Snapshots, quotes and good memories. Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Mexico Wrap Up
I've been home for two weeks and have been taking my sweet time posting the last four weeks of our trip. So the cliff note version is this: Mark and Andrew fished for crocodiles, we went to a funeral and wedding in the same weekend, and finished the trip at the Copper Canyons which are said to be 6 times larger than the Grand Canyon and the part of the trip I looked most forward to.
Before all the craziness, we stopped at Chacala for endless hours of cards, backgammon, beach volleyball, stray dog lovin, and down time.
So here we go. Yes, this actually happened. Mark spotted a crocodile and pulled over, told Andrew to get the fishing pole, then God knows why, but he casted and CAUGHT THE CROCODILE. It was probably 8-10 feet and it was splashed around like crazy until Andrew broke the line. What were they thinking? We never know with them.
Once we pulled up to Jose's house (for the second time since October), he told me his father passed away the night before and the funeral was in an hour. The coolest thing about that funeral was the burial. The family buried him there (cement and all) instead of leaving it for the cemetery officials to handle.
At the burial, the widow of Jose's dad told us her son was to be married the following day and we were invited. It was awesome for two reasons. The first because the same group of people we saw mourning on Saturday were in celebration on Sunday. The second because they invited us the day before the wedding unlike American weddings where you can't show up unless you have an invite. That family is the most loving, giving, gracious group of people I'll ever meet.
From Aticama, we headed to El Fuerte for the beginning of our week in the Copper Canyons. El Fuerte is an old Spanish Colonial town and it holds a lot of beautiful history. From there, we took the train to Creel and at one of the stops, Tarahumara Indians come up to the train to sell their baskets made of pine and apple empanadas.
In Creel, we ventured for a family hike to a 900 foot waterfall and a view that reminded me a lot of Yosemite. We walked down and hung at the water pool at the bottom, then hiked up and around the rim. We bought some Pinole and souvenirs then headed back to Divisadero where all the views were.
Our last days in Divisadero were what I'd been waiting 6 months to do. Andrew and I started our Mexican journey in September and slept either in the van, or tent. Spending our last nights watching the sun rise and set over the canyon from a hotel room was quite the finale to our trip.
I read the book "Born to Run" a few years ago and since then had become obsessed with the idea of visiting these canyons. Over 60,000 Tarahumara Indians live in the canyons and run with sandals made of old tires. They run 60-100 miles per day. They are shy people and you wouldn't know a house unless you were sitting right on top of one. They trade corn for wool and live on the most basic amenities. Most of them don't speak Spanish; they have their own language. Their smiles are contagious and cheeks are permanently rosy from the cold air. Their energy is spread throughout the canyons and hiking through them was an unforgettable experience.
It was bittersweet leaving Mexico yet some memories will never leave me such as mangy dogs, topes and pot holes, military check points, dirt roads, "todo derecho," and the music - so loud... why so loud? I already feel homesick for that ugly beautiful country, but when I saw Jayme running down the driveway screaming for her Bebba, I was happy to be home. In the end, there's no place like home and until I get another itch, memories of Mexico and the company of family will keep me happy.
Before all the craziness, we stopped at Chacala for endless hours of cards, backgammon, beach volleyball, stray dog lovin, and down time.
So here we go. Yes, this actually happened. Mark spotted a crocodile and pulled over, told Andrew to get the fishing pole, then God knows why, but he casted and CAUGHT THE CROCODILE. It was probably 8-10 feet and it was splashed around like crazy until Andrew broke the line. What were they thinking? We never know with them.
Once we pulled up to Jose's house (for the second time since October), he told me his father passed away the night before and the funeral was in an hour. The coolest thing about that funeral was the burial. The family buried him there (cement and all) instead of leaving it for the cemetery officials to handle.
At the burial, the widow of Jose's dad told us her son was to be married the following day and we were invited. It was awesome for two reasons. The first because the same group of people we saw mourning on Saturday were in celebration on Sunday. The second because they invited us the day before the wedding unlike American weddings where you can't show up unless you have an invite. That family is the most loving, giving, gracious group of people I'll ever meet.
From Aticama, we headed to El Fuerte for the beginning of our week in the Copper Canyons. El Fuerte is an old Spanish Colonial town and it holds a lot of beautiful history. From there, we took the train to Creel and at one of the stops, Tarahumara Indians come up to the train to sell their baskets made of pine and apple empanadas.
In Creel, we ventured for a family hike to a 900 foot waterfall and a view that reminded me a lot of Yosemite. We walked down and hung at the water pool at the bottom, then hiked up and around the rim. We bought some Pinole and souvenirs then headed back to Divisadero where all the views were.
Our last days in Divisadero were what I'd been waiting 6 months to do. Andrew and I started our Mexican journey in September and slept either in the van, or tent. Spending our last nights watching the sun rise and set over the canyon from a hotel room was quite the finale to our trip.
I read the book "Born to Run" a few years ago and since then had become obsessed with the idea of visiting these canyons. Over 60,000 Tarahumara Indians live in the canyons and run with sandals made of old tires. They run 60-100 miles per day. They are shy people and you wouldn't know a house unless you were sitting right on top of one. They trade corn for wool and live on the most basic amenities. Most of them don't speak Spanish; they have their own language. Their smiles are contagious and cheeks are permanently rosy from the cold air. Their energy is spread throughout the canyons and hiking through them was an unforgettable experience.
It was bittersweet leaving Mexico yet some memories will never leave me such as mangy dogs, topes and pot holes, military check points, dirt roads, "todo derecho," and the music - so loud... why so loud? I already feel homesick for that ugly beautiful country, but when I saw Jayme running down the driveway screaming for her Bebba, I was happy to be home. In the end, there's no place like home and until I get another itch, memories of Mexico and the company of family will keep me happy.
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