Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo announced that the president of Mexico has authorized continuation of construction on the Home Port project in Rocky Point.

The Governor indicated that the amount of the investment has yet to be defined, but he commented that the project will move forward due to the positive impact that it will have on the region and the increase in tourism that will be achieved when it is completed.

The project has been tied up in legal battles which has paralyzed the project for many years, however, the Governor reported that the parties involved in the lawsuits have agreed to withdraw their claims, with certain conditions.

In his recent visit to Sonora, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador authorized the allocation of the necessary resources for the completion of the works of the Home Port for cruise ships in Puerto Peñasco, a project that has been abandoned for more than six years, stated Governor Alfonso Durazo Montaño.

The Governor specified that the investment required to recover the unfinished terminal for several years will be updated so that it can be completed and allow cruise ships that sail through the Sea of ​​Cortez, with the home port in Puerto Peñasco. There is a legal process related to the Home Port which must be completed, he admitted, but those involved in that legal process have agreed to withdraw their claims under certain conditions.

He explained that, as part of the support that the state will have this year from the federal government, more than one billion pesos will be allocated for the completion of pending works such as the Home Port, rehabilitation of natural spaces, and infrastructure works in various municipalities.

According to files of AHORA NOTICIAS, the Home Port of Puerto Peñasco was 55% complete in the construction of the protection breakwater and 2% complete in the construction of the pier, with an investment applied of 491 million pesos, out of a total of 680 million that were initially budgeted.

 The work, which began in December 2013 in the Sandy Beach area, consists of a breakwater, a platform for buildings with a cruise ship dock, an access avenue, and a pedestrian boardwalk with a beach reclaimed from the sea. It was scheduled to be completed in mid-2015, but obviously, that did not happen.

Among widely-loved beverages, horchata ranks highly. Even for those not well-versed in food, the sweet, light crème-colored drink is recognizable as an option in many Latin-restaurants and ice cream shops. It’s everywhere and it’s delicious. Even those who count themselves as enthusiasts may not be aware that the category of drink referred to as horchata has a history going back thousands of years.

The type of horchata that dates back to antiquity is a drink more specifically called “horchata de chufa,” made from ground and sweetened tiger nuts. Horchata de chufa originated in North Africa around 2400 B.C, and with the Roman conquest of Egypt, the drink was dubbed “hordeata.” The drink was heralded for its “cooling quality” and it was recommended that people drink the barley water drink on hot days, to lower fevers, and to feed it to babies when they fussed.

The Moors then brought horchata to West Africa and Spain in the 8th century. As it spread through Spain, France, and England, the drink continued to be enjoyed both for its refreshing quality and for its perceived health benefits. The concept of horchata then spread from Spain to Mexico in the course of colonization. Because Spanish conquistadors didn’t bring tiger nuts with them to “the New World,” this variety of horchata was rice-based, and called horchata de arroz or agua de horchata, flavored with cinnamon, vanilla, and in some regions, marigolds. The drink took hold in Mexico and spread throughout North and South America. Variations on this drink are what most Americans would name and recognize as “horchata.”

While the drink also survived and developed into the modern day in West Africa (it’s known as kuunu aya in Hausa, a Nigerian language) and in England (it’s the ancestor of Robinson’s Lemon Barley Water, Wimbledon’s official drink), horchata’s most widespread association is with cultures touched by Spanish colonization. There are multitudes of Latin variations of horchata, including horchata de mélon, made from ground melon seeds and horchata de ajonjolí which is popular in Puerto Rico and made from ground sesame seeds and possibly rice, along with almonds, evaporated milk, coconut milk, allspice, and rum, or maybe barley and lime zest. In Central America, horchata might refer to a drink also called semilla de jicaro, which involves a similar assortment of ingredients along with cocoa and possibly nutmeg, sometimes even ground peanuts, almonds, and cashews. Ecuadorian horchata, or horchata Lojana (after the Southern Ecuadorian province Loja), refers to a drink that’s more of a clear red tea, but is also made from a similar mix of the herbs and spices that are added to the other types. Ecuadorians recognize horchata Lojana for its health benefits, and it’s been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, to promote digestion, and to improve memory.

While Horchata has been enjoyed by many people in many ways over the course of time. Hopefully knowing more about the history and varieties available to try adds to the appreciation the next time you get a cup at your local taquería, or even decide to make a batch yourself.

Recipe:

Total Time

Prep: 5 min. + standing Process: 10 min.

Makes 6 servings

In this Horchata recipe, the mixture of ground rice and almonds is accented with a hint of lime. Depending on your preference, you can use more or less water for a thinner or creamier beverage.

3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice

2 cups blanched almonds

1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)

1-1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest

4 cups hot water

1 cup sugar

1 cup cold water

Ground cinnamon, optional

Lime slices, optional

Place rice in a blender; cover and process 2-3 minutes or until very fine. Transfer to a large bowl; add almonds, cinnamon stick, lime zest and hot water. Let stand, covered, at room temperature 8 hours.

Discard cinnamon stick. Transfer rice mixture to a blender; cover and process 3-4 minutes or until smooth. Add sugar; process until sugar is dissolved.

Place a strainer over a pitcher; line with double-layered cheesecloth. Pour rice mixture over cheesecloth; using a ladle, press mixture through strainer.

Stir in cold water. Serve over ice. If desired, sprinkle with cinnamon and serve with lime and additional cinnamon sticks.

Curandero healers can be found across the entirety of Latin America and the US, operating under various titles such as native healer, witch doctor, or shaman. However, Mexico in particular, has a rich and fascinating history of curandero healers who employ herbs and an impressive amount of optimism in their work. Here’s everything you need to know about the curanderos of Mexico.

The history of Mexico’s curanderos dates right back to the pre-Hispanic period, making it one of the countries most authentic and long-standing practices, with a firm root in indigenous culture. It’s notably also one of the many practices that the Spanish made an effort to stamp out, although many curanderos are actually practicing Catholics nowadays.

Despite having a high social standing within their community, the believed-to-be supernatural powers of the curanderos are typically assumed to be illnesses or a curse from a higher being. Alternatively, it is believed that abilities are inherited and passed down through families.

Nowadays, the lower classes are the principal users of curanderos, due to either rural locations and lack of access to modern medicine or because of the low price charged by most spiritual shamans. In fact, many accept no cash payment at all; instead, many prefer offerings. In the US, often the language barrier drives Latin Americans to seek out the services of a traditional curandero.

The life’s purpose of a curandero is to resolve ailments through natural means, taking on the role of what we would consider ‘doctor’, and sometimes ‘psychiatrist’, for the community to which they belong. In fact, most of the ailments cured by curanderos are spiritual or emotional in nature (such as, for example, the ‘evil eye’ ailment, or susto ‘shock’ and empacho ‘indigestion’). They often solve these maladies through the careful use of spiritual cleansings, essential oils, herbs, incense, eggs and even just good old-fashioned prayer. While few people visit curanderos for illnesses such as diabetes and cancer, those who do will be gently reminded to visit a Western doctor.

It is possible to be a ‘specialist’, even within the field of curanderismo, with many healers (known as peyoteros) specifically working with the spiritual hallucinogen peyote, and, therefore, falling under the branch of yerberos (healers who are herbalists first and foremost). There are also rezanderos/oracionistas;they rely mainly on prayer and candles and work primarily in sacred spots, such as in front of altars and inside caves. Meanwhile, there are also parteras, which we can best translate as ‘midwife’. However, this is by no means an extensive introduction to the various subsets of Mexican healers, boundaries that are blurred by some multi-talented chamanes.

Throughout Mexico, there are several well-known and famed curanderos, with the most internationally recognised arguably being the Oaxacan María Sabina. This famed curandera deals in the healing properties of hallucinogenic mushrooms, which has attracted a great amount of attention to her town, Huautla de Jiménez. Another well-known Oaxacan shaman is Don Iván Ramón, who practises in Mexico City. He uses a trance-like state to cure his patients and is a skilled exorcist.

However, in Mexico City, Doña Pachita is surely the best-known chaman. Principally enacting ‘surgical miracles’ on her patients without even touching them. Little is really known about her mysterious practice, but she has a wealth of satisfied patients. Moving further south, in Morelos, you can find Don Lucio, who descends from a long line of curanderos known as the graniceros. Some say he can control the weather, helping to avoid natural disasters. Another famed curandero is Don Fidencio, who despite being deceased for some time, still maintains a loyal following of fidencistas to this day.