Friday, March 07, 2008

How to Make Your Trip to Copper Canyon Mexico Easier

You've probably heard about the train trip through Copper Canyon
in Mexico. The Chihuahua Pacifico, "El Chepe" for short, is the
only passenger train in Mexico. It winds its way through the
Copper Canyon system which is bigger than the Grand Canyon in
the US. It is increasingly becoming a tourist magnet. On our
train ride, there were tourists from the US, France, Italy,
Germany, and Mexico.

You can fly to El Paso and then drive to the city of Chihuahua,
spend the night there and then board the train early in the
morning, like 5:30 a.m. Don't worry, you can get a hot breakfast
on board. There's a dining car and also a bar. The Copper Canyon
train runs between Ojinaga (north) and Los Mochis, in the state
of Sinaloa, near the Sea of Cortez, but passenger service begins
in Chihuahua City.

Your Copper Canyon train trip will take you from sea level to
more than 8,000 feet as the train cuts its way through the
Sierra Madre Mountains. Reports vary (and we didn't count) but
there are over 75 tunnels, and over 30 bridges. The views are
spectacular, covering all types of terrain - farmland, Indian
dwellings, hills, canyons, rivers, springs, waterfalls - you'll
see it all. You can stand between cars for a better view, fresh
air, and great photographs. This is truly a photographer's dream
trip, but great for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts as well.

The train always stops at the town of Divisadero so passengers
can get out and see the view. As the name would suggest,
Divisadero is at a dividing point between the Atlantic and
Pacific watershed. You can see down three of the canyons: Cobre
(copper), Urique, and Tarahumara. You'll also want to do some
souvenir shopping. The Tarahumara Indians sell their crafts and
there are also food stands.

The Copper Canyon railroad was begun in the late 19th century
but because of various problems, not completed until 1961. The
entire trip takes around 15 hours. Worried about disorder?
There's a military guy with a machine gun on board, because I
guess there used to be robberies. Well not any more!

Since this is not a sleeper train, you can stay in hotels along
the way where you may find trail rides, hiking, a van trip down
the canyon, ATMs, local music, sights (like balancing rock),
missions, food and shopping.

Google "Copper Canyon" images and take a look at the photos. If
this whets your appetite, here are some tips to make your trip
easier:

1. Southwest Airlines flies to El Paso. That's a no-brainer. We
spent the night there, and then our guide drove us across the
border to Chihuahua the next day.

2. Be sure you have a valid passport.

3. Use My Power Mall (http://www.excideals.com ). For instance,
when I clicked "Travel", Southwest Airlines was right next to a
place that provides quick passports, and you get a rebate on
both. Then there were stores for buying the necessary vacation
clothes, and then click over to a drugstore where you can get
some Imodium. 4. Yeah, it's a good idea to take something for
turista, just in case. While you're on My Power Mall you can
also check for tours and accommodations. Wyndham is on there,
Hyatt, Marriot. Heck, BritRail Tours is even on there - 1000s of
"stores" to choose from, rebates on all of them. 4. You'll also
need some special clothes for your trip, available at discount
from 1000s of merchants through My Power Mall as well.
Specifically we recommend:

a. A hat or head covering, sunglasses, and good sunscreen. Think
of it like skiing in Colorado. High altitude.

b. Comfortable casual clothes, jeans, shorts, t-shirts are fine.
The temperature can vary. Bring layers. Of course there is
air-conditioning on the train. In one hotel, we turned the heat
on at night.

c. A backpack or something you can put over your shoulder to put
all your things in like purse, passport and camera.

d. Film or batteries for the camera. Trust me - you'll take
hundreds of photos and never tire.

e. Shoes for horseback riding, hiking and the ATV.

f. Something for rain. There were sort of tropical showers in
the afternoons and evenings when we were there.

g. Bathing suit. Some of the hotels have hot tubs and pools.
Check before you go. You may also want to take a dip in some of
the beautiful rivers.

5. Dress clothes optional. Our tour included two really nice
restaurants. So if you like to dress up, go ahead. The one we
ate at in the town of Chihuahua, it was Sunday afternoon and the
families there were dressed. (It was also one of the single best
meals I've ever had.)

6. Any special equipment for your laptop, cell phone etc. you
can do some quick comparison shopping and get a good deal here:
http://www.1audio-equipment.com . Everywhere we stayed had
computer connection, but not always a computer. What was nice
was the ones that did have computers and Internet let you get on
the Internet without charge. They don't do that on a cruise now,
do they?

7. Check with your cell provider before you go about coverage.
There were blackouts for us.

8. A guide. He can handle the luggage, the tickets, the lines,
the local culture, the language and currency, getting through
customs, and they know where the good places and the good water
are. In the towns where we stopped, there was always a place to
buy the things we needed or wanted, like bottled water. Hey! I
needed a pony tail holder. They even had that! And at the local
versions of Stop 'n' Go's, we fell in love with Cremas.

9. Get insurance - if you're driving in Mexico, and also check
your health insurance to see if you're covered in Mexico.

9. One last thing and you can get this on My Power Mall too --
Toilet paper. Yeah, you'll see a lot of the locals getting on
the train with a roll of TP. The restrooms were well-stocked
(and clean), but it seems to be a tradition.

10. Lastly, enrich your experience by learning before you go. On
www.learningtrove.com you can find videos about Mexico, and also
introductory Spanish. If you're taking kids with you, this will
really add to their experience. Comprende? Actually one of the
hidden bonuses about this trip is that your kids may see the
Milky Way for the first time in their lives. There's a great
educational video about the Milky Way on
http://www.learningtrove.com. - just go there and enter "Milky
Way." It may be the first time you have seen the Milky Way in
many years, without realizing it. The stars at night are very
visible. Great learning experience for the kids.

I'd heard a lot about the Copper Canyon train ride. It's one of
those trips that exceeded my expectations. It helps to be
well-prepared, so I hope these tips help you.

About the author:
©Susan Dunn. Join MyPowerMall, http://www.excideals.com/,
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