Wandering around Creel, Chihuahua, Mexico

We relaxed for the morning, and also brought our laundry over to the office. They said it would cost 50 pesos ($4.10 CDN) to wash, and 50 pesos to dry. They only have big industrial sized machines because it's the laundry they use for the hotel. We had a lot of stuff to do, including sheets, but we managed to get it all in to one load.

For 100 pesos ($8.20 CDN) it was worth it to have it all washed, dried, and folded.

Around 11:30am we walked in to the central area.

At first glance, I thought this was a dog lying in front of this house! How about that? A guard sheep!

Creel has a population of about 5,000 people. It's really a lumber town, but it has a lot of tourism because of it's close proximity to the Copper Canyon, and the fact that the passenger train from the city of Chihuahua to Los Mochis on the west coast stops in here twice a day. Some days, there are two trains as a second class one comes through as well.

Main street Creel.

Lots of dogs in town. Some of them hang out at the plaza.

There are two small churches.

When the train comes through, it's a big event. The local Tarahumara Indians make a lot of crafts and artwork, and they try to sell their wares to the people getting off the train. Also, the people getting off the train are often being picked up by local hotels, so there's a lot of commotion while they try to get themselves sorted out, while being asked to buy things from the natives. 

Here comes the train!

Everyone trying to get themselves sorted out.

And then the train pulls out. Only a five minute stop.

We stopped in to a little taco place for lunch.

Four tacos each, with all the fixings. Total bill, 80 pesos ($6.50 CDN).

The Tarahumara wear very colorful clothing.

They are quite quick to run up to us and try and sell something, but all it takes is once to tell them no, and they don't bother you again. We've had a couple of them come up and simply ask for money. The children are taught from a very young age, in fact we had one women and her daughter come up to us, and the daughter couldn't have been a year and a half old, yet she had bracelets and things and was being told to come up to us.

There is an actual store in town where their arts and crafts and clothing is for sale, with profits going back to support health care etc for the Tarahumara. I don't know enough about it, but I expect the government has probably sunk millions of dollars of support towards the Tarahumara, and I know there are charitable organizations that support them as well. But like in Canada...you can't change a culture with money. 

We found a sign that pointed to a mirador (lookout) and so we followed the path up the hill.

Heading up to the lookout.

A little ways to go yet. Can you see the statue at the top?

Creel, Chihuahua, Mexico.

The statue at the top.

We made our way back to Sherman, after stopping to buy a few fruits and veggies. I had an afternoon nap, and Ruth spent some time on the computer. Nice to have an unlimited supply of internet for a change, after using our cell stick for the last few weeks.

As I said yesterday, the Hotel Villa Mexicana hotel and RV Park used to be a KOA quite a few years ago. The rooms and the main building are very nice, but the RV sites don't get used very much and they're not in very good shape. There are a few picnic tables, but they're all broken. Some sites have sewer, some don't. None of them have working water, and there is not even an outdoor tap to use, so you had better arrive with water of your own. I was allowed access to an indoor tap to fill up our five gallon carry bag.

Here's a few photos of the place...

Sherman, all by himself, with around 75 empty campsites!

Each site has a grill!

I bet it's nice and green during rainy season.

They have KOA camping cabins. I think there are 8 or 10 of them in total.

The main building, with restaurant and small shop is really nice. As is the playground for kids.

Sherman.

Ha! The view out our side window. The big empty campground is also used for grazing cattle!

We're going to stay here one more night, and then drive to Divisadero tomorrow morning, find somewhere secure to leave the motorhome for the night, and get on the afternoon train to El Fuerte, where we'll spend the night before taking the return train back Tuesday morning.

Check out some RV accessories at Amazon.com