SFO rocks!

None of our fears (about making our transfer) eventuated  The cabin crew (on our flight from Mexico City to SFO) arranged for those with connections to get off  first.  The immigration fellow was efficient  and  cheerful, our luggage was waiting and we took it to be checked through. About 35 minutes all up!  Amazing. Completely different experience  of SFO from our inward journey.  Not sure what went right - arriving at night? Or learning to cope with US airports?

Anyhow, now on board the flight home.   We completely miss the 11th (sorry, Robyn!)  and home Friday morning.  

Immigration fellow asked us why we had to get visas - did we go parachuting in Iraq?  We are scarred  for life.  

Mexico - the gift that keeps on giving!

 We arrived at Torreon airport for out flight to Mexico City.  We discovered the flight was overbooked, and we had been bumped. We did not have an assigned seat, something apparently the travel agent should have done. But she hadn't.  After much kerfuffle, we were rebooked on a flight 5 hours later! We got food vouchers and now eating at Gastro Bar and Cafe! I kid you not! Nice ice-cream and now waiting for coffee. Just as well KM had built lots of time into our flight plans.

Also got 5000peso credit to a future flight with Aero Mexico.

The 4pm flight was a 737Max! Presume so is ours. Hopefully Boeing has trained AeroMexico pilots how to handle the flight manager.

Eclipse Day

 We dressed appropriately for breakfast

Preparation

Waiting

Totality! In the third pic, you can see Venus.

Changing shadows.  A strange phenomenon of eclipses is changing shadows as totality approaches.  Unusually, as the light becomes duller, the shadows become sharper - the opposite of  what we experience at dusk. These are shadows on the lawn, taken as totality aproached.

We were very happy with our decision to sleep in and risk the clouds.  Not super-perfect, but we saw an eclipse!

Eclipse matters.

Tomorrow - April 8th in Mexico - is eclipse day.

We  began to see some posters about it, and our hotel had some eclipse goodies. 

High cirrus clouds are forecast for tomorrow.  I gather this means not thick thunderstorm clouds that obscure everything, but you may be able to see something of the eclipse through them.  However the organiser is offering an option - a three hour bus ride to ?Django, which involves a 6am departure, and uncertain breakfast and lunch.  We were warned it would be "rugged".  Chances there are better, but the eclipse will be shorter.  Most are going, but we have decided to stay and take our chances.

More after tomorrow!

Torreon

Today was on the road from Chihuahua to Torreon - a full day - we arrived at 5pm.

We saw pecan trees.  Apparently Mexico supplies almost all of shelled pecans imported by the US.  And we were told that you can go to jail for stealing them.  Pecan duffing?

The country is flat.  Hard to believe that this is the same country that also has the Copper Canyon!  A bit like Australia that has the tropical north and deserts I suppose.

For those who like avocados, Mexico is the place to be.  Guacamole is about the only Mexican food that I would go back for.   Today's lunch.

 Some pics of Chihuahua from yesterday.  It is low rise, and dry. 

Today we went on a tour of Chihuahua.  Some pics from the day.....

A street scene

The cathedral

Yes, they have bells! European style.

Inside

Always a box with a slot - diezmo means "tithe".

Baptismal font made from carrerra marble from Italy.

A chapel....

I had to google to find out about this chapel.  Wikipedia entry here.  Apparently he was Chihuahua's first saint - canonised quite recently as he died in 1937.

Our guide explaining the history of Mexico, as depicted in murals in the Town Hall. Mexico has a long and complicated history of revolutions, shifting loyalties as individuals, and the church,  vied for power, as well as a war with America.  It is a history of which I know very little. 

 

Chihuahua

Tonight we are in the Sheraton (whoopee!) hotel in Chihuahua for two nights.  Such a relief after the past 6 nights.  The hotels were good, but the weather was tough.  Altitude, dryness plus cold days made it  strenuous.  The degree of cold was unexpected, and I used my thermal top and long-johns which I had tossed in at the last minute, not really expecting to use them.

Now we are a the comparatively benign 1,141 metres.  

We stopped in a Mennonite village on the way, then visited a Mennonite household for lunch.  .Think Amish, but I gather the Mennonites are more flexible and also quite well-off.

We drove through much flatter land.  Chihuahua is a large city, about a million, and the capital of the state. 

If internet improves tomorrow, will post some pics.  

 

Tarahumara

The Tarahumara are one of the largest indigenous tribes in Mexico, and live in the Chihuahua and Copper Canyon area.  To pronounce it, think Turramurra with a "hu" in the middle.  We are still getting our heads around the history.

 

Cave dwelling.  The lady who lived here has died, but her home remains for tourists to see how she lived.

And some school children.  I was fascinated by the skirts the women wore. 

Creel

Hardly any pics today.  We travelled, by bus, to Creel.  It is a small town, and very touristy, Mexican style.  After dinner, we went for a walk down the main street.

and there was a lot of noise!  Shops have loudspeakers outside 

and there are cars that also go down the street, with loudspeakers at full volume. Was a bit late getting my camera out for this one!  Some cars look home-made.  And it was only Tuesday night!

It was cold. 

 

 

Views of Copper Canyon

I didn't go with the group today  it is so cold - -1 to max of about 11 - and  fortunately tossed a thermal,  scarf etc into my suitcase, not really expecting to need them.  But the cold still took its toll.  I went for a walk, and had a look around our hotel, and got some pics of the Copper Canyon.

 And the zoom-ed images came out well.

 

There were paths around the hotel.  I would say this one is blocked!

And a real closeup of the sloping sides!