He is featured in the film, “The Mata Ortiz Phenomenon” from The American Museum of Ceramic Art. Here is a youtube excerpt from that masterful film.

Though Manuel is somewhat known now, his home is modest and his hospitality flowing – he invited us as perfect strangers in for a coke and in the absence of pots he might have for sale (they were all on the road on exhibition), he let me have two very fine damaged pots as examples.

Manuel Rodriguez in his home with an unfinished treasure.

So Rosa Gaona pulled up and spread out her treasures – a variety of graphite and typically painted pots. Very nice work.

Rosa Gaona with her wares in Mata Ortiz.

Alfredo Murillo at Piedra Volada last week.

Alfredo (pictured in this recent post) is my right hand in Chihuahua City where he lives with his wife Norma and kids. He also guides for other companies. Alfredo and I traveled around for a few days in the Copper Canyon area last week making some last minute arrangements for the upcoming culinary trip, “The Blue Corn Express”, visiting with one of our fellow guides, Gustavo Luzano, in Areponapuchi, and buying some pots in Mata Ortiz.

Diana Acosta in Mata Ortiz

As I said, Diana Acosta was our host in the Casas Grandes area and she took us out to the little village of Mata Ortiz for a morning of shopping in the homes of various artists. Diana is a guide as well – her company is Agave Lindo Tours… a great resource for groups not just in the Casas area but also around Chihuahua and other parts of Mexico as well. Here Diana is shown with one of the little handmade human hair brushes the Eusebio Sandoval was using in his home studio.

Eusebio inthe first stages with a pot.

It was fascinating to watch as Eusebio put together a pot from the beginning.

Tina Sandoval with one of their large graphite pots

Their home/ studio was filled with potting supplies, partially completed pots, and several finished pots – notably a few that were 18- 24 inches tall…amazing pieces.

Tina graciously showed us around, chattering along in Spanish.

Sandoval pots...it was hard not to buy them all!

Tina and Eusebio Sandoval with me in Mata Ortiz last week.

So we had a great visit with these folks and look forward to selling some of their pots when our new site “Fine Line Pottery” gets moving.

I have recently visited with three well- informed experts from the Chihuahua area about this issue.

Spencer and Emalie MacCallum

1. Spencer MacCallum , long time resident of Casas Grandes and the initiator behind the Mata Ortiz pottery phenomenon affrimed to me strongly as we visited last week that there just have not been substantiated incidents involving tourists in the area. Note this artice on his website - http://www.mataortizcalendar.com/traveling%20to%20the%20village.html

2. Rosalva Delgado and I visited in her office in Chihuahua City last week. Rosalva is director of tourism for the railway in Copper, CHEPE. She also affirmed that the real situation is fine and that the hype about border incidents involving the army and the drug gangs has not affected security in the tourist areas.

3. My friend Gary Ziegler of Adventure Specialists takes people on horse expeditions to Copper Canyon (as well as other incredible destinations worldwide). We visited at his 9000 ft ranch in Colorado last week. His take on the situation based on over 30 years experience in the area is that we are fine to travel there and that basic precautions that one would take in any foreign country are in order.

On the edge of Copper at sunrise...the best time of day!

People enjoy riding the rails through this vast land with Dave Hensleigh, and he enjoys it too! His experience, his keen insight on the land and culture of the country, his unbridled passion for the experience there- all of this combines to make him the ideal Copper guide.

Roots: 

Dave hails from rural roots in Kansas and was educated in the Midwest and Texas, earning an undergrad in Math and a masters in Biology. All through his youth, the trails, mountains, grasslands and wild places of the Midwest and West were his haunt. One summer in college was spent roaming Yosemite, and ever since backpacking the Sierras has been a hobby.

Experience:

For thirty years, Dave has been leading groups of people on trips and adventures and his cumulative experience in this work is vast. Several years ago he connected with Copper Canyon, fell in love with the place and its people and immersed himself in the Sierra Madre culture.

 Vision:

He started Authentic Copper Canyon with a vision to give curious travelers a vivid experience in the true life of Copper and its people- not simply a vacation or resort experience. Dave is a relationship machine- no one on the train is a stranger. He is curious and loves to facilitate the serendipitous journeys for which Authentic Copper Canyon is famous. Another huge part of the vision with Dave is trhe forging of relationships between Mexico and the US.

 The Team:

Dave has assembled a team of guides and providers in the Sierra Madres that work together to provide vivid, safe and memorable experiences for each guest. This articulate group are experts on  the history, wildlife, and lore of the Copper Canyon region.

 Welcome Aboard!

Travel with Dave for just a day and you will know the place more deeply, you will meet and enjoy some new Mexican friends…and your life will be enriched.

I will get you hands on in Baja...

You will have the time of your life…lots of experiences in places where there in no English, plenty of time on the train (other groups sometimes are onthe train for only one day!- We include the full train experience through the heart of the Sierras- twice!), and time each day to kick back and just experience the little towns and people along the way.

I cxan set you up with a custom trip…even personalized if you like.

Call me today at 217.369.9897 or email davehensleigh@gmail.com.

You will fully experience this great railway to the full on your trip...even walk through a tunnel if you want!

This is the subtitle for Bernard Fontanas excellent book on the Tarahumara. Perhaps I would wish for more of the food or daily life of this incredible people in his writing. Nevertheless, a real strength of the work is his explanation of the religious beliefs and practices of the Raramuri.

Along the trail in Copper Canyon.

Basic to their beliefs is that what is experienced in the day as we live is the opposite of the life of the night, death and the soul and that in the night, the souls of the dead move about. Those dead souls plant and harvest in opposite seasons as the living- harvest for the dead is in March.

The mysterious and seldom affable Tarahumara of Copper Canyon

So as one sleeps, the Tarahumara believe that the soul works…as we dream, the soul is active.

Night is the day of the moon.

This dish we often have in homes there…like with our friends Jesus and Jesus in Chihuahua City.

Jesus and Jesus (#1 and #2) love to cook and often have us over for a meal.

The recipe and other info on rajas con crema is on our Blue Corn Express site…under vegetables.

I had been wanting to give it a try this home brew of the Tarahumara called tesguino…and finally, I had the chance. I took a look at the stuff, watched the little objects floating around, realized it looked like dishwater(or worse) and gulped it right down. aaaah!