Copper Canyon, Mexico
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In November 2000, Carolyn and I went with a group of other residents of SaddleBrooke on a trip to see Copper Canyon, Mexico.
From the web site of 'The California Native International Adventures':
"Copper Canyon is located in northern Mexico in the Sierra Madre Mountains. The Sierra Madres are the southern end of the Rockies. They encompass a vast scenic area of pine-forested mountains cleaved by huge, deep canyons. The canyon complex known as the 'Barranca del Cobre' or Copper Canyon is four times larger than Arizona’s Grand Canyon and almost 300 feet deeper.
This area is the homeland of the Tarahumara Indians. In spite of encroaching civilization, these simple people have managed to preserve their ancient traditional life-style, living in caves and simple shelters while practicing subsistence farming.
The Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad, which traverses the area, took almost a hundred years to build. It passes through 86 tunnels and crosses 37 bridges as it climbs almost 8000 feet into the rugged Sierra Madres and has been called one of the most spectacular train rides in the Western Hemisphere."
We flew from Tucson to Los Mochis, Mexico. From there, we were taken by bus to the beautiful little town of El Fuerte, where we spent the night in a tropical hotel which had a restauant with excellent food.
The next morning, we were again taken by bus to the train station, where we boarded the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad. We spent 4-5 hours on the train, finally arriving in the town of Bahuichivo, where we boarded a somewhat dilapidated bus, which took us to Hotel Paraiso del Oso, where we spent the next two nights. The only electricity was in the main building; the guest rooms were lit by kerosene lanterns.
The hotel was in the middle of nowhere, and we ate in the dining room, which had great food, including the best home-made tortillas I've ever eaten.
That afternoon, we went for a hike in the area near the hotel, and the next morning we boarded the old bus to go down into Copper Canyon. Fortunately, there wasn't enough room on the bus for everyone, so Carolyn and I volunteered to ride in a 4-passenger pickup truck.
Half an hour later, while going up a steep, dirt road, the bus broke down. After several phone calls, a local school bus arrived to take the gringos to the Canyon. Carolyn and I later heard from the people who had been on the bus that the fumes from the engine were constantly being sucked into the bus, making the ride very unpleasant. That's why I mentioned that Carolyn and I were fortunate to ride in the pickup truck.
At first, the drive down into the Canyon was interesting, but eventually the ride became interminable. The road was dirt and gravel and very narrow in places, with long drops over the edge.
Eventually we reached the bottom of the Canyon and the small town of Urique, where we had lunch in a local restaurant.
After spending an hour walking around the town, it was time to board the bus and pickup truck for the LOOOOONNNNNGGGGG ride back up to Hotel Paraiso del Oso. We arrived around 8 PM, long after sunset, and were greeted by a campfire and a BBQ.
The Tarahumara Indians who live along the sides of the Canyon barely eke out a subsistence living by growing corn and other crops on the steep sides of the Canyon. The Tarahumara used to live on the floor of the Canyon, where there is a river and plenty of level, fertile ground for farming. But when the Spanish arrived in the area centuries ago, they forcibly removed the Tarahumara Indians and took their land, relegating the Indians to an almost impossible living environment. Let's hear it for the Europeans!!
