Can't wait to see this incredibly beautiful landscape! It's located in the state of Arizona in the U.S., about 110 miles north of Phoenix, and has become a Mecca for Hollywood glitterati and spiritual seekers. I'll be leaving Thursday with my friend who's visiting from Tokyo.
We're on our way to a retreat center outside of Tucson in St. David, Arizona and will drive from Las Vegas through Sedona where we'll stay overnight, and then drive on down to Tucson.
I'm staying an extra 3 days at the retreat, but my friend will fly to Mexico to do a little exploring. We'll meet up again on the 13th in Los Mochis (state of Sinaloa) Mexico, located near the Sea of Cortez. And of course, wouldn't you just know it, they had a 6.3 earthquake yesterday, so I'm sure we'll be feeling some of the aftershocks!
Upon arriving in Los Mochis, we'll take a 90-minute shuttle to El Fuerte where we'll board the famous Chihuahua al Pacifico train early the next morning for a 405-mile-long journey to an eco-lodge perched on the rim of the Copper Canyon in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.
The train ride rises to more than 8,000 feet (12,900 km) as it cuts through the Sierre Madre Mountains. We'll cross 39 bridges and go through 86 tunnels along its route. It passes through—and sometimes over—farms, hills, towering cliffs, rust-colored canyon walls, river beds, pine forests and Indian villages and takes about 14 hours. It's four times larger than the Grand Canyon and almost 300 feet deeper!
And, it's also the home of the legendary long-distance runners and cave or cliff dwelling Tarahumara Indians, with roots stretching back to the Anasazi.
The eco-lodge where we'll stay has only solar energy—no electricity—but has its own chef who prepares delicious meals from fresh ingredients. It has been featured in Frommer's Mexico, and National Geographic Adventure says the partnership with the lodge and the (Tarahumara) "has resulted in the preservation of 65,000 acres of nearby habitat."
This is a view looking down at the lodge. Nice, eh?
So I leave September 6th and will be away from any computer access for 13 days. It will be hard to be away from my umbilical to the world, but I'm looking forward to this adventure of a lifetime! Will post more pictures when I return.
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