Mascota

Established around 1592, this verdant valley at 4,000ft is rich in agricultural products such as wheat, rice and corn.

The name is derived from a Nahuatl word "Mazacolta" meaning "Place of Deer and Snakes" and does not refer to 'pets'.

Mascota is an agricultural town, so don't be suprised to meet a bunch of cows wandering down the street.

Mascota, together with Talpa is also the land of the horse. People from all over Mexico and beyond come here to buy horses. Many also bring their horses here to be trained. The number one topic, regardless of a person's occupation, are the fine horses of this region.

The new archaeological museum, set up by Joseph Mountjoy and sponsored by National Geographic, is worth a visit. He has been stydying the extensive petroglyphs found in the area and the recent uncovering of pottery shards, by a farmer in one of his fields.

There is a good restaurant called Navidad and the very interesting Rodríguez Peña museum.