Copper Canyon Mexico or Will I come back alive?

[Bgunn]

Originally Posted by chabon

Our TV didn’t work, no problem. Burt and Brad’s worked, Brad said he was watching FOX news, I think he was probably watching spanish soap operas.

One eye on Fox news, mas o menos




And the other eye on Chihuahua weather....





Been here before, but always a perpetual student in Mexico... Like the song that ask "when is the last time you did something for the first time".

[Free2Speed]

Originally Posted by eakins

let me guess complete noobs to mexico?
have fun and no you will not die.
that's only for people who watch fox news.

Yeah, Don Burto is a complete noob. Looking good for being almost 80 though. Ride hard Burt, drink harder.

[booger1]

Great start, looking forward to the rest. Good luck.
How much Spanish did you learn?

[chabon]

Originally Posted by booger1

Great start, looking forward to the rest. Good luck.
How much Spanish did you learn?

Glad your enjoying it.

Spanish and me are not friends. My wife is Argentinean and I have only picked up some words and key phrases in 20 years that would not be useful (!) in Mexico. Burt is our interpreter and we are obliged to believe what he tells us . Not sure if he makes up things, but we are all happy with the system. Mike has a little notepad and draws pictures, hehehe.

[chabon]

Originally Posted by Bgunn

One eye on Fox news, mas o menos




And the other eye on Chihuahua weather....





Been here before, but always a perpetual student in Mexico... Like the song that ask "when is the last time you did something for the first time".

¡ ay Chihuahua, I need to watch more weather !

[chabon]

Stage 2 Santa Ana to Sahuaripa. 244 miles.
Dead Bodies-0, Kidnapping attempts-0
Google Map of todays route http://g.co/maps/cu8a9

We arose early to the blast of a train horn, apparently trying to get the traffic off the crossing. Our usual time seems like its going to be to get up around 0600 and be packed by 0700 or 0730.

Fresh bandaid on finger. Had a cup of coffee and some mango in the parking lot and ready to go. Note: There are no Starbucks in the areas we’ve been. Seems to be mostly instant coffee, however the OXXO stores do have brewed coffee, or at least coffee syrup derived coffee. The unspoken word is sometimes the loudest. In our case, I was starting to understand the unspoken language of my fellow travellers. For example, whenever Burt started donning his Stars and Stripes dorag that was the signal to get prepared and mount up.

I had left the petcock on last night and bike seems to be flooded, small puddle of gas from airbox drain hose. I drained the float bowl (thanks for the screwdriver Mike) and cranked for a while and it starts up.

Traffic does not follow the same rules as stateside, although I would venture to say they are good or better drivers than at home and more patient. People will use their left turn signal to indicate that it is okay to pass, slower traffic stays in the slow lane - novel idea! Nice wide paved shoulders make the two lane highways four lanes. Slow traffic (60mph) drives on the shoulder and faster traffic in the lanes. Not sure what you do if you need to pull off for emergency, you really don’t want to stop on the hard shoulder as it would be just like stopping in the highway! Fortunately there are few cars.

These first three days are mainly just to get to Creel, our jumping off point to Copper Canyon. Today we traveled south on Highway 15 and do a little bypass of the Toll Road by turning and going through Pesqueria and then south skirting along the edge of Hermosillo.


IMGP0922 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0923 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

We stop at the OXXO in Pesqueria for a snack. Meet a group of drunk guys, think they must have some moonshine or been huffing paint. Brad meets his new BFF.


IMG_0675 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

No restroom here so someone tell’s Mike the pissing place is over by the palm tree (hehehe). When Brad makes a move towards the Palm the lady in the OXXO gave him a stare that just kind of froze him in his footprints, at this point he realized that this was NOT the pissing place and that if he proceeded something very bad would happen to him!


IMGP0924 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

In Hermosillo we pass by a big coffee roasting factory, smells pretty good as I like to roast my own coffee at home. Stop at a Pemex and fill up both the bikes and our stomachs. More of Kay’s burritos (with nice hot sauce) and a Fanta. I don’t think we need refrigeration for the Burritos, they seem to be holding up rather well. We then turn east on Highway 20. The highway starts to climb and becomes pretty twistie with some sweepers. Cooler temps at elevation and just enjoying the ride.

Every town has a beer store at the edge of town. We stop here for a snack and a cold one. Kind of tired from all the twisties. I would again forget to turn off the petcock and have a hard time getting started. Hmmmm, I didn’t notice the advertising posters until I looked at this photo, guess my mind was elsewhere.


IMG_0677 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

Get in the groove while listening to tunes, you know the feeling when you're at one with the road, just kind of floating or flying along. This was another great day of riding. Seeing some pines trees and rivers. Did I mention the lack of traffic? The roads are ours!

I noticed something about Mike’s riding the last couple days. Every once in awhile he starts swerving violently, jumping up and down, and shaking his bike while slowing down. Turns out he has a fuel problem and the shaking seems to get it going again. Going to have to fix this before hitting the dirt. Now Burt, he is a riding machine. He just mounts up and goes! Don’t see him stand, squirm, stretch his legs, just ride ride ride. His hind end must be made of some kind of elephant skin or bizarre high strength leather. Some other words of wisdom from Burt “300 miles is a good day in Mexico”. He’s right about this. With the stops, checkpoints, towns you pass through you just don’t make the big miles.

Just some scenery shots. Of course the really neat areas you don’t get photos because it is too hard to stop and you're too busy riding.


IMG_0678 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

Somebody stopped at the beer store before crossing this bridge.

IMGP0926 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP0927 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP0929 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP0931 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


Not many photos as I usually keep my camera on a lanyard and shoot while riding, but I had forgot my lanyard. Fever and finger were a bit bothersome but those problems seem to disappear while riding. Arrive Sahuaripa in late afternoon, get checked in to the El Molina Motel. Part of the motel was actually build over an old grain mill (molino) from the 1800’s. Not really a tourist town, seems to be agricultural area. Population about 5000, nice airstrip at edge of town.


IMGP0941 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP0937 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP0936 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP0933 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

Nicely appointed room (before we messed it up), again about $12.

IMGP0932 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


I go to rest while Mike strips his bike down. He is now thinking electrical problem. Earlier today we flooded his ignition switch with WD-40, seemed to help some. So now he is taking all the connectors apart and soaking them with WT-400, the Mexican equivalent of WD-40 only 10 times better! And I bet it killed any weeds growing under the KLR.


IMG_0679 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

Being a Friday night the kids are out cruising up and down the main street with radios blaring. At 2100 the radios went silent. Must be some strict sheriff in town with a noise curfew. I am not used to going to bed so early (2000 California time). Still have not seen any bullet ridden bodies or been the victim of a kidnapping. Seems like all the people that warned me of the dangers of Mexico had never been to Mexico, but had seen the atrocities on CNN or FOX and that I would certainly be targeted as soon as I crossed the border. Sorry to disappoint, but I feel safer here than I do in Santa Barbara! No graffiti, no gangs, no goofing baggy pants, people friendly, curious, polite, and helpful. I’m sure it’s different along the border and in the bigger cities. Not to downplay the tragedy of the drug war here, but we really saw no signs of it.

This is BEFORE the kids came out.


IMGP0939 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP0940 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

We walk around trying to find a place to eat. Getting directions from people seems to be a challenge. They don’t know, they don’t understand us, their perception of time and space is totally different than ours, there must be some explanation, this is will the norm when asking directions. See an open door and some tables inside, no signs, must be a restaurant. Burt speaks the best spanish of the group and we get some food ordered. No menus in these small restaurants. I am feeling the effects of the fever and don’t really eat, only down a couple Fanta’s.

This is the night the devil left by body.



Fall asleep at 2100 and wake in the middle of the night soaked in sweat. YES! The fever finally broke. Go outside at 0300 to cool off and work on ride report. Beautiful clear sky with tons of stars, an owl hooting back and forth with another owl, this is the real beginning of the trip for me!

Finger is starting to look a little funny, getting infected and red and there is this weird little piece of meat, looks like raw chicken or oyster, sticking out of the edge of my fingernail. Must have herniated or pulled the cuticle out, not sure. Finger hasn’t had a chance to dry out either, always with gloves and bandaid. I didn’t take a picture of it so I searched on Google for an image of an infected finger. My advise is DON’T look at those pictures. I was going to post one here, but decided against it to spare those with weak stomachs. I found this picture to post instead.




I think this is better, don’t you? Well, okay, maybe not as good as the weather girl.

[KHVol]

Great writing style ..here's a cuppla stars for ya...

[David13]

I was looking at your ride report. First the question. No you will not come back alive. No one ever does. I did go to Copper Canyon two times, some years ago, but I only came back alive because we had a special dispensation from the Pope or something. Cardinal Mahoney vouched for us, or something.
You should know these things from watching the relieable news sources.
I did look at your pictures but did not read the words. I thought you had too many words, and not enough photos. And you had some very bad photos, etc., and some good ones. Could you stick to the good ones in the future?
Thank you.
I leave for a ride to Cabo thru' Baja tomorrow myself. And I will not come back alive. There is no question but what the narco traficantes will chop off my head.
That's all there is in Mexico.
dc

[Mi Vale Madre]

Originally Posted by David13

I was looking at your ride report. First the question. No you will not come back alive. No one ever does. I did go to Copper Canyon two times, some years ago, but I only came back alive because we had a special dispensation from the Pope or something. Cardinal Mahoney vouched for us, or something.
You should know these things from watching the relieable news sources.
I did look at your pictures but did not read the words. I thought you had too many words, and not enough photos. And you had some very bad photos, etc., and some good ones. Could you stick to the good ones in the future?
Thank you.
I leave for a ride to Cabo thru' Baja tomorrow myself. And I will not come back alive. There is no question but what the narco traficantes will chop off my head.
That's all there is in Mexico.
dc

where you are from says it all

[chabon]

Originally Posted by David13

I was looking at your ride report. First the question. No you will not come back alive. No one ever does. I did go to Copper Canyon two times, some years ago, but I only came back alive because we had a special dispensation from the Pope or something. Cardinal Mahoney vouched for us, or something.
You should know these things from watching the relieable news sources.
I did look at your pictures but did not read the words. I thought you had too many words, and not enough photos. And you had some very bad photos, etc., and some good ones. Could you stick to the good ones in the future?
Thank you.
I leave for a ride to Cabo thru' Baja tomorrow myself. And I will not come back alive. There is no question but what the narco traficantes will chop off my head.
That's all there is in Mexico.
dc

Thanks for looking at my report David13.
Just skip the reading part, its not required. (It would explain why my pictures aren't too good.....yet)
Hope to have more and better pictures as I go along.

Have a good trip to Cabo, sounds like fun. I see you are doing a report ( http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=777451) and I look forward to hearing about your adventure.

[chabon]

Originally Posted by KHVol

Great writing style ..here's a cuppla stars for ya...

Thanks HKVol, glad your enjoying it, it should only get better.....

[KeithTurk]

This is a great report... even if it's directly from MSNBC.... lol... give us more posters...weather girls and puppy's.. life is Damn fine ...

K

[tricepilot]

[chabon]

Stage 3 Sahuripa to Creel, 258 miles.
Google Map of todays route http://g.co/maps/8skc2


Woke up this morning feeling alive again. Had some coffee and fruit and get a good start. Mike’s interested to see if the WT-400 fix is going to work. I have a hard time starting as usual. I have the proverbial “Puking Fuel Syndrome”. I had replaced my needle valves, o-rings and seats just 9 months ago with new (new old stock?) Suzuki parts as preventative maintenance. Maybe the o-rings were old and brittle to start with, maybe something in or not in the Mexican gas caused them to fail?

We drove south on Highway 20 and connected to Highway 16. 200 miles of twisties today and no traffic. This was ideal day, feeling good, great roads and scenery. Mike’s electrical problem seems to be resolved. Here is today’s theme song.




IMGP0942 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0943 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0945 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0946 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0948 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0949 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

Have to keep your eyes open for livestock

IMGP0950 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0951 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0952 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

This could be in Wyoming. High plains, crisp air, smell of pine and sage.

IMGP0954 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

Finally, a straight section of road, wrist is getting tired.

IMGP0955 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

Stopped to see what this was. Talked to a guy working here and he told us it was a house an attorney was building. It was at the summit of the road and would be a good tourist spot. The road behind leads to a small village and new airport. Seem to be seeing a lot of brand new roofs on little adobe houses, new airstrips, new shiny SUV’s. I guess the alfalfa crop was good this year. Didn’t take photos of the airstrips, SUV’s or people. Didn’t want to piss off the wrong people!

IMGP0957 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0958 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

Made a stop at the waterfall, can you see it?

IMGP0959 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

Here’s a closer look.


IMGP0960 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP0961 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0962 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

IMGP0963 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0966 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


Weather has been excellent. Not too hot, not too cold, sunny and dry. A bit crisp in the morning, used the heated grips in the higher elevations, even saw a small patch of snow.

Start to notice the lack of any wild animals. Saw some road kill and livestock. But no critters. I think they have been hunted to extinction in this area. Food is more important to these people than protecting a frog or rare bird. And of the livestock I saw, the cattle didn’t have much meat on them, ribs sticking out pretty good. Goats seem to fare better, they can probably eat the scrub brush the cattle can’t.

Pulled into Creel this afternoon. This is a tourist town and we are the only tourists (well maybe a few others) in town! This makes us fair game for all the kids looking for handouts. A couple of the little guys found our hiding place behind the Motel Los Pinos and did their thing. Have you ever wondered why all these kids have runny noses? Well, I think there is some school for street kids where they learn the trade and the snot is just makeup??? Not sure, but thats my theory. The Tarahumara indians are stationed up by the train depot where the tourist train comes in. Have their goods spread out on blankets and all are brightly dressed. I notice the afternoon train pulling in and see more porters in vests, caps and white shirts then there are passengers. Tourism is way down.


IMGP0978 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0970 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0969 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0971 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

The ATV rental place was next door.

IMGP0972 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr

We are here on Saturday night, pretty quiet, buts its still early.

IMGP0973 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr


IMGP0974 by DDMcGinnis, on Flickr



We went to dinner, I had a great milanese, and a guy comes in and starts singing and playing his guitar so loud we can’t visit with each other, one other family in the restaurant. He moves closer to us and turns up the volume, sure seems like a long song, I think he’s adlibbing just to prolong the agony. At any rate he finishes and comes up to the table for his tip. Me, not be familiar with the exchange rate, what the different coins are, etc, must have under tipped! He gave me a disgusted sneer and moved on. Have I marked myself as a target? There are some dark alleys and doorways on the way back to the hotel.....

Tonight I have a TV and can catch up with the world. What I really want to watch is the weather, seems like it could be better than a soap opera (thanks for the insight Brad). Well, go figure, TV not working. Guess I will have to get a weather update from Brad tomorrow.

Tried my international calling card. All it would say is that the phone number does not exist. Then I call the Mexican support number....... this phone number does not exist, rats. Wifi not working either, have been out of touch for a while now. I do send a SPOT update every night but there is no way for anyone to reach me if they need to. Will have to find an internet cafe tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a day of rest and maintanence before descending into the canyon!

[David13]

Now those are some good photos. And I have started to read your text. As I thought, good writing, and good reporting.
Ah, you know, these Mexicans speak Spanish. I feel right at home. Porque, como tu sabes, en Los Angeles, todo el mundo habla espanol.
dc