The final part of our trip was down and out of the mountains onto the high and dry plains of Chiahuahua.
Chiahuahua is the largest State in Mexico (larger then the UK). The State is primarily identified with the Chihuahuan Desert but it has more forests than any other state in Mexico. The state is characterized by rugged mountainous and wide river valleys. The Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range which is part of the continental spine that also includes the Rocky Mountains.
Gradually as one drops in elevation the land becomes more fertile.
Looks like anywhere in the US west.
On the slope of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains there are vast prairies of short yellow grass, the source of the bulk of the state’s agricultural production. The largest apple orchards in the world are here.
Above A painting in a hotel. The plains of Chiahuahua were where the original Vaceros or cowboys came from.
Most of the inhabitants live along the Rio Grande Valley and the Conchos River Valley. Today the city is a prosperous clean and quite American. All of the big well known names are to be seen and the streets are wide boulevards.
There is a core of colonial era architecture around the centre.
The Angel of Freedom column and the Government Palace in the late afternoon light.
The interior courtyard is filled with dining tables and that day a Symphony Orchestra was rehearsing something from The Phantom Of The Opera.
Part of the vast murals by Pina Mora of Father Hidalgo that grace the walls of this building. He was a Catholic priest of progressive ideasand declared Mexican independence in the small town of Dolores, Guanajuato on September 16, 1810 with a proclamation known as the “Grito de Dolores”. He was later captured and shot in 1811 near the steps of this building. Hidalgo is hailed as the Father of the Nation even though it was Agustin de Iturbide and not Hidalgo who achieved Mexican Independence in 1821 by taking over Mexico City.
Above one the few pre-revolutionary period buildings in the centre of town. Much of the colonial era building seemed to have been swept away and replaced by modern. However the city was clean and well kept.
Below-Started in 1725- The Cathedral of Chiahuahua with the city founder Antonio de Deza y Ulloa standing in front.
Photo courtesy wikipedia
It is a relatively simple inside.
Above the ceiling of the La Casona restaurant a converted iron framed mansion of the pre-revolution period.
Chiahuahua of course was where the Revolution began in the north under Pancho Villa.
Below his home that he built for his “official” wife. She lived there until her death the 1980s and it is now a museum to the Revolution.
It is a very elegant building with much painted detail. Unfortunately no photography was allowed inside the rooms.
Below- The Dodge that he was shot in complete with bullet holes.
Below- Waiting for the return flight to take us back 900 miles to Guadalajara
Below– Usually I am driving this road from the airport back home so this time I got a chance to get a shot of the local home scenery from a taxi window.
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