First full day in Creel

Hello Family

Now today was great!!

First off I was able to upload a photo from yesterday on the train.

We had booked a tour that ended up taking us back to the viewpoint we couldn't see yesterday! It turned out most of the tour today was in the same area. The viewpoint was foggy again but we went over to a skytram nearby. We bought tickets even though it was foggy. As luck would have it the fog cleared about 100 metres lower than the start point. What a fantastic panorama of canyons!

We spent about one hour enjoying the views (there were 5 other people on the bus but only Caro and I went on the tram). there were also ziplines (OMG!)  but we didn't go on them. From there we went to different viewpoints. Our guide was a 71 year old Tarahumara Indian who was really friendly. I think we have him tomorrow as our guide as well.

Caro bought MORE souvenirs! Go Figure!

We got back to our hotel in late afternoon and so we did a walk to the main street and back. We ate at the hotel here and also we did some "facetime" with Vanessa and Hannah.

a photo taken yesterday on the train

Creel part two

We were informed that there was a problem with the train tracks on the other side of a viewpoint called Divisadero (this viewpoint is the famous one which has a magnificent view of the canyons) and that unfortunately we were going to be bused the final 50 or so kilometres.  Too bad : (

As we got closer to our stop the rains started and soon there was fog. We got to the viewpoint stop and we had to exit the train and find our bus to Creel. It was pandemonium as there were haphazard instructions being yelled out which Caro couldn't hear because the train was still running its engines,people were trying to figure out what to do and where to go,there were all the locals selling their wares, smoke from the train engine and all the locals restaurant fireplace smoke choking us and there were at least 150 people waiting to get on the train so they needed instructions too. The reason there were people getting on the train we just got off of was ALL of them had been bused from Chihuahua (5 hours away) so they could at least see most of the Copper Canyon tour so the train moved its engine around to the other end for the new people to return to where we started. Hopefully the weather smartened up for them. It was so awesome for us for most of our ride.

I never got to see the beautiful viewpoint as I had to get our bags to the correct bus and this gave Caro a chance to run over and snap a foggy photo.

We got on our bus and were in Creel within the hour. A small panic followed with us getting our shuttle to the hotel. When we got here it appeared they were not aware we were coming but I showed them the Hotels.com printout so all ended well. The hotel looked so crappy from the outside that both were thinking I had made a bad mistake when I booked it but it is OK now that we have been in it a couple hours (very basic). We went to the downtown for supper (really good) and walked back (about 10 minutes from here to downtown).

We have booked a tour for each of the two days we are here but the cost and the number of people going are not confirmed yet (we may end up having pricey private tours but I hope not)

In Creel

Hello family

Today we were up at 4:30 AM which gave us enough time for a shower, checkout and a taxi ride to the train station. The train (El Chepe) left on time at 0600 and for two hours we went over flat boring landscape. Sometime in the third hour we went through a tunnel over a mile long and when we came out the scenery started changing. Soon we were climbing up into the mountains. Fresh green foliage covered everything and a small river tore down the river bed around numerous large rocks. We could see occasional waterfalls high up on the mountains. Each side of the train would give us good views and we spent quite a bit of time on either side (including outside in the area between the cars).

I am going to upload this now and will add more later. It appears I can't upload photos.Too bad!

Second night in Los Mochis

Hello Family

Last night we had a good nights rest in the Fiesta Inn. This is a new building and it has quiet air conditioning.

This morning we went to a nearby restaurant for a buffet breakfast. It was OK. I forgot my hat there so I went back and there was a mariachi band playing for some of the restaurant patrons. It was nice to listen to.

With a whole day to use and nothing much to see here in town we flagged down a cab and asked to go to the beach (about 20 minutes away). We first planned on stopping in the town of Topolobampo but as the taxi driver took us to the malecon there we were completely turned off by the large amounts of garbage everywhere. The town was disgusting. While still in the cab we decided to go farther north to a  beach that we were told was nice; so off we went.

We were taken past mangrove swamps and over several bridges before we were dropped off on Maviri Island. We walked the beach (this was at 10 AM so there was hardly anyone around).

We found a beach front restaurant that had been recommended to us so we grabbed a table and chairs next to the beach until a huge palapa and over the next five hours had some fish, some crab,some beer and some pop. Caro went swimming a few times in the ocean and said it is the warmest ocean water she has ever been in. We were located on the Sea of Cortez so the water is protected from the Pacific Ocean.

By 3 PM we were in a cab on our way back to Los Mochis. The driver asked if we wanted to see the nice houses in town so we drove around for 20 minutes or so before being dropped off at the hotel.

A short time later we walked over to a botanical gardens/picnic /play area that is the #1 thing to see here. HO HUM.....

I picked up a milkshake at Carl's Junior which was fantastic and then Caro went to a nearby Liverpool store. Right now it is 7:11 and we are getting ready for a 4:30 AM wake up and our day on the Copper Canyon train. Can't wait!

Los Mochis here we come

Hello Family;

After a nice breakfast at Vips restaurant we walked the lagoon malecon (saw an alligator) for an hour before checking out of the Hyatt at noon

 A 25 minute, $15 taxi ride and we were at the airport for our scheduled 2:40 flight. A funny thing at the airport was the check-in at AeroMexico. Caro has expanded the size and weighed down her suitcase with purchases. The check-in lady took a look at Caro's suitcase and asked to weigh it. It was 2 kilos overweight (for carry on) so Caro was asked to "check it" in (which we definitely did not want). Caro took 2 kilos out of the suitcase and put it in her backpack and "Voila" no problem. She was able to take it as carry-on. Ha Ha Ha. Too funny!

Our plane left 20 minutes late and we arrived in Mexico City only to discover that we didn't have a regular gate but were parked away from the terminal so we walked off the plane onto a portable stairway and buses took us in. When we got off the bus we went to the "connection" hallway only to discover we had to go through *!#$$**! security again and then haul our gear up one flight of stairs (!) to the main floor where all the gates were. We heard "last call for Los Mochis" so we ran to our gate number. The gate was 75A but 75A,75B,75C,75D were all together and there were three flights leaving from these gates at the same time. So what happened is that there were people everywhere figuring out which line to get into (no obvious information available for who goes where); getting their ID checked by the appropriate AeroMexico person (for their particular flight) and then everybody went back down more stairs only to remixed together in a common area before figuring out which bus to get on. SERIOUSLY STUPID!. Any way we made it and because of the tight connection time I am quite sure any checked luggage would not have made it. I think I have convinced Caro of the advantages of carry on only!

On the flight Caro noticed that they had liquor (for free) so she asked for a vodka. The Mexican liquor bottles have a special insert in them to slow flow so the stewardess had to shake the vodka bottle to get enough vodka in the glass for Caro's drink. I said to the stewardess that I wanted a rum with more shakes so she proceeded to shake and shake and shake to the point where Caro and I were laughing because I ended up with a STRONG double!!. I had to ask for an extra glass of coke just to mix it properly. Anyway both the stewardesses and Caro and I were laughing. Can't see that happening on a Canadian Airline!

Tonight we are in Los Mochis. We got a good recommendation from our taxi driver for a seafood restaurant within walking distance of our hotel. I think it was about a kilometer away. We had a good meal. The photo below is Los Mochis version of a shrimp cocktail. Very different from what we usually get.

Another hot day in Villahermosa

This morning we went to VIPS restaurant for breakfast. Yummy!

We walked along the lagoon malecon for  a short while before getting to the La Venta museum (which is why we came here). We started walking through the park (beautiful jungle setting) looking at the Olmeca rock carvings. These carvings were done between 400-900 B.C.

This head carving has been shown in National Geographic

The walk was constantly being interrupted by "no-see-ums" and mosquitoes that were harassing and biting us to the point that we moved at a faster pace than we wanted. UGH! We made in through the sculpture walk and then spent some time in the zoo. I got a good video clip of a black panther roaring (or whatever the sound is called) and we were out the exit by about 11:30 AM. As we walked along the lagoon malecon we saw many coati-mundi animals around. They are used to humans and not terribly afraid.

The lagoon walk finished near the hotel. Because there wasn't much more we wanted to see or do here we went to the pool. It was very nice to cool down in the water because the outside temperature was about 31 degrees (and according the Weather Channel app it felt like 42 degrees with the humidity).As we were relaxing in the pool I discovered that I was washing all my money and credit cards inside my wallet which was in the pocket of my swimming suit!. Oh well,no harm done (except my wallet is taking a long time to dry out).

In late afternoon we were about to walk a couple blocks to the same restaurant where we had supper last night when a seriously amazing thunder and lightening storm came overhead. Oh WOW; one hour of VERY close lightening strikes!! Too cool! We sat outside by the pool to watch and listen.

We had a late supper and after a walk along the lagoon malecon again we made it back to our hotel room just in time to catch Lisa calling us on Facetime. Thanks Lisa for the call!

Tomorrow we fly to Los Mochis via Mexico City and Guadalajara. The same temperature conditions are occurring there even though it is more of a desert.