Posada Barrarcas on the Rim Hotel
Trip Start
Aug 25, 2007
1
8
12
Trip End
Sep 03, 2007
Divisadero,
Mexico
Saturday, September 1, 2007
We're pretty much on time today, arriving in the middle of nowhere again at Posada Barrancas. Suprisingly there is a modern confrence center when we get off the train. There is also a path up the hillside to our hotel, Hotel Posada Mirador, but we find this out after we are on the van. Bummer!
Off the bus, we glimpse a view of the canyon, but are told to go into the hotel. Talk about taking candy from a baby!!
Ah, the reason is we're being led through the lounge area and straight out the door to...... OHHHHHH my gosh. It's the full view of the Canyon! We're doing double time to cross the short terrace for a lean over view of the rim. This is the first time I couldn't care if I ever get a key to my room, just let me soak up this view forever. We're distraced momentarily by hummingbirds. The tree is full of them
A convention center?
. Behind us are feeders hanging from the small covered overhang. But back to the canyon view. On the left is a Tarahumara Cave. Below us are paths that cut over mini-mountains, and disapear around another mountain. We look up to the right and notice the balconys on the third level. Yeah, like we will ever get one of those primo rooms with the view to die for. (Well, you would if you fell off the balcony and plunged down the ravine.) We're still admiring the view, and no one is really questioning if we are getting keys. Cesar comes out and announces room numbers. We get 74. I say thanks and start walking, when he says 74 is on the top floor. I'm so happy I'm jumping for joy. It's up 3 flights of stairs, and I'm rushing to get to the top, just to make sure I heard him correctly. The magic key opens the magic door, and I walk straight thru the room and out to the balcony. Oh Wow. That was my first thought. No, that came from our next door neighbors who followed me up. We're looking at each other and grinning. We truly are kings of the hill. Again, there seems nothing better to do than stand here and admire the view. We've been to the Grand Canyon a few times and stayed at the Rim, but the Grand Canyon hotels do not have these types of views. Suitcases be damned, I'm not moving a muscle when all this beauty is right in front of me.
Then we remember we have a walk down to the Tarahumara Cave, so we grudgingly leave the room. But not to be dissapointed, we have the view walking down to the cave house
Entrance to
. Crafts and violins ($20) are sold here. The two violins were snatched up in less than one minute. My mother is a violinist, and I wanted to get her one, but missed out. Gary spots the cutest little girl with her kitten. We walk over to see her. Gary hands her a $10 bill and she shyly takes it, rolling it in her hands. There are two families that live side by side in the cave area. Unlike the othe cave in Creel, this house is built similar to the Aztecs, out of block. The block walled house is built in the cave, getting additional protection from the wind, and from the rain. What we learned about the Tarahumar culture:
Kórima is a Tarahumara word meaning "unconditional sharing" or "love." It is a way of life for these people. Although visitors might think that some of them are begging for money, they are actually practicing their custom of "korima" or sharing. If someone doesnąt have a blanket or corn, they give it as korima, as a gift. They expect the same in return.
A truly remarkable thing about them is that their ancient religion has bred into them a moral code so strict that they cannot tell a lie. Psychologists, who have confirmed this, suggest that over the centuries, their value system has actually caused physiological changes in their brain that preclude speaking anything but the truth. Nor can they cheat or fail to aid a fellow tribesman. Thus in a race, if one Raramuri were to fall behind, others in that race would slow down to let the laggard catch up.
They believe not in good and evil but in a more basic concept of the world in which there is only that which is useful, and that which is not.
Nothing amoung the Tarahuma is measured by material possesions
view to the left from the hotel
. Status in the community is measured by common sense, by the number of times a person has given food to those who ask, by the number of granaries and livestock, by the ability to produce food and to share it. These qualities define the Tarahumara success.They refer to themselves as Raramuris, which means light-footed people, and think nothing of walking 30 miles in a day, up and down canyons, to chop firewood, visit a friend or farm their corn and bean crops.
With widely dispersed settlements, these people developed a tradition of long-distance running for intervillage communication and transportation. The long-distance running tradition also has ceremonial and competitive aspects. Often, male runners kick wooden balls as they run in "foot throwing" competitions, and females use a stick and hoop. The foot throwing races are relays where wooden balls are kicked by the runners and relayed to the next runner, while teammates run ahead to the next relay point. These races can last anywhere from a few hours, for a short race, to a couple of days without a break. The Tarahumara also practice persistence hunting, using their ability to run extreme long distances (sometimes as far as 95 miles) to catch animals such as deer; the animals eventually tire and slow down, and the Raramuri get close enough to the animal to kill it.
The Tarahumara are considered the best long distance runners in the world. Runners from rival villages hold 24-hour, 90-mile races in flimsy hand made "used-tire" sandals before the harvest, a feat that would test even the world's finest long-distance runners.
The Tarahumara have no words in their language for directions (i.e.: north, south, east or west) They have no need for them as they know their country as well as we know our own backyards.
These gentle people are truly a nationality unto themselves
The humming bird tree.
. We could learn so much from them to benefit our modern society.Then it's time to hike a part of the rim. This is the footpath below the hotel. Only a few decide to go. We're stopping every so often (probably more than we should for photos and looking at all the paths that seem to fall off the buttes.
We do a right at the top of the hill and take the high road back to the hotel. On the way we walk thru the "Castle." Another hotel property that has rooms that do not overlook the rim. This is also a timeshare resort. Yep that is just what I typed. It's an Interval Resort. The quirk of this resort is the "business card" bar. Thousands of business cards from all over the world are taped, stapled and somehow stuck on just about every space on the walls and ceilings. There is also wine by the botttle for sale here.
We're following Cesar, back on the track. I'm enthralled with the variety of wildflowers. Happy to be in the "wet season." I can't imagine the Copper Canyon without the lush greens and valleys of wildflowers. Next time, I think we'll do early October, just to get rid of the humidity in the lower elevations.
Dinner is at the hotel (which just happens to have floor to ceiling views of the rim). First there is a Mexican trio. They are good, but I'd rather be outside on the rim, and with the doors open, you can hear them very well. The sun is starting to dip and it's time for dinner. This is another place that you need two or preferably three nights
A little green
. One full day and night to absorb the beauty and the other two to get out and play in it. There are old Spanish mines in this area, along with Indian caves and villages.We're told the Aurigid Meteor Storm will be in the Northeastern sky beginning at 1:00am A few years ago, my daughter and I took blankets out late at night in the Grand Canyon to view a meteor shower and it was one of the best memories I have. To duplicate it here would be awesome. I get up around 1am. No meteors. Again in a half hour, and still none. Two o'clock. None. I decide it just aint gonna happen and drop off to sleep. Up at 5:45 for the sunrise. The guests that stayed here the night before said the sunrise was a 10plus, and were getting up to see it again. Well, there was a little bit of pink, then nothing. A huge cloud bank ruined my sunrise. But I did get a nice photo of the moon above our room
