continued from page 21
writer
Joe
guidebook
Cummings, it features interi-
or courtyards with kumquat
and
avocado
trees.
Bougainvillea spills from the
many balconies. The bed-
rooms have claw-foot bath
tubs, and the parlor is an
extravaganza of Mexican and
Victorian whimsy. A ceiling
region. Ivan Fernandez, in
Creel, by age and experience,
is the best. We use him for
trips to Batopilas. Gustavo
Lozano guides us in
Chihuahua City on the new
three-day trip. In Creel, Chal
Gamez, owner of the hotel
where we stay, can induce
tears in his eyes when describ-
ing the history of the town. In
Casas Grandes, Diana Acosta
and her sister Denise are spir-
ited, funny and well-
The parlor at Riverside Lodge. Photo by Jim Glendinning.
fresco denotes the history of
Batopilas, a bust of Elvis
adorns the piano, a picture of
Winston Churchill hangs
below a full-nude painting
and a Victrola plays Patsy
Cline and Mozart. It’s a hoot.
For those who are more
energetic, depending on the
season and the heat (April to
October is the hot season),
there are options: the hike
downstream to the “Lost
Cathedral” (a triple-domed
church from the 17th centu-
ry), a hike upstream to the
dam that provided the water
for generating electricity, or a
visit across the river to the
headquarters of the Batopilas
Mining Company, now in
ruins.
A tour guide can make or
break the experience of a for-
eign place to visitors. I have
sought out and found some
remarkable guides in the
informed. Their mother,
Sarah, cooks us a sumptuous
meal in the family home, a
hacienda close to the pottery
village, Mata Ortiz.
In 2015 I renewed a tour
to Casas Grandes & Mata
Ortiz, still in the state of
Chihuahua, but far from
Copper Canyon. I had run
this tour in 2004, then
dropped it for reasons forgot-
ten. I called it the “Ruins and
Pots tour.” But three years
ago I came across the man,
Spencer MacAllum, who had
discovered the Mexican
paisano who, untaught, had
learned how to make pots in
the old style, and then taught
all his neighbors. Spencer
MacCallum has a compound
of adobe rooms in Casas
Grandes, where our group
could stay, and he also intro-
duced me to an outstanding
young local tour guide, Diana
Acosta. So a tour was re-
born.
I have recently added a
new tour: a three-day visit to
Chihuahua City. This trip is
aimed at those who don’t
have the time or interest in a
longer tour – an introduction.
Chihuahua City downtown,
where we stay next to the
cathedral, has been pedestri-
anized and tidied up. There is
a lot of history here. Father
Hidalgo, Mexico’s founder,
was executed here. Pancho
Villa, the local hero, made
Chihuahua City his base for a
while. Both have memorials.
There are impressive art gal-
leries and museums. There is
also shopping. The peso has
dropped fifty percent recently
so I include time for shopping
for Tarahumara artifacts and
Mata Ortiz pots, as well as
everyday items.
Finally, I keep getting
asked about safety in the
places we visit. First, I would
not take myself or others to
any unsafe area. Second, the
overall statistics of homicides
of US tourists in Mexico show
that out of 28 million total
American visitors to Mexico
annually (this includes land
border crossers as well as nine
million who fly in) there are
fewer than 200 homicides.
Third, the cartels are alive
and well, but I contend they
are careful not to target
tourists because it brings extra
attention on themselves. So,
let’s go! Vamanos a México!
For
tour
information,
jimglen2@sbcglobal.net.
Richard Hinkel, of
Alpine, who has had expe-
rience with Elderhostel
trips in Mexico some years
back, has been on all my
trips, with a view to taking
over sometime soon. Same
trips, same standards.
Quilts
Etc.
by
Marguerite
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Cenizo
Second Quarter 2017
27