A Long Ride

This is Nola, a Tarahumara girl, carrying her younger brother Reyo. I bought a small basket from her, similar to the one Reyo is holding, for 15 pesos. I'm glad that the Tarahumara have preserved a lot of their traditions, but I can't help but wonder if Nola would be better off in school. It's Friday morning and I can hear carefree kids playing at the schoolhouse, while Nola has the responsibility to care for her brother and provide for her family.



The Copper Canyon, actually a series of six immense canyons, is where almost all of the Tarahumara live. We took the "Chepe" train from Creel to Divisadero, then hiked along the excellent ridge trail. We were told by the conductor that the views from the train past Divisadero are much better, but it was as far as we could go in an out-and-back day trip. If I had a dual-sport motorcycle, I'd ride the dirt tracks down into the canyon, but the FJR can barely handle a gravel road.



Back in Creel, there was a Mother's Day fiesta and concert, with what looked like the entire town in attendance. There were prizes for the mothers, great live Norteño music and dancing. Only the women and children danced, and a couple of elderly men later on. There's a definite macho cowboy culture here in Chihuahua state. I was never treated unfriendly, but the men were aloof, with none of the wide grins and back-slapping openness I experienced in Baja or Sonora. The contrast between the proud cowboys and shy natives is striking. I can't think of anywhere else in the world I've been where kids from the same age group are so completely different.