My wife soaks in the sunset at Mansion Tarahumara in Copper Canyon.

After countless trips to this paradise, I keep expecting to get tired of the place.

To the contrary it continues to amaze me.

• The Copper Canyon train still rolls through the most incredible landscape
• The Norteño food remains a favorite
• The local people are so cordial
• The weather always seems to reveal some wonder of the local scene- we had some snow this trip

Jesinia comes to the door. The pure beauty of this little girl flows. She and her sister Daniela live here with there parents. Daniela is actually in school now in Chihuahua- I have no clue how they pay for this.

Little Jesinia says her dad is out working. Fifteen minutes later I am running along the only road in “town” and I flag down Jilo. We set a time in two hours to take a ride. I tell him no group- just me- and he looks a bit downcast. He needs the money from a big group.

Jilo shows up with two gaunt, but sure footed horses and we head up through the pines. Over rock inclines we climb past verdant fields of corn, beans, squash, and potatoes in the Tarahumara ejido.

Heading south from Arepo along the rim.

2011 was a good rain season and the fields are green. Note the goats in the pen at the bottom of the pic.

Then up to incredible vistas…the far green fields of the Pomochi plateau.

There are no views like these Copper ones- take your soul away!

Two hours goes fast and we are back at Mansion Tarahumara.

I pull out 500 pesos (typically a ride is 250)…about $35 USD. To me this is a shy tank of gas, a night out, 1/30th of a mortgage, a low water bill, 10 bottles of Charles Shaw.

But Jilo’s response communicates it is much more to him. He offers change and I say no, kepp it all.

He stares.

Off comes his hat and up go several “Gracias Adios” and he crosses himself over and over.

His eyes are wet.

To Jilo and his family it is food.

Jilo Mancinas at the first communion of his niece at the little church in Areponapuchi.

Well our experience is that it is and while there are concerns, even northern Mexico is much safer than other tourist destinations people use now- such as South Africa and Beliz. Still during this period, Europeans, Australians, Canadians and of course Mexicans are traveling extemsively in the country. Staistics show that tourism to the country has been up in the last 18 months.

I am walking this walk to connect and build a bridge.

Here is the info:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Dave Hensleigh, 217-369-9897

davehensleigh@gmail.com

“One Solitary Gringo” to “Walk across Juarez”

August 18-21, 2011

Walk Across What???

Juarez seems to be the LAST place any sane person would chose to even go to, let alone walk across. Most people assume that my body will end up filled with bullets, decapitated, and hung from some bridge with a scrawled cartel note tied to it.

But the actual situation and threat to US citizens is actually much different than what we expect based on most US press reports. I will walk across this border city from the Rio Grande to the south neighborhoods and simply report what I see moment by moment…and let the results speak some reality into the situation.

Who I am:

I am just “one solitary gringo” walking across Juarez.

I am also the owner and lead guide of Authentic Copper Canyon, the premier supplier of culturally rich small group experiences on the train through Copper Canyon, deeper and more vast than our Grand Canyon and 4 hrs south of Juarez.

I have a deep love and respect for the people and land of Mexico. Our groups often travel through the border in the Juarez/St Teresa area, and I am pursuing this walk as a small step in bringing understanding and connection across the border.

Purpose: To give a clear view of life right now on the streets of Juarez from an outsider’s point of view. People on the US side are filled with negative images only and this will give an actual moment by moment story of what it is actually like on the ground in Juarez.

Plan: Enter Juarez from El Paso by the Bridge of the Americas on Friday morning and simply walk across the city. I will stay overnight, interact with people, etc. Moment by moment I will send pictures, text, audio and videos via twitter and blog to followers across the USA and the world. Then I will follow with more in-depth articles and videos of the experience.

Rationale: Many of us who work or live in Mexico have been frustrated by the one-sided perspective that most US side folks hold to of everyday life in the border areas.

Of course there are serious problems there. Yet when people travel there, almost all of them are amazed at how tranquil it is. So if it is possible to take a larger number of people there via the internet, perhaps they can understand more accurately that actually, there are not serious concerns with tourist travel to Mexico now. More broadly this little journey may help to replace distrust and negativity with respect and interaction.

Perspective: The idea is not to make a political point, but rather to communicate an accurate, on the ground picture of what life is like. I will not carry signs, make political or policy statements, meet with officials, etc. I will simply walk a path across the city to include busy streets, parks, markets, stores, restaurants, etc, and the message will be whatever I experience.

Interestingly as I have been preparing for this walk, 100 % of the people who know something about Juarez have very strong cautions. On the other hand, 100% of the people who live there or who know it well are very positive. Perhaps my observations will help connect these two groups.

Find Dave at www.AuthenticCopperCanyon.com and follow him on twitter @CopperCanyonGuy.

So follow me this week starting Thursday night …

Just get onto twitter and follow @coppercanyonguy and also watch my facebook page.

Walk Across What???

Juarez seems to be the LAST place any sane person would chose to even go to, let alone walk across. Most people assume that my body will end up filled with bullets, decapitated, and hung from some bridge with a scrawled cartel note tied to it.

But the actual situation and threat to US citizens is actually much different than what we expect based on press reports. I will walk across this border city from the Rio Grande to the south neighborhoods and simply report what I see moment by moment…and let the results speak some reality into the situation.

When is this?

 For three days, Friday, August 19 to Sunday August 21, 2011 I will amble through this border city.

Who I am:

I am the owner and lead guide of Authentic Copper Canyon, the premier supplier of culturally rich small group experiences on the train through Copper Canyon, Mexico. I have a deep love and respect for the people and land of Mexico. Our groups often travel through the border in the Juarez/St Teresa area, and I am pursuing this walk as a small step in bringing understanding and connection across the border.

Purpose: To give a clear view of life right now on the streets of Juarez from an outsider’s point of view. People on the US side are filled with negative images only and this will give an actual moment by moment story of what it is actually like on the ground in Juarez.

Certainly some of the impetus for this comes from me and others in the guide community that wonder how we can do better. There have been zero incidents involving tourists and we aren’t sure how to improve that stat. Yet, the overwhelming assumption is that this area is deadly dangerous. The Mexicans there just wag their heads when we discuss it with them…and they often point out what an issue we or other countries have with insecurity and tourism.

Plan: Enter Juarez by the Bridge of the Americas on Thursday evening or Friday morning and simply walk across the city. I will stay overnight, interact with people, etc. Moment by moment I will send pictures, text, audio and videos via twitter and blog to followers across the USA and the world. Then I will follow with more in-depth articles and videos of the experience.

Rational: Many of us who work or live in Mexico have been frustrated by the one-sided perspective that most US side folks hold to of everyday life in the border areas.

Of course there are serious problems there. Yet when people travel there, almost all of them are amazed at how tranquil it is. So if it is possible to take a larger number of people there via the internet, perhaps they can understand more accurately how it is that there are not serious concerns with tourist travel to Mexico now. More broadly this little journey may help to renew respect and interaction.

Perspective: The idea is not to make a political point, but rather to communicate an accurate, on the ground picture of what life is like. I will not carry signs, make political or policy statements, meet with officials, etc. I will simply walk a path across the city to include busy streets, parks, markets, stores, restaurants, etc, and the message will be whatever I experience.

Interestingly as I have been preparing for this walk, 100 % of the people who know something about Juarez have very strong cautions. On the other hand, 100% of the people who live there or who know it well are very positive. Perhaps my observations will help connect those two groups.

Contact:

Dave Hensleigh, 217.369.9897, davehensleigh@gmail.com

Follow on Aug 19, 20, and 21 twitter @CopperCanyonGuy

www.AuthenticCopperCanyon.com

There are some 80,000 Mennonites in Mexico, most of them in Chihuahua. The largest concentration is around Cuauhtemoc. This area is right along the CHEPE train to Copper Canyon and also is traversed by a very serviceable road.

History

The immigration of these folks mainly from Canada began in 1922 whena deal was made by President Obregon. The details of this and sunsequent developments are well documented in a Wiki article “Mennonites in Mexico”.

Our tours to the area

I always enjoy rolling out of Chihuahua City on the train early in the morning headed for Copper Canyon. One crisp fall morning I remember particularly because the early sun was so warm, and as we climbed up into the Cuauhtemoc basin (it takes about 2 hours from Chi City) the air cooled a bit and made that sun feel so good.

Before us out the windows of the rocking CHEPE were miles and miles of apple trees (recently harvested) and maturing oats with their gray green color flowing as far as we could see. The apple orchards were full of workers weeding, pruning and bundling up the huge nets used for hail protection.

One May morning not long ago

Smudge fires above Cuauhtemoc in the apple fields.

I was out of Cuauhtemoc early one morning to catch up with a group and the temperature on the car dash read 1 degree…then zero, then minus one. All across the vast basin. smudge fires were flaring and the wind circulators made a roar like some giant fly in. It was quite a site and made the usually bucolic farms seem to bustle with warming activity.

Early morning smudge fires above Cuauhtemoc.

In Copper Canyon near the saddle below Divisadero.

The horses in Copper Canyon are generally small in my experience and very tough. They are sure footed and very durable. The seem to exist on almost nothing.

Once I was in a precarious situation with a pony there and was so impressed with how she handled herself. We were on a ledge which fell off precipitously and became more and more narrow. Finally where the path was about a foot wide, it was washed out for about four feet and took up again in front of us. I slipped off her gingerly and worked my way over to the far ledge with the long rope in my hand. Just as I got to the other side on my knees she jumped- like almost on top of me. Her body glided over mine and to this day I am not sure how she kept from stomping me, but I was untouched. Fine horse.

The guides can be found here and there. One of my favorites is Jilo Mancinas in Areponapuchi. He is skilled, personable, inexpensive, and easy to work with. He lives west of the store on the “main drag” in Arepo.

Places to go? There are many. Around the Arepo/Divisadero area ther are numerous very scenic trails- including trails that are very easy to very very rugged. You can even do an overnight to the bottom of Copper from this area. I am also familiar with trails near Cuiteco, Cerocahui, Gallego overlook, Urique, Cusarare, Creel, Temoris, El Fuerte and many other places.

We even expect to be a part of a Cabalgata there next year- March, 2012. This is a 10-12 day group ride and traveling fiesta which passes through the Mata Ortiz, Casas Grandes, and Janosd area on its way to Palomas/Columbus, NM. It arrives at the border for the celebration of the anniversary of the invasion of the US by Pancho Villa on March 10.

The trails for horses are excellent in Copper Canyon.

One if the cool spots that people want to see but usually miss is the spot where the line loops around and goes under itself- if you are coming from the Chihuahua City end toward the west- or over itself if you are going east and climbing away from Los Mochis toward Chihuahua.

It is called “El Lazo” or the lasso in English and it means the loop. Near the highest point on the line, it is midway between Creel and Divisadero and as I said it is easy to miss. Most folks just sit in their seats and wonder where it is…perhaps noticing that the sun is coming from one direction and then another. But if you watch your kilometer markers (little white signs on the right of the train as you go west), hang out the window, and move from side to side, you will see it. (By the way, I encourage our guests- especially the train lovers- to leave their stuff in their seats and spend their train time at a window between the cars or in the bar car…great views from the bar car).

The reason for this engineering feat is to help the railway loose altitude quickly- switchbacks just don’t work for a train. Photo people should have their cameras ready just before and after the loop because there are some good looks at the railway as it works its way into the canyons area.

Note for those traveling to Copper Canyon: if you travel with us I will have kilometer by kilometer guides for you. If you are going alone or with another group, I am glad to send you a copy. Just email me at davehensleigh@gmail.com.

The most notable of the crafts is certainly the woven baskets. They are made right on the spot in most cases and almost completely fromaterials gathered in the canyons.

Usually the basic weaving material is of two plants: the long needles of local pines and the levaes of sotol split into strips 1/16th to 1/2 inch in width- depending on the size and design of the basket.

Sometimes dyes are used on one or both of the weaving materials and so you will see orange, red, blue, black, brown, purple, etc. Some of these tints come from soils or other plants and some are artificial- purchased in Creel or some other source.

The weaving is fun to watch. Usually they start with the base and typically the baskets are double walled. Seems to me the skill is in keeping them round.

Often when you get a basket they smell of fresh pine. When we are on an excursion headed at the end for the border, the van will have a pleasant woodsy aroma from recently purchased baskets.

Baskets will range in price based on size, design, and intricacy. Lower end baskets that are 3-4 inches tall will be about 20-30 pesos (about 3 dollars) and larger ones that get as large as 12-14 inches in diameter can be 12-15 dollars.

The food is very good- a bit more American than most places and very tasty. The hospitality is warm and local. The is music and perhaps even a party if it is a holiday.

But the big draw is the view. We usually splurge and get view rooms and they deliver.

Sunset from our rooms at Mansion Tarahumara.

Sunrise from the Mansion Tarahumara porch.

Any time of day at any time of year is a miracle at Mansion Tarahumara.

Alfredo Murillo...one of a kind.

One of my main guides on Copper Canyon tours is Alfredo Murillo. People love his skill, humor, insight into culture, etc.

Due to reduced tourism trade in Mexico, the Murillo family has been hit hard financially. They have one son in college ( third year of architecture school) and one starting next year. Alfredo mentioned recently that his daughter Rebecca was tying to find a laptop as she starts next fall majoring in Chemistry. He also mentioned that her favorite color is purple.

Jason and Ruth Wood emailed me right away and told me they had a laptop that would do the job. Jason runs Immersion Technology Inc. in Doylestown, PA and has helped us get our sites running – excellent work. Jason and Ruth were on a recent trip to the Sierras.

Also other Authentic Copper Canyon fans donated money and we were able to get a case, mouse, etc.

When the laptop arrived, I could not believe it- excellent machine with new hard drive- and it was purple!!!

It was delivered last week on one of our Copper Canyon train trips and she loves it!

Alfredo Murillo and daughter Rebecca with her new PURPLE computer.