Now is the time to book your trip for Easter in Mexico’s Copper Canyon. The Easter, or Semana Santa, celebrations of the Tarahumara Indians make this time the high season of the year. Small towns which are sleepy most of the year are now alive with celebrations, 24-hours a day. The Tarahumara, who call themselves the Raramuri, celebrate for a week, with dancing, parades, bon fires, ceremonies in the churches and much drinking of tesguino, the Indians traditional corn liquor.
To begin to understand the Tarahumara ceremonies, one has to have a basic understanding of the Indians’ religion. Read our story about this unusual version of Catholicism practiced by these colorful cave-dwelling people.
As we come to the end of another year, it’s time to reflect on what we have accomplished in the last year and what we are looking forward to in the new year.
Last year was quite an eventful year for The California Native. We made another exploration trip to Patagonia, sailing around Cape Horn on a wonderful expedition cruise, hiking on glaciers with crampons, and whitewater rafting through Argentina’s beautiful countryside. We also made several trips to Mexico, one at the invitation of President Calderon to attend a luncheon with him and celebrate the initialization of a campaign to promote the wonders of Mexico’s colonial cities.
For the upcoming year we will be offering new trips in Patagonia and China, as well as additional departure dates for our Copper Canyon trips. And of course we’ll continue to offer our exciting tours of Costa Rica, Peru, Galapagos, Bhutan, Myanmar and Ireland, and our other off-the-beaten-track destinations.
We receive many queries about current conditions in Mexico’s Copper Canyon, so here are some of the latest reports from recent guests on our Copper Canyon tours:
David Martin, from San Diego, CA, enjoyed our October 9, 11-day Ultimate Tour. “The whole trip exceeded [my expectations]! Food, lodging, views, train trip, Jessica. Could not have asked for a better guide on this trip. Personable, sense of humor, and a love for Mexico that pours forth in her discussions…it was wonderful! She really made the trip. Super knowledgeable.” His travel companion, Ann Cunningham, concurred, “I have collected articles since 1986 on Copper Canyon—my dream was realized to the nth degree.”
On the same trip, Irene and Randy Pollard, from Farmville, NC, reported that, “Jessica was one of the best guides we have ever experienced (We have traveled a lot). Her maturity and efforts to insure each person’s comfort and satisfaction was remarkable. We thoroughly enjoyed every part of this trip. Jessica provided opportunities at all ability levels. I wasn’t expecting the excellent accommodations—when materials mentioned ‘local’, I had expected much less.”
As a single traveler on our 8-day Independent Trip, Bruce M. Hale, from La Crescenta, CA, returned on November 17 and reported: “I liked all the hotels and staff. They all provided excellent lodging and personalized service even though I was solo. I particularly like Paraiso del Oso—the rustic atmosphere, the remote location [and] the chance to go to Urique. You made it easy to travel alone and your providers all performed as expected. Also, I’m pleased to have confirmed the safety aspect. I never felt in any danger, everything was fine.”
We, at California Native, value our guests comments, opinions and suggestions. These together with reports from our guides and inspection trips by our staff help us to keep our trips safe, fun and educational.
A California Native guest purchases crafts from a Tarahumara weaver in Mexico
Visitors to the Copper Canyon area are always pleasantly surprised by the wide variety of craftsware and folk art available for purchase. The remote life and character of the Tarahumara Indians has fostered a tradition of crafts making as a part of their life-style.
While traveling through the region you will find very inexpensively priced baskets, belts, dolls, pottery and musical instruments.
The baskets are made out of the leaves of the agave as well as pine needles and range in size from tiny to large. Visitors purchasing baskets find that they can pack them one inside the other to conserve space during their trip. Once at home, the baskets of pine needles hold their scent of pine forests and become a wonderful reminder of the trip, and they are utilitarian as well as beautiful. The Tarahumara pottery is quite sturdy and is designed to be more functional then decorative.
Music is an important part of the Indians daily living and also plays an important roll in their ceremonies and festivals. Their musical instruments include violins, drums and wooden flutes. They learned the art of violin making from the Spaniards in the 18th century.
Carved wooden dolls dressed in typical Tarahumara fashion are for sale in a variety of sizes and portray the various activities of Tarahumara life—mothers wearing shawls while carrying babies on their backs, ladies weaving on hand-looms, and men carrying tools or musical instruments and wearing their traditional headgear.
Crafts can be purchased from the Indians who set up their merchandise on rocks along the trails and in all sorts of unlikely nooks and crannies. Crafts are also available in stores, and one that we recommend is the Mission Store in Creel, located right on the town square. Profits go to the hospital which serves the Tarahumara Indians.
California Native founder, Lee Klein, invites guests to join us for the spectacular ride on the Copper Canyon train.
A whistle blows, and a conductor shouts the Spanish equivalent of “All aboard.” The diesel engines rev up, people relax in their seats, and off they go on one of the most famous and spectacular rail trips in the Western Hemisphere—the Copper Canyon train trip.
Officially called the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad, the rail line runs 406 miles from Los Mochis, on the Gulf of California, to the inland City of Chihuahua. Enroute, the train passes through the incredibly scenic area of rugged mountains and deep canyons in Northern Mexico’s Sierra Madre Occidental.
The rail line was first conceived in 1872 as the Kansas City Topolobampo Railroad by an American entrepreneur named Albert Kinsey Owen. By building a railroad from Kansas City across Mexico to the Pacific Coast, he could shorten the distance of the existing route by half, saving over 400 miles. Agricultural products from the interior of the United States could be transported over this shorter route to Topolobampo Bay, a natural seaport, and then carried on by ship to the Orient and western South America.
Construction of the railroad began in 1885. The project faced numerous difficulties, including lack of funds, poor management, some of the most rugged country in North America, the Mexican Revolution, and the building of the Panama Canal.
The rail line was finally completed in November of 1961, almost 90 years from its conception. The trains never did make it all the way to Kansas, but by this time improvements in U.S. domestic transportation had eliminated the need. It did, however, open up one of the most remote areas of Mexico and is still the only method of reliable transportation through the western Sierra Madres.
In order to complete the route, 86 tunnels and 37 bridges were constructed, totaling almost eleven miles of tunnels and 2¼ miles of bridges. The train climbs 8000 feet, plunges into a series of canyons and clings to sheer rock walls. At one point along the route it makes a 360 degree loop. At another point it enters a tunnel, makes a 180 degree turn, and exits the tunnel with the canyon now on the opposite side of the train. The views made possible by this masterful engineering feat, considered to be one of the most outstanding achievements of railway engineering in the world, are truly spectacular.
Pack your bags and join us on this remarkable journey. Along with experiencing this spectacular train ride, you will meet the people who make this area of Northern Mexico their home, including the cave-dwelling Tarahumara Indians, who have managed to preserve their traditional life-style despite the encroachment of Spain, Mexico, and the coming of the railroad.
The holidays are coming up fast, but it is not too late to make your plans for a wonderful holiday getaway. We still have some spaces left on our Christmas/New Years escorted tour to Mexico’s Copper Canyon where we will celebrate Christmas with the Tarahumara Indians at the Paraiso del Oso Lodge.
Tarahumara children celebrate Christmas with a piñata at Copper Canyon's Paraiso del Oso.
On December 23rd, we will depart with our small group out of Los Angeles and Phoenix airports for an exciting tour into the canyon. The 11-day Ultimate tour spends nights in El Fuerte, Cerocahui, Divisadero, Creel, Batopilas, Chihuahua and the “woodsy” retreat at Nortari. As with all of our Copper Canyon tours, we ride the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad for one of the most spectacular train rides in the Western Hemisphere.
On this special trip, participants will have the opportunity to enjoy a special Christmas Eve known as Noche-bueno (the Good Night), a delicious dinner at the Paraiso del Oso, and Ana Maria’s famous Christmas punch. Those wishing to join the Tarahumara Indians and mestizo community may attend the midnight mass, also known as La Misa del Gallo (Rooster’s Mass). Traditional Tarahumara dancing usually starts an hour or two before the mass, then recommences afterwards to make it an all-night celebration. As an old Spanish saying goes, “Esta noche es Noche-Buena, y no es noche de dormir” (Tonight is the Good Night, and it is not meant for sleeping).
As Christmas morning arrives, the celebration moves back to the Oso Lodge where local Tarahumara, who live in isolated ranchitos in the rugged mountains surrounding the lodge, join the hotel guests for the piñata party. The children take turns swinging at the Christmas piñata until it explodes, showering candy and small toys. The hotel is filled with laughter and glee as the children scramble to collect their treasures. Then gifts from under the Christmas tree are handed out. As the locals return to their mountain ranchitos, The California Native guests prepare for a beautiful day trip to the bottom of Urique Canyon. In the evening after the excursion, guests enjoy a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
In a few days, it will be time to welcome in 2011, and we’ll spend New Year’s Eve surrounded by pine trees in the Sierra Madre Mountains. We will stay in comfortable log cabins at the Lodge at Norítari. In Rarumari, the language of the Tarahumara Indians, the name means a “Place Above the Clouds.” Here we can hike to a nearby lake or relax on an old-fashioned porch taking in the peacefulness of this lovely area.
Some other highlights of this tour are the Cusarare and Basaseachic waterfalls, a day trip to the village of Urique, the “Lost Cathedral of Satevo,” a trip back in time to the village of Batopilas, and magnificent vista points which overlook a whole series of intertwined “barrancas” (canyons).
Want to celebrate Christmas in Copper Canyon but can’t take the full 11-days for your winter vacation? We also have an 8-day trip which departs on December 19.
To be a part of this year’s celebration and enjoy this truly unique experience, call us at 1-800-926-1140 (or 1-310-642-1140) to make your reservations now as time is running out. Happy holiday season to all of our fellow travelers.
Due to the popularity of our Copper Canyon Tours, we occasionally find the need to add additional dates. Last month we added another date for our 11-day Ultimate Tour in October and this week we are adding an additional 8-day Special Tour to our Fall schedule.
In Mexico's Copper Canyon a young Tarahumara lady smiles as she weaves a basket.Our newly scheduled 8-day trip begins on October 16th and returns home on the 23rd.
This exciting trip is similar to our 7-day Classic Tour but adds the adventure of traveling from Creel down to the village of Batopilas in the canyon bottom. During our two-night stay in Batopilas, we hike or ride to the “Lost Cathedral” and explore the many sights of this unique little town where time seems to have stopped in the 19th century. The itinerary of the trip is as follows:
October 16: We fly to the city of Los Mochis, then travel to the small colonial city of El Fuerte, where we spend the night and begin our Copper Canyon Adventure.
October 17: In the morning we board the first-class Copper Canyon train and travel up into the Sierra Madre Mountains, passing through 86 tunnels and crossing 37 bridges. This is one of the most spectacular train rides in the Western Hemisphere. After lunch we arrive at Divisadero and stay at a picturesque lodge located right on the edge of the canyon. Here we make our first contacts with the cave-dwelling Tarahumara Indians. In the afternoon we hike along the canyon rim for magnificent views. Dinner is at the lodge’s dining room, with its majestic view of the canyon.
October 18: After breakfast we hike to Tarahumara caves and spectacular canyon views. Usually our guides can make arrangements with the Indians to put on demonstrations of their famous foot races and folk dances. In the afternoon we board the train for the ride to Creel, a lumber town high in the Sierra Madre Mountains, where we spend the night.
October 19: We travel from Creel to the little town of Batopilas. We pass through mountains and valleys, and after reaching the Tarahumara community of Kirare we head down the long, winding dirt road that leads to the bottom of the canyon. We spend the next two nights in a charming little Mexican hotel in this village that seems suspended in time somewhere in the nineteenth century.
October 20: We hike or ride to the “Lost Cathedral” of Satevo and explore the area surrounding Batopilas.
October 21: Today we return to Creel. En route we hike to Cusarare Falls and a cave with petroglyphs.
October 22: Traveling to the city of Chihuahua, we stop at a Mennonite settlement for a homemade lunch, arriving in the afternoon at our deluxe hotel. After checking in we tour the city of Chihuahua—the State Capital with its murals, the State Museum and the home of Pancho Villa. This evening we enjoy our traditional farewell banquet.
October 23: We travel by van from Chihuahua to El Paso where we fly home, sad to leave but returning home with wonderful memories of this remote area of Mexico and the unique people who make it their home.
What’s included: These trips are fully escorted by our experienced bilingual guides. The price includes transportation and accommodations: one night in El Fuerte, one night in Divisadero, two nights in Creel, two nights in Batopilas and one night in Chihuahua; excursions, tips and most meals. Round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, Phoenix or El Paso is also included. Check with us for discounted air rates from other U.S. and Canadian cities.
Price per person (double occupancy): $2520
Space is limited to 14 passengers, so please join us now!
The beaches at Cancun give the traveler a chance to unwind at the beginning of a trip exploring Mexico
When you travel with us on our Yucatan Explorer Trips, you now have the option of beginning and ending your vacation in either city, Cancun or Merida.
With the large number of airlines flying into Cancun daily, starting your Yucatan adventure in Cancun allows you to take advantage of the competitive airfares and direct flights from the U.S. and Canada.
Cancun is renowned for its beaches, restaurants and nightlife, with all the glitter of an upscale beach resort. Merida, on the other hand, is a cosmopolitan but at the same time tranquil and charming colonial city.
Abandoned for more than ten centuries, the Pyramid of the Magician is the tallest structure at the Mayan ruins of Uxmal.
The Yucatan Peninsula is the homeland of the Mayan people, whose mighty empire lasted over a thousand years. Throughout the peninsula are the amazing archaeological ruins of their great cities. In addition, the Yucatan has lovely colonial cities and beautiful Caribbean beaches.
All of our Yucatan tours visit the Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, El Balam and Edzna, as well as the city of Campeche—its fort was built by the Spaniards as defense against the Caribbean pirates.
The tours which begin in Cancun also visit the ruins of the Mayan port city of Tulum, built alongside a beautiful Caribbean beach. and the archaeological site of Coba.
If you are looking for more an even more extensive trip, you can include Chiapas and/or Copper Canyon in your Mexico vacation.
This year in Mexico is a year for celebration. It is the bicentennial of Mexico’s War of Independence as well as the centennial of the Mexican Revolution. Two hundred years ago the first of these events set our neighbor on the path to becoming the 14th largest independent nation on Earth, as well as the world’s largest Hispanic country. It was the inspiration and leadership of one man which led to Mexico’s throwing off the shackles of Spain after almost three centuries.Father Miguel Hidalgo's speech, known as the Grito de Dolores, the “Cry of Dolores,” set off the Mexican War of Independence.
That man was a 57-year-old priest whose parish was in the city of Dolores, Guanajuato. The date was September 16, 1810. Early that morning Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla had the church bells rung to summon the townspeople to the church, where he told his followers that the time had come to expel the Spaniards who had misgoverned Mexico for so long. His speech, known as the Grito de Dolores, the “Cry of Dolores,” set off the Mexican War of Independence, which resulted in Mexico’s becoming an independent country.
Hidalgo was born in 1753 on the hacienda where his father was administrator. At twenty years of age he received his Bachelor of Theology degree and lectured in philosophy and theology at San Nicolás Obispo and, after being ordained as a priest, became rector of the school. His ideas and conduct were extremely liberal, which led to his being dismissed from that post, and twice being investigated by the Inquisition, who accused him of reading prohibited books, advocating doctrines of the French Revolution, doubting the virgin birth of Mary, gambling, and keeping a mistress. His last clerical position was that of parish priest in the little town of Dolores.
Hidalgo worked hard to improve the lives of his parishioners, mastering their Indian language and teaching them crafts and skills to improve their economic condition. He also introduced winemaking and silk culture, two industries which the government declared illegal in the colonies, and one day government officials came to the village and destroyed the vines and mulberry trees.
Late in the eighteenth century it became fashionable among cultured criollos, persons of Spanish descent who were born in Mexico, to form literary societies, which met for tea and cakes and discussed the classics. They also smuggled into the country books which were banned by the Church, such as the works of Rousseau, Voltaire, and Descartes. The literary societies gradually became political societies. Father Hidalgo belonged to one of these societies whose members were plotting a revolution to separate Mexico from Spain.
The group selected Hidalgo to lead the movement, and thus on the morning of September 16th, 1810, Hidalgo, with his “Cry of Dolores” launched the revolution, and the rebel army set forth, armed with machetes, swords, knives, clubs, axes, and a few muskets. As they passed through each town they opened the local jails and recruited the prisoners for their cause. Eventually their numbers grew to sixty thousand.
After six months of fighting, Hidalgo fell into a royalist trap and was captured. Because he was a priest, he was subjected to a lengthy hearing by the Inquisition, after which he was found guilty of heresy and treason, defrocked, and, on July 30, 1811, executed by a firing squad in the city of Chihuahua. His head, along with those of three other revolutionary leaders, was cut off and sent to Guanajuato, where it was put on a pole and displayed for a decade.
After Hidalgo’s death, the revolutionary movement continued until September 28,1821, when Mexico finally became an independent nation.
In Mexico, Hidalgo is credited with arousing the spirit of rebellion against the Spanish oppression. Because of his patriotism, his championing of human rights and his personal courage, he is considered by Mexicans to be the father of their nation and the symbol of Mexican independence.
Each year on September 15, Independence Day is celebrated throughout Mexico, with parades, fireworks, and the cry of “Mexicanos, Viva Mexico!”
Now is the time to book your trip for Easter in Mexico’s Copper Canyon. The Easter, or Semana Santa, celebrations of the Tarahumara Indians make this time the high season of the year. Small towns which are sleepy most of the year are now alive with celebrations, 24-hours a day. The Tarahumara, who call themselves the Raramuri, celebrate for a week, with dancing, parades, bon fires, ceremonies in the churches and much drinking of tesguino, the Indians traditional corn liquor.
As we come to the end of another year, it’s time to reflect on what we have accomplished in the last year and what we are looking forward to in the new year.
