Trip to San Ignacio and lunch in El Quelite - Part 1

Tuesday a.m.

Still catching up. Sunday was a bright sunny day, not too hot, not too cold. 61 degrees here at the campground but 85 degrees in San Ignacio where we spent part of the day.
Because it was such a beautiful day we decided to head to San Ignacio about 64 miles from Mazatlan up in the Sierra Madre mountains.
To get there we took the Libre (free road) which had just been repaved for almost the whole trip.

For once I had my camera ready as we passed the Tropic of Cancer sign – Yah – I got a picture of it finally.

For more info on Tropic of Cancer click here link - we were headed into the Tropic of Cancer from the Tropics.
Then past this roadside vendor. The chairs were really neat. Hand made wood. They rocked and folded up with a hammock like seat. About US$40. Now I wish we’d bought a couple. If we see them again I’m going to try one out.

Passed lots of farming and orchards along the way. Sinaloa is kind of the Bread Basket of Mexico. Lots of agriculture. And nice fat cattle.
San Ignacio is a town of around 27,000 established in 1531! We knew we were nearing town as we came up on these neat planters. And in the distance we could see the arch.

Nice entrance to town

We passed under the arch

Very nice Arch to San Ignacio

And were on a very long bridge over the Rio Ajoya. On the far side is the town.

About half way across the bridge I could see this huge statue up on a far hill.

Statue of Jesus Christ in San Ignacio

We turned into the town heading towards the church we could see towering over the trees. As always the colorful homes and the gorgeous bougainvilleas.

Down the one way cobblestone streets to the main plaza surrounded by businesses, a 300 year old brick hotel ruin (I didn’t get a picture of it!), the government buildings and of course the church. We parked and walked towards the church. Found a small plaza in front of it with these pretty rose bushes growing in it.

Took my first, of many, picture of the church Iglesia de San Ignacio de Loyola. It was built by the Jesuits in the early 1600s.

The steps and gates leading up to the church

This is a composite of several photos.

Again a composite but of the inside looking towards the main altar.

The ceiling is some kind of formed cement – I think.

Cement ceiling

Another view of the interior showing the tile floor.

Tile floor

One of the side altars

The ceiling – original – of the side altar.

Very old wood beams

The other side altar

I’m sorry but these freak me out. Some of them look so real.

Then back outside. Another photo of the statue from the church courtyard

Iron Church Gates

One of the white metal light posts that are all over town.

Right across the street from the church is a very old part of the town. Some of the buildings are amazing. Hand made adobe bricks and stucco – tile roofs. And the top of the light post.

Hundreds of years old

Another picture of it – I was taking these from the church yard so was quite a bit above street level. In this picture you can just see a green building next to the old one. There were people sitting on the porch so I was trying to be discrete with the camera.

A better look at the front of the house. One the side some of the stucco is missing and you can see the adobe blocks.

The side of the house, notice it is not painted, looking down a side street. Most of the houses did not have glass in all the windows.

The tile roof of the house – growning a crop of little cactus.

Cactus garden on roof

As we walked down to street level and passed the house Bill started talking to the owner – the older woman in the chair. She has lived in the house her whole life as did her great-great grandparents – how far back she wasn’t sure. When she was born her great grandparents lived there. But knows that the house if at least 300 years old!!!! She asked if would like to go in and see the house. The driver thanked her for opening her home but told her we were in a hurry. I guess "Mi Casa es Su Casa" is more than just a saying.
The whole family still lives there.

Owner in chair, daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons.

Will continue with our visit to San Ignacio later.