Culiacan (7FEB12 - 11FEB12)

The Wild Adventures of Roaming Hamsters...

Culiacan (Part I) – Off the Beaten Path

Though Culiacan is  about half-way between Los Mochis and Mazatlan, following the coastal highway MEX-15, it is not considered to be a very “touristy” location.  According to locals, it does not have a great number of attractions, and has about 2 lines in the Frommer’s travel guide.  But, Culiacan is anything but ordinary.

Culiacan is the capital city of the Mexican state of Sinaloa.  It is the proud home of various sports teams, from Futbol (Soccer) to basebol.  The very distinct Instituto de Sistema Tecnológica de Monterrey has a campus there.  And, there are a number of museums, botanical gardens, and more to capture the interest of any traveler.

We arrived in Culiacan on Tuesday (7FEB12) afternoon.  The ride to the city was nice, but quickly turned sour when we reached our first off-ramp.  (Please note that the signage in Mexico makes for, what one might build as, interpretation!)  Upon riding up the off-ramp, we were met by a guard who informed us that we were entering a private club and, therefore, we would need to back down the off-ramp and turn around.  After some careful explanation that pigs stood a better opportunity at the aerodynamic development of flight than we did of backing down an occupied off-ramp, we were permitted to make a U-turn.  And, what appeared to be a very nice little town on a 2-dimensional map ended up being a city of topographical equivalence to San Francisco, replete with what Bill Cosby referred to as “risk of head-on collision with a hill.” 

After some negotiation with the streets of Culiacan, we finally ended up close to our destination.  But, around that time, my bike decided that it was a “bridge too far”, and informed me that it was official…it was too hot.  My engine light turned on, and I quickly discovered that 90-100 degree temperatures, coupled with 5-mile-an-hour-traffic, was too much for my air-cooled engine.  We found refuge near the local cathedral, parking the bikes in the shade, and waited.

Culiacan (Part II) – Celebrities

The cathedral square was bustling with activity.  The focal-point of this established town hosted vendors of all types, from food merchants to car washers, and even some type of dancing event.  And, there, while passing the time, we blended in like lipstick on a dress-shirt collar.  Onlookers took pictures of the bikes, kids mocked our peculiar riding garb, and a local TV camera crew honed in on us.

Parked In The Cathedral Plaza

Suddenly, we were the subject of a television interview by Channel 3 – Culiacan TV, Ritmo y Salud.  They wanted to know who we were and what we were doing.  They asked why we were riding motorcycles and what brought us to Culiacan.  It was fantastic.  We were celebrities, and all we did was park in the shade.

Culiacan (Part III) – A Tour to Remember

What few know about Culiacan is that it is the home of a dark and savage underworld.  Back in about 2009, there was a huge war waged in the streets of Culiacan.  And, we were blessed with the opportunity to take the dark tour of Culiacan by one of the city’s long time sons.  According to our guide, Culiacan looked like Kosovo, back in 2009.  The drug trade is a significant thread in the tapestry of Culiacan.  He showed us the wealthy neighborhoods where Cartel Lord’s and their henchmen live.  He showed us where Caesar Chavez (the boxer) has a home.  And, he showed us the monument in the middle of a local grocery store parking lot where a narco-trafficing Kingpin’s son was blown up with a bazooka.  It was a fascinating descent into the dark corners of the city.  But, the icing on the cake was going to the Capilla Malverde.

For The Anonymous Donation

The Chapel of Malverde is the gangster’s church.  This infamous site is where gangsters from around the world come to pay tribute to their “Robin Hood”.  Legend has it that, in the short 39 years of life in this region, back in the 1800’s, Mr. Malverde raided the coffers of the governor, and gave the monies to the poor.  In adoration of this man’s selfless pilfering, all types of criminals come to seek their “saint’s” blessing, whether for an upcoming assassination or a profitable deal.  The chapel is ritualistically and richly ornamented with plaques of gratitude, statues of the grim reaper, and prayer candles.  During our visit, we even got to see, and hear, the illegal serenades of real “corriadores” (singers of ballads to the underworld), and witness the dancing of a young celebratory couple.

Culiacan (Part IV) – An Ensign to All Nations

Our hosts consist of two American professors who teach at Instituto de Sistema Tecnológica de Monterrey.  Tec, or Tec de Monterrey, is a well-established, prestigious, private institution that spans all of Mexico, and many other Central American locations.  The secondary and tertiary institutions are combined into one campus, and leads this area of Latin America in language and technology development.

For the upper division English and Cultural Studies department, this week marks the introduction of Native Cultures of North America to the students.  Our host, Colleen, requested that LaNova present a lecture to one of the classes on the Navajo (Diné) Nation and a brief overview of other native peoples.

LaNova spoke for over an hour to a class of upper-division students in their third semester of Cultural Studies.  With the assistance of media resources, she was able to provide a very good  introduction to the government, language, tradition, and life of the Diné.

This was a very exciting opportunity for LaNova, and a pleasing chapter in our travels.  We hope to build an even better presentation for the next time we come across an invitation, such as this.