We got to the bus station and I was super thankful for my stand-up (not the comedian kind, the lousy boyfriend potential kind) taxi driver because it turned out that Saturday was not a day that the economic train ran! I liked my hotel, but not enough to stay there another night waiting for another 4:15 wake-up call and cold shower!
So I took care of business first and got my ticket. I was riding the train to about the 2/3 point. There was more of a train ride after I'd get off, but it was not worth seeing I've heard.
Then, since I'd been up over an hour and would have nothing but train food, I stepped outside and acted like a native. I ran over to the family standing at the bed of their truck selling burritos de machaca. I'm not sure what I remember thinking a burrito was, but it's just a flour tortilla rolled up with something on the inside. This time it was machaca with a few potatoes mixed in. It was delicious and ten pesos.
As I wrapped it up (to save for when I was hungry on the train- ten minutes later!), I did a mental head slap (thanks Stephanie Plum) accompanied by a mental, "D'oh!" The family whose business was to cheaply feed train tourists was all dressed in cubrebocas, or face masks, to combat the swine flu! What was I thinking buying food from a family's house when there was an epidemic to worry about?! I was feeding my belly with something delicious, that's what!
I got over it, boarded the train, got situated with my luggage and dug in.
I had read (and heard) that the really worthwhile views from the train were between El Fuerte (a town about 2-3 hours by train from Mochis) and Creel (the stop right after the one where I had planned on getting off). The whole train ride is 14 hours from end to end. When you guy your ticket, you're allowed three separate stopovers. That is to say that you can buy one whole ticket, but stop three different nights at different places along the way without having to buy a new segmented ticket. If I had really been thinking, I would've gotten one stop over for the way back home, but I wasn't sure when I'd be coming back. Also, they're not great about advertising that fact.
I had a seat to myself, so after I downed my burrito, I curled up with my pillows and face mask to sleep until El Fuerte. I knew I had at least two hours, and maybe closer to three, so I was excited to catch up on some sleep!
I woke up a little before the El Fuerte stop at 9:30 (more like 3.5 hours) and was very disappointed at the scenery, which should've been expected.
We stopped at El Fuerte and a lot more people got on.
Shortly after El Fuerte, it did start getting pretty. I wasn't sure on where to go to get pictures, etc. I hadn't exactly scoped out the train. So after waking up, I enjoyed the chilly ride (thankful for having brought my long sleeved t-shirt and for having chosen to wear jeans) from my seat. I also people watched the interesting family (mom, dad, daughter and husband) in front of me. Around 10:30, I decided I needed a coca light. And, well, coca light just tastes so much better with chocolate, so I got a snickers, too. The coke came in a glass bottle with a straw. I would've actually preferred a can, but I had no trouble downing it. After another hour or so, I ventured out to the outside- the place where two cars connect and there's a loading door that serves as a window when en route.
Since I waited so long to take pictures, I missed the bridges and tunnels (87 I think) and some beautiful scenery. I made sure to remedy that on the way back.
Once I thought we were really close (my time guestimation had put us at arriving at Divisadero at 2 or 2:30), the train men (wonder what their title is- train attendant?) asked each passenger which stop would be theirs and where they were staying. I got nervous. I knew which stop was mine, and I had chosen my hotel online. However, I hadn't made reservations yet.
About that time, we made another stop and these families of women and children came up and stood next to the train with their homemade baskets. These were the Tarahumara people. They're the indigenous of this area. I would learn a lot about them over the course of my weekend. I popped my head out and bought a 30 pesos teeny tiny basket. It's black and red and will be perfect on my "chester" drawers.
We got going again. As we got close to my stop, I got more and more nervous. If there wasn't room at the inn, I would be stuck. The train would be gone and I would be stuck in a canyon with no bed... Yikes!
Finally by 3:30, we got to Divisadero and I jumped off with all my junk. This was the only stop on the whole 14 hour ride where passengers could get off for 15 minutes to enjoy the view or buy food. There was a market-like atmosphere of townspeople selling gorditas and quesadillas.
I had read in my Mexico book that most hotels meet up with the train if you've made reservations. And since the towns where they were located (or the towns that were near the hotels on the outskirts of town) were tiny towns, taxis were almost not an option. I got that nervous antsy feeling again. From the train, there was the flat area where there were at least 15 food stands. Then there were steps down to the view and there were steps up to a parking area. I asked one of the gordita ladies where the bus would be to get to Hotel Divisadero and she looked at me kind of funny. Great.
She said the hotel was right at the bottom of the steps. Awesome!
I went in and got checked in, after explaining that while I had attempted to reserve a room online last night, I had not gotten a confirmation. The hesitation in the guy made me fear there were no rooms!
Back up: I had thought we would be there around 2:30, so I hadn't eaten on the bus. It was now 3:30 and I was living off of a 5:45 am burrito and a 10 am coca light with a snickers...
I ordered a plain gordita (just beans and cheese, no meat or anything else) and scarfed it before headed in and got nervous because of the front desk guy. I had my arms wrapped around my pillow and my heavy backpack on my back, so I'm sure I looked like a peeved gringa. A man came up to me, and I assumed it was the owner or manager and he tried to do crowd control. My curt Spanish probably put off more of the peeved gringa that I was not intending on emitting. Mario was his name and he checked me in and helped me carry my bag to my room. I walked in and he showed me the balcony. I was speechless:
I'm a beach person through and through. I can enjoy the "plain ol' outdoors," but not for much longer than an hour or so! But something inside me told me I would appreciate these outdoors much more. It also told that these weren't just "the plain ol' outdoors!"
This is another view from my room. When Mario was leaving my room, he told me that there would be a free one-hour walking tour at 4 with happy hour to follow at 5. Dinner (included, as were all meals) would be served at 7.
This is the view of my room (second floor) from the outside of the main lobby.
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