Day 5 – Train ride through Copper Canyon

3/22/2006 – Day 5 – Train ride through Copper Canyon

This morning we are up early to meet the train before its departure.  The bags are packed, we have our flashlights, and we are ready to go.  The train ride aboard El Chepe, will cover 405mi (652km), passing through 86 tunnels, crossing 37 bridges, and rugged Copper Canyon.  This train goes from Chihuahua to Topolobampo on the west coast.  But we’ll only go so far as El Fuerte.  

We travel for some distance then the train makes a regularly scheduled stop for about 20-30 minutes.  We are in, I think because I forgot to write it down, Divisadero.  It is an overlook to one of the most spectacular natural wonders in Mexico.  There are three canyons here: Urique, Tararecua and Cobre.  Carmen is standing in front of a viewpoint for the Canyon.  Looks like the Grand Canyon in the U.S.

There are several Tarahumara Indians selling the items that they make.  I might add that they are simply beautiful pieces of work.  You can see the baskets they made and one of them is showing a man how she makes the baskets. 

We are back on the train and continuing our travel to El Fuerte and we have had a Federal Police escort at both entrances of the car the group occupies.  I am finally able to get a picture when one of them was not looking.

The train makes another stop to drop passengers off and take some on.  While we are sitting several of the Tarahumara Indian women come to our windows and once again begin hawking their baskets.  I am still amazed at the quality of the baskets.  Several of the people in the tour group purchase baskets saying they were cheap compared to what something like that would cost them at home.

Some of the views we are having on the train along the way.

Carmen and I are taking pictures from the space between cars.  There are two stairwells that have raised platforms so people can stand and look out.  Here is a picture of Carmen taking a picture of me, taking a picture of the train. 

The landscape has been very interesting as viewed from the train.  We are simply enjoying the ride and the views.  Notice the cross near the bottom of the picture.

We have passed several villages along the train route and decided to take a picture of one of them. 

On this train ride, we have passed some very nice rock formations and mountain scenery.  These rocky peaks are very impressive. 

Again, as we ride we pass more mountains that are impressive.  We are so busy looking that we sometimes forget to take pictures.  Considering that we are constantly passing great looking scenery, we still manage between the two of us to get a picture or two.

We are heading down hill now.  We can tell by the angle of the train ride.  Also, we are beginning to leave the high rocking mountains. 

We are now crossing over the Fuerte River.  We are close to our destination. 

Running along the Presa Miguel Hidalgo (El Mahone Reservoir Lake) you can see how much the water has dropped.  This looks similar to the white rim at Lake Powel in Arizona. 

After a long day we arrive at our train stop for Le Fuerte, which is the town of Estación Hoyancos.  It is getting dark and our ride to the Pasada Del Hidalgo Hotel is an old school bus.  It is pretty dark, hence the flashlight, and late by the time we get our room key.  So I’m sorry to say you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see pictures of the great looking hotel.