La Barranca del Cobre

They say the best way to see La Barranca del Cobre (The Copper Canyon) is by train, so that's what I did.

I was at the station at 5:30am. Such was the depth of my commitment.

It was a pleasant enough sunrise.

The first 3 hours are flat and agricultural.

But soon hills start rising out of the plain. Those pinkish smudges, incidentally, are some sort of flowering tree.

Quite lovely, really. There were an abundance of wildflowers, as well, but they are tricky to photograph from a moving train.

You cross a veeerrry looonnng bridge.

And are quickly in the canyons themselves.


One particularly dramatic section is "La Pera" where, within the pear-shaped canyon, the train completely doubles back on itself. Note the bridge from whence we've come and, above and to the left of the bridge, the tunnel we will soon enter.


A quick shot of our means of conveyance.



In Mexico, you're allowed to hang out the side of the railcars to take videos to scare your loved ones.

And finally, the money shot: a cliffside view into La Barranca del Cobre itself. There are hotels there in Divisadero hanging off the side of the cliff and offering this view out your bedroom window. They are, unfortunately, rather expensive.

Instead, I pressed on to Creel, which will be the subject of my next post.

Tijuana, Guerrero Negro, La Paz

I only took this shot to prove I was there. TJ is not a photogenic city.

So.. I climbed the decaying lighthouse in Guerrero Negro (it was my driver's idea, I swear). Note my shadow at the top.

It did afford a decent view, if of decaying waterfront facilities and barren dunes..


..but descent from the upper level was kinda tricky. Mind that first step, it's a lulu.

And why were those facilities built? Salt! Lots and lots of salt. It's so flat and dry around Guerrero Negro that they just pump in seawater and wait six months. Pretty exciting, eh?

Not really. No.

Guerrero Negro is also a prime location for whale watching. Unfortunately it's hit-or-miss, expensive and I would have needed to book ahead (or stay another night). This guy was easy to find, though.

La Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Paz.

Raaawrrr.

This guy is in a little museum on local history and wildlife. In short, things were going fine until the Spanish showed up. Then.. not so much.

Scuba diving Isla Espiritu Santo.

It's a sere landscape, but there are some lovely and secluded beaches. The sailboat owners are the ones really enjoying Espiritu Santo.

Cliff?

Time to go back to La Paz. :(

Finally on the Road

October 12th to February 18th and I've done..

..not a whole helluva lot, to be perfectly honest.

It's odd how easy it is to completely waste more than four months of your life. Sure, I went surfing a bunch. Sure, I helped out my family here and there. But did I accomplish anything of actual import? Did I brush up on my Spanish? Research my destinations and route? Ensure I had everything I needed and that my affairs were in order?

Nah. That's not really my style.

So, in a flurry half-assed preparation and last minute packing, I flew to San Diego then took a bus from San Diego to Tijuana (it only took 2 tries!). After a pair of 12 hour bus rides (broken up by a night in Guerrero Negro) I find myself in La Paz, Baja California Sur. It seems a nice enough little beach town, though at the moment everyone seems to be still hung over from the Mardi Gras celebration I managed to just miss.

I think it's still sinking in that I finally, finally, finally followed through and am on the road. Hopefully I'll hit my stride soon.