ArchivesTag : Mexico
Our 2012 trips,including New Years in Copper Canyon
People often ask me what time of year is best for train trips to Copper Canyon. That is a hard one to answer because each season has its own draw. Let me say that I do not recommend June ( both hot AND dry). But all other times of the year are great. Here are [...]
Full StoryChristmas trip to Copper Canyon
People are often asking me about the best season to travel on the train in Copper Canyon. That is a hard one because every season has its draw. Fall is nice because it is usually green and the weather is moderate. Late Summer is nice because it usually rains and is very fresh. Spring is [...]
Full StoryWalk Across Juarez #6: Next Year?
Back to El Paso Back to the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. It was no fun going back across the border. It never is. The smiles are gone. The welcome is over. It is good to be back to US soil- it always is. But something very vital and valued [...]
Full StoryThis Solitary Gringo Will Walk Across Juarez
Is it safe for tourists in Mexico now? 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 [...]
Full StoryWalk Across Juarez
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 [...]
Full StoryRecommended books on Copper Canyon
There is just a short list of books I recommend people read before going to Copper Canyon…or just as an introduction to this great place: 1. “In the Sierra Madre”, Jeff Biggers – This one is a very careful account of his year in the village of Cusásare. Food, customs, language, history…very rich. <here on [...]
Full StoryOur Team in Copper Canyon: Carlos Vega
I was on CHEPE one day headed for El Fuerte when in the cafe car I met a portly affable Mexican named Carlos Vega. One cannot help but be befriended by this guy and he soon volunteered to do some shopping for me for a certain necklace at the upcoming Divisadero market. He explained in [...]
Full StoryOur Lodges in Copper Canyon: Real de Carapoa
El Fuerte is awash in colonial charm and that laid back Mexican pace…I love this place and so do our guests. There are many fine places to lodge here, but my hands down fave is Real de Carapoa. A converted mansion and the handiwork of “Billy”, an architect fromLos Mochis, it features large rooms with [...]
Full StoryHow they keep the Copper Canyon train safe
This little car goes in front of every passenger and freight train on the CHEPE railroad in Copper Canyon. The reason for this is that the walls of the canyon are so steep that there are multiple places where rocks can dislodge and this presents a serious threat to the train. This railway was constructed [...]
Full StoryIn our experience, the itinerary is not what you remember (1)
You remember the people. You can plan a train ride, but you can’t plan the personal interactions and impressions that make for a truly life enriching travel experience. The Tarahumaras are so memorable, the only Indians to truly survive the sweep of the Spanish up through Mexcio. They are the poster children for what not [...]
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