We had a super trip to the Copper Canyon. It's like nothing we have seen before and was such a contrast our travels by sea we have been doing over the past year. Here is a day to day breakdown of our trip.
Day One
According to the Lonely Planet Guide, the 2nd class train left Los Mochis at 7am 3 days a week. We organized a taxi to pick us up at the marina at 6am. On arriving at the train station at 6:30am we saw to our dismay the train pulling out. It turns out they have changed the schedule and the train left at 6am but was running a half hour late. No problem our taxi driver said and off we raced to the next town where the train would stop. It was kinda funny as we raced down the road beside the tracks the taxi driver waiving frantically to the engineer driving the train. We managed to pull ahead of the train and got to the next stop about 5 minutes before the train. Whew!
Once on the train and settled into our seats on the right hand side for the best views, Ian went off to stand between the railcars as you can hang out the windows and watch the scenery go by. The trip to our destination Creel was 9 hours long and Ian stayed by that window for about 6 of those hours with me popping in about once an hour for a few minutes - it was way to loud in there for me with the screeching of the wheels on the tracks. Besides the gorgeous vistas, he saw some interesting wildlife as well. One of the things he saw was a burro laying about 10 feet off the tracks in the middle of giving birth!
The first glimpse of the actual canyon you get is in a place called Divisadero where the train stops for 15 minutes and you can get off. The trick here is to divide your time between the view, the great baskets & crafts that the local Tarahumara Indian women make and sell at all the tourist stops along the way, and the really yummy food that is sold by the vendors at the station. Back on the train and about another hour or so to our first destination which is the town of Creel.
We had booked the first night online for Casa Margarita and when we arrived they had upgraded us to their sister hotel Hotel Plaza Margarita which also included dinner and breakfast in the cost. Although the food wasn't gourmet, it was good enough and plentiful. Creel itself was interesting as it felt sort of like a ski town with all the hotels and tour operators and gift shops but not as touristy. We signed up for a tour the next day.
Day Two
Brrrrr woke up to frost this morning! We are chilly but have brought fleece and windbreakers thank god.
Our tour was a viewing of a cave dwelling and yes people are actually living in it, a mission called San Ignacio, Valley of the Frogs and Mushrooms (which are very large rocks that look like mushrooms and frogs), and a trip to the Cusarare waterfall which unfortunately for us had very little water flowing off of it but in the summer must be impressive. It was a good introduction to the area and some good information about the local native population called Tarahumara. Our only beef was that the guide spoke little english but lucky for us one of the people on the trip was a Mexican who spoke almost perfect english and was kind enough to translate for us.
Also in Creel is a Museum which is really worth the 10 peso entrance fee. It primary focus is local art but it also has a big section on the history of Creel and the Tarahumara Indians.
Back at the hotel during the dinner hour we were sitting with some people from France and it is now official that I can neither speak fluent french anymore or spanish but a mixture of the two I call Sprench! What little spanish I have learned is totally mixed up with my french and I'm afraid that the more spanish I learn the less room I have in my head to maintain the french - darn!
Day Three
We decided to go to Posada Barrancas for a few days because it is almost right on the rim of the canyon and we would have more access to seeing it. We took the 10:30am bus to Posada since it's way cheaper than the train (we were told the train has a 120km minimum charge). We had previously contacted Cabanas Diaz where we were to stay for 2 nights. Senior Diaz met us at the bus stop. We chose one of the cabins complete with a kitchenette and a fireplace which was the only source of heat. His wife offers dinners and breakfast for 80 peso's per person which is about 7 dollars. Since the town only has 250 residents, there is only one small cafe in the town.
That afternoon we took the 4km walk from Posada to Divisadero to have lunch at the stalls in the train station and also to walk the trail along the canyon rim. The view was spectacular. While there we also went into the Divisadero hotel and sat in the bar sipping wine and taking in the view. Back at our cabin later we sat in front of a roaring fire while the wind howled outside.
Day Four
The Diaz family offer guided hikes and horseback tours. Ian and I decided to go for a 2 hour horseback tour. Ian has a broken toe and can't hike much and my hips bother me after a few hours of walking so horseback seemed like a good idea. The horses were very gentle and easy to steer. We rode through the forest which so reminds us of BC and came to the canyon rim which we rode along for a stretch. Beautiful. As we were riding I was seeing crystals in the rocks so at one point when we took a break, I went off on a rock search and found a few good samples.
Later that afternoon we hitched a ride from Sr. Diaz to Divisadero and had lunch once again at the train station. YUMMY! We walked back the 4km to the ranch.
Day Five
Today was our last day in Posada Branncas as we wanted to get the 2nd class train to El Fuerte. Otherwise we would have had to wait 2 more days for the next 2nd class train as they only run 3 times a week. First class runs every day of the week but the price is double for the exact same train ride. The only difference we could see when we walked through the 1st class car was there was carpet on the floor and there were disposable cloths over the back of the head rest. They have the exact same view as the back of the train.
Anyhow, we had until 2pm before the train so we decided to take the Gondola into the canyon. It's a touristy thing but we were after all tourists. It was a nice ride about a mile into the canyon and about 1500 foot drop in elevation all together. Since we weren't going to Botopilas or Urique at the bottom of the canyon this was the next best thing.
Back on the train to El Fuerte for a 6 hour train ride. The train was very full with lots of local families and so was very loud but quite entertaining. We checked into the Rio Vista which overlooks the river. It is one of the most funky but nice hotels we have ever stayed in. It's hard to describe it but its a series of buildings joined together and there are hallways that go every which way. It was very clean and the owners are very helpful and friendly.
Day Six
A quick visit through the town square and nearby neighbour hood to look at the beautiful buildings. We also took a quick tour through the museum which is right beside the hotel. The hotel offers a river tour which is a combination of bird watching and hiking to see the petroglyphs. The guide Phillipe is very knowledgeable and very passionate about both topics. It was really an awesome trip and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is in El Fuerte. The petroglyphs are so amazing to see and there are so many of them. The hike to see them is pretty easy but I have to tell you we had a bit of excitement when I noticed a tarantula on the path. Anyone reading this who knows me knows that I have a extreme fear of spiders. The guide just bent over and picked it up by a leg and threw it into the bush. I was fearful of going any further but Phillipe told me I probably wouldn't see another which thankfully I didn't but I kept my eyes peeled. We also got to see a dessert tortise as well.
From El Fuerte we took the bus to Los Mochis and then another bus to Topolobampo and voila we were home. It was a great trip and we loved it. We were happy to see the boat and that all was well on her.