Mexico

So I finally made it to Latin America, after seemingly avoiding it for the last 15 years of travelling around Europe, Africa and most of Asia. 

Its always been and alluring destination, but one so big i've been putting it off until i can appreciate it fully. Even now, i will 'only' be away for 7 months so can't cover the whole continent. Lets just say this is part one of a few trips i will make in the next few years.

'The Plan' is to travel overland, south from Mexico, as far as possible in the next half year. Then return to Guatemala for a Holy Week Festival in April, before coming home in May.

The route for now, is Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, by boat to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and finally Bolivia, hopefully in time for Carnival in March.







So far I am 5 days into 'The Plan', at a bus station, where they have free wi-fi, on my way to Guanajuato, near Mexico City, I started in Northern Mexico, which is drug trafficking capital of the world right now, and have been travelling south through Copper Canyon - the Grand Canyon of Mexico. 

Since the bust up of Columbia's drug lords, drug production and supply migrated north, to Mexico where police rarely intervene in what goes on. Juarez city and Chihuahua, the main access point for drugs and illegal immigrants going into the US, are dangerous places to linger, so I soon made my way into cowboy country at Creel, a frontier town on the edge of one of the biggest canyons in the world - Barranca de Cobre (Copper Canyon).

some narco related news...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11647035
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11648454

In fact the canyon is wider and deeper than the Grand Canyon, but nowhere near as well know. In my opinion the Grand Canyon gets the edge in spectacular views, but Copper Canyon wins hands down for those looking for tranquility and solitude. An Italian guy i met was the only other person on the edge of the Canyon for sunset. The last time i was at the Grand Canyon at sunet there were hundreds of onlookers and clicking cameras (as well as mine of course :) 

Church in Creel

Vultures

 

new airport strip

notice that the runway is on the edge of the canyon!

plane at the end of the runway!!!

CK

Claudio from Italy

easy way down, a newly opened Swiss made cable car

Copper Canyon is served by one of the great train rides in the world, the Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico (Copper Canyon Railway). It's also a considerable feat of engineering: it has 37 bridges and 86 tunnels along its 653km of railway line, and connects the mountainous, arid interior of northern Mexico with a town just 24km shy of the Pacific coast.

FERROCARRIL CHIHUAHUA PACÍFICO

The line was opened in 1961, and two trains a day, first class and second class, run both ways between Los Mochis and Chihuahua.  Only the first class train takes in all the best views in daylight, so i opt for that, even though its twice the price at about £50.

Conductors wear smart green jackets and caps, and a plush bar serves drinks and light meals. The whole trip takes 13 hours if you don't break the journey at the canyon.

The train drops through some impressive scenery from the canyon rim at Divisadero, 2300m, to the flat cactus filled plains of Los Molinos, at sea level.

 

I'd like to spend more time at the canyon, but there's a big festival further south, in a week, and i need to make my way down to it.