Mascota’s eminent archaeologist, Joseph Mountjoy recently informed us that the town’s already outstanding museum has been completely upgraded and expanded. We decided this was a perfect excuse to revisit Mascota, which lies about 150 kilometers west of Guadalajara and Lake Chapala. We also planned to take a peek at the nearby mountain village of San Sebastián, whose charm is legendary.
Naturally, we could not imagine driving from Guadalajara to Mascota without stopping at one of western Mexico’s most extraordinary natural wonders, a little mountain called La Campana, also known as the Psychedelic Bell because of its bizarre, wave-like formations.
We reached La Campana about two hours after leaving Guadalajara, planning to hike up to its peak via the rather complicated route described in our book “Outdoors in Western Mexico.” However, the first thing we discovered was a brand-new iron gate just where you turn off the highway. As we approached the gate we were hailed – in English – by a friendly voice: “Do you want to visit La Campana?” The owner of the voice was one Tino López, who introduced himself as the new owner of the mountain. He also told us of a much quicker and easier way to get on top of La Campana than the one we knew.
We parked our cars 50 meters past the gate, walked uphill another 50 meters and found ourselves on a footpath which led us to the curious rock formations in a matter of minutes. “I’m always in the area,” says Tino. “Just tell people to shout my name and I’ll be glad to guide them,” he says. The walk to the top is 428 meters, one way, but note that there are no railings to hold on to, so you must carefully watch your step. It’s definitely not a hike for small children unless you’re carrying them in your backpack.
A 35-kilometer drive on beautiful Highway 90 brought us to Mascota, where we visited the Archaeological Museum, housed in the Casa de Cultura, just one block east of the plaza. We learned that the walls and floor of the building had been in need of repair for some time and it was decided to combine this renovation with new designs for displaying the museum’s treasures, many of which are described in the January 9, 2009 edition of the Reporter.
Renovation of the museum cost about one million pesos and its doors were officially reopened in August 2011. It now has an auditorium, a library and five large rooms where over 600 items are on display, including petroglyphs, figurines and skeletons, many of which date back as far as 800 B.C.
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