Copper Canyon: Divisadero to Creel

---

Our guide didn't turn up for our sunrise hike so I watched the sunrise from my balcony, took a couple of photos then went back to bed. The two hour hike after breakfast was fantastic. There are railed lookouts for tourists in some sections of the canyon but one particular rock ledge is not and there is a loose rock that the some of the tour guides walked out on to get photo ops for the tourists. I thought if they can do it, so can I so I climbed across to where they were and stood 7800ft above sea level on the edge of this rock ledge! The other tourists were a distance away so I look like a dot on a rock ledge in the photo but it's definitely me. I would never do anything like that back home. The other tourists that I was mental. I'm the only Australian, the others are Mexican. Most of the tourists doing Copper Canyon are Mexicans. When I'm asked if I'm travelling alone, every person has said I'm brave. It's strange because I don't think it's a brave thing to do because it's the only way I like to travel. Imagine having to do what someone else wants to do on holiday? No thanks. One Mexican couple said that I'm the second Australian woman they'd met this week who is travelling alone. They asked if all Australian women are courageous adventurers. They gave me their card - they organise tour groups - and said I should call them or email them if I have any questions or if I run into trouble. I've added their card to my collection. I'm making friends everywhere.

The train trip from Divisadero to Creel only took an hour. Creel is a town with lots of Indians wearing traditional clothes and Mexicans wearing normal clothes. My hotel is apparently four stars. Bullshit. I've renamed it the Norman Bates Motel, it's creepy and I'm glad I'm only here one night. I went to dinner at a local restaurant, I was the only one there at first but another couple walked in and asked me to join them. The woman was Mexican and her husband was Indian, as in from India. Interesting combination. They gave me lots of tips about Mexico. By the time we finished dinner the place was packed and a mariachi band had started playing. Loudly. After dinner I spent an hour sitting on a bench eating icecream and people watching. The main street looked like a movie set; the buildings are painted bright colours, indians in traditional clothes walk past with their babies in tow, huge utes drive past slowly, young guys drive past in their cars with traditional Mexican music blaring (it's strange hearing accordion music coming out of the window of a car of 20yo guys).

---