La Posada del Rio Sonora - Nov '09
La Posada
Hey, all. We just stayed two nights in a fantastic hotel in Banamichi, Mexico called La Posada del Rio Sonora (The Inn on the Sonora River). Check out the pictures below, but also check out the website here to see other photos and read a little bit about the place. It's an eco-resort in a quiet little Mexican town. We walked around the streets day and night, and never felt the slightest bit unsafe. It is a very quaint and friendly place.
The hotel has a very interesting history that we got to hear straight from the owners, Bill and Irma, while we ate with them. The original building is over 200 years old, and used to be a Mexican hacienda. Bill and Irma restored it over 6 years, with the help of local craftsmen. Every room is unique! I didn't get to take my camera everywhere, so I'll describe the trip here.
We got there at about 6 o'clock on Friday night (it's about a 4-5 hour drive from Tucson) and started with Bacaritas (margaritas made with Bacanora, a regional tequila-like alcohol) before dinner. Dinner was an excellent 3-course meal including soup, a giant plate of beef, vegetables, and salsa for burritos, finishing off with flan. After dinner, we took a walk around town to see some of the local homes and buildings. It seemed like every turn presented the smell of a new flower or tree! We then got to bed to prepare for a busy Saturday.
Saturday's breakfast was served from 7-9 and included fruit, yogurt, and granola followed by a choice of hotcakes, huevos rancheros (eggs ranch-style), or huevos con machaca (eggs with reconstituted beef and spices). At 9, it was time for a two-hour guided horseback ride through the countryside. This actually began at about 10 to allow about 8 horses to be gathered from around town. I suppose it was 9 o'clock, Mexican time. The ride took us up and down mountain trails, through washes, and we encountered other roaming horses, burros, and cows. A very relaxing, scenic ride.
Shortly after returning from the ride, it was off on bicycles to the spring-fed public pool about a mile away. The pool was filled with water that comes out of the ground at about 80 degrees and is continuously draining and refilling. We were the only ones there in crystal-clear water that was probably in the high 70's. Once we were refreshed, it was time for lunch that Bill and Irma had brought to the pool and set up for us! Lunch consisted of pasta salad and some pico de gallo with tilapia dish called ceviche. Apparently the tilapia was marinated in citrus oil that "cooked" the fish, and it didn't taste like fish at all. We then biked back to the hotel and cleaned up for dinner. Luckily, there was enough time for some cards and more bacaritas before dinner!
This dinner was another 3-course meal of caldo de queso (soup with locally made cheese and green onions), gorditas and tacos, followed by dulce de leche (like a smooth vanilla ice cream with marshmallow) for dessert.
After dinner, we put our swimsuits back on for a 30-minute car ride out of town to a natural hot spring. Here, there were dozens of pools constructed that filled with 100 degree water constantly flowing in and out. We found a secluded pool with no one else in sight and relaxed in total darkness under the most stars you could ever imagine seeing at once. This ended our second night, and we slept very well.
Our final day started with another breakfast followed by a one hour couples massage. We then took a walk to a nearby house that friends of Bill and Irma had restored. They are retired and split their time between Banamichi and Tucson.
Finally, we got our lunches for the road (beef, bean, and cheese burritos) and headed home.
It was a fabulous and fairly economical trip that we would love to do again with anyone who'd like to come along. Check it out!
Love,
Pam and Brian
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