Copper Canyon

TOPOLOBAMPO
This is the third deepest port in the world after Sydney and San Francisco. This is Princess’ first time here and I suspect for many other lines as well. Yesterday Holland America was here, Oceana we know also, and Regency was here for 2 days thus their passengers went up one day, stayed overnight, and then returned. The experience for passengers from any of these cruises is exactly the same we were told by the guide.
We did manage to roll out of bed at 3:30 am; even though we turned our clocks back one hour last night, we didn’t get much sleep I guess it was just as well. Ed got dressed quicker than I recall and went up to the buffet (which opened at 3:30 for us: poor staff). The 4 groups gathered in the Cabaret Lounge at 4:40 am off we went to 4 busses. It is pitch dark of course so we can’t tell much about anything along the bus ride to El Fuerte, about an hour and a half away, where we pick up the train. I do recall that the guide, Lupe (a guy: first time I’ve met a male with that name) said we’d get a “massage” along the way. There are areas of the highways, let’s call them “patches”, where there are numerous speed bumps. They are never spaced the same nor are the numbers of them the same. In between you can get your speed up for a while but not for long. There are 500 of these speed bumps along the way.
Security
Let’s get this part out of the way. We see men with assault weapons everywhere. They are always dressed in dark uniforms but not always the same. At the canyon, I had a photo take with four or 5 of them. All I could think of was: “Copper Canyon Blackwater group.” They were smiling broadly unlike the fierce visage soldier on the train who stared at you as if daring you to even think of opening that door to the back of the train. When the train stopped for water or to wash the windows (we were told anyway), we were not allowed to leave the train and we could see armed men all around us. This area is the heart of the drug cartels so who knows. I can’t call all of this unobtrusive, but they never bother you.
The train
Princess (and other cruise lines) charter the whole first class passenger train from Chepe, the Ferromex train line for this area. We had 3 cars and we were in car “c”. There was also the locomotive of course, a dining car (where all of our food and such was prepared and stored), a break car for the staff, and a bar car (wouldn’t you know).
The staff, and there were a lot of them: all male, must have mopped the floors at least once an hour; we could never figure out why except to emphasize what a special car this was. It is the typical older passenger train car of poorer countries. Amtrak and the Metroline have nothing to fear.
We were given a bottle of water upon arrival and a box breakfast about 8:30 am. It had a lot of food: banana, yoghurt, pan dulce, granola bars, a bottle of apple juice—I’m sure I’m forgetting something. We left some of the food hidden under our stuff while we were off the train at the Hotel Mirador, and when we returned to the train nothing was missing except this food we had saved. We were given small trash bags in the morning and there were signs asking us to help keep the train clean.
In the evening at 6:30 pm, we were given another box supper which had a ham sandwich, apple, snickers bar, potato chips, nectarine drink. Ed always brings snacks along for his blood sugar and we found the granola bars of the morning to be vey helpful for that.
The restroom had a red and green light but it never changed from green so you can imagine the fun stories from that. And the door was not easy to figure out. You were asked to put your tissue in the trash near the commode; this is common in many foreign countries but you really have to think not to do it. I suppose this is because most of these old trains simply dump the waste on the tracks. And we are often reminded on busses and this train to only do “#1” in the rest rooms.
El Fuerte
So we eventually reach the train at this city; it’s still pitch dark and we are directed to the train car indicated on our sticker. After a while, the sun begins to come up over the adjacent hills. We begin to see high desert and Lupe describes the various trees and tells us about the animals none of which we can see along the way. At some point we sense we begin to climb. The train is ever so slow and never really goes fast anywhere. The maximum incline it will manage is 15 degrees.
The terrain changes with some regularity as we abandon more arid like environments for more mountainous. At one point the mountains look like they have fur all over them. The trees are so lush and thick they appear carpeted. Streams are seen with regularity, many with enormous boulders. The cliff sides have such a variety of colors and streaks across them. We see small villages near the train, some built to support the development of the railroad. The homes are brick and appear pretty solid actually.
Laundry at home
I’ve been meaning to remark on how much laundry you see hanging on lines and fences in these central American (Mesoamerican) countries. It seems women are never finished with washing. I’ve never seen a bra on a line however. At the canyon rim we saw a little girl of perhaps 7 or 8 washing clothes on a flat rock.
Finally we reached the canyon rim
The different geological formations are interesting and it is fun to see the train make it’s way around the tight curves (for a train). There are also places where we can see the tracks we just traversed farther down (or up) from us. It always seems farther away than the actual experience of it.
And there was S N O W ! Yep, you read right. Apparently, it had fallen in the night and was a light dusting. Many of the open areas had lost the snow but the shadows were still full. The waterfalls were easy to see along the way. And it was cold of course, as you’d expect with snow being maintained.
The train stops and we are asked to get off and go to the school busses waiting for us. While we are off the train, it will be cleaned, the locomotive will switch places to the opposite end of the train (so now what was car #1 is now car #3) and our seats will be turned around for the return trip. We have been asked to switch across the aisle with our neighbors so that all can have an opportunity to see both sides of the scenery.
The busses are their own experience. They are clean but clearly meant for kids. The bus drivers have a few hats to sell on their own for modest prices. We drive a way over dirt roads, rocking from side to side and eventually begin to climb a hill (all the while watched over from a distance by “Sierra Security.”) and at one point, I can’t see the road bed as I look straight down the side of the bus.
Our lunch
The Hotel Mirador is the site of our lunch. It is a clay colored building beautifully decorated in modest Mexican style (no serapes here) buildings. The lunch is buffet style with chicken, fish, rice, beans, flan for dessert, water, other drinks for purchase. The chicken and fish are on the dry side but still tasty. The beans, rice and salsa are very good. The flan is thicker than we usually see. I would have liked to have more rice and beans but you get the message that lunch is quickly over; no seconds here.
We go out on the lookout for some great photo ops. Folks say it is better than the Grand Canyon. They are simply different experiences.
Copper Canyon
This is actually 7 canyons in a complex and only one is “copper” canyon. We don’t even get to the site of the deepest canyon (in the world?). It is unique but I think the part I most enjoyed was getting to see the Tarahumara people and how they live. They are the most swift footed people in the world and it is believed that they are an off shoot of the Hopi in New Mexico. Their costumes are certainly similar. They live in isolated small communities of a few families. Kids go to boarding schools for elementary school. Women still deliver their own children and usually have very large families. They are beginning to go to regional clinics to deliver.
We went down 250 steps and probably as many meters to visit a place where a few families have built their homes in caves. They have a water source here both for washing and bathing and drinking. These people are totally self sufficient producing their own corn,zucchini, goats, pigs and such. They get milk and cheese from the goats.
They make these baskets from long pine needles nearby, or the leaf of a sotel plant. They usually dye the materials with charcoal and other natural dyes except red which is done with red shoe polish. The reeds are boiled in the colored water and then dried.
One neat trick: if you basket gets out of shape, soak it in water and then reshape it to dry.
We saw a woman fixing her daughter’s hair (probably for our photo ops) and the little girl doing the laundry on the canyon rim. One lady was selling wares with a baby on her back papoose style. Eventually she very modestly breast fed the baby; if you didn’t know what was going on, you couldn’t tell. These American women who are in your face about breast feeding in public could learn a lot from these native women. The issue focus should be on feeding the baby, NOT exposing your breasts. Ok I’ll get off the soap box now.
We had some dances done by a man accompanied by 2 men one of whom played a guitar and the other a local instrument akin to a violin. These were unimpressive: both the dance and the music. I couldn’t tell that there was any difference in the melody or the dance steps . Then we were shown two games of competition, one by the men, one by the women dressed in beautiful dresses. They do look Hopi.
The elevation
It is 7000 ft at the canyon rim. I got a little headache as we approached the end of the line but started drinking a lot more water. You can tell it is high elevation but it is manageable. I saw at least one older man who appeared to be ill with altitude sickness.
The vendors
At the water stops, there were often vendors, who we were told, had traveled by foot an hour and a half to sell their little baskets to us. These baskets are made of pine needles or a leaf called sotel. They are beautifully done and very inexpensive. Women can bargain out the windows between the train cars to purchase them for a few dollars. We are all impatient with the women who dominate the “window” and can’t make up their minds thus denying the other potential purchasers from an opportunity to make their contributions to the local economy.
On the train, there were some souvenirs offered. An apron, bucket style hat, duck billed hats…you get the picture. Ed got a bucket hat in his size with Copper Canyon Mexico emblazoned on it ala Indiana Jones style. While it isn’t the fedora style that Harrison Ford wore, I’ll be worried when Ed starts cracking the whip.
When we get off the train to go to the bus at the rim, and at the hotel, there are vendors everywhere. Almost never does a vendor approach you and when they do, it is subtle and unobtrusive. Children do this as well as adults and sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference since they are so small. Prices are very reasonable. The baskets are clearly handmade here and you see women everywhere working on the baskets while they sit with their neatly displayed products.
The trip back
This was pretty anticlimactic. Some folks are able to sleep; most of us do not. The foliage changes with the elevations again and the view is different both because we are on the opposite side of the train and because the sun is setting producing great shadows.
About 2 pm, we were given complimentary margaritas (not too bad; about 4 ounces) or small beers. You could then buy another for (?) $3. There was a mariachi singing in the bar and later he went through the cars. I asked him if he knew Borrachera but he didn’t. Too bad, it’s a cute song about a drunk.
As always, it seems longer to return to the ship. We are all tired. We get to El Fuerte and our busses about 8:20 pm and load quickly. No one cares if they have a good seat: it’s pitch black. We got back to the ship at 10:20 p and were told there was a buffet for us upstairs. OMG: people want more food! Ed said something about going up there and I looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. We went to bed pretty quickly.
What we missed
A local folklorico group of kids came on board the ship and we always enjoy these performances. Our tablemates affirmed it was very good and it’s too bad we missed it.
What happens on the ship while we’re in port
So many people never get off of the ship. I can’t imagine this but… So there are often games, meetings, and the usual such as afternoon tea. There are movies on the TV and replays of the lecturers and performances. Ed’s annoyed because he missed seeing “Angels and Demons” on the TV while we were gone.