We set off happily from San Blas.

    We`d had a fabulous celebration in honour of our week there; it had been a whole week and it was time to move on; and we were pumped to leave behind all memory of the Jejenes.

Yuk.

Panties and I took off to Tepic with Scuba-Blogger and bid him farewell (he was headed south to Guadalajara and on to Central America, while we were headed North to Cooper Canyon) at the bus station.  We caught our overnight bus to the small city of Los Mochis - about 11 hours north ($615 pesos, half that for a student) – where we would catch the CHEPE train up into Cooper Canyon:  known locally as Méxicos Best train trip. 

We slept decently on the overnight – Panties better than I – but I couldn`t help but notice how much crappier the bus services got up here.  As you move further away from D.F. and the central routes, the vehicles are less and less cleanly, the service less organised, and the routes bumpier.  For the same prices.

In Los Mochis we grabbed a taxi from the bus station, and we got to the CHEPE station just in time for the first class train.  It was a good thing too – we had been planning on taking the second class train (half price!  And from what I hear, essentially the same in comfort, only longer, with more stops along the way), but it only runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  A small fact that both of our guidebooks had failed to include!!

Luckily, I had my student card on me, and Panties some sort of Swedish ID with an `S` on it, so we both got half price anyway (working out to be he same as a regular adult second class ticket – what we both should honestly have bought anyway). 

But we happily hopped on to our first class car anyway, and we were off into Las Barrancas del Cobre!  (Cooper Canyon!)

The landscape never ceased to impress for the entire 11 hours to Creel, the little town we would bunk in for a few days to explore the nearby canyons.  It`s deep crevices and valley`s, dry streams and rivers, and never-ending mountainous terrain was in fact something to be proud of – and the CHEPE train rolled right through it all.  The land was just made of continuous action! 

The scenery of course helped to pass the time – most people go to Cooper Canyon half for the journey, and half for the trekking actually in it.  This trip was impressive for sure.  We relocated to he rather expensive restaurant car and decided we could afford coffee, but nothing else.  We chowed down on our pre-purchased snacks (always a good idea for a backpacker on this train – the second class doesn`t have a food car, and he first class one is overpriced… but cute). 

The waiters all wore elegant black and white work tux`s that reminded me of he men in the train in the old days, from Some Like It Hot.  But I suppose train travel, even at home, hasn`t changed very much.  The traditional uniforms are a nice surviving novelty.  The conductors had on even more elegant suits, all freshly pressed and professional black, topped off with fantastic conductors hats.  Ohhh fun!  It was at that point in our long Northward journey that we were getting a little wacky.  We were giggling, cracking jokes and making just a little bit of a scene – but hey, we paid for these seats!  Luckily we had an uber-fun conductor, who at very least acted young, to come by and entertain us.  All in all, a good trip.

The train stopped at Divisidero, the first jump-off point for those planning to explore Cooper Canyon; every one was allowed out of the rain for a 10 minute photo and food break.  Panties and I were STARVING and had planned all along to get our late lunch  here… but nearly missed the train after taking a picture opp. on the massive cliff nearby… and we stranded and hungry, back on our first class train… we sadly watched the steaming tacos and gorditas (pita pockets with good stuff inside – also available veggie!  Which is so rare here for a traditional food…) in the many food carts as our train rolled away…

But not even an hour later, we were in Creel, 2400 metres above sea level - ready to check in to our hostel, book some tours, and grab some FOOD.  Life up here was good (if a little more freezing than the beach…).

This slideshow requires JavaScript.