec priests,

Very intricate drawing

The are the oldest pre-Hispanic art in northwest Mexico. And they were fascinating.

Spiral

This one was interesting – very deeply etched. Just think how many years these have been here with the ocean waves and winds battering them.

There were a lot more but couldn’t get very good pictures of them. You have to go see them yourselves.
And then I saw this guy just sitting there watching me watch him.

Hello there

And lots of crabs scurrying around – had to be careful where we walked and put our hands.

See them on the rock

Really enjoyed walking around there with no sounds but the wind and the waves. Beautiful day for us.
We of course took the same road out – poor Willie really needs a bath now.






Came across this guy – he wasn’t impressed with us.

Then ended up in a herd of goats.

We found our way back to Mazatlan with no problem. And I threw out my directions – talk about no help at all.

Later we took a ride along the Malecon to watch the sunset.

Great end to a great day