Amid stone walls and church domes I dive deep into history. Fancisco Villa won his most important battle during the Mexican Revolution here. Thousands of indigenous slaves were forced to work in the mines under horrible conditions when the Spanish arrived years earlier. This was one of the most important cities in the Americas during the 16th century – producing a wealth of silver and gold.

Today, a Unesco World Heritage site, Zacatecas is a fascinating city to visit boasting colonial buildings, churches, mines and museums. On Saturday, March 2 my father and I rode into its historic downtown in style. Accompanied by local horsemen and Zacatecas’ Mounted Police, we trotted down stone streets with magnificent buildings from the 16th, 17th and 18th century bringing the cities rich history to life.

The next morning I was picked up by Joan Gonzales, a Tourism official who gave me a grand tour of Zacatecas. First we made our way to Cerro de la Buffa where Francisco Villa won his greatest battle. With a breathtaking view of the city, the mountain is home to three large statues of Panfilo Natera, Francisco Villa and Felipe Angeles – the three men who led this victory. Made of Bronze, all three men are sitting on the horses they rode at the time. It is a beautiful sight for a horse lover. And a reminder of how important the horse was, not only for the Mexican revolution, but many around Latin America.

From the Cerro de la Buffa we descended to the cities downtown via a Cable Car. It offered an awesome view of Zacatecas! From the sky we headed deep beneath the earth to “El Eden Mine.” With operations commencing in the 16th century, the mine produced both gold and silver. Today it is a tourist attraction.

“In its peak production days around 5-7 people died daily here,” Gonzales told me as we walked around the mine’s dark corridors.

When the Spaniards arrived, they brought much suffering in the Americas. The indigenous peoples were turned into slaves and given tools to destroy their own land. I can’t help but feel a deep sadness when I think about the way these extraordinary people were treated.

From the mine we made our way to the City’s historic downtown where we visited many museums and churches. Our last stop was a Bullfighting Arena that has been turned into a luxury hotel. One of the coolest hotels I have ever seen! The rooms, a restaurant and the reception area all surround the oval arena where Toreros once danced with Bulls.

At the end of our tour I was extremely impressed with this beautiful city! It has so much to offer and it’s rich history is found on every street corner. I loved being here but what I loved more was the road to Zacatecas. As I mentioned in a past blog, the Cabalgantes of Rio Grande taught us what “giving” is all about. I have never in my life met so many amazing people in one place before. The kind of folks that would give you the shirts off of their backs…

From Rio Grande we made our way to the most emotional moment of JourneyAmerica thus far. In the small town of Rancho Grande we were met by a mob of children dressed in white, horsemen, elders and a music truck that led us to the town square. As we rode through the town’s small streets more and more people joined the procession. The Mexican people have found hope in my journey. Hope that peace will come to their country thorn by the “war on drugs.” As we arrived in the town square the priest welcomed us and handed me a microphone to say a few words. I was so emotional it was hard to speak, especially in spanish. But I told them the only thing that came to me.

“Before I started this journey I had nothing. No horse, no saddles, no money. Many people called me crazy. Riding horseback from Canada to Brazil seemed impossible. But with a lot of hard work and positive thinking, slowly my dream turned into reality. And today, 7 months after leaving Calgary, Canada I am here in Rancho Grande, Zacatecas. If you truly want something in this life, with your heart, your soul, your mind, your everything, you will achieve it. Nothing is impossible, not even peace.”

Ironically the next day my father and I arrived in the most dangerous city we have crossed so far – Fresnillo. As we entered the town a Police Truck stopped us and asked that we follow them to the Lienzo Charro where the horses were staying. Minutes after we arrived another truck full of officers pulled up to take down our information. It turns out two rival cartels have been fighting each other daily here. Luckily we were hosted by a wonderful family in a ranch just outside of the city.

“The day before you arrived and today the criminals were shooting each other downtown in the middle of the day,” the family told us over dinner.

We stayed put at their ranch and were accompanied by another police truck when we left town. It was the first time during our trip through Mexico that I actually feared something happening to us. Leaving town was intense but we made it out in one piece!

Can’t thank all of the families who welcomed us into their homes with open arms this past week. The state of Zacatecas and its people have treated us with so much love. I’m sad to be leaving this week but excited to see what Aguascalientes will bring.

I also need to thank our amazing horses who took us across the “Chihuahua Desert,” largest in the Americas’ and have now brought us 2500 meters abobe sea level. I am so proud of Bruiser, Frenchie, Dude and General Cuencame! Love my kids 🙂