Guaymas Today is very cool and very overcast. The town is very poor and very shabby. We walked along the malecon, where there were street vendors and Mariachi Singers, then returned to the ship for lunch and rest. Tomorrow will be a very long day, as our alarm is set for 3:00am!

Copper Canyon

After a very short night, we boarded our bus at 4:15am for the 2 hour ride to El Fuerte where we boarded the train for the Copper Canyon. It was still dark as the train departed, and eventually, as the sun came up, we were able to see the beginning of this wonderful area. The ride was very pleasant and comfortable, as each car had only about 36 people and a Tour Guide in each rail car. We were given a box breakfast to eat along the way. There are two different kinds of people living in this area. The lower altitudes are mostly very poor Mexicans. The railroad company had built many small concrete buildings along the route for the construction workers. When the construction was done they stripped the buildings completely. The locals have moved into these building shells, with no windows, doors, sanitation, etc! The second group is the tribal Sierra Tarahumara Indians. These are not Mexican people, do not speak Spanish and they do not mix, at all, with the Mexicans! The tribal people live in lean-to's and caves in the canyons. They are very poor. The men scratch out some gardens and hunt small wildlife and the women weave baskets to sell to the train travelers. The baskets are made of pine needles and they smell wonderful. The train stops at Barrancas, where the women and their small children run along the tracks with their handcrafted baskets. They are not allowed onboard and the Tour Guides act as onboard negotiators, unless you can get to an open door to pick out a basket on your own. The tribals do not speak English.

At the top of the canyon lunch was served in one of the three Hotels. The one we went to has a dining room right on the rim of the canyon. The view is very beautiful and the lunch was wonderful, including a glass of Hibiscus Juice. There were more Tarahumara's selling baskets and doing some dancing demonstrations.

The ride back to the ship was quieter, as everyone began drifting off to sleep and it began to get dark well before we were completely through the canyons. Once back on the buses, I think that everyone but the drivers were asleep! When we arrives at the dock, at about 10:30pm, there was a whole contingent of senior crew members waiting to welcome us back at the gangway and a special buffet waiting for us in the Lido. We went straight to bed!

Mazatlan

We did not plan anything at this port and so we just took a short cab ride into the Old Town. It was not a very pleasant place, very dirty and uninteresting! We decided to go back to the ship and take a nap!