A step back in time, San Sebastian, Mexico

If you’re tired of living in a world of constant technology and 5 minute lunches I may have just found the place for you.  Deep in the Sierra De la Madre mountains lies a magic town, or Pueblos Magicos in Spanish. Actually its one of about 100 towns all across Mexico with this designation. These towns are full of beautiful Mexican culture and historical relevance. San Sebastian was founded as a mining town in 1605 and being only an hour and half outside Puerto Vallarta this quaint little town will provide you with a step back in history and give you a feel for what life was like in a simpler time.

I began my exploration at the town park, what we would call back home the town square. It’s a beautiful area with a large white gazebo with red walkways , red and white are the towns official colors. Its surrounded by a lovely garden full of flowers that I only wish I could name. Theres  a well to the right side of the gazebo. My guide, Mario tells us that this was the public well. The rich had wells in their homes but the poorer had to share. So this area was usually inhabited by the miners and their families. It was a gathering place, where friends met, things were bought and sold… all in all it was the hub of the once bustling town of San Sebastian.  Now a town of around 600 people the pace is much slower but wiser. The architecture and history are painstakingly preserved and the old ways are remembered and shared. Mario leads us down the tiny cobblestones streets  to a small store with shelves full of interesting crafts and local goods for sale. But that’s not what he brought us here to see. Our gaze follows his finger  up… we stare at a blue ceiling well-worn with age.  Hundreds of holes dot the surface in a haphazard fashion.  “ Those are bullet holes “ he tells us.  The city was all but abandoned during the revolution. The town was well-built and withstood even  heavy gun fire. It’s  this kind of tenaciousness that has helped this town to last for over 420 years. We turn left and meander  down a small hill to a church The Church of San Sebastian to be exact.. He shows us the arches on the outside of the building. You can tell the cement was a recent addition. He explains that the arches were open for many years. Allowing for nature to be part of the worship but eventually filled in with adobe. The adobe had to be replaced every year after the rainy season so they finally decided to move to cement. It was a hard decision because one of the main goals of the town is to preserve its history but the cost of constant repair became more than they could handle. The inside of The church of San Sebastian is really a treat. The walls are painted a brilliant robins egg blue with pink and purple embellishments. Its unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Its simply magnificent. The altar held a nativity scene, which Mario explained would not be taken down till January 20^th when the Festival of San Sebastian begins. I really wish I was going to be around for that.  A little further down the street  our guide stops to greet and elderly man , they jovially speak in Spanish for a few moments then he introduces us to Jose’. He tells us how Jose’ spent 50 years repairing the cobblestone streets of San Sebastian. He retired a year ago but quickly informs us that he wished he was still working. LOL… we say our goodbyes and Jose’ continues on to do whatever it is that retired men in a sleepy Mexican town do.  Next stop is the silver smiths shop. Even though silver is now mined a few hours away the tradition of jewelry making continues. Were greeted outside the shop by a burro, in keeping with tradition , he has a small blanket and a few packs on his back. He eyes us warily but allows us to pass. Inside we meet Jesus and his son. It’s a small one room shop that holds the display cases and his metalworking tools. Everything is done right here.. we all oooo and ahhh over the intricate silver ring, bracelets and pendants.  After a few purchases we climb the hill to a statue of a miner. Mario explains how even though the silver in the area has all but dried up this statue will always be a part of the town. The town was built on the backs of the miners, not the rich in the fancy haciendas but the ones who pulled the ore from the earth and they should be honored.

As we head back down the hill past the modest homes painted red and white, seeing the children playing and the women cooking on open fires. Its like walking through history. We stopped at one of the two hotels in town. Mario explains that it used to be a large Hacienda. The rooms  wrap around a central garden. The owner greeted us with a warm smile and allowed us to look around  and take a few pictures. For twenty dollars a night you stay in one of the 4 rooms available .  As the sun sinks low we all head back to the bus for the long ride back to Puerto Vallarta. Back to the world of Cell phones and high pressure lives but I’m so grateful that had this day and to step back in history in the amazing town of San Sebastian