Day 8 – To Chihuahua

3/25/2006 – Day 8 – To Chihuahua

This morning we are up early, early enough to see the sunrise coming up over the canyon.

Early to rise gets the sunrise over the canyon and village. 

We have seen many birds, but they do not stay still long enough for a picture.  This bird, I think it is a Western Bluebird, landed in a tree below our balcony while I was taking pictures of the sunrise.  It is far away, but I try to get a picture anyway. 

Since I'm out here on the balcony I thought I'd show you what they look like.  Looking down the row of balconies from our room while having my coffee. 

In the dining hall there are a number of masks hanging on the posts.  Some depict scorpions, others faces of what look like demons, and this one that is half demon and half pronghorn sheep.

The tour guide offers to go on a hike to the top of the cliff we see over the village.  We have decided to go along on the hike.  Here is Carmen as we look back towards the hotel. 

From the top of the cliff, we have good views of other parts of the canyons.

We are all walking around the edge of the cliff.  I am a little behind because I’m taking pictures, as usual.  But, I was able to get this picture of Carmen near the cliff edge.  That was as close to the edge as she would go.

Carmen and I are taking pictures of the beautiful scenery.  Standing at the edge of mountains, taking in the scenery and looking down into the deep ravines is truly breathtaking.

Back at the hotel and looking across where we just left and we can see another group has occupied the space we left.  Still seeing the tour group this way brings in a perspective to the size of the canyon.

Back at the room getting ready to leave I decided, actually I hadn’t thought of it before, to take a panoramic picture from the balcony.  We are still looking east and able to view as much of this section of the canyon as possible.

Having checked out of the hotel, we are wandering around until it is time to leave.  I see three generations of Indian women making and selling their wares. 

We have been seeing humming birds all around even at this feeder but never had my camera ready when I saw them.  Until now, because I know they would be at the feeder.

In the hotel’s dining area was this huge wall fireplace that obviously was once used to cook food.  If you got closer, you can still see the hole used to place the swivel hook to hang the pot.

On the way to the train station, we stop at this chapel.  The date stone over the door reads 1901, which I assume is the date the church was completed. 

Back on the train we head off for our next stop and as we pass one of the villages, I spy this Burger King restaurant.  Not your typical Burger King.  I wonder if they have the whopper? 

Speaking of store names, check out this store named WalMar.  Talk about a play on words similar to MalMart in the US.  It is even subtitled “An American Store”. 

We are traveling from the mountains and into ranch lands.  This rancher is plowing the field so that he can plant his crop.  See what the roads are like I can see why he is using a horse.

Again, we see very rugged landscapes.  We are also back by water. 

Having left the mountains behind us, we are now in ranch lands.  Here we see grass lands of this ranch with some horses and harvested hay in the background. 

The hills still want to have their presence.  This is one of several, of what look like cinder cones from reminisce of a volcano, that we have seen along the way as we make our way into the city of Chihuahua. 

We make it to our hotel in Chihuahua and get to our room; we are on the 14^th floor.  After dinner, we are back in our room and I decided to take a night picture of the city from the hotel room window.  Tomorrow we will tour the city.