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Chasing Summer p.012
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My "cup of joe" (by Ron aka Lone*Star)
In Major League Baseball when a minor league ball player gets a brief “call-up” to the majors, it’s sometimes said “he came up for a cup of coffee.” In Jean-Luc, Turkish and BoyScout’s Major League Adventure ride, I showed up for my “cup of coffee.” It was a quick one-week ride to Barranca de Cobre and back.
My thoughts and photographs can only detract from Jean-Luc’s work. I’ll just add a few of my thoughts about a very short portion of the trip.
Early into the ride north I asked Jean-Luc what the plans for the trip south were. He mentioned Copper Canyon and the expected date of departure. I locked in the date and planned to make it happen. 3 days to Copper Canyon, 3 days in and around and then 3 days back home. Sound like fun? For once I had the bike ready early the night before the trip.
Why does Jean-Luc hate water?
On very rare occasions you get to wait for Jean-Luc. Here I am. Time to go!
Little did I know that he had started a new campaign against water. The first attack was to leave his Camelback at home. He finally showed up after he “remembered” to return and get it.
Riding with Jean-Luc is always a treat. If he is following he is always close behind. When ahead he often stops to get action shots as you pass.
We didn’t take many pictures early in the ride but the weather and roads were fantastic. Little did we know that as we left the area the terrible wildfires would move in behind us.
On the road to the cascade Jean-Luc is enjoying a beautiful morning for a ride on a great motorcycle road - 16.
A chance meeting with Grant in the parking lot at the cascade
What a great part of the trip was meeting and riding with Grant. He gave us some good advice about hiking down to view the falls. It was even better that he joined us for the ride to Batopilas. One of the best parts of a ride like this is meeting people on the road with different experiences and perspectives. Being an Aussie living in Canada he added a unique touch to our stay in Batopilas. A good mate.
Oct 23rd - Creel to Batopilas (part 2)
A couple more pictures of the road...
We arrive in Batopilas around 1:30 PM. It’s an awesome place, beautiful and with a real soul. It’s surprisingly big for a place so remote. The town is located along the river in a narrow valley that keeps it from too much sun and heat. Because it’s so narrow (one street for most of it) it’s quite long. It has an interesting history and was for example the 2nd city to get electricity in Mexico after Mexico City. We stop to find an hotel and go for the cheapest “the Batopilas hotel”. Very basic accommodations, no glass windows, but with hot water and for only 80 pesos a person it’s hard to beat. La abuela is still running the place.
We go for lunch and then hop back on the bike to visit the “lost mission”. I smell burned plastic but not much. I just start the bike and get ready to go… Damn! No pressure at all on the clutch lever.
The clutch was absolutely perfect when I had stopped the bike 1 hour or 2 ago how could it be with absolutely zero pressure now!?! I check things around and that’s when I discover where the odor was coming from: my ‘gloves compartment’ where I keep my Autocom, fuses and electrical accessories is a mess of burned electric cables
.
There is usually no connection between a clutch problem and an electrical issue but I have a feeling that the 2 things happening at the same time are not a coincidence. When I started to prepare the bike for the trip 5 months ago I installed an additional fuse box and connected it directly to the battery. It worked fine until now but with the shocks and vibrations one cable ended up grinded and created a massive shortcut, melting the negative cable all the way from the battery at the bottom of the engine to the gloves compartment. As I was afraid, somewhere on the way it was touching the clutch hydraulic cable and melted it enough to create a leak. Bummer! That’s almost impossible to repair without having a spare cable and going back the hill all the way to Creel without a clutch would be quite a challenge! I'm really pissed at myself since it's all my fault that this happened
.
Well, at least we are stuck in a very cool place! And retrospectively I was pretty lucky: the breakdown could have happened in the middle of the dirt road and we would be struggling under a burning sun. The other thing that could have happened is that the electric wire could have melt a fuel line and create a fire!
We had to tow the bike to the only mechanic in town.
Pic by Grant
At the mechanic's place...
Pic by Grant
He’s busy welding under an old truck but he’s OK to help us. His place looks like a junkyard...
...but he speaks a bit of English and seems to really know his stuff.
Pic by Grant
He sends me to buy a connector at the end of the town in a shop that sell fruits and vegetables just as well as tools. Unfortunately that solution doesn’t work and we try to put a high pressure gas pipe clamped over the cut. We don’t have mineral oil but the mechanic uses 2 fingers to evaluate the viscosity of the oil I have in my clutch and says that it’s very close to the Automatic transmission fluid he has so we just use that.
There is some pressure at the lever but the pipe is too flexible and doesn’t really disengage the clutch. Grant and Ron who were having fun decided that the only way to make the junction more rigid was to use a Tecate can!
Pic by Grant
It did help a bit but not enough… At the end the mechanic ran out of ideas and he only wants us to pay him on beers.
Pic by Grant
Back in the hotel...
Surprisingly there are two plazas on the pueblo; two restaurants mentioned by the Lonely Planet are on the smallest one, at the end of the village. When we check them they’re mostly occupied by tourists and we decide to take our chance elsewhere for a drink on a patio with locals. After an hour the electricity in the whole town goes out! No one seems surprised or worried and we just continue drinking under the full moon. The only problem is that when we finally went to find something to eat all the restaurants had closed for lack of electricity.
We hang out for a while with still quite a few people in the streets before to go back to the hotel where a candle is awaiting us in front of our door. An energy bar is all that we will have for dinner tonight but it’s fine. Temperature is OK too, a bit warm without the fan but comfortable enough to sleep.
Oct 24th - Batopilas
Early wake up... this is right in front of our hotel
There is still no electricity this morning when we wake up after a good night of sleep. That doesn’t stop all the students to get on their way to school. Those are the older ones who have to cross the bridge and do a good climb to get to their school on the cliff on the other side of the river.
There are a surprisingly big number of schools (4) for a 1,200 people-town. The lack of electricity doesn't stop either 'mina' to prepare us a delicious breakfast. Wood stoves rule!
We then spend the morning looking for a solution for the clutch. We try a few ‘shops’ and they are all very helpful, spending time to look for the right diameter cable. Unfortunately there is nothing that would be flexible enough to be ‘clamped’ and rigid enough to transmit the high pressure that is needed. We use many clamps to contain the pressure but then the pipe just ‘extend’. We try and try but to no avail.
This is the hardware/grocery store I visited so many times trying to explain what I wanted with the few words of Spanish I know.
We finally give up and realize that we only have 2 options: either find a pick-up that would take my bike back to creel or trying to ride the bike with no clutch at all. It’s something I have done already and it’s somewhat manageable but it would be extremely difficult on that dirt road: it’s a steep climb with many hairpin turns and I’m not sure how I would be able to start if I have to stop on the side of the road to let oncoming traffic go by…
In any case, I will need a clutch cable as soon as possible for the rest of the trip so I go to the phone ‘shop’ and call the KTM dealer in Chihuaha. With my very limited Spanish I explain the problem and the guy is extremely helpful: he has a clutch cable in stock (he believes all the KTM have the same one) and he can send one to Batopilas for the next day! Wow, that way better than I had imagined!
So that open up a third solution: I could wait here one more day while Ron and Grant would leave tomorrow since we’re supposed to meet Andy and Teryk in Creel on Thursday evening. Then Andy and Teryk would bring me the clutch cable here in Batopilas and we could continue the ‘loop’ to Urique-Divisadero and Creel. Sounds like a great plan!
We enjoy a leisurely afternoon, waiting for the sun to go down a bit before going to visit the mission. We find this great bar with tables by the river, under the shade of a very large tree.
Life is good in Batopilas!
The funny thing is that although there are a few tourists in town, we haven’t seen one motorcycle for the entire stay.
Around 4 PM we leave to the ‘lost mission’ that is in a small pueblo 8 kms South of here. The road is pretty tough at times, especially riding 2-up but Ron does an excellent job at it.
Pic by Grant
The 'Lost Mission' (it was out of the official church records for a while) is really beautiful, even from a distance.
Those children followed us inside...
Grant and I climb to the higher level...
... up to the 'bell room'
Kids trying to make a bit of money selling dolls
We go back to town and hang out in a couple of bars where we have discussions with the locals. Jeez, it’s so frustrating and tiring to have real exchanges with the language barrier!
As an appetizer we go for a taco in that small street shop.
In fact she only sells ‘pelotas’ a sort of corn ‘soup’ made of a lot of small corn grains on a hot broth to which she adds chile, lemon juice and grated juice. It’s surprisingly good!
We later have an good dinner on the terrace and we realize that even with electricity Batopilas bars close very early so we just go to bed too.
I take a shower with my clothes on to wash them since I have no change with me. It seems to work fine and they’re clean and dry by the morning.
Oct 25th - Batopilas
On our way to the breakfast place we see a brand new big pickup parking with no load on the back. ‘New’ equals ‘out of town’ in my mind and I ask them if they’re going to Creel and if they could take me with them. They say that they’re OK to take me around noon to go with them to Creel and they would not accept any money. Cool! I go buy some straps and we think about a way to load the bike on the truck. Fortunately the sidewalk is very high at times in front of the hotel and it should be an okay ramp. My compadres leave soon after and I really hope to see them again tonight because if not, it might be for years! Ron is moving from California to Kansas soon and I’m not sure if my path will cross the one of our new friend Grant.
At noon, I’m at the plaza. Knowing about ‘Mexican time’ I’m not worried that they’re not here yet. Just a few pictures while waiting...
Batopilas seems to have a thing for beautiful benches
The town house
An hour later the 2 guys with the truck show up and tell me that they’re sorry but they changed their plan and will stay longer in the area. Damn!
Fortunately I had planned a backup solution and given the instructions to Ron on how to pickup the part and so hopefully he will be able to give them to Andy and Teryk. If those two are not arrived, then Grant will give the clutch cable to one of the tour vans going from Creel to Batopilas…
I check in at the hotel again. Here is my beautiful single room...
...and my bathroom. Yes, that's the bulb you see, just inches away from the shower head
But the small yard is nice
A couple from San Francisco checks in too. He’s half Columbian and has traveled quite a bit in South America and so shares with me good suggestions about the rest of the trip. I decide to work on the bike to have it ready when the part will come and redo the electrical connections that burned. I go to the hardware store again but it’s closed for siesta time…
I took almost nothing with me besides a toothbrush, the tools and the computer. I wish I had my iPod to listen to my Spanish lessons.
We had scheduled a call to Ron at 5 PM so I’m on my way to the Telephone store: closed! I ask around and the reason is that the lines don’t work for now and they only hope that they will be repaired by the evening. I need a beer! I go to the place by the river and enjoy the view while typing those notes.
Simple but very agreeable...
View from the bar
It's a good observatory to see the life here. The Indians who usually don't have a car and need to carry heavy loads on their shoulders...
... Women washing clothes in the river
... Kids fishing with bare hands
... Pigs wandering
... Goats leaching the salt from the rocks
There was a band playing that night at the bar...
Okay, I got confirmation that the telephone will not be available before tomorrow. I am now officially in a ‘limbo’ and I can only hope that things will work out fine in creel and that the cable and my 2 buddies will be there… Oh, I had some hope to place a phone call through a satellite phone that a local Mexican guide offered me to use but he couldn’t get any signal!
On the evening I look at those kids playing with a 2-inches metal disc that they throw against the wall with a characteristic sound. They 'pose' for me...
If you want to know more about Copper Canyon...
Since it seems that I will be here for a while here an extract on what I've found interesting about Copper Canyon:
Although the 'Barranca del Cobre' is a canyon along one section of the Urique River, the name has come to be associated with the entire canyon system of the Sierra Tarahumara that comprises more than 20 canyons of which 5 are longer and deeper than the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA. Millions of years ago, tertiary volcanoes deposited their ash to form massive plateaus from the mountains of the region. Later volcanic activity created gaping cracks that were eroded by rain and subterranean water resulting in a wild, divided land that is among the most rugged in North America. Within this extensive canyon system, rivers are rendered unnavigable by great boulder fields and some of the highest waterfalls in the world.
PEOPLE
This is Tarahumara-land where drumbeats tell of dancing and the dance is a Tarahumara prayer. In recent years, most of their prayers have been for rain but the Raramuri (also known as the Tarahumara), who have preserved their culture better than other native American groups, also dance to give thanks for their blessings. Sharing a common ancestry with the fierce Aztecs who settled further to the south, the Raramuri are a gentle, reticent people who occupied the fertile valleys of the Papigochi and Conchos Rivers as well as the plains of Central Chihuahua. They grew mainly maize, beans and squash utilizing irrigation canals that were noted by early Jesuit missionaries. They are particularly knowledgeable about more than 250 different varieties of edible and herbal plants that they use for food and medicines.
The discovery of precious metals in the region early in the 17th century brought Spanish miners and settlers who enslaved the Raramuri to work the mines and fields and to transport their goods across terrain that was too rough even for horses. To escape the forced labor, the Raramuri retreated deeper into the remote sierra and canyon country now known as the Sierra Tarahumara. Here, they live in small, scattered communities. Their ranchos or communal farms are usually found along wide sections of rivers and streams but can sometimes be seen perched on the slope of a precipitous cliff. Deprived of their productive lands, the Raramuri keep herds of sheep, goats and cattle mainly to produce the manure needed to farm the shallow soils of the barrancas as well as for food. Their homes are simple huts but some of the more reclusive Raramuri still live in caves, migrating to the barrancas (bottom of the canyons) in winter and to the sierras (plateau and mountain areas) in the summer.
Harmony with their environment and with each other is the basis of Raramuri culture. The system of korima assures the less fortunate of help in times of need. One aspect of this is their social gatherings where food and tesguino.
It was not until the 20th century with the construction of the Chihuahua Pacific Railway that old routes were effectively revitalized for trade and tourism. The 588 mile (941 km) railway begins at Ojinaga where the Rio Conchos meets the Rio Bravo del Norte and ends at the west coast port town of Topolobampa. Construction of the railway began in 1898 and was completed in 1961. It represents one of the major engineering feats in Mexico and in the entire world boasting 99 tunnels, 39 bridges and numerous switchbacks that drop over 7000 feet from the sierras to the coastal plain in only 122 miles. One of the most dramatic sections of the railway is the approach to the Temoris station where three levels of track hug the mountainside while the most spectacular view is undoubtedly the lookout at Divisadero. Here, the Urique, Copper and Tararecua Canyons flaunt their breathtaking beauty.
FAUNA
Mile deep canyons have starkly different environments on the sierras and inside the barrancas. On the high plateaus and canyon rims with altitudes over 8000 ft. (2400 m), the climate is temperate (cold winters, mild summers) with heavy summer rains. Beautiful, fragrant, coniferous forests of pine and Douglas fir cover these highlands where the black bear, puma, Mexican wolf and mountain lion live in the more remote regions. These animals are rarely seen and are threatened with extinction in the Sierra Tarahumara. At the bottom of the canyons, tropical conditions prevail and where water is available, huge fig and ceiba trees can be found as well as a variety of grasses, reeds and palms. Jaguar, jaguarundi and ocelots favor this warm environment but they, too, are infrequently sighted. Badgers, otters, skunks and squirrels are plentiful and birds are well represented with 290 species of which 24 are endemic. Among the more unusual are the impressive green, red and blue parrot, the mountain and the coa, all of which are threatened. (maize beer) are served. Those who are able will provide a feast in exchange for community help with projects such as the construction of a cornhouse. These gatherings provide the opportunity for a nutritive meal in an honorable exchange. Many social commentaries focus on the alcoholism and ill-health of the Raramuri today but overlook their decreasing ability to adequately feed themselves. This is due to the continuing loss of their land as well as soil erosion and water pollution wrought by mining and logging interests.
Oct 26th - Batopilas
I wake-up again with the song of the roosters. Then I can hear from my bed (no window, remember?) a turkey and a goat, I presume coming from the ‘private section’ of the hotel yard. I go out early, the streets are filling with kids of all ages going to school.
It’s nice to be in a place were kids can just walk to their school without their parents worried about ‘satires’ or other presumed dangers.
Soon after 8 AM the town seems empty again. Then, slowly things start to move, restaurants, then shops start to open. Funny to see that almost every house on the main street has a business of some sort. Our favorite restaurant is just two tables on the terrace in front of their house.
Many more are grocery / bazaar stores, most with no names or sign in front of them since they’re known by everyone here. Besides the garbage truck I don’t see any ‘municipal’ cleaning service. Everyone (well, women at least) is sweeping his part of the street.
No one seems in hurry, many just discuss for hours while others seem to be waiting I don’t know what.
I don’t believe stress and heart attacks are major diseases around here!
The temperature is great, maybe a bit chilly in the morning and a bit hot on the afternoon but overall it’s extremely pleasant at this time of the year.
Unfortunately the phone is still not working so I will not be able to join Ron before his departure from Creel and I can’t either reassure my wife who might start to worry…
I work a bit on the route for the rest of Mexico and continue repairing the bike’s electricity. It’s a good thing that I took my shower early this morning because, like yesterday there is no running water (supposedly in the whole town) and that should only be reestablished late on the afternoon.
I notice that more Tarahumaras are in town. Here at the hardware store...
It’s 1 PM, everything on the bike that could be fixed or prepped for the new cable is done. I go to the phone shop, hoping to finally see the doors open but nope! If they were on time to our meeting date in Creel last night I should see Teryk and Andy showing up in the next couple of hours…
Some people recognize me now and we exchange salutations. I must indeed stand up, being one of the very few tourists staying that long in town and always wearing the same shirt!
3:30 PM and still no sign of my friends. I however see the first bikes since we arrived: three 650 (2 KLR, 1 XR) and I ask them if they’ve seen KTMs on the way or in Creel. Yes, they did! They describe the bikes of Ron and Grant so those 2 made it safely, and also the ones of Teryk and Andy that they saw this morning in Creel. Okay, they are close now, but have they met with Ron and Grant? If they’ve arrived last night they must have, but maybe not if they arrived late this morning…
One other possibility is that they got all the ‘instructions’ from Ron but unfortunately the part is not arrived yet in Creel and they’re waiting for it. Well, the suspense will last a bit since there is still no phone service.
Well, no one came so that will be my 4th night in Batopilas and I’m starting to wonder how many that will be! I’m getting short on pesos too (no banks or change in town), even if I was able to exchange $20 US to someone in the hotel.
Students doing their homework...
I go back for dinner (maybe because it’s hot but we skipped most lunches here) at my favorite place. I usually like to change but this one is good, cheap, and the only place I know where we can eat outside. The owner/cook is also a very sweet lady. Like last night I ask her to choose for me (there is no menu anyway) and so far I haven’t been disappointed. This is a poster from the restaurant about the Tarahumaras runners.
Traditionally they've always been remarkable for their longevity and stamina as long distance runners with the ability to chase game, sometimes for days, until the animals collapse from exhaustion
. A marathon is too 'short' for them to show their endurance qualities and they usually win for races of 100 kms or more!
In this town the main activity for the young people seems to be ‘flirting’ in the streets, especially on the evening. In view of everyone of course so I’ve never seen a kiss or even holding hands. But it's easy to realize that it’s important to them. Many girls over 16-18 yrs old are already mothers so they were probably married even younger - I think the legal age in Mexico is 12. In a small, secluded town the choice is limited and opportunities need to be ‘conquered’ as soon as possible. Being part of the police must be an enviable situation or it might be the ‘prestige’ of wearing a gun, but in any case they seem to be pretty popular with the ladies
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