Cerro El Molcajete

Not every day is sunny here and today is one of those days. But cloudy days here are great for long hikes and for taking some good photos, so ...

We went on a 4 hour walk to an old volcano called El Molcajete. A molcajete is a round basalt stone dish with three little legs used for crushing items, like chilies, used in cooking. (Mortar and pestle). The volcano that we saw, is cone-shaped and has a deep impression in it that can be seen in aerial views. It looks like a molcajete.

Our walk, north of Mascota took us past fields of yellow sunflowers and red chilies. People were in fields with huge baskets on their backs, picking the peppers.

The views were amazing! Rows upon rows of old volcanoes, just beyond the farmers’ field. It was exceptionally quiet in this area, as few cars drove on this country road so all we heard was the sound of birds, and the occasional sound of a cow, goose or rooster. So tranquil.

It started to rain just as we returned back to the town. Perfect timing.

As we had walked 10.5 km on a mostly cobblestone road in the mountains, we felt as a treat we would drop in for a delicious vegetarian pizza and limonada at the local Italian restaurant, Los Nopales. At the end of the meal, getting out of our chairs was a little difficult and it wasn’t just because of all the food...Read more