Copper Canyon
02 February 2020
Alison Byers
The original plan was to take the morning train, but the train company cancelled the morning run so we were forced to take the afternoon train. We arrived at the train station and waited about a half hour before the El Chepe Train arrived at the station. We were herded on and found the tourista car which is the economy section. Apparently, we weren’t allowed to use the bar car, but our tour guide Poncho managed to get us in. I think it was hard for them to justify not allowing 33 people to not buy a drink at $10 each. The first hour or so of the trip was through the flat lands before we started to climb into the Sierra Madre mountains. The Copper Canyon is made up of six distinct canyons formed by the six rivers which drain into the El Fuerte River. There are no words to describe the beauty and vastness of what we could see. The canyons while looking similar, have different rock formations, vegetation and colour so there is always something new to look at. The canyons are anywhere from 3000 to 5000 feet high and lie in the Copper Canyon National Park.
Unfortunately, with taking the later train, it meant the last hour of our trip was now in the dark so we weren’t able to see much. We arrived at the Cerocahui station and were bused to the hotel. We immediately sat down to dinner while our bags were unloaded and delivered to our rooms. We had been told to try their wine as it was special so we bought a bottle and agreed it was pretty amazing. So was the food.
The Hotel Mision was built in 1694 by the Jesuit Missionaries and when they left they destroyed the vineyards. However, before all of the vines were destroyed, some had been secretly replanted elsewhere in order to preserve the species. However, after 25 years the vines were again in danger of being lost forever, but were saved by a gardener of the family. He planted the vines on unused land near the hotel and today they produce about 700 bottles of wine a year. The wine is distinct and is said to taste like the mountains, rivers, flora and fauna of the Copper Canyon. I wouldn’t go that far, but it does taste distinct.
Our rooms were very cold so we tried to light a fire in the fireplace, but the damper was broken so couldn’t keep anything going. At least it took the chill off the room and they had big think duvets on the beds. We slept well but didn’t want to get out of bed as the air was cold (about 5 degrees). We layered up and headed out. After breakfast we visited the Tarahumara girls boarding school which offers education to the girls of the region. They come on Sunday and leave to visit their families on Friday.
We loaded onto a school bus and drove to Barrancas which was about a 1 ½ hour drive. Our hotel was on the edge of the Copper Canyon and the views were beyond amazing with every room having a view of the canyon. After lunch we went on a walking tour to see the caves where some of the Tarahumara natives have built structures into them to live. They get their water from a spring running through the rocks which drops into a pool. They have no electricity. Not really sure if they live there or if it’s just for the tourists to see. We continued on the path along the edge of the Copper Canyon which then loops back to the hotel. We hiked for about an hour and while the day was a bit hazy, we still had great views. The Tarahumara Indians sell their baskets and handicrafts as a way to make money so we saw them all along the walk.
The next day we had the whole day to enjoy the canyon without travelling anywhere. We took the cable car down into the canyon. It doesn’t go all the way to the bottom (which is 5000 ft deep) but it did go at least half way down. We could see people living at the bottom of the canyon, a network of trails going from bottom to top and small areas for farming. There are between 35,000 and 70,000 Tarahumara Indians living in the Copper Canyon and they live a simple, peaceful life. It was nice to be able to spend some time just admiring the surroundings and taking in the beauty. After lunch, we attended a basket weaving demonstration. The Tarahumara Indians are known for their baskets and the art is handed down from generation to generation. We watched as Rafina finished a basket she had started in the morning, barely looking at the pattern as her fingers quickly and nimbly wove the split sotol leaves. They start at the bottom of the basket, work their way to the top, turn and go back to the bottom again creating a double thick walled basket. The large basket she made was 250 pesos or $18 Can. We did buy two small baskets. If I only had more room in my luggage…….
The next morning we loaded on a bus for the drive to Chihuahua where we would catch the plane to Manzanillo. As we came out of the canyons, the land became flat and very dry - turns out the Chihuahua dessert is the largest in North American. The city of Chihuahua is a working city with a population of 1 million. The unemployment rate is only 2% and the major industry is the manufacturing of car parts. Pretty much every car in the world has at least one part made in Chihuahua. Chihuahua is also the major producer of apples in Mexico. We found the city walkable but dirty. Lots of leather shops selling boots, saddles, bridles and more. If only we wore that stuff. Both Pat and I weren’t feeling very well so we were back at the hotel early and to bed. Up the next morning and buses to the airport for our flights. We were flying from Chihuahua to Mexico City for the first leg and I think someone screwed up as we had to fly to Acapulco first to refuel before getting in the holding pattern for Mexico City. We then took our connecting flight to Manzanillo and arrived at Brian and Donna’s about 10:00 pm. The start of the next leg of our adventure…….