Chugging Up the CanyonFeb 18, 2008
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| After being deposited at the Chihuahua-Pacific train station by our reliable taxi driver, we waited with a horde for the train that would take us up into the Copper Canyon, reported to be the Grand Canyon of Mexico. At the train station, local women plied us with maps and other booklets about the canyon. I finally gave in and got a map to help us figure out exactly where we were. The taxi driver had told us to sit on the right side of the car for the best view of the canyon going up so, when the train arrived, in our NYC way, we quickly ran to get seats as suggested. The views as we climbed were quite beautiful and, with many others, we took turns standing between the cars so that we could get photos of the panorama. Unfortunately, those were among the pictures that were lost. The dining car provided food and margueritas throughout the day so that Carol and I got chances (multiple mind you) to taste yet another version of this Mexican drink. Carol was searching for the best of the best. The train crept its way up the canyon and we were treated to spectacular views - switchbacks, running rivers, lush foliage and villages buried deep in the valleys. While they say this is like the Grand Canyon, we found it totally different. It is young, having been created a mere 30 million years ago, after the dinosaurs were already extinct. Its formation by volcanoes is also different. Great peaks, some of them over 7500 feet, eroded by rain, runoff from snow and streams, give it a vastly different appearance. Like the Grand Canyon, the weather atop the plateaus is very different from the subtropical weather in the valleys. And, amidst the splendor, the Tarahumara Indians live in small groups, dotting the landscape. That this train even runs through this series of canyons is an amazing feat. The train finally arrived at about 3:00 P.M. at Posada Barrancas about 2 ½ miles away from Divisidero, where three of the seven canyons meet. We were picked up by a cute young Mexican man who toted us off to our hotel, La Mansion Tarahumara. While not the most elegant of spots, it was delightfully homey, clean, and, as we later discovered, had good food. Best of all, our young man was a wonderful guide. After getting settled, we were off for our first tour with a group of other guests. We passed a cluster of colorfully dressed, silent Tarahumara women outside the hotel who were weaving baskets. We were urged on, being told that we would have a chance to shop later From the rim, we hiked down a rocky path to a series of Tarahumara dwellings that were mostly caves in the side of the canyon wall, some with wooden front walls. No water system blessed this spot unless you consider the supply from the natural spring such a system. The local Indians shyly offered small baskets, musical instruments, and hand-made dolls as souvenirs. Our guide said that the women do not like to talk to strangers and pretend they do not understand Spanish but actually do. I asked one young mother who was partially blocking her door about her baby and she moved aside so I could see her. The people are beautiful, but life is very primitive and difficult. Across the valley, our guide pointed out other “villages” on the plateaus. The men, he said, take their goats and sheep up and down the steep paths to graze while the women make handicrafts to sell as souvenirs. Our leader had to urge us to climb back up, since the path was steep and we had other stops to make. Next stop was at another hotel which is perched on the edge of the canyon and whose terrace was host to numerous hummingbirds eating from feeders. We enjoyed another wonderful view, wandered through the hotel and then out to an area filled with women selling jewelry, blankets, baskets, dolls and other assorted wares. It was fascinating watching them weave the baskets, seeing how some had outstanding talent and others were more pedestrian. Again, we were rounded up and taken back to our hotel to rest before dinner. Carol talked the manager into letting her go for a swim in the closed swimming pool which was enclosed in another building. While she swam, Ken and I had a drink in the “bar” while we waited for dinner to be served in the beautiful dining room. Carol joined us, refreshed after her swim, and we had dinner with a lovely group of people. Another table was filled with the crew for a filming that was taking place somewhere in the area. A guitarist entertained throughout dinner, lending to the distinctly Mexican atmosphere. I fell in love with the tablecloths and decided that I would have to find one like it to take home. |
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