Games and gastronomy in El Quelite

Story and photos by Bob Schulman

El Quelite, Mexico – This little town out in the farmlands of western Mexico is usually packed with visitors. Some come on shore excursions from the cruise ships docked at Mazatlan about a half-hour’s drive away. Others are here on day-tours from the luxury hotels in Mazatlan. Still others are local folks from villages around the region.

Beyond offering a chance to sample the charm of a small colonial town right off the travel posters, El Quelite (population: 2,000) has two unusual attractions that draw tourists and locals alike. First is a rare opportunity to watch one of the world’s oldest ballgames, once the national sport of the Aztecs and Mayas and before them the Olmecs.

Now nearly forgotten, the 3,500-year-old game of ulama was played from the deserts of northern Mexico down to the jungles of Honduras. The modern-day version, mainly just played in El Quelite and a few other spots around these parts, pits two teams of five or more players against each other on a narrow court about half as long as a football field.

The players use their hips to bat a nine-pound rubber ball around, the object being to keep it in play until one team or the other bounces it over a goal line. Points are awarded for offenses such as hitting the ball out of turn, knocking it off the court or touching it with body parts other than a player’s hips.

Like just about everything else in the pre-Hispanic civilizations, ulama had a religious side, too. It was believed that the moving ball represented the cosmic journey of the sun as it rose up from the underworld in the morning and returned at night.

Among incentives to win the game, the biggest was simply staying alive. Losing teams were sometimes beheaded.

Spectators are welcome to watch the game – and what amounts to pre-game warmups and half-time entertainment – from the sidelines of a court in downtown El Quelite. When it’s over, the players (all with their heads still attached) go back to their regular jobs as doctors, clerks, salespersons, farmers and the like.

El Quelite’s second big attraction is El Meson de los Laureanos, a hacienda-style restaurant with tables spread around colorful gardens against a backdrop of singing birds. The owner is Dr. Marcos Osuna, who tries to personally greet every customer – the restaurant seats what looks like hundreds of people at a time – and who is hailed as having created the cornerstone of the town's tourism success.

“The Laureanos,” he explains to a luncheon group, “were a band of thieves in the early 19th century. But they were good thieves...they robbed travelers to get money for insurgents fighting for (Mexico’s) independence from Spain.” He says at least one of his ancestors was in the band, hence the name of the restaurant.

Dr. Osuna’s friendly chats with his customers sets the pace for the rest of the meal, which is served by equally friendly waiters. Among dozens of meals and snacks on Los Laureanos’ menu, one notable dish features charcoal broiled quail served with avocado, fried beans and cactus salad.

Another popular selection is barbacoa of beef, lamb or pork in a light sauce of tomato, red sweet chile, green olives, onions and fine herbs.

Some patrons top off lunch with a stop at a nearby bakery for a bag of warm cookies or cinnamon rolls right out of a clay oven. Others opt for burro rides around the town’s cobblestone lanes, a tour of its huge rooster farm or shopping for locally made handicrafts.

A few hours later it’s time for most foreign visitors to head back to their cruise ships or to their hotels in Mazatlan. El Quelite has a few accommodations for overnight guests, including some rooms on the Los Laureanos grounds.

Tours of El Quelite cost about $35 to $45 from Mazatlan. A tip: Check with the tour operator to see when the ulama games are scheduled.

More information: Visit www.vivesinaloa.com, www.elmesondeloslaureanos.com or www.elcid.com/pronatours.