If you live anywhere near a part of the United States that borders with Mexico, then you have likely heard the many haunted tales that the youngsters have spoken of and scared each other about for many generations. There is the tale of “La Llorona,” otherwise known as the Weeping Woman, who haunts bridges, tunnels and dark roads crying over her dead children who were a) killed by Aztec Indians, b) drowned in a great flood or c) strangled to death with her own hands after she became possessed. The story varies from region to region and generation to generation. In addition to these tales, Mexico itself hails those in various cities and towns who report actual paranormal activity from various structures and areas. Here are a few of these spooky sites to ponder over.
Back in the 1600s, many wealthy Spanish ranchers started to venture into Mexico to build their own homes on large pieces of land. One of these ranches, located in San Juan, was called Pilar Hacienda and was owned and inhabited by Miguel Ariztia. The hacienda still exists today, although it is quite old. On one of the main top floor windows, there is a long scratch that has never been fixed. Legend has it that Ariztia was killed when he accidentally fell from the balcony. In a heroic attempt, his wife Pilar (after whom the hacienda was named) tried desperately to hold onto her husband but could not hold on for very long. In his own attempt to keep from falling, Ariztia made the long scratch on the window. Locals report hearing the cries of a woman yelling “my husband” in Spanish on some nights at the hacienda. Others have reported seeing an apparition that seems to hang from the balcony or that peeks out from the scratched window.
In Villa de Santiago, which is surrounded by mountains, there is a view from atop one of these mountains that has been named Nuevo Le Puerto Genovevo. However, the road to reach this view is very treacherous, so much so that along the sides of the roads are homemade crosses which signify the number of people who have died on this dangerous stretch of road. It has been said that years ago, an entire family was killed when the brakes on their truck seized up causing them to plummet over the mountain to their deaths. Today, there is a cluster of crosses on the part of the road that symbolizes the loss of the family. Some say that if you get out of your car at this point and look over the mountain side, the truck remains at the bottom of the mountain gathering dust. Others say that if you visit the mountain at night, you will be able to hear the screams of the family as if they were going over the mountain again and again.
In Guanajuato, there is a hotel named Hotel San Diego that many locals believe is haunted. In the top floor of the hotel, in one of the rooms at the end of the hall, there have been reports of paranormal activity from some of the employees and hotel guests. Those who have dared to stay in the room (or those who did not know the history of the room) often experienced doors slamming in the room for no reason as well as the sound of things being dragged and pulled across the rooftop all night long.
