The Mayan archaeological site of Yaxchilan is accessed by a boat ride up the Usumacinto River which is the border between Mexico and Guatemala.
A few weeks ago, as guests of the Mexican Tourist Board, we traveled to the city of Merida, the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatan, to attend the 5th Annual Feria Turistica del Mundo Maya, Mayan World Tourism Fair, a trade show which featured tourism vendors from the area that once was the Mayan Empire. Now this rain forested terrain encompasses Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras and the Mexican states of Yucatán, Tabasco, Campeche, Quintana Roo and Chiapas.
We met with regional tour operators, tourism boards, hoteliers and other vendors, and visited many sites where we had not previously explored.
New to us was the Mayan archaeological site of Dzibilchaltun, a lesser visited site not far from Merida which was inhabited since around 500 B.C. We climbed around its temple, plaza and other structures, and were quite impressed with its museum of artifacts from throughout the Mayan world.
We then traveled to the town of Palenque, in the state of Chiapas. After driving through the jungle we boated up the Usumacinta River to the ruins of Yaxchilan, capital of one of the most powerful Maya states in the region and a rival to Palenque and Tikal. The site contains many impressive ruins, with palaces and temples bordering a large plaza above the Usumacinta River. Throughout the ruins are impressive hieroglyphics depicting the history of the kingdom.
South of Yaxchilan, on the border of Guatemala, we explored the ruins of Bonampak, another Mayan city, noted for its vivid 8th century murals.
In the near future we will be offering these Mayan sites as add-on options to our Yucatan adventures.
We appreciate it when our guests share their stories with us and allow us to post them on our blog. Last month, Carman Cunningham and Lucile Griffiths, from San Rafael, California, traveled with us on our Copper Canyon 9-day Independent Tour to the Bottom and had this to report:
My friend, Lucile Griffiths, and I traveled to Copper Canyon, Mexico from December 23 to 31. We flew to Phoenix, Hermosillo, Los Mochis, then by taxi two hours to El Fuerte, Sinaloa. One of the few disappointments of the trip was that we arrived in El Fuerte after dark, and left before sunrise to catch the train. From the little we could see, El Fuerte is a beautiful colonial town and we wanted to see much more of it. Our hotel was a traditional hacienda with courtyards and gardens open to the sky, furnished with Persian rugs and antique furniture. Modern plumbing, though.
Our early morning train quickly climbed from farm land surrounding El Fuerte up into the mountains. By noon we were in the canyon lands, pine forests, ice and snow on canyon rims and mountain peaks. We had gone through 86 tunnels and crossed 37 bridges.
Tarahumara children celebrate Christmas with a piñata at Copper Canyon’s Paraiso del Oso.
We got off the train at a little town called Bahuichivo and were met by a enthusiastic American, proprietor of the lodge where we stayed two nights. Although simple, the lodge was comfortable and the hospitality outstanding. We were swept into Christmas preparations and rituals. A pinata was stuffed, bags of sweets prepared for the area children who were expected, and a toy selected for each one. Doug’s family members (his wife is Mexican from the area) and Tarahumara Indians came and went, all excited.
In the late afternoon, we set off for the small village called Cerocahui, about 20 minutes drive from the lodge. Doug stopped to pick up all the people, most Indians, he met along the road. They overflowed the SUV, sat stacked on one another, smiling and silent. When we reached the village, we all congregated in the church.
When mass was over, the crowd walked around the central plaza stopping along the way to sing the song that asks for lodging (the posada) for Mary and Joseph. The householders sang back that there was “no room at the inn” until the last house where they were welcomed to the manger. After a pinata was battered open by the children and the sweets distributed (they made sure the only foreigners, Lucile and me, received a share) we went back to the lodge.
Two twenty five pound turkeys were put on to roast, but it became obvious that the American Christmas dinner tradition was unclear at best. And so it was that I made gravy for 120 people. The poor turkeys were not so much carved as torn apart and served with instant mashed potatoes and canned corn. The following day, I even introduced them to the old Dresden tradition, carcass soup. The children lined up for their presents, and the Indian women lined up to receive a blanket each. At this point Lucile I gave up and went to bed, but most people returned to the village for another mass and dancing. We were told they got to bed around 2:30 am.
The following (Christmas) day we boarded the train again and traveled to a town called Creel. Creel is 8000′ and pretty cold, patches of ice and snow crunched underfoot. The landscape was similar to the High Sierra, but I gather the biodiversity is much greater; more species of pine trees, oaks and other plants. Rock formations, caves and waterfalls are found all around the countryside. Some Tarahumara live in the caves. Many houses are built of logs and rock looking like the Lincoln log buildings we made as children. Men on horseback on unpaved roads add to the Far Western look of the area. The hotel is also built of rock and log. It could have been in Montana.
With the exception of one group of men in the bar one night, and one Canadian, we were the only foreigners we saw the whole trip. The hotel was full, but all the guests were Mexican. It was fun to see middle class Mexican families enjoying their Christmas holidays. And they were so polite and gracious with us. Perhaps the novelty of seeing two elderly American women traveling alone was the reason, perhaps they are just culturally different, but we were treated with utmost courtesy. I think the fact that I could speak (basic, I’ve forgotten a lot) Spanish had something to do with it, too. A lot of people remarked on my efforts.
From Creel, we were supposed to travel seven hours down to the canyon floor to spend a day in a town called Batopilas. However, about two days previously there had been a storm, the town was partially destroyed and the roads washed out. We were advised not to go. So, we missed Batopilas. Our driver had some ideas, and it turned out that we spent the next three days in the area and saw some interesting sights. The first day (which would have been the day of the descent) we saw the Valleys of the Mushrooms, the Frogs and the Monks (all rock formations), cave dwellers, and had a picnic by the side of a mountain stream.
The second day we went to a resort town called Divisadero and took a thrilling cable car–finicular-teleferique trip across a section of the canyon. We could see into the depths, thousands of feet below, sheer rock walls all around us. Copper Canyon is six times larger than the Grand Canyon! We had lunch in a market set up along the train track after that. I should tell you that neither of us had any stomach trouble at all on the trip. The third day (which would have been the ascent) we went to a very old village and as it was Sunday, attended mass in an attractive old church. We were amused when one of the “hymns” was Jingle Bells.
Prior to our departure on this trip several people expressed concern about our safety. We never saw any evidence of danger, nor sensed tension. As I mentioned previously, aside from the one group of men in a bar, and one Canadian, we did not see any people other than Mexicans. Surely tourism is suffering and it is too bad. The trains were guarded, that is, two armed soldiers walked up and down the aisles from time to time. We saw several armed vehicles on the road, filled with soldiers, presumably on patrol. That was all. No one looked the least bit intimidated, or even interested in them.
On the way up to Creel there were few passengers on the train. On the way down, the train was very crowded. In order to get from our seat to the dining car we had to go through the bar. It was packed with revelers, singing, dancing and drinking. They treated us like delicate eggs, as the train swayed and rocked and jumped, they handed us along, person to person, with welcoming smiles and greetings. When we got to the dining car, they put us at the head of the line to be seated.
We traveled home on the 31st the way we came: El Fuerte, Los Mochis, Hermosillo, Phoenix, San Francisco. Again the frustration at not seeing El Fuerte. Despite that, we had a wonderful time. To a future traveller, I would recommend stocking up on 5 and 10 peso pieces for tips and Indian children. Our 20 peso notes were too big.
A trip to Copper Canyon is one that I would recommend without hesitation. Beautiful scenery, friendly people, comfortable train and hotels. It doesn’t get much better than that.
We appreciate it when our guests share their stories with us and allow us to post them on our blog. Last July, Judy Theodorson, from Spokane, Washington, traveled with us on our Yucatan & Chiapas Adventure.
Dear Lee,
Overall, I could not be more pleased with this trip. Just abut everything exceeded my expectations. While I have extensive travel experience, I have never before used services of packaged/guided tour. This trip taught me the value of utilizing the experts.
Highlights are many. Perhaps the most memorable stop was the church in Chemula where we saw an amalgamate of Mayan and Catholic practices. My academic area is architecture, so I was delighted by the Mayan ruins, in particular, I enjoyed those less traveled—Calakmul, Edzna, and Uxmal. In the future, I hope to visit more of the smaller ones. I was also pleased by the opportunities to experience the natural world—rivers, jungles, beaches—which helped to contextualize the ecological foundations of this impressive place.
I appreciated that our group was able to customize the tour to meet our needs. I hope to do another trip in the future with students that will require even more customization.
The hotels were fine. Several—San Cristobal, Merida, Chichen Itza—were unexpectedly wonderful in terms of both architecture and comforts.
The absolute highlight of our trip was our guide, Javier Sosa Pacheco, who was perfectly matched to our group. I must sing his praises—foremost is his deep knowledge in many subjects including archaeology, anthropology, architecture, Mayan beliefs, history and natural history. He is a natural teacher, delivering the knowledge with clarity, with stories, and with a point of view. By the end, he had done a beautiful job of tying our experiences into a coherent and memorable whole. Furthermore, he is professional in every way—on time, courteous, attentive—and gifted with patience and humor. Importantly, he took the initiative to massage the itinerary so that we had the best experiences possible, for instance, visiting Chichen Itza early in the morning rather than late on a busy day. Finally, he was a great driver.
My experience overall is so positive that I’m already planning another trip to the Yucatan peninsula.
Sincerely yours,
Judy Theodorson, M.Arch, RA
Assistant Professor Interior Design
School of Design and Construction
Washington State University
In the jungles of the Mexican state of Chiapas, the ruins of Palenque contain some of the finest architecture, sculpture, and bas-relief carvings that the Mayans produced.
California Native’s Lee Klein at banquet at International Travel Expo in Vietnam
Last month California Native’s founder and president, Lee Klein, flew to Vietnam to participate in ITE HCMC, the International Travel Expo in Ho Chi Minh City (previously Saigon), where he met with representatives from the many nations in the Southeast Asian tourist industry. Included in the conference were representatives from the government tourist boards, tour operators, and transportation companies in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Taiwan, Malaysia Indonesia and the Philippines.
For many years the California Native has been operating exciting tours in Myanmar (Burma), China and Bhutan, and now it’s time to expand our offerings to other fascinating destinations in Asia.
Traffic in Vietnam is a mad melange of motorbikes and cars.California Native’s Lee Klein at Saigon’s War Relics Museum
California Native founder Lee Klein on zip-line over rain forest in Veracruz, Mexico.
Last week California Native’s founder and president, Lee Klein, attended ATMEX, the Adventure Travel event in the State of Veracruz, Mexico. It was a great opportunity to meet again with adventure tour providers in Mexico and develop future partnerships for providing California Native adventures in this exciting and beautiful state.
Along with friends in the adventure travel industry, Lee rafted down the Rio Antigua, zip-lined over the canopy, and hiked and kayaked in the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas, a secluded rain forest located in the shadow of a volcano. In addition to it’s wonderful opportunities for outdoor recreation, The State of Veracruz offers a treasure chest of historic and cultural sites.
California Native’s Lee Klein (5th from right) with group at Los Tuxtlas waterfall.
We appreciate it when our guests share their stories with us and allow us to post them on our blog. Last month, Olga Muratova and her family members from New York and Los Angeles traveled with us to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and reported this:
My family took a California Native vacation in Yucatan between June 15 and 21, 2013. First of all, I want to thank your company for a wonderful trip that it organized for us. Secondly, I would like to take this opportunity to express my family’s admiration with Mr. Javier Sosa, our tour guide and care-taker in Mexico. Mr. Sosa’s high professionalism, vast knowledge of Mayan culture, engaging narrator’s qualities, impeccable manners, affable and personable attitude, and exceptionally agreeable nature made our trip very pleasant and memorable.
Best,
Olga Muratova
Dramatic clouds frame the Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá, a huge archaeological zone, and one of many visited on The California Native’s Yucatan Adventures.
We appreciate it when our guests share their stories with us and allow us to post them on our blog. A few months ago, Gloria and Ned Krier, from Tucson, Arizona, traveled with us to Myanmar and reported this:
We recently returned home from our trip to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). The highlights included several days in the archaeological area of Bagan, visiting hundreds of old temples. We also enjoyed seeing numerous religious buildings, covered in gold leaf and jewels, containing many sculptures of Bhuddha. It was a thrill to walk along the streets of the fabled cities of Mandalay and Rangoon (now known as Yangon) and see the fascinating culture on Inle Lake.
We were pleased with the pace of the trip. Often we are scheduled for too much “rest” time and we were happy to be “on the go” almost all day. The hotels we stayed in were very nice. The location of the hotel in Bagan was so convenient to walk and discover temples on our own.
Our guide, Simon, was with us for 13 days and AK was with us for three days. They were both very professional and friendly. Simon was charming and always wrote down the names of the places we visited during each day. They both always arrived on time and even came early. The drivers were polite and drove well.
We appreciate it when our guests share their stories with us and allow us to post them on our blog. Last month Tessa Godfrey, from Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England, traveled with us on our Copper Canyon 10-day Independent Tour to the Bottom.
The journey down from Creel to Batopilas was both hair-raising and amazing. Lovely day exploring Batopilas and walking up and down-stream from the village. Glorious drive back up to Creel. The rock formations of the “Valley of the Monks” were a wonderful surprise. I also very much enjoyed the trip to Urique with Doug Rhodes, a very interesting man. The view of the canyon from the hotel [at Divisadero], including the bedrooms, was magnificent.
I liked the balance between your organization and our freedom. The scenery [on the trip] was incredible and your arrangements were excellent.
Many thanks,
Tessa Godfrey
If you look carefully you can see many cave dwellings in the cliffs throughout Mexico's Copper Canyon. Many indigenous Tarahumara Indians still make their homes in these traditional lodgings.
We appreciate it when our guests share their stories with us and allow us to post them on our blog. Last month Jo Rawlins Gilbert, from Menlo Park, California, traveled with us on our Copper Canyon 10-day Independent Tour to the Bottom and had this to report: Jo Rawlings Gilbert reports on Mexico trip, December 2012
Mexico’s Copper Canyon was the third choice for this year’s Holiday trip. Rejected was Ethiopia’s Afar Region and the Balkans (too dangerous or too cold!), so I was left scrambling. In a stack of possible excursions was a clip from the National Geographic about The California Native and the Copper Canyon.
The California Native had a a ten day independent tour to the bottom of the canyon, including train ride and accommodations. We paid extra for two trips into the canyon—one with Don Diego. the colorful American operating a lodge near Cerocahui and another via cable car from the canyon’s rim at Posada Barrancas. A slippery drive on a wet, partially completed road for a two day stay at Batopilas, a colorful. remote mining town, was included in the tour.
It turned out to be an excellent choice: a combination of walking and sightseeing in some of the most beautiful country in the world.
There were four of us, two Brits and two Americans, who had traveled together in various combinations over some five years. All ladies of a certain age. Last year it was Rajasthan and the year before, Oman. Three of us did a four day pretour stay in Mexico City—one had been there before and the other was conversant in Spanish.
We met our fourth member at the [Mexico City] airport where we all flew to Los Mochis, the jumping off point for the tour. We had arranged for an extra day in El Fuerte before boarding El Chepe, the Copper Canyon Railroad, famed for its twists and turns and tunnels as it winds up into the Sierra Madres. Our adventure began but without Walter Houston and Humphrey Bogart.
View of Copper Canyon near Batopilas (Photo by Jo Rawlins Gilbert)
We were met at the first stop by Doug (Don Diego) Rhodes who could certainly qualify as a Readers Digest, Most Unforgettable Character. Ex-Army, ex-NASA, ex-cop, ex-tour guide, he settled in the area twenty-two years ago and now runs a lodge, Paraiso del Oso, for visitors such as us. Affable and knowledgeable, he provides social services for many of the local Tarahumara families in the area. As I found out, he is known from one end of the Canyon to the other. We stayed two nights, spending a day down the road to Urique.
On to Posada Barrancas, on the edge of the canyon, every room with a spectacular view. One of us hiked, two of us did the cable car and adjacent walks and the fourth stayed abed with a cold. So from there to Creel where there was a clinic. Medication helped but even more so, the descent to Batopilas.
There, as at other stops, the local Indians were selling their handicrafts. Colorful and peaceful, there was no pressure to buy. Their work was excellent and we bought bits and pieces.
Batopilas was the charmer. A remote, colorful, small, mining town located on what may have been a stream, but now with the rains, was a full sized river; it was a high point of the trip. We walked to the Lost Cathedral and to the ruin of Alexander Shepherd’s Hacienda. Shepherd, a runaway from Washington, DC, bought the mine in the eighteen-eighties and built bridges, viaducts and a hydroelectric plant. From a look at his crumbling hacienda, he lived high on the hog. All in all, I walked some 15K while the others, who also went along the wet and muddy aqueduct, totaled 20 K.
The ride between Creel and Batopilas was extraordinary: partly paved but often wet dirt. En route, we stopped at various scenic spots: waterfalls, lakes and volcanic eruptions of old. The Valley of the Monks was high on the outstanding sights of the trip. Back at Creel for a night, there was time to walk about the small Mexican cow town.
Copper Canyon's Valley of the Monks (Photo by Jo Rawlins Gilbert)
The train ride from Creel to Chihuahua was long and less scenic. Two of us took a included tour the next day, in and about Chihuahua while two others went about on their own—we met up for a mid afternoon meal, our final gathering as we all flew out the following morning. Chihuahua is a good sized city with mementos of both Indian and Spanish heritage. From the Cathedral to the Capital’s historical murals to Pancho Villa ‘s residence. Our guide took time and energy to make sure we appreciated Chihuahua’s past and present.
Accommodations: Ranged from Holiday Inn in Mexico City and Chihuahua and Best Western in Creel to the basic Paraiso del Oso near Bahuichivo and Hotel Juanita in Batopilas with Posada’s Hotel Mirador‘s spectactular views making up for its touristy ambiance. All different, a contrast with one another.
Food: Ah, that’s a different story. There were several really nice meals. This was not a gourmet’s journey—some of the meals were ok, some were suffered. But then, I avoid the nightshades which limits me. The cost of nearly half were included.
The tour: California Native did an excellent job of preparing and executing the tour. They rate an A+.
Comment: It is too bad that there were not more visitors. The local economy is suffering from lack of tourists. Apparently, fear of drug traffickers and personal safety issues keep people away. The Mexicans seem determined to keep the peace—cops of one kind or another were evident throughout. We certainly didn’t feel unsafe.
Cost: $1765 for the tour including the extra night at El Fuerte plus 190 Pesos apiece for trip to Urique. Approximately 200 Pesos for shared hotel room in Mexico City. Air fare San Francisco-Mexico City-Los Mochis; Chihuahua-SF was $856.47. Cat care: $650.
We appreciate it when our guests share their stories with us and allow us to post them on our blog. Last month Jean Dook, from Felix, Almeria, Spain, traveled with us on our Copper Canyon 11-day Ultimate Tour and had this to report: A young Tarahumara girl carries her little sister, in Mexico’s Copper Canyon.
I had the trip of a lifetime. Will recommend your organization to everyone who stops to listen to all the wonderful stories I have to tell about the trip. I am trying to encourage some friends on the same trip so I can come again! If Rob [our California Native guide] had said on the last day lets turn round and start again I would have been the first in line to say YES!!!!! Lets do it.
I am now thinking about Costa Rica, it sounds wonderful too. But I may have fallen in love with Mexico.
Thank you so much I feel I have found a gem in the travel world.
