Our plan for Friday was to take the train all the way back to El Fuerte and to fly home the next day, but it wasn't meant to be. This is Mexico, after all. Thursday night, Bill and Jack told us that there had been a major train derailment between us and El Fuerte and we probably wouldn't be able to get through. As of Friday morning, the accident still hadn't been cleared, and the track hadn't been repaired.
We had a choice: Stay at the Posada Mirador or get down the mountain as far as we could by train. The group opted for the latter, so we boarded the bus and headed for our railroad car in Divisadero. The engine switched us into the train and we were on the way, but not for long. We got as far as the town of Bahuichivo, still about 5,000-feet elevation. Bahuichivo is real (i.e., non-tourist) Mexico. Here's a shot of the spot where they uncoupled our car.
And here's a shot looking up the hill, along the main street of town.
Perhaps the worst part of our entire trip was the 1-hour bus ride from Bahuichivo to our hotel in the village of Cerocahui. Bumpy doesn't do it justice. Canyons aren't the only thing that are large around here. You oughta see the potholes!
The Hotel Misión in Cerocahui isn't much to look at (see below). The food, however, was some of the best on the trip.
Our room was literally along the main street (no sidewalks, of course), and we had this pretty mission outside our window. We could also hear every person, dog, rooster, and horse that went by, barked or crowed within the town.
Even if the tracks could be fixed the next day (Saturday), we knew the train wouldn't get through to pick us up until 3pm, so some of us decided to take a hike to a nearby (1 hour away) waterfall. It was a perfect way to spend the morning, but some of us wished we had our horses and mules. Here's a bridge made of rusted steel sheets and questionable cables—one of the many hazards.
The beginning of the hike afforded us a beautiful view of the village of Cerocahui behind us. The yellow-domed church is the mission across the street from our hotel room.
Some streams didn't have actual bridges.
And after we crossed the valley, the climb began.
Ultimately, we were rewarded with a cool mist from the beautiful waterfall.
©2001 Doug Kaye