10th February, 2015

Journey to Copper Canyon; El Fuerte

The above photo is of Hotel Posada del Hildago

January 22, 2015

DAY TWO

El Fuerte is a quiet Mexican village, established in 1563 and has a population of about 13,000. It sits in a fertile valley as it runs along the Rio El Fuerte. We had read about the infamous Hotel Posada del Hildago, home of the illusive Zorro, and so it is here we decided to stay.

The hotel is a massive structure, taking up an entire city block, with part of the building perched on a hill. As we walked up the steep, cave-like entrance, we noticed it was built with stone and brick. Inside/outside walkways were surrounded by gardens. Everywhere we looked, we were inundated with bright, vibrant colors, whether it was the flowers or décor. The reception area, complete with a bar and pool, lies atop of a hill and has an incredible view. There is a restaurant too. This hotel is lovely and not to be missed. (Besides, you might even get a visit from Zorro who dances with the ladies.)

We arose at dawn so we could take a short walk before breakfast. Everywhere there were dogs running free and we ran into a gang of dogs fighting over a bitch in heat. I think the dogs run this town.

Yesterday, we saw one back, fluffy, poodle-like mutt sitting in the middle of the street chewing on some piece of something he had found. Seriously, right in the middle of a busy street. And he wasn’t about to move. I guess the drivers understood this as they carefully maneuvered around him.

Again everywhere we turned, there were dogs. One mama was curled up against a tree with her pups. The tree had a low brick wall around it and someone had laid an open box down for her and she was snug with her pups nursing.

This morning, Jay and I walked up the hill to the Presidio, a beautiful reproduction of the real fort that used to be here, it is now a museum. We tried to sneak in, but got busted. The Presidio wouldn’t be open for another hour. Well, maybe another day.

We walked around back where there was a view of the Rio El Fuerte with mist overlying the water. The sun was rising in the background. The birds were busy singing and the roosters joined in, waking the neighborhood. We continued down the hill and walked into town, looking for a coffee shop, to no avail. Nothing was open at 6:30 in the morning so we went back to the hotel for a quick bite to eat and packed up to leave for the train station.