Batopilas, Chihuahua
Written: Oct 27 '02 (Updated Oct 28 '02)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Adventure and foreign travel with out flying. Excellent food and vistas.
Cons: Occasional shake downs by army and federal police.
The Bottom Line: Mexico is a fantastic assault on ones senses. Mexico will accept foreigners as friends faster than any other country. The Sierra Madre area is remote and beautiful. Adventure for all!
|
|
|
| billcarr's Full Review: Mexico |
Make no mistake, it was a hard road and I mean a hard road. I driving my Isuzu ably assisted by three other firemen, drove from Tucson to and through the Nogales international border crossing. We had the Trooper’s insurance prearranged and all that was necessary was to register the vehicle for Mexico travel and to get personal visas. That three of the four of us were (self excluded) fluent in spanish was to prove a large asset. Oh it can be done and my wife and I have traveled many miles in Mexico. W/o a spanish speaker the amount of arm waving and needless jabber takes up much of ones vacation time. Remember that Mexico is a wonderful country and almost everyone you meet will go out of his or her way to assist a foreigner. Once, several years ago, I gave a ride to a hitchhiker and his family. When I delivered them to near their destination they thanked me and asked where I was staying for the night. I said I did not know as yet but most likely at a hotel in Magdalena, just nearby. My acquaintance promptly informed me that I was welcome to stay with he and his family more so if I had trouble finding a room. I guarantee his house had three adobe walls and half of a roof but what ever it was I was welcome – and he meant it. This is in a large part why Americans become aficionados of Mexico and mexicano ways. Pity we don’t treat them as well as they treat us.
We cleared Nogales on the new and ultra modern freeway bypass. All vehicles stop at the 12 mile checkpoint and thus, we began out trip in earnest toward one of my favorite northern Sonoran towns, Magdalena. Arriving we stopped long enough to visit Father Kinos grave (a little luck and talisman never hurt anyone). Martin (pronounced Marteen for all you gringos) went into the Chancellery office to pick up records necessary for his upcoming marriage. Tucson will lose one of its most eligible bachelors and I will lose a fine roadie. Probably Anel isn’t thinking in terms of loss but capture. Paper is "mucho importante" in Mexico. They have filing paper down to an art form. Believe this, in a new world heritage that includes an operating University in 1530 (Lima, Peru) maintaining an adequate record system comes natural – much more natural than we give credit. Business complete we drove on for Hermosillo stopping only for gasoline and an inevitable oily rag window wash. This is a Mexican stoplight intersection tradition. Out come two bright souls armed with oily rags and a bucket of filthy water and they proceed to wash your windshield. There isn’t much you can do about it except grin and bear it and of course offer a small tip as a reward for their “effort”. Wouldn’t it do better to use clean water and clean rags? It isn’t going to happen anytime soon, I can assure you.
Driving to Hermosillo is patently uneventful however once you cross the Rio Yaqui the road begins a switchback ascent into the pines and the last 80 miles or so requires nearly as much time as the other 200. Surprise – and you thought a mile was a mile. Not in Mexico it isn’t. In fact the most dangerous attitude any one can foster in Mexico is one of allowing an expectation to creep in to conscious thinking. This is as damning as presumption to a catholic. You really must watch those expectations. Never harbor an expectation in Mexico! For instance you are walking down main street in a dusty small town and you see a public toilet. Eureka, you exclaim, and quite naturally you expect the light bulb works, the toilet flushes, the floor is clean and there is toilet paper. Come on now, get real! Do you really believe all four items on this litany will come to pass? If you do I have a somewhat rusty, ungainly proportioned bridge you might like to purchase. You will be in the greatest fortune if the bathroom door closes adequately.
Once in Yecora all four of us, Martin Green, Danny Sotelo, Mario Carrasco and myself made a first pass to find a hotel. $20.00 per night double room, not too bad. We wouldn’t discover the absence of hot water until the early morning shower time. At about 5000 feet altitude outside temp just touched freezing and we froze something else as well showering in cold water. Certainly a novel experience but at least we were awake. Yecora is a charming town and their annual Fiesta is in September (note to self - attend). I love the smell of mountain towns in Mexico. Most every one heats with pine and burning pine has a wonderful if not hypnotic aroma. A town dance was in progress and a band was playing so we were in luck - nighttime entertainment. Pretty girls every where, like stars in the sky. I do not know who the prettiest woman in the world is but I am positive she is Hispanic if not Mexican. If you doubt this take a drive south and open your eyes. We got to know the town hustler pretty soon as he sized us up in terms of what we might purchase. Once we made our wishes clear, hotel meals, gasoline, sundry items and nothing else, he pretty much left us alone. Yecora has an abundance of other things but I would emphatically say do not fool with any of it. Arcadeo warned us in no uncertain terms – never give a ride to anyone in the mountains, period. No need to elaborate on this we did not offer rides, period! Arcadeo did invite us to hunt wild turkey on his father’s ranch, just outside of town. We said but Arcadeo, you know we can not import firearms into Mexico? He quickly stated “no problemo” he had all the guns we would need. Oh boy I thought, I have never hunted turkey with an Uzi.
Morning and time for us to go. We headed out for Creel and Baseachic waterfalls. We were very lucky (fortunes children). The falls were finely developed and audible. This is uncommon. The falls are the third highest single drop waterfalls in the world and you would be surprised how many people are unfamiliar with this absolutely spectacular natural wonder. So we won one, if you are bothering to keep score. We did balance our score card with flat tire number two. At 900 feet free fall, one fall, the cascading water is spectacular. The whole view is a 270 degree overlook into a natural amphitheater and the falls occupy about 1/2 per cent of the total view. Imagine such a view where a 900 foot waterfall is a fractional per cent of the total image. Now you understand why 4 of us traveled so far out of our way for a 20 minute visit.
Just away from the falls (5-10 kilometers) we encountered a 2 acre area of smoking pits with cut pine logs here and there and black stuff in sacks. A charcoal burning operation. I have wanted to visit one since learning about the value of charcoal several years ago. Ages ago and even in frontier times, charcoal was important in that one can not heat iron to melt with wood alone but you can with charcoal. This was a large operation with at least 20 fire pits. On the average it takes about 5 days to load one pit with wood, burn, then remove a load of charcoal. Several of the pits were sealed, burning and off-gassing as we toured the yard. We quickly learned to read the smoke. Dense gray means smoldering ongoing, light grey is medium well and faintly bluish is a finished pit. This is living proof that if you have brains you don’t need instruments. Imagine the USA version of charcoal production – OSHA, insurance, unions, and 45$ a 60 lb. sack finished product - which no one would purchase. Charcoal has been made in this manner for at least 1000 years! Labor intensive is the byword at least from my brief view of things. Mind you I want only to watch and maybe take a picture or two. In Mexico, truly “you are what you do”. In the United States we tend to be defined largely by our memory. I had much more luck with photos here than later at the adobe brickyard. People are reticent about photographs in the mountains I noticed.
Next stop would be Est. Creel. 40 years ago the Railroad from Kansas to Topolabampo was completed, providing railroad movement of freight across the Sierra Madre. An unmentioned side advantage was the creation of one of the most spectacular train rides in the world. As I have done this trip 8 times I feel certain about it and confident of my story. Creel figures about midway in the trip and is at 7500 feet altitude. In March the temperature can be quite brisk but we were treated to perfect days and 30 F. nights. The evening in Creel was somewhat of a downer as supper was uneventful to poor. Probably expected when an over abundance of tourists from and international clientele abound. Believe me travelers are here from every where and many will head by bus to Batopilas. As we had 4WD and high clearance we would be spared the average 5 hour ride down by bus and 7 hour ride up. Imagine, 7 hours in a mix master set on bone crushing. I can live without this thrill. Add to the jostling and confinement, the bus leaves Creel at 0500AM. This way it does not impede other traffic – rare consideration on a 40 mile journey.
One of the events on most peoples agenda is a stop at one of the many Tarahumara Artisana Shops. These abound and my favorite is next to the train station North of the town square. There Andreanna will take excellent care of you. Prices are consistent and Andreanna speaks excellent english – she lived for a time in Milwaukee. She is able to make a long line of tourist asking the same 4 questions over and over feel as if they are each first in line and their question is most important. More than this she has worked there for 20 years and is completely familiar with the area and the wonders to be seen. This gift store is sponsored by the Jesuit Mission and a portion of all sales go to support the hospital. Certainly worthwhile as the hospital is a lifesaver. In recent history, about 20 years ago, the death rate among newborn Tarahumara was about 25 %. The hospital and Fr. Louis Verplanken in large part have turned this around.
We ate breakfast at Lupita’s, recommended by our hotel manager and well fed started through the pines (and on pavement, for a ways) toward the Batopilas Canyon. This canyon is one of 7 named canyons in what we call the Copper Canyon group. All of these together are easily 3 times larger than the Grand Canyon and most of them are considerably deeper. This is evident as you approach the canyon rim. The scope is breathtaking! The road down is one lane, dirt. You were expecting a freeway? Traffic on this road would be a real adventure. We were fortunate in that traffic was minimal. If you get behind a 2 ton truck in low gear figure on a 5 hour ride down. We sailed right to La Bufa without incident and stopped for flat tire number three. The four of us were pretty well checked out on removing spare etc. and I will tell you that fancy tire cover is showroom contrivance only. Tire in place we moved on – fortunately we always take care of the flat first, as was the case when we drove into Batopilas. To find the tire store in any town in Mexico look for a tire on the wall. Universal language, I think tire = tire. No wonder I am a fan. Somehow I think I will mount an extra spare on the Trooper next trip.
Anyone arriving in Batopilas must be impressed with the place. Founded by the Spaniards in 1632 and a major silver producer not long after that. Silver production would last, big time until the 1920s. Since then it has been hit or miss. I remember specimen native silvers on the market in about 1975. Other than this it is all a memory. I met an American lady, Lynn, operating a gift shop and she actually had a few mineral specimens for sale, a few calcites probably from the dumps at Divisidero and some quartz points reputedly dug nearby. Later she brought out a tray of fairly motley looking native silvers, crumbs really. So this is it I thought, this is the tail end of 300 years mineral history. Later in our conversation she informed me they didn’t quit mining because the silver ran out. It seems the vein goes on at least in the New Nevada mine. There is every reason to believe that more specimens could be mined. The two owners aren’t going to bother as Lynn told me “they been there, done that”. Added to they don’t need the money. Revolution must be a fairly terrifying environment as this more than any other factor caused the end of silver mining in Batopilas. Here was the 2nd city on Mexico to have electricity! At the turn of the last century Batopilas miners earned the highest labor wages in Mexico. This was a major mining operation and the downfall was a tragic turn of events.
Town is strung along the Batopilas River for about 1/2 mile. One city resident informed me that once 10000 people lived there. I can not imagine where they lived in that the place is crowed with 1100. Every where except along a narrow stretch of river bank the world is a vertical canyon wall. From sunrise it takes about 2 hours for the sun to shine into the town and again in evening the sun disappears behind the canyon walls about 2 hours before dark. This is a fine state of affairs in summer months in that temperatures of 105 with noticeable humidity are commonplace. Winter is a good time to visit and prime time on any calendar of event in Batopilas is Santa Semana or Holy Week. This is the main social event drawing many outsiders to watch the Tarahumara dancing and festivities. Their Easter is much more profound than our simple event. First drunkenness is mandatory. Tarahumara view things backward for instance night is the day of the moon. Dream state is as real as wakefulness and drunken stupor has advantages over normal state of mind, what ever that is. The dancing celebration lasts for most of Good Friday and into Easter Sunday. Truly people will come to the canyon from all over the world to watch. I can only imagine the traffic jam as those people try to drive out of the canyon at once. This is probably a good time to avoid – stick to Christmas, less crowds and better hotel rates. The site of the Easter ceremony is a spectacular clearing away from the river. This is the site of the Sateveo Misson. One thing for sure there is a mission on site. The mission has been there for all of local history and known for more than two centurys. Just who built it and what population did it serve is a modern mystery. It is believe to have been built by the Jesuits and they were expelled from New Spain in 1767! Here sits a fine cathedral, stately and grand with no apparent constituency. This is truly haunting when you first see it in the valley about a mile away. Another of Mexico’s many grand and hidden treasures.
We spent two days in Batopilas and both are memorable. A highlight for me was our horseback expedition up the mountain to a magnificent viewpoint. This took us upstream to the Shepard mansion and ruins of the Batopilas Mining Company. I love ruins and feel communion outside of time when surrounded by the grandeur of the ages. These ruins exceeded my expectations. There were abundant stone arches and stairways to nowhere. For the knowledgeable viewer one could see clearly where the billiard table sat in the big room. There was also a swimming pool, although I confess I missed that. Many holes in the stone walls are now filled with setting hens. Pretty soon there will be chicks abundant. My mother has always had chickens. If she had a 5 foot square of grass there was a chicken scratching and clucking away. Having chickens around is a normal state of affairs for me and seeing them in the ruins was a valuable boost over times horizon as it were. Everybody gets what they want . My wants are really pretty simple, wander in a few ruins, consider things that were, wonder what might have been and realize its all so very temporary no matter who you are. Even here with walls of stone, knowing it’s only been 75 or so years ago, the ravages of time are measured against the works of people. Time wins again. It is inevitable really. Batopilas is a good place to consider these things, canyon walls to limit direction, a flowing river, substantial ruins and a town common with buildings at least 120 years old and maybe more.
Its been a while since I’ve seen Saturday wash done at the river and the last time was also in the Sierra Madre of Chihuahua. This time I watched a mother wash her little girls’ hair, shampoo and river water. A river is a wonderful thing, more so now that the cyanide and mercury are all washed downstream. Still all of us were cautioned by towns folk not to swim in the river unless well up stream from town. No problem we went well upstream and went for a dip. I loved it, really. Restaurant food in town was very good. Our last breakfast was in the home of a very nice (and attractive) lady about my age who opens her house for meals. Lazara charged 25 pesos for full breakfast, coffee and juice, tortilla, beans, eggs and machaca. Beat that state side, 25 pesos is about $2.65. And it was as tasty as it sounds. The home was typical for Batopilas, on a steep hillside, no front yard very little back yard and storage off both sides. Chickens and a cat, dogs and a lot of etceteras along with an engine block, a couple of sundry fenders and a bumper or two. Just out front was a relic from mining days, a conical tower about three feet diameter and 12 feet tall, supposed to carry some sort of water contrivance through town. If it were my yard I would convert it into a sundial. Rather a mark of ages marking ages I suppose.
Souvenirs are a little hard to come by – the one store I did find had a few T - shirts and some trifles. Lynn’s jewelry had Tasco silver and a book or two and that about expresses the lot. The picture probably changes about two weeks before Easter. Mostly I bought the town supply of diet coke (three cans) and we prepared to leave. Maintaining a wholesome attitude, no expectations, we started up the road, which can take and has taken 7 hours! We were in Creel 3 and 1/2 hours later – a minor miracle. No flats (yet) and almost no traffic. I did pass a cover of life photo opportunity on the way up the road. This was a tarahumara family of eight, in their Sunday best and they were in bright colors purple, orange, bright green, red, electric blue etc. Only my wife dresses like this in the states. They are shy in the extreme especially the ladies, so I will have to leave such opportunity to Fr. Verplanken. He has earned their trust from a lifetime of service and kindness. I noticed at the canyon top and in creel the tarahumara men dress in blue jeans and button shirts. At the canyon bottom traditional dress still prevails. This is a cotton cloth wrap on the men with the simplest of shirt, and a bandana around the forehead. Many churches have found it vogue to drag all manner of used clothing down to these canyons for dispersment. Better collect the money spent on gasoline and administrative efforts and give it to the hospital in Creel.
We drove back to the USA through Madera, Chihuahua. We intended to visit 40 houses, a local archeological wonder and basically ran out of time. Having said that I wonder if it is true? Can one run out of time? We have all there is, I mean I have yet to meet a person with a sack of time for sale. What would it be worth, in dollars, this sack of time? Perhaps our intentions shorten as we approach the receeding event horizon. Near there we had flat number 4 (nothing like a flat tire to bring one to earth) and then drove home. We were spared “the vexation of a commonplace return ” as some idiot threw a fist sized rock off the Marsh Station over pass, west of Benson, nearly through my windshield. This will brighten an afternoon I assure you. I was traveling about 80 at the time and when the glass shattered directly in my face I became an authority on the event horizon. The rock did not come through, considerable thanks to whatever company manufactures safety glass and modern techniques.
For anyone planning such a trip I recommend the Chihuahua side of the mountain drive. You will save considerable time even if the first 50 miles or so of Chihuahuan highway are badly potholed. The high country around Madera and on into Creel is a very rich looking area of Mexico. The tar paper shacks so common around the bigger towns are not prevalent here. If you choose to visit the falls figure on the switchback road, Sonoran side, as it is the only way. This trip is very rewarding and beautiful. It should be taken with a few common sense precautions such as one (or two) spare tires, water, a couple of extra meals and extra dollars and pesos. A $20.00 US bill presents a formidable obstacle to commerce at a roadside stand in Mexico – have some pesos ready! Above all have a good trip.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
Best Time to Travel Here: Sep - Nov
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
billcarr
|
|
Member: Joe jackson
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
I enjoy travel and motorcycling.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.