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Published: March 9th 2006
The View From My Hostel
This is Zacatecas at night as seen from the roof-top patio of my hostel.I was told by several people that, “The scenery was OK”, or “I wasn’t all that impressed” when I asked about their journey on the Copper Canyon Railroad. Even the guide book said that Divisadero was the only place that you could actually see the canyon, so I was a little worried, when I boarded the train in Creel, that the journey wouldn’t meet my expectations. I was riding on the clase económica train with several people I had met in Batopilas. The first hour or so of the trip was through pine forests and, with the exception of Divisadero, there was very little in the way of scenery that I would call spectacular. At Divisadero the train stopped for fifteen minutes to allow us off to see the canyon - Most people stopped at all of the tourist stalls and taco stands that lined the tracks, but I made my way through the small town to a very nice overlook at the edge of the Copper Canyon. I was rewarded with a grand, sweeping panorama of canyon-land and the exhilaration of standing right on the edge of the precipice. Many of the people on the train didn’t even know the
The Overlook at Divisadaro
I went hungry for a while to get this view. I went to the overlook while everyone else got tacos. overlook was there and they missed it! From Divisadero we passed through more pine forests, but the landscape became more rugged. From my post at one of the open windows between the cars, I watched the scenery go by. Towering bridges and dark tunnels became more frequent and, when the train came out of one of the longer tunnels, we entered a vast network of narrow, sheer-walled canyons. From that point until the sun left us in darkness, I was glued to the open window and the spectacular scenery outside. The afternoon sun bathed the towering walls in a warm orange light and the ever-changing shadows brought the canyons to life as we passed through them. We passed through countless tunnels (I stopped counting at 40 early in the trip), some were short and some were long and a few did 180 degree turns underground. I remember coming out of a tunnel into a wide valley and seeing a set of tracks far below us on the same side of the canyon, which came out of a tunnel down there, and the tracks wrapped around the valley, crossing over a long, curving bridge and ran down the other side of
A Big Bridge
These bridges were all over the place on the Copper Canyon Railway. the valley where they disappeared into another tunnel. I remember thinking, “I wonder where those tracks go?” and then everything went black. When the light returned we were on the track I had seen below us and we crossed over the long, curving bridge and we then disappeared into the mysterious tunnel on the other side of the valley - The train had done a spiraling turn in the mountain and it had come out going in the opposite direction directly below and slightly to the side of the track we had entered the valley on. The canyons reminded me of the Yosemite Valley, only considerably longer and much narrower - I can’t imagine anyone not being impressed with the scenery! The naturalist in me was amazed with the picturesque beauty of the passing canyons, the climber in me longed to be dangling from my fingertips from one of the many sheer walls, the explorer in me wanted to unlock the hidden mysteries of the remote wilderness we were in and the engineer in me wished I could be associated with such a grand project - I truly enjoyed my journey on the Copper Canyon Railroad! After the sun fell
A View From the Train (1)
The scenery that the train goes through is spectacular. As usual the pictures don't do it justice. below the horizon, I joined some of my fellow passengers in the snack car and enjoyed a dinner of quesadillas con carne - That is where I discovered my face was black from the soot in the train’s exhaust! The train pulled into El Fuerte on time, which was apparently unusual, bringing my rail journey to an end.
I was told by several people that El Fuerte was a nice town and a better place to end my train ride that Los Mochis, the traditional terminus of the Copper Canyon Railroad. I stayed at Casa Pascola, which was a very comfortable place with a friendly atmosphere. I only spent one day in town, which I spent exploring the cobblestone streets and the colonial architecture, touring the reconstructed fort and going on an impromptu hike out to the large group of petroglyphs on the other side of the river. My trip to the petroglyphs was the highlight of my time in El Fuerte. While I was touring the fort, I met a retired teacher who wanted to hone his English skills with me. We got to talking and he offered to walk with me out to the petroglyphs (I had
A View From the Train (2)
The scenery that the train goes through is spectacular. As usual the pictures don\'t do it justice. asked him how to get there). We left the fort in his VW Beetle and ended up by the river where we boarded the ferry, which was a small rowboat, and went across. On the other side of the river, we recruited three children to guide us to the petroglyphs and we set off through the desert-like hills along the El Fuerte River. It was very hot, but we were able to stay in the shade of some large trees for most of the hike and we quickly reached the site. I was amazed by the petroglyphs and by our young guides’ ability to point out the vast quantity of carvings spread out all over the hillside - I suppose the area has been their playground for their whole lives. We ran into a large group of tourists as we were leaving and they were being guided by one of the gentlemen from my hostel - I had had the opportunity to go on that trip, but I wanted to avoid going in such a large group. My new friend refused to let me help pay for the guides and he dropped me off back at the hostel - I
Over the Bridge into the Tunnel
The number of tunnels and bridges on the Copper Canyon Railway is amazing. am grateful for the hospitality and the kindness I have run into all over Mexico so far! The following morning the owners of the hostel I was at offered to let me ride along with them to Los Mochis, where I had to catch a bus, and on the way they stopped at an open-air, roadside bakery where they bought a round of possibly the best bread I have ever had.
I spent the next few nights in Mazatlán, but I didn’t enjoy my time at the beach as much as I should have, partly because I had arrived the day after Carnival ended and I had the feeling of having missed out - The streets were still covered in colorful confetti and the bright posters and statues were still up all over town. I did arrive on Ash Wednesday, so I got to see the subdued crowds of people surrounding the cathedral and filling the downtown area.
I somehow ended up on a second class bus for my ride to Zacatecas, which was my next destination. The bus ride was an adventure and the scenery was spectacular. We got a flat tire at one point, which resulted
Petroglyphs (1)
These are the petroglyphs in El Fuerte. in an hour long rest stop and we got another break to stretch our legs when our bus was searched at one of the military checkpoints. After a brief stop in Durango I arrived in the silver city of Zacatecas.
I arrived in Zacatecas early in the morning, so I decided to wait at the bus station until the sun came up. Sleep was impossible, so I got a watered-down cup of coffee and I finished reading a book I had started in New Zealand. The ride into town was nothing special until we crossed under an arch of the old aqueduct and into the colonial center of town. The historic central district with its grand colonial architecture and its narrow, winding, stone paved streets and its magnificent cathedrals and museums has earned Zacatecas a place on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. I was immediately impressed with Zacatecas, a town I had never heard of before this trip. I wondered through the streets for three days taking in the sights and sounds of the active city center. I stood in awe as I studied the magnificently carved baroque façade of the pink stone cathedral. I climbed Cerro De
Petroglyphs (2)
These are the petroglyphs in El Fuerte.
Here my guide points out that a large portion of the carving is underground. la Bufa, a dominant hill behind town with an old church and a museum on top, which was the site of a major victory for Pancho Villa’s forces during the Mexican Revolution. I explored the dark depths and the cruel past of the Eden mine, which was one of the world’s richest and cruelest silver mines from 1586 until the 1950s - Now the mine is home to a subterranean nightclub. Every evening I sat on the rooftop patio of my hostel, which overlooked the heart of the city, enjoying a cup of tea and great conversation, while taking in the spectacular views that any of the high-dollar hotels would have paid anything for.
For my last day in Zacatecas I set off on a small adventure to the little known ruins of La Quemada. I joined forces with a fellow traveler from England and we caught a second class bus towards Villanueva. The driver let us off on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere - The only sign of life being a boarded-up restaurant! We could see the hilltop ruins from the side of the road and after a two kilometer hike down a
Petroglyphs (3)
These are the petroglyphs in El Fuerte.
This is a devil figure. narrow side road, we came to the main gate. We sat through an informative video of the archaeology of the area and viewed the artifacts at the very modern museum and then we set off for the ruins themselves. With the exception of several caretakers and another couple, we were the only people there. The first part of the ruins we came to was the Hall of Columns, which was a rectangular building with several round, stone columns. The building originally had an adobe and wood roof and it was one of the largest roofed structures in ancient Mexico. From there we weaved our way through a labyrinth of stone walls and ascended several steep, ladder-like staircases and finally arrived at the citadel at the top of the hill. Not much is known about La Quemada, but archaeological findings suggest that the city was occupied from 500 AD to 1000 AD and it was in some way affiliated with Teotihuacán. The citadel with its defensive walls and evidence of the great fire that destroyed La Quemada suggest that the city’s demise was violent. A vast network of ancient roadways could be seen stretching away from La Quemada that connects several
Petroglyphs (4)
These are the petroglyphs in El Fuerte.
smaller sites in the surrounding countryside, so the city was important in its heyday. We descended a giant, steep staircase on our way down, which led to a small, but steep pyramid. We sat on those steps and looked out across the arid desert land surrounding us and wondered what the area would have looked like before the Spanish arrived with their need for wood, when the area was still a vast pine forest. To think, that in all of the years I studied the archaeology of the Americas, I had never heard of La Quemada is mind-boggling. It was an impressive and scenic site. The structures were in various stages of restoration and the pathways were still strewn with pottery shards. It should be considered one of the must see destinations around Zacatecas, but for some reason it is not. We put the towering hilltop ruins behind us and we made our way back down the lonely Mexican back-road to the deserted restaurant. There we stood, not sure how long we would have to wait for a bus bound for Zacatecas, on the side of a dusty, not-so-busy Mexican highway. To our surprise, we were on a bus headed
Petroglyphs (5)
These are the petroglyphs in El Fuerte. My guides are showing me the 'Footprints' in stone.
back to town within half an hour.
We celebrated our successful journey to La Quemada over a much needed pizza - It was difficult to find a pizza place, but after a lot of walking we found the perfect place on a back alley near the center of town. The following morning I said farewell to Zacatecas and boarded a bus to yet another of the fabled silver cities of Mexico, Guanajuato.
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Nancy Lively
non-member comment
Thank you so much
We are bloggers too and were on our way to add something to our blog about Prague. We stopped and read your entry about the Copper Canyon (a place we hope to visit some day). You write beautifully! Your pictures are quite amazing too. I really enjoyed your whole entry and think I will try to follow your adventures. Thanks for a REALLY pleasant 'read'.