Arrival Batopilas and Cheap Hotels
Date: On or about 6/23/01
Subject: Arrival Batopilas
Hellooo Momma
After four days on the road from Little River I arrived in Creel, Chihuahua
Mexico. Creel is the main town servicing the Copper Canyon area. Creel
wasn't the type of place I wanted to be, its not in the canyon and the
tourist to local ratio is high. I drove along the west rim looking for a
better place. I visited the towns of El Divisadero and San Rafel, but
neither of these were where I wanted to be. I wanted to be in the canyon.
I returned to Creel and got a camping spot at the KOA just so I could use
the showers. Four hot days on the road, no shower I needed one.
I didn't get much sleep that night. The Mariachi (aka circus music) started
around 10pm and didn't stop until the rain started. The rain stopped about
an hour before they started castrating hogs next door. So with the sun a
rising and the hogs a squealing I got a going. A going to Batopilas (27deg
1min N &107deg 45min W) down in the canyon.
After giving rides to a drunken injun and a whole truck load of injun kids I
arrived at the final leg of the road to Batopilas. Here the pavement yields
to gravel for the last 40 miles. The road was good for the first 19 miles.
A good road means you can drive about 20mph. Then at the 19 mile mark there
is a shrine to Our Lady of Switchbacks. I stopped to have a look at the
view. One hundred yards later I discovered the reason for the shrine. The
road transformed into a mess of sudden death switchbacks descending the
cliff to the river below. Six road miles, 4'000 plus feet, and one hour
later I reached the river below. Hot and tired from five days of driving I
stopped at the river to cool off and shake the kinks out of my back before
pushing the last 15 miles to Batopilas. An hour and a half later I was in
Batopilas a small town of 1100 people. This was the type of place I was
looking for.
I began checking the prices and looks of all the hotels in Batopilas.
Before I got to all the hotels I had decided to stay at Hotel Juanitas.
Usually 110 pesos ($11 US) per night I had arranged a deal with Juanita to
pay $33 US dollars for 20 days. During the off season no one was there. At
$1.65 US per night the price was right, in fact it was a steal, and just
as important Juanita seemed nice. Days later I would discover that her 3rd
flood patio had the best hotel view in Batopilas. I hadn't seen the patio
when I checked in.
After checking in I sat in the hotel courtyard with Juanita watching the
river and doing my best to have a conversation with her. While there I met
Monse her next door neighbor who spoke English. Later on Monse would try to
get me to stay in one of her cells she called a room. It was sort of a
dirty trick to pull on your neighbor but I told her to "hit the bricks".
Additionally I met Tudu an ancient man with tough leathery feet and toes set
in tire sandals. Tire sandals are the norm in Batopilas. Tudu was
permanently bent from work and age. He looked as if time and weather had
been working on him as long as they had been working on the canyon. Tudu
was a permanent fixture in the plaza and never once failed to say a kind
word to me. Even if that kind word was just a big slow wave from across the
plaza. I wish I could have talked with him. I know there are some stories
in those old bent bones.
I didn't spend long chatting in the courtyard. The circus music, rain,
hogs, and the driving were conspiring against me. I excused myself and went
for a nap happy to be settled for awhile.
Love Warren
and please be kind to Webester
