Chihuahua, Mexico: Copper Canyon, Tarahumara Culture, and Photography with Ralph Velasco

Exploring Chihuahua's Surprising Landscapes

• 🏜️ Chihuahua, a northern Mexican state, offers more than just desert, boasting the most forested state in Mexico, contrary to common assumptions.
• ⛈️ Travel in August, though hot in Chihuahua City (around 110°F), provides fantastic photography opportunities with dramatic thunderstorms creating visually stunning skies.
• 🐕 The state is home to the Chihuahua dog, with sightings occurring about five days into the trip, adding a touch of local charm.

Ancient History and Mennonite Entrepreneurs

• 🏛️ The archaeological zone of Paquimé, a UNESCO World Heritage site near Casas Grandes, showcases a pre-Columbian Pueblo complex built with adobe, inhabited roughly between the 1100s and 1300s.
• 👨‍🌾 A Mennonite community has established a significant entrepreneurial presence in Chihuahua, dominating businesses along a 50-mile stretch of road, managing everything from tractors to seeds.

The Majestic Copper Canyon

• 🏞️ Copper Canyon is a vast network of canyons, larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon, characterized by sheer cliffs and diverse terrain.
• 🚂 The El Chepe train traverses over 400 miles, featuring 86 tunnels and 37 bridges, offering breathtaking views from high altitudes down to the Pacific coast.
• 📸 Photography tips for the train journey include shooting in matrix metering mode to handle high contrast scenes and utilizing longer stays in key locations like Divisadero for varied lighting conditions.
• 🏨 Staying overnight at Divisadero provides unparalleled opportunities to capture the canyon's changing moods, from storms to rainbows, over a 24-hour period.

Indigenous Cultures and Local Life

• 🏃 The Tarahumara (Rarámuri) people, known as the "running people," are the largest indigenous tribe in Chihuahua, living in cliff dwellings and known for their craftsmanship in baskets and textiles.
• 🎨 Their vibrant, colorful clothing is a striking visual, reminiscent of South American indigenous attire, though they have no direct relation.
• 🏘️ Despite efforts to provide modern housing, many Tarahumara prefer to live in their traditional cliff dwellings, valuing their ancestral way of life.

Culinary Delights and Travel Advice

• 🌯 Chihuahua is known for its burritos, which are distinct from Americanized versions, often featuring beans and various meats, and typically made with flour tortillas.
• 🌸 A favorite local dish is flor de calabaza (zucchini flowers) with local cheese on a blue corn tortilla, grilled to perfection.
• 💰 Eating street food is a recommended money-saving tip, offering inexpensive and delicious local cuisine, with advice to ensure food is cooked thoroughly.
• ⚠️ Despite concerns about drug wars, Chihuahua is considered relatively safe, with a noticeable military presence, and August is highlighted as a surprisingly excellent time to visit for photography due to lush landscapes and fewer crowds.