Batopilas 15/09/2010

The Road to Batopilas

We were on the road by 9.00am for an expected 5hr (140kms, first 60oddkms on tar and the rest on metal ) drive down the Copper Canon . With us was 2 other Mexician couples (one couple our age the other young , our driver was Martine) . Approx 35kms into our trip and the Van shit itself (dropped a piston as in the photo ) so with that we were for the next 2 hrs, towed, pulled, push and carted on the back of a pick up to the turn off to Batopilas . Where we waited for a new van to arrive from Creel .

When we were final back on the road 2hrs late we finally hit the road to hell 64kms of some of the worst, roughest, and most dangerous road I have ever been on . We were so happy that we took the advice of the people who advised us not to go on the En Moto , as there had been a lot of rain and the washouts were just about undriveable in the 4 wheel drive van we were in (if it had been in NZ no way would we be on the road ) . It was not only the washouts but the entire top of the road had been wash off , leaving only rocks some the size of footballs sticking up . Anyway after 7 hrs we make Batopilas , and we were buggered from being thrown around like a couple of rag dolls for 3 hrs in an oven, as the temp had risin to about 40degs in the van which had no air con and we are only doing about 5 kms hr.

When we got to town it was quite remarkable , after such a shit road and to find such a beautiful little village . It was established 300years ago when silver was descoverd there , they only stopped mining 2 years ago . There is approx 1500 people there and there main income now is tourisium .

The only problem with going down there is that you have to come back up and we not looking foward to that the next day , but we made it the next day and so the Batoplias experiance is over . Not quite as I had planned it , but for the best in the end, as if we had of taken the bike down I would have had doubts that we would have made it in one piece , so alls good and now we are off to Parral approx 370kms .

The food so far

Well the first nite we are in Casa Grandie we ordered a meal,and they bought out before the meal some chips and sauces to start with . So I into it with no caution , a spoon full of this and 2 off that and a hand full of chips , so you can imagine the results . My bloody teeth started to melt and my tongue just about suffered 3 deg burns , I had 3 beers before I even started to get my feeling back in my mouth . Now I eat with a lot more caution and ask the waiter" is this hot or what" (with a lot of hand waving ). With every meal we get refried beans , so for breakfast it is eggs and refried beans , lunch is Tacos and refried beans and Dinner is Tortllias or Borrittos and refried beans .

So our bowl movements are very regular to the point that I have to stop and rush behind the bushes out on the road . But the best thing is that it all costs bugger all, I would say about half to three quarters cheaper than the States , so bring on those refried beans.

The people are very friend and we havent been shot yet (as our American friends said we would ). The language barrier is a big problem but we laugh a lot and they do to, as we try to get things across but in the end we work it out . With all having a lot of fun in the process .

Photos

1 400 year old Cathedral about 7 kms passed Batopilas

2 Batopilas

3 Our Hotel very nice and quite old .

4 5 6 The road to hell

7 The van shitting itself

8 Before the turn off to Batopilas