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SANCUTARY: Topo Topolobampo Marine Sanctuary is a rich bio-diverse bay filled with tuna, shrimp, clams, oysters, scallops, and crab. (Courtesy of Kurt Winner)
The little mountain town of Cerocahui, Chihuahua City in Mexico is a long way from my home in the mountains of Oregon, but each part of the journey unfolds with its own discoveries along the way. Cerocahui is reached by train as part of a rail trip you can book through Mexico Adventures Inc. Why explore this region? Although it’s not a beach resort vacation, you will be rewarded by a more authentic trip and fabulous vistas.
Aero Mexico flies from gateway cities in America to several cities in Mexico where you change planes and puddle jump into your starting city to begin your train trip. I’m headed for Los Mochis, north of Mazatlan near the Sea of Cortez, to catch the Copper Canyon train.
Los Mochis is an industrialized modern city built by American Benjamin Johnson in 1903 to house and provide commerce to a population that worked his sugar cane empire. Mostly cement low-rise buildings with the exception of hotels and hospitals, for us it provides a comfortable rest stop at Hotel Santa Anita. In the morning we will board a pleasure boat and cruise around the breathtaking Topolobampo Bay.
Topolobampo Marine Sanctuary is a rich bio-diverse bay filled with tuna, shrimp, clams, oysters, scallops, and crab. Part port, part sanctuary, deep within the bay there is Farallon Island, populated by sea lions; and Bird Island with, you guessed it, a huge population of many species of birds. As our boat pulls away from the pier, the small town recedes. Along the shore in the sanctuary area there are no houses, but curiously there is a large energy production plant. We quickly cruise past and marvel at pods of dolphins surfacing along our bow.
Soon the sun is high, and our captain slows alongside a dory. Our deckhand offers some cold coca-cola to the day boat fisherman, and he fills the chef’s fry pan full of shrimp. Lunch is looking up!
As guests of Balderrama Hotels and Mexico Adventures, we are travelling with our own chef on Balderrama’s fishing charter boat. While chef Victor Samaniego prepares delicacies in the galley, we sip Pacifico Cervezas on the canopied fly bridge. Soon platters of shrimp and scallop cerviche, coconut shrimp, and sautéed shrimp arrive. With a squeeze of lime, a taste of cerviche, and a sip of cold beer, I am in Topolabampo nirvana! The boat rocks gently as I imprint this perfect memory of warm sun, cool beer, birds squawking on rocky ledges, and the soft brown hills rising from the bay.
Fast forward 50 land miles and a day to the 1564 Spanish city of El Fuerte, birthplace of “El Zorro.” After a river tour to view ancient petroglyphs and an enchanting evening with the flirtatious, masked Zorro singing poolside at Hotel Posada del Hildalgo, we are seated aboard the Ferromex Chepe train headed to Bahuichivo where a bus will take us to Cerocahui (sero-ka-wee). We cross miles of canyon systems that make up Copper Canyon in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Our train snakes along this geological marvel, four times larger than the Grand Canyon. Under blue skies, the wide-open views of river change to dark-grey-rock-wall tunnels as the train pushes on.
CEROCAHUI HORSES: Take well-trained horses to the Cerocahui waterfall Huicochi. (Courtesy of Kurt Winner)
We wind through sesame fields, scrub trees, acacia and cactus. A few settlements of rail workers and Tarahumara natives poke up along the river Rio Fuerte and Rio Chinipas. We cross the long Santa Barbara Bridge over Rio Mina Plata and cut through several tunnels to switchback via a section of rail. Slowly, high in the steep mountains of the Sierra Madres, we reach the old lumber town of Bahuichivo. Boys and young men line the sidewalk along the train and help load our bags for tips as we disembark and pack into a dusty bus that will take us to the Hotel Mission. Through narrow streets, we head out to the valley for about eight miles to Cerocahui.
This little town founded by Jesuits 300 years ago is seated in a high fertile valley of apple orchards and some 4,000 heirloom wine grape vines. The Hotel Mission next to the cathedral and mission boarding school for Tarahumara Indian girls is Spanish Colonial in feel with a main lodge, tiny corner bar, and a large dining room. The rooms, built as several haciendas situated throughout the garden, are spacious with muted décor. Smooth tile floors, wood beam ceilings, and stucco walls painted white or soft terra cotta and ochre change colour in the mountain light during the day. At this elevation, it gets very cold at night, so wood is stacked next to the woodstove for me to start a fire.
“Ride or hike?” We are gathered in the lobby’s seating area, and our tour guide wants to know if we are interested in seeing the Cerocahui waterfall Huicochi (wee-ko-chee).
“Ride, you bet,” I say along with three other adventurous souls who possess the strange compulsion to ride a trail we have never been on and with horses we have never met!
Juan is waiting for us outside with his string of horses and his wiry dog Pepe. After sizing each of us up, he motions to the horse he wants us to mount. The saddles are hard leather, very dark brown; the stirrups have heavy brush covers; and the reins are soft and thin. The horses wear unusual shoes that are flat. Juan points to the stamped saddle mark on the seat and points up into the hills showing me where the local saddle maker lives. As we walk the horses across the bridge over the river in the center of town, a very loud diesel Chevy truck threatens to scare us all off the road.
We make our way along the river, along the steep sandy trail. The horses are sure-footed and calm; not so for the riders! Each time we crest to a part of the trail that seems to be too narrow and inches from certain death, one of us lets out a wincing “oh God.” But the horses never falter. They pick their way along the trail through the stones and boulders in the fast moving river, squeezing us through narrow rock openings and clambering up rocky ledges. Trying to cross the river at one spot we have to dismount. The river is too deep, and the horses have to be led as we hop from boulder to boulder to the other side. Juan, who walks the entire trip in native Tarahumara sandals of reclaimed rubber tire tread, constantly reassures us with “no probelma,” as Pepe his dog runs ahead of the horses to chase a longhorn cow or two off the trail.
After the long ride, the box canyon narrows and then opens up. The good news? We are almost at the waterfall. Bad news? We have to return the same way. Soon, we are rewarded by a long horsetail waterfall carving through the rock outcroppings and splashing into pool of clear deep green. But alas we can’t stay. It’s getting dark and there are margaritas waiting for us at the hotel.
Travellers Guide Airline: Aero Mexico: www.aeromexico.com
Complete Tours: www.mexicoscoppercanyon.com.mx
Copper Canyon Hotels: www.hotelesbalderrama.com
Train: www.chepe.com.mx
Tourism Office: www.ah-Chihuahua.com
Chihuahua City Hotel: www.sicomoro.com
The trail ride: Available through the front desk at the Balderrama Hotel Mission. Plan to book ahead so the horses are ready for you when you arrive. It’s approx. $20 American dollars plus tip.
Ceviche Mix to de Camarón y Pescado: Mixed Shrimp and Fish Ceviche
Courtesy from Chef Victor Samaniego of Balderrama Hotels
Serves 4-6 hors d’oeuveres
1/2 cleaned shrimp, cut in small cubes
250 g (1/2 lb) of cleaned fish (no bones) cut in small cubes
3 salad tomato cut into small cubes
1/2 white onion finely chopped
1 cucumber, seeded, cubed
2 serrano peppers, finely chopped, include a few seeds
15 stems and leaves of fresh cilantro finely cut
10 small lemons or enough fresh lemon juice to cover (Mexican Colima lemons are tiny)
Salt and pepper to your taste
On a crystal plate or shallow bowl, place fish and shrimp, add salt and black pepper and lemon juice. Let it marinate for 5 or 10 minutes (no longer). After the shrimp and fish are “cooked” by the marinade, add the vegetables cut in pieces to garnish, and arrange along the plate. If you desire, you can add clam juice to your taste.
Michelle is a freelance writer living in Oregon.
