In Search of unglazed Pottery in Candelaria, November 15th 2013
Today we felt, we should find another dusty road and a new adventure. The last two days we had just relaxed and went shopping and swimming.
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| Trail up to La Candelaria |
Donna Jones cooked with, and told us about the great earthenware pots she is using, and said that they are still made in Candelaria, close to San Cabo in the mountains.
This is Donna's picture and comments:
We use a variety of ollas and cazuelas, glazed and unglazed earthenware pots that country cooks swear improves the flavor of a dish. They must be seasoned before use by simmering a chopped white onion and a head of garlic until almost dry. The practical piece in the picture goes, with its cargo of pollo pibil marinated and wrapped in fresh banana leaves, straight into the oven until the meat is falling apart in the sauce. Then, banana leaves removed and meat shredded into the sauce, it goes right onto a gas burner to simmer until the sauce has thickened for tasty pulled chicken pibil sandwiches… and the pot cleans up like nonstick!
We found Candelaria on the map, but the GPS had no idea where it was. Country roads around here have no names, and there are no directional signs.
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| On the Way up in Search of La Candelaria |
So we drove out of Cabo San Lucas toward Totos Santos. About 15 km passed Cabos we started looking for a dirt road. We spotted one and turned off. There was even a local man we could ask if this was the way, and even if the sign says "no trespassing", could we still drive through? We got strange looks and two yes nods.
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| This Rattler did not Make it |
After about 15 minutes we arrived at the city dump! Again, a nice attendant confirmed in Spanish that Candelaria was in this direction. We understood to drive 7km on this road, then at the T, turn left, drive about 10km through 2 rivers and over 3 mountains and then we would arrive.
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| The Riverbeds ( Arroyos ) were dry |
Guess what? We did. The bumpy drive through the cacti and mesquite to this village was beautiful. The rivers were dry, and at one bridge repair our truck just fit by an inch on each side.
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| Road Repair |
In Candelaria, surprising around the church there was concrete pavements for about 100 meters on each side. Amazing, it must have been poured all by hand, because no cement truck would make it up here. This small Rancho village has about 85 people living here and it has a nice elementary school and a church. Life up here seams to function like years ago. Quiet, no stores, no restaurants, just ranchers tending to their animals and raising some crops.
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| La Candelaria: the Church, the school,and the ranch |
We never found any traces of unglazed pottery. Too bad. The municipal building was under renovations. When we were there, the people must have been taking their siestas. The village looked deserted.
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| First Road Sign, Right here in the Village |
We looked around, ate our lunch sandwiches, and drove the same country trail back down to the highway.
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| Beautiful Drive |
No pottery, but we had a wonderful drive into the Sierra La Laguna.
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| Whales Spouting Along the Pacific |
On the way home along the Pacific Ocean we spotted some whales spouting along the shores.
For more pictures of this day trip, please click here
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