Chepe – Copper Canyon train adventure

Chepe is the commonly used nickname for the train that runs from Los Mochis by the sea, through the Copper Canyon (Barrancas del Cobre) to the desert town of Chihuahua. Jeff and I were both as excited about the train ride as we were about visiting the canyon, which is apparently the deepest in North America. It’s one of the primary reasons we decided to visit Topolobampo in the first place. The train ride did not disappoint. The scenery was ever changing and we were both glad to experience Mexico via a different, quicker, mode of travel. Train rides are unquestionably romantic to me,
but, as with anything, it may be less dreamy if it were my primary
mode of transportation.

The best part of the train ride, apart from all of the
tunnels and trestles, was the fact that you could pass the time in between the
cars, in the open air, hanging your head out over the side, feeling the jolts and
quivers of the train as it climbed. One of the things I love most about Mexico
is that no one is trying to protect me from myself. A sign tacked dutifully
between cars that read “For your safetly, keep out of this area,” was
our fair warning against the inherent risks, but the sign wasn’t accompanied by
any enforcers. The conductors were just as happy to take their chances at the open windows
as we were.

We opted to purchase tickets for the second class cabin
because the only discernible differences between the two cabins were that 1) the
first class cabin was considerably more expensive and 2) both cabins were surprisingly
monochromatic. On our return ride to Mochis we didn’t see a single white person
in the second class cabin and the first class cabin was similarly homogenous (though several shades whiter). I
also heard mumblings that in the first class cabin they heat the hamburgers all
the way through, but that alone wasn’t worth the increased price. We settled
for cold hamburgers.

The train is an important means of transportation for families that live in the canyon. Unfortunately, as it has become increasingly popular with tourists such as ourselves, who are willing to pay a premium for the experience, the adjusted prices make it more difficult for the locals to afford its services. A disheartening discovery. It’s too bad that tourism generally ushers in hyper-inflated prices and a culture of exclusion. Despite the expensive tickets, however, the second class cabins were more or less full for both of our trips.

On our ride back to Mochis we befriended a group of boys
after one of the older boys, Micael, asked if I could take a photograph of him
and his friends. They sat with us for the last several hours of the trip
playing Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja on my iPad, eating Jeff’s hard candies
whenever they were offered, and enlivening the whole cabin with their animated reactions. You gotta love little boys – their antics provided endless entertainment. I finally
beat Micael’s high score on Fruit Ninja (nearly three months later, after lots
of practice during my night watches).

Here are some pictures of the train ride!  You can hover over the pictures for the descriptions.