From Creel to El Fuerte by Chepe
Trip Start
Aug 25, 2007
1
5
12
Trip End
Sep 03, 2007
El F,
Mexico
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
But first we are off to the old Mission Church. This is the same size building as the Mission Church we had visited yesterday in the valley, however, since there is a full time priest in town, the interior is panelled with wood, and there are wooden pews, Quite a difference from yesterday. A memorial statue of Father Verplancken has just been installed beside the old mission church, so we go out to grab a photo. This man was so dedicated to his cause and helped both enrich and saved the lives of so many Tarahumara Indians with the completion of the hospital.
The new mission church isn't open, so we walk over to "shop" at Mission store. All proceeds go to support the Mission schools and hospital
Colorful main street Creel
. The prices are very good here, even with the proceeds going to the mission. Hand made jewelry was a big seller as were the baskets, there are also clothes, and traditional souvineers - even shot glasses. Got some gifts, tried on some beautiful hand embroidered blouses, but they just didn't fit. Then we strolled around the plaza across from the store. Local Tarahumaras sell crafts and baskets in the plaza. Back to the hotel to complete our check out. Choice is to take the bus back to the station, or walk back. Walking wins. At the station, we see the two Tarahumaras that were at the Mission Store. They are now on the tracks with their baskets. Standing. Waiting for someone to walk up to them. It still takes getting use to the fact that no one is bothering you to buy their wares.
This is a "learning" experience for all of us. The Tarahumaras culuture is so different from any that we have experienced. They are on the endangered species list. Where they once farmed fertile lands, these lands are being taken over by the Mexicans. And the Tarahumaras are now being pushed to higher elevations to farm. This results in lower crop yield. Mexico's polution is responsible for the decrease in the amount of fish and deer in the Sierra Madres, also clear cutting of lumber is endangering the wildlife speicies. Birds and mice/rats are also the Tarahumara's meat sourse.
The Tarahumara's population has fallen from over 100,000 in the late 1960's to 50,000 in 2006
train station
. Their species is so unique that they have been studied numerous times. Their moral code is so strict that the Tarahumara cannot tell a lie. Because they live in the higer elevations of the Sierra's they have developed tremendous lung capacity. This enables them to run long distances. A group of men ran non-stop from Chihuahua City to El Paso, a distance of 230 miles, to open the Pan America Road Races. Mexico wanted them to compete in the Olympics, but it is the Tarahumara's culture not compete against anyone. The Tarahumara's walk long distances to socialize with their peers. If you look closely at through the canyons, you will see paths. Numerous paths, some follow ridge lines, some seem to shoot straight up the mountain sides.. These are trails to their "neighbors" homes. They may be five to ten miles away, but they will walk. Most of the women crafters walk this same distance daily to set up their displays to sell to tourists. Many of the children walk five miles to school each day.
The Tarahumara petitioned the United Nations to declare themselves a soverign nation, not associated with Mexico. Their request was denied.
The train is on time and we board at 11:15am. This time we don't get a large window, but knowing that I will be on the platforms between the train cars taking photos, I don't care.
It's not long until we are on the most remarkable part of the railway. First it's the highest point on the railway 8,071 feet - 583 km
Carved posts at Lupita's
. Then just minutes later at 585 km, we're doing the "loop." This has to be one of the engineering marvels of the world. The train goes in a tunnel, makes a circle and actually crosses over itself. I tried to get the photo, but you have to be on the right side going south. Tom took a perfect photo and is going to send it to me. Next is a quick 15 minute stop in Divisadero. This is our first official view of the Copper Canyon. There are vendor stalls as you get off the train, along with Mexican food vendors. A wide stairway with vendor stalls on each side takes you down the the rim of the canyon (if you can pass all the vendors and their products. You are not harassed - it's just there is so much too look at. But the canyon is calling, so we skip right down the stairs.
The canyon we are looking out on is Urique Canyon. There are 6 individual canyons in the Copper Canyon. Although this is one of the most vertically challenged, at only 3,000 feet, I am in awe. It's hard to take photos while trying to take in all this beauty. We've got the 15 minute timer clicking down, so I'm scampering.
If you do not make it back to the train (there is no signal it is leaving) you're on your own to get El Fuerte. There must be a lot of "I missed it' passengers, cause the views are so good you loose track of the time. And there are a lot of vendors with handmade products, along with the t-shirts for sell. Well, I'm pouting, but headed up the stairs to make sure we are on the train
Crossing a bridge
. After we board it's time for lunch. The rail food is really good, the only problem is that if you order a Coke Light and put a straw in it, the foam just pours out of the bottle. Not with Coke or any other drink, just Coke Light. After luch, it's back to the fresh air.
We're going thru tunnels, and over bridges. There are over 80 tunnels and 39 bridges on this route. Tunnel 49 is the longest, at 3074 feet in length. Bridge of the Rio Fuerte is 1,637 feet. We will be thru and on both of these. Our next big highlite is a 22 foot sign built for the dedication of the railroad by Preside Lopez Mateos in 1961. It's constructed from railroad rails. White letters that are used to descibe the event are 2 feet high. I'm hoping that since I didn't get the loop, I'll get the sign. A wonderful railroad attendent who saw me throw an almost hissy fit when I missed the "Loop" photo comes to stand beside me to point out the sign. Snap, I got it. Then points out the waterfall - yep I got that also. I wish he could stay with me for the rest of the ride, but he's got a few rail cars of passengers to help him. I slip him a few American dollars for his help.
We pass by or stop at little villages. I feel that I'm intruding on their lives, although some families wave as we pass by. At each stop, the Tarahumara's are selling their baskets and dolls. Again they stand silently on the train tracks.
The mountains keep getting larger. Some are craggy, some are rolling mounds
One of those bridges
. There are corn field high on the mountainsides. A river runss thru the valley. If you look close enough, there are wrecked rail cars along the steep cliffs. Hmm, not a comforting thought. There are waterfalls, and waterfalls. Some small in the distance, so right in your face. This is the benefit of traveling in the rainy season. Lush green canyons, wildflowers and waterfalls. It's starting to rain, but I hate to go inside and miss the scenery. We go thru tunnell after tunnell.
The train is slowing in speed because of the rain. We're finally chased inside by the weather. Then the lake appears. I'ts huge and moody. We finally arrive around 7:15, more than an hour late due to the rain delay at the train station. We're miles from town, in the middle of fields. A sigh of relief, our bus is here. But with the lower elevation, the humidity is smaking us in the face, and steaming my glasses. It's not a long ride to El Fuerte and tired from hanging on the handhold of the train, I'm happy to be walking on tera firma again.
We're going straight into the Hotel Posada de Hidalgo's dining room - which we find out later is not the regular dining room, but a group dining area. It's the "here's your margarita" again time. We have a Veraquse - can't remember the spelling- fish that is to die for. I along with some of the group were not thrilled when we got the menu choice, but this is a very pleasant suprise.
After dinner, we ge our room keys - ours is room 1
Sweeping
. Easy for me to remember. The hotel is a maze. There are courtyards on the lower level, midlevel and upstairs on the upper level. What grabs your attention is all the details, from antique dressers and huge mirrors sitting around the courtyards to the mini-museum atmosphere. We find the swimming pool and vow to use it tomorrow. Our room is downstairs in a beautiful huge courtyard with a fountain. I'm beginning to really love this place, if they could only turn down the heat and humidity. Our room is cool - the airconditioner is pumping out relief. We drop our luggage and go to check out the rest of the hotel. Zoro performs here on Wednesdays, but will be on our tour. Darn! The open air restaurant is above our courtyard. The ceiling is packed with those Mexican paper flowers "falling" from it. We decide to call it a night, since we have to be up early for the float trip tomorrow. The bed is wonderful and so is our airconditioned room.
