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| The long trip back from Batopilas to Creel |
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| Back on the train to El Fuerte |
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| Where we went for a bird outing by boat |
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| Herons and Cormorants |
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| Stone Carvings |
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| Lunch in El Fuerte |
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| The humming birds were every where |
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| Long cab ride to Topolabampo to catch the midnight ferry across the Sea of Cortez to La Paz |
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| Some People slept |
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| Some people partied |
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| Some people had their own stateroom |
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| La Paz 7:00 am |
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| Batopilas Town Square |
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| Hotel Juanita |
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| Hotel Juanita lobby |
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| Hotel Juanita courtyard |
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| Hotel Juanita view from balcony |
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| Hotel Juanita looking up from river side |
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| Hotel Juanita Bedroom |
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| Dona Mica the only restaurant we could find open |
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| It was like eating in her home |
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| She was very proud of this ancient wood stove |
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| but she also had a gas range as well |
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| Enchiladas, rice & beans |
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| Mexican Beef, rice & beans |
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| Huevos Rancheros |
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| Chiles Rellenos |
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| Entrance to the old silver mine which was the biggest silver mine in the world, the population of Batopilas was over 10,000 when the mine was active, it is now less than 1000 |
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| Hacienda De San Miguel built by Alexander Shepard the sole owner of the mine |
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| They are currently fixing it up as tourist site including accomodations |
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| Three miles downstream from Batopilas, past an old suspension bridge, is a 400 year old Jesuit mission. The mission, recently restored, is known as the “Lost Cathedral” of Satevo, because over the course of time all records of it were lost by the Catholic Church. |
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| Bake shop and grocery store where we bought our lunch for the drive back up to Creel |
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Batopilas is considered the "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" because of it's historic past and present beauty. Founded in 1709 as San Pedro de Batopilas when the Batopilas mines were discovered, the small pueblo slowly, but steadily flourished due to this mining activity.
The Jesuit mission of San Miguel de Satevó, just outside the town, is known as the "Lost Mission" as there are no records describing it's existence. Believed to have been constructed in the 1760's, the mission is one of the canyon's best preserved. It's setting is ideal near the edge of the Batopilas River.
The silver mines of Batopilas were some of the richest in Mexico. In the 18th and 19th century both Spaniards and Mexicans gained great wealth out of the area. American John Robinson purchased an old claim in 1861 which turned out to have a large, hidden vein. He decided to sell the claim to fellow American Alexander Shepherd for $600,000 US in 1880.
Alexander Shepherd was the last mayor of Washington, D.C. and had been ousted under unproven corruption charges. Once Shepherd moved his family to Batopilas, he filed over 350 mining claims and formed the Batopilas Mining Company. His mines became some of the wealthiest in the world at their peak.
Noting the difficulty and time (over eight days) of transporting the silver ore to Chihuahua, Shepherd opened his own facilities and foundry along the river at his Hacienda San Miguel. Over 20 million ounces of silver were extracted from the mines, and this great wealth allowed Shepherd to bring cultural events and technological advances to this once sleepy town. Batopilas was the second city in Mexico to have electricty. His hydroelectric works provide the towns power still and he also built an aqueduct which is still in use today. So famous for it's wealth were Shepherd's mines that Pancho Villa once robbed a mule shipment of $40,000 US in silver bars.
Alexander Shepherd died in 1902, leaving the mines to his sons who ceased operation in 1920, although other miners would later try unsuccessfully to restart the old mines. In 1938, one son, Grant Shepherd, wrote The Silver Magnet about life in Batopilas and Alexander Shepherd. It is an excellent description about this once world famous town.
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| Our Tour Company California Native had arranged with The 3 Amigos in Creel to guide us to Batopilas at the bottom of the Buffa Canyon |
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| Samuel, our driver and guide and Gabriel driver and guide in training, once again we were they only ones on the tour. |
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| Our first stop was at a Tarahumara farm, they had not had rain for 2 years, their crops had failed totally and the government has implemented a food program. They had a craft store set up in the cave in the background |
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| Our second stop was at the Valley Of The Mushrooms |
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| more crafts for sale of course |
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| Our third stop was at The Valley Of The Frogs |
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| Our fourth stop was at The Valley Of The Monks (formerly know as The Valley Of The Penises) |
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| This is the school for the Tarahumara children |
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| The local church |
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| apparently they also party here as well |
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| Our fifth stop was a hike into this waterfall which had frozen overnight. |
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| This fellow hitch a ride into the waterfall standing on the back bumper of our vehicle, he followed us everywhere, never said a word and was visibly disapointed when we did not give any money. |
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| The first stretch of highway was paved and we were starting to wonder why they said this trip was not for the faint of heart. |
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| Lunch on the road (literally) |
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| Construction, our road is on the bottom and is totally blocked from debris sliding down from above. |
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| We had to wait about half an hour until this guy cleared a way for us to get through |
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| It took quite a few passes for him to clear the road as rocks continued to slide down from above |
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| When we reached the other side of the construction the road changed drastically |
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| We soon found out why this trip was not for the faint of heart |
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| The Bufa Canyon |
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Creel is the usual staging point for groups heading to Batopilas. Ninety-six km (60 mi) and 1,219 meters (4,000 ft) into the gorge, Cañón de la Bufa is a great place to stop for excellent photo opportunities and day hikes, too. About 25 km (16 mi) beyond La Bufa---and another heart-stopping hour of driving---brings you to Batopilas, a unique river destination on the canyon floor.
This quiescent town can be reached by bus, truck, burro, horse, or mountain bike. Deep gorges like the Batopilas are accessed via a serpentine road with sheer drop-offs: reasonably safe, but not for the faint of heart. 4x4 trucks can be rented inexpensively in Creel by individual travelers, but those who want to explore off the beaten track should hire a guide.
Apart from the danger of getting lost, this lonely, sun-kissed terrain is the perfect venue for marijuana plantations, and a lost hiker might stumble across a security guard toting an M-16. Fortunately, locally based guides and knowledgeable tour operators offer access to this magnificent world of striated gorges, pink- and copper-hued peaks, and iconoclastic mission churches.
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