MC Raven Ride Report 37 - Potros, Corsairs, Ships and Trains

I arrived at the ferry terminal 2-hours early like they suggested. All that means is that I had to wait around in the sun for an extra 2-hours.

Leaving LaPaz

Ferry terminals are often confusing and, when you throw in all the truck traffic and a different language this one was even more so. Much like a border crossing, I had to prove I had my TVIP, they even made me drive the bike up onto the same scale that they weigh trucks on (I think that was mostly so they could charge me an extra $7 or so), go here, get this stamped, go there, pay some more money....

Eventually, I arrived at a place where they indicated I should park and wait for the call to board the ship. Not long after, a group of riders on Harley-type cruisers came along. Turns out they were from two different LaPaz based motorcycle clubs (Los Corsarios and Los Potros) traveling to the mainland for a ride up to Punta Prieta. It wasn't long before we were trading Alaska flag and walrus pins for club stickers and patches. They adopted me as a member and offered to help me find Los Mochis and a hotel for the night. I'm really glad they did. I'd have gotten lost for sure.

We stopped in Los Mochis for a late dinner at a roadside comedor then headed across town to the motel. I plan to do a blog entry on my various hotel experiences at a later time but, I should explain a little about 'Love Hotels'.

Just like you, I smirked when I heard about 'Love Motels' (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). To be fair though recal that in Mexico (indeed all of Latin America), young couples live with their parents and grandparents under one roof so, if a couple needs a night alone, they go to a 'Love Hotel'. These hotels/motels rent rooms by the hour or in 6-hour blocks. They usually have separate garages often with electric garage doors which are off the street for maximum privacy. Sure, sometimes someone brings a call girl to a Love Hotel but, I'd bet that more often than not, they're used by couples having a night away from the kids.

In any case, from my perspective, Love Hotels are great. They're usually very reasonably priced, clean and, since the bike is locked in a garage and secure, I don't have to worry about it (a major benefit).

So, yep; I got picked up by a couple of Mexican biker gangs and whisked off to a Love Hotel.

This particular motel turned out perfect for me as they agreed to lock my bike in a toolshed for a couple of days while I was able to take the train up to Creel and the Copper Canyon. (Of course, they knew they'd get another night of rental out of me when I returned for the bike so, it worked out good for all of us.)

CHEPE, the train goes from near sealevel at Los Mochis to more than 10,000 feet and passes through several distinct ecosystems; farm land, scrub high desert, pine and oak forests as it winds its way upward. The engineering necessary to build this railroad is phenomenal! It follows along valleys, through tunnels that open straight onto high bridges over rivers, cutting back on itself and circling up into the mountains.

The roadbed is in dire need of maintenance and, was in fact being worked on as I made my trip. Still, it's disconcerting to feel the car you're riding in lean over to this side while, when you look at the adjoining car, you see it leaning way over in the opposite direction! Overall, the trip takes about 8-hours and, was well worth it.

I rode as far as the town of Creel and spent the night at the Hotel Real. The Lonely Planet guide describes this hotel perfectly: from the outside it looks a little scruffy, located down a dirt street with a cluttered parking lot but, the room was enormous - big enough for three full-sized beds and had these wonderful murals on the walls. All that and walking distance to a pretty good restaurant for $250pesos/night.

Because of track maintenance, the train didn't make it to Creel so I had to take a bus back down the line to the next stop named Divisidero. Divisidero isn't a town, it's just a spot where the train stops but, because from there you can actually see into the Copper Canyon there are many food stands and souvenir stands.

The food stands are very interesting. The cooking surface is made of a 50-gallon barrel that has a wood fire going inside. The cooks (always women) make gorditas and cook them on top of this flat surface. A gordita looks kinda like an English muffin only made out of masa or cornmeal. Once cooked on both sides they're cut open and stuffed with the meat of your choice. Great street food and, very cheap too.