Border Crossing Mexico

Border Crossing Bus, Oaxaca, Mexico to Douglas, Arizona

2011-09-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Oaxaca Mexico festival

Oaxaca City Mexico: August 18, 2011.
I wanted to experience a long, non-stop bus trip from Oaxaca, Mexico to Douglas, Arizona in the USA, a distance of 1600 miles. This would be a first class bus trip of 44 hours or so on various buses but for the most part, non-stop. Friends have done similar trips numerous times and they tell me that it is easy. Just drink lots of water they tell me and exercise whenever you can. Only one way to find out.

Night Bus to Mexico City, ADO First Class Bus Leaving at 11:00 PM

The TV flat panel monitor that displays the prices and schedule in Oaxaca's new ADO Station is nearly impossible to read because of the reflections and the fuzzy quality of the graphics. I thought it said 448 pesos for a first class ticket to Mexico Norte Station from Oaxaca's ADO Station on ADO regular first class service. When I reached the ticket counter, however, the price was 483 pesos, up about a hundred pesos from a year ago but at $37.50 USD still not a bad price at about 12.5 cents USD per mile for the 300 mile trip. See Exchange Rate.

ADO is a smooth running operation and a safe one. The security guard does a pat down of each passenger for weapons and they do a metal scan. They video tape each passenger.
The driver backs out of the slot exactly on time and there is no BS about it, no loud music from the driver's compartment, no driver with his shirttails hanging out eating burritos while jawing on cell, no horrible action flicks blaring away on the TV screens. The passengers are soon asleep for the 6 hours of super highway between Oaxaca City and the mountain pass below the volcanoes Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl and the glide down into Mexico City.

Norte Bus Station is a huge middle age station, an under lit and cavernous gateway to all points in Mexico but a welcome sight as we pull in at 5:00 am.

Clean bathrooms for 4 peso, ATM machines, pastry shops, convenience stores, and dozens of ticket booths for bus lines going in all directions, but predominantly north, competing for business.

Zacatecas City

Most of the clerks could use a shot of happy juice but, after all, it is 5:00 am and they are dealing with droves of passengers.

Zacatecas would make a good way station city for my trip north in case I was not able to go all the way in one shot so I bought a ticket for a Chihuahuenses Bus leaving at 6:00 am.
Chihuahuenses is a division of Estrella Blanca and they run several other bus lines north, Futura is one that I also like.

At Mexico City Norte Station there are many options for first class bus service to the US border, Chihuahuenses, Futura, ETN, Omnibus, and others.
Primera Plus is a good quality option but they reach only as far north as Mazatlan on the Pacific Coast. From there, Tufesa Bus and ETN reach Nogales and the border.

I chose Chihuahuenses and paid 540 pesos ($42. USD) for the 376-mile trip to Zacatecas, about 11cents USD per mile.

I was careless in choosing my seat and found that seat 36 was too close to the bathroom. I prefer any seat in from 4 to 20. It is convenient to be within a short walk to the lavatory if you are hydrating but not too close.

No problem it turned out; there were few passengers aboard and the bathroom was clean and did not smell. The ride in the back of the bus is less comfortable, however, with the wheel noise and the harsher bumps. The roads proved smooth and for the most part new, however, and the ride was comfortable.

We soon were speeding along towards San Luis Potosi through the high, Alto Plano of Central Mexico where cactus and Joshua trees prevail and distant mountain loom above lush river valleys. The rainy season was nearing its end and had turned the landscape green.

We arrived in Zacatecas at 4:00 pm. The station is new and clean with a decent food vendor and clean rest rooms for a shave and brushing of teeth. After a snack and a short walk, I booked a 6:45 Chihuahuenses bus for the City of Chihuahua, a twelve hour, 520- mile trip for 765 Pesos. ($59. USD or 11 cents USD per mile)

I usually stop in the colonial cities for a day or two but on this trip I wanted to experience a straight shot so after a rest and cleanup I was soon headed north.

We arrived in Chihuahua at 5:00 am and after a brief rest I was on my way to Agua Prieta by 5:30 am. The first class ticket aboard Chihuahuenses bus cost 530 Pesos for the 8 hour, 337-mile trip.

Tucson Arizona

We arrived in Agua Prieta at 12 50 in the afternoon.

The buses do not cross the border at the Agua Prieta Bus Station, shuttle vans leave for Tucson and Phoenix Arizona from the bus station with a ticket price of $25 USD for passage to Tucson.

Shuttle vans leave from both sides of the border and head north.

I arrived in Tucson at five PM and was surprised to feel rested after the 42 hour trip.

Next, Return Trip, Tucson To Oaxaca City

Road Trip Pacific Coast Route 200 Puerto Escondido to San Blas

2010-09-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

Driving In Mexico

Great Roads
The roads in Mexico improve at a rapid pace. In the northern parts of the country, roads have scenery much like you might find in Arizona and Utah. The roads are four-lane, high speed, Cuota, (toll) or Libre, (Free). As you go south, you will find the roads narrowing a bit but otherwise well surfaced. Mexico can be an enjoyable place to drive and the scenery is magnificent. There are a few hazards to keep in mind, however.

Topes
     Foremost among the perils are the topes. These are speed bumps meant to slow traffic. Aimed mainly at the locals, who speed at all times and don’t slow for pedestrians, school crossings, posted speed limits, or anything else for that matter; the topes are erected by the towns to slow vehicles passing through the village.
     The town builds a series of hills constructed of pavement or concrete that stretches across the road. These are often indicated with a sign warning of Tope (in the south, Oaxaca) Reductador, or Vibrador (in the north, Mazatlan). The problem with these topes is that about 30 % of them, particularly in the south, are not marked. You must be vigilant to avoid hitting one at full speed. If you drive for any distance in Mexico, you are bound to hit one. You cannot escape hitting a tope; even the locals slam into them.

Gassing Up
     Mexico has a National provider of Gasoline and diesel, the Pemex station. They are a welcome sight on a long road trip.
Regardless of your destination: Chiapas or Morelia, Merida or Veracruz, you will gas up at Pemex. On a long mountain road such as the one from Mazatlan to Durango and on to Zacatecas and the ruin of Alta Vista, you might need to buy gas from an independent (a restaurant or convenience store that dispenses it form a plastic jug) Otherwise you will buy from Pemex and it is all at the same price.
     While the gas is dispensed at the same price throughout the country, there is one hazard to keep in mind: the attendants often make mistakes when pumping that gas.
You ask for two hundred pesos of Magma, the regular gas, and the attendant pumps one hundred. You ask for four hundred, and they pump three hundred or even two hundred. You must get out of the car and check the amount on the gas pump before you pay; otherwise, you might receive less than you paid for.

Rest Areas
If you are traveling by RV, watch for the Pemex stations outside of the congested cities, they will have a wide paved or gravel area where you can park for an extended rest. The roads will not have rest areas. Otherwise, you can park overnight where you see 18-wheelers park, alongside restaurants and villages. The safest place, however, is the 24- hour Pemex; they are well lit and will often have a security person on duty.

Next: Road Trip Coastal, Oaxaca City to Nogales

Bus Mexico, Douglas, Arizona to Oaxaca City, Mexico

2010-09-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

Bus Travel Mexico

Tucson Arizona  August 8,  9:10 am,
I arrived at the Sergios Shuttle office on South 6th for the 9:30 Douglas Shuttle to the Mexican border at Agua Prieta and a trip of 1600 miles by bus from Agua Prieta to Oaxaca, Mexico. I paid the 25.00 USD for the shuttle and waited.

9:40 am The shuttle van arrived. Three passengers boarded.

9:50 am The van drove across South 6th to the Circle K for gas up and food stop.
Broken seat belts at most seats made it difficult to find a safe seat.

10:10 am The shuttle van left Circle K and entered the ramp for Route 10 east, the driver talked to a passenger in Spanish as the van left Tucson headed south.
The van stopped in Benson Arizona where the driver pulled into an automated car wash to wash the van. He then entered the Texaco gas station for cigarettes.
The van returned to Route 80 headed for Tombstone, 72 miles north of Douglas. The driver passed the Douglas turn off south of Tombstone and headed for Bisbee. In Bisbee the driver took Route 80 to Douglas.

The van arrived in Douglas, 2 blocks east of the border crossing. The sun was blazing hot. I walked to the border crossing to go through customs and immigration and get a visa. Paid the 270 pesos for a 6 month visa.

I left the border check station and walked to the cab stand where I found an aging, white, Crown Victoria taxi. It took me to the bus station. The cab cost 60 pesos.

Central de Autobus had a Chihuahuenses bus leaving at 11:30 (Mexico time, Same as Tucson) for Mexico City. I paid 1042 peso for a trip to Zacatecas.

The bus was brand new with deeply reclining seats, seatbelts, and two bathrooms. We were scheduled to arrive in Zacatecas at 10:00 am. With the two hour adjustments for time differences this worked out to be about a twenty two hour trip. I slept much of the way during the night, oblivious to the Cantinflas movies on the monitors.

Zacatecas, August 9,   10.00 am
We arrived in Zacatecas on schedule and I caught a taxi into the Centro Historico. The driver recommended the Hotel Condesa which is right in the center of the historic district and reasonable at 500 pesos. ($39 USD) Rooms range from 300 to 600
No pool no Wifi but adequate. The restaurant downstairs was convenient and served good food.
Zacatecas was once a rich mining town. Silver is still mined nearby. The wealth in colonial times built many great churches and colonial buildings. Zacatecas is walkable although it is at 7700 feet (2347 meters) and can stress a flatlander. There is much to see in the Historic Colonial center. In the State of Zacatecas there are ruin sites of interest. The city has a museum with artifacts. to the south of the city find La Quemada ruin site

August 10, Zacatecas, 12.30 pm
I caught a bus to Mexico City the following afternoon, a nine hour trip of 370 miles. (490 pesos) This was a Chihuahuenses bus but far different from the first bus.
The bus was older and needed to be cleaned. The driver put disinfectant in the toilet to moderate the smell but the bus continued on smelling of pine by the time we reach Quertaro.
We reached Mexico Norte Station at 930 pm.

Mexico City Distrito Federal (DF), Terminal Norte    August 10, 10.00 pm
I booked an ADO 11:30 pm bus for Oaxaca. 442 Pesos

Oaxaca city August 11,     Oaxaca, Mexico, ADO Station
The bus Arrived Oaxaca at 6:00 am

For more about Mexico Bus Travel, See Bus Travel Border Crossing, Nogales, Tips

Road Trip Pacific Coast, Oaxaca to Nogales Mexico

2010-03-16T22:09:00.000-07:00

Road Trip Coastal, Oaxaca City to Nogales

Driving through Oaxaca City (link) is no delight. Traffic and topes are not the only concern; political demonstrators could close the streets at any time.
Once out of the city, on the road towards the airport and eventually the Pacific Coast, you have two choices, Route 175 to Puerto Angel or Route 135 to Puerto Escondido (link). The crossroads comes up shortly after the airport (OAX) turnoff.

Route 175 is a better choice for several reason. The road is better maintained for one, and at times Route 135 could be congested with religious pilgrims traveling by bicycle to the mountain town of Santa Catarina Juquila. The pilgrims are most active during the months of November and December.
On route 175, you will go through Ocotlan a town with market day on Friday (link) then into a broad valley towards Ejutla, and eventually Miahuatlan. Once you pass Mihuatlan, you start up into the mountains. The road narrows and the hairpin turns come at you rapidly. These mountains will test your brakes and patience. Although the distance by road between Miahuatlan and the coast is a short 90 miles, you will twist through untold peaks and valleys of the Sierra Madre Del Sur for five or more hours.
If darkness comes upon you before you clear the mountains it is best to park for a while until the heavy traffic subsides. The dangers are the buses and vans that shuttle to and from the coast. The drivers push the limits and often hog what little road is available.
There are hotels at a few of the mountaintop towns and you can pull off the road for a nap at the cleared spaces in front of the few roadside restaurants. Otherwise, there are no amenities on this stretch of mountain road. One interesting village at the three quarter point of the mountain trip is the coffee producing town of Pluma Hidalgo. The turnoff is 121 miles out of Oaxaca City. Pluma Hidalgo has a small hotel run by a former coffee broker. Find the hotel at the end of the one street village. The coffee coop roasts its coffee near the main street. You can visit and watch the process.

The mountain road will eventually flatten out as you approach the town of Pochutla where you will find the crossroads for Route 200. If you continue on 175 and cross the main highway, you will come to the coast and the fishing village of Puerto Angel. Route 175 ends in Puerto Angel, having gone about 320 miles and crossing Mexico over two mountain ranges while going from Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico to Puerto Angel on the Pacific Coast

Three interesting coastal villages might tempt you for a visit: Puerto Angel, Zipolite(link), and Mazunte.

Next: Puerto Escondido

Nature Hikes in Oaxaca, Apoala Oaxaca

2010-01-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Mountains of Mexico. Apoala is located in a river valley in the

Mixtec region of Northern Oaxaca State

Nature Hikes in Oaxaca

Apoala, Two Rivers of Paradise Updated August 2011

You duck deep into the cavern called the Cave of the Snake and then enter a vaulted room with stalactite ceilings. You hear the gurgling of water. It tells you that you have reached the pool where the underground river bubbles through the rocks. This river will emerge from the cliffs and join the main river in the valley where, according to ancient legends, life first began in the Americas.

Apoala Camping beside the river

That legend says that the river bubbling through the grotto gave life to a sacred tree in the valley that in turn gave life to the first humans. The Codex Vindobonensis, now in the National Library of Vienna, relates the marriage of Lord 1-Flower with Lady 13-Flower, both born of the Great Tree in the valley of the two rivers of Apoala, Paradise in the eyes of some Native Americans.

From that valley of shading cedars, the river tumbles over the Tail of the Serpent Cascade, plummeting 400 feet into a green pool and then spilling out into a broad valley, eventually tumbling 5,000 feet and 300 miles to join the Papoloapam River. There it spills into the Gulf of Mexico near the wetlands where Mexico’s first great civilization formed, San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan, the home of the Olmecs.

Apoala hiking beside the river

Lodging rooms serve guests at the tourist center in the valley of Apoala. There are doubles and rooms large enough for families. Three hours of dirt road scraped from the high plains keeps all but the hardiest traveler out of the valley where legends say that life began.

To protect the pristine environment, the State tourist agency hopes to lure visitors to Santiago Apoala and spread their dollars among the 260 local residents, easing pressure on the scarce resources of palm fronds, building lumber, exotic birds and endangered animals. Oaxaca Ecotours

To visit the two rivers of Paradise, you must hire a guide in the village; otherwise, you could not find the cave where the river bubbles through the rocks, the ancient stone carvings, the cascade, or the canyon cliffs where climbers come to repel.
The fees paid to guides helps the local people preserve the valley.

Mixtec Alta kitchen, ollas and the comal

Naturalists find a paradise in Apoala; many species of birds visit the valley including Rufous-Capped Warblers, Western Tanagers, Yellow Grosbeak, Violet-Crowned Hummingbirds, and the White-Throated Towhee. A few years ago a naturalist discovered a new variety of small-eared tree frog that lives below the cascade.

Villagers will put you up for the night if the tourist cabins are full, local people will feed you fresh cooked tortillas and memilitas in this simple paradise where fruit trees are abundant, water pure, and the air crystal clear. Three hours of dirt road through the plains of the Mixtec Alta’s high divide has kept it that way.
Will increased tourism spoil this Paradise? Probably not unless the road improves, and that is not soon likely.

Apoala roads for biking and hiking, Apoala, Oaxaca

Next, Road Trip, Pacific Coast

Oaxaca Hikes: Monte Alban Ruin Site Oaxaca Mexico

2010-01-08T19:55:00.000-08:00

Oaxaca Hikes: Monte Alban

We arrived at the plaza in Xoxocotlan, on time for the hike but prepared to wait. We had been warned by our language teacher at the Instituto Cultural de Oaxaca that his people never arrive exactly on time. He claimed that if they have an appointment with the angel of death or with the devil, they need only to be a little early or a little late to escape their fate. This is a cute enough story, and wouldn’t we all like an excuse like that to pardon our tardiness. Our new friend shattered the myth, however, when he arrived at the plaza just as the hands on the tower clock reached eight.

We started our walk through the grid of paved streets and were soon on a dirt road, walking beside agricultural fields. We could see in the distance, to the west, the morning sun spreading gold over the ancient city on the hilltop as it touched the tops of the pyramids of Monte Alban.

We soon started up an incline and reached a water impoundment. By this time, we started to see shards of grey pottery and our friend would remark, “Three B Four,” neatly smacking the shards into their proper place in the chronology of Monte Alban’s ceramic history while, at the same time, impressing us with his knowledge.

Climbing the steps of the north platform,

Monte Alban, Ruin Site, Oaxaca

He built his own house he said as he pointed out land he owns on the side of the hill below the ancient city. He would often find shards from the classic era when he excavated or worked in his garden.
The classic period, he explained, includes the era from 200 AD to 800 AD. It was at the end of this period that the city stopped being a center of power and all the people inexplicably disappeared. They moved away into smaller settlements in the valleys below the mountain city or perhaps just depopulated. The city had died around 800 AD in an unknown manner and for unknown reasons.

     I felt the tug of gravity as we started to hike uphill in earnest through low grass and shrubbery. No trees grew on the hillside but our guide said at one time the slopes were covered with trees like they where in a section on the other side of the mountain that has been protected for several hundred years. Along the trail we saw signs that the local people had gathered wood for cooking. They had done a thorough job; there was not a stick left standing except at the top of the mountain. Very few trees or bushes of any size were growing on the lower slopes.

     One particular tree has grown so scarce as to be nearly eliminated, the copal, a deciduous tree that oozes a resin used by the local Zapotec and Mixtec people in making incense for ceremonial purposes. The wood is also ideal for carving sculptures of wood because of its lack of grain. The consequence of its utility is that this tree has nearly disappeared form the mountainside. The tree is noticebly rare on the side of the mountain near the village of Arrazola where 70 families carve small colorful animal sculptures for sale to tourists.
     I felt at that point that I knew why the ancient people had abandoned their mountain city; they had depleted the resources just as the modern people were doing.
     We ascended higher above the valley and could still see shards and the occasional glint of obsidian, a black volcanic glasslike material that the ancient people imported from distant Teotihuacan, 300 miles, to the north. They used the stone as knives and scrapers.
     I picked up an obsidian blade and ran its edge on my arm. The hairs fell away better than my Good News shaver. That edge was put on that sliver of obsidian 1500 years ago by the deft blow from a rock or from the pressure of a deer antler, our guide told us, and it is as good today as when the ancient craftsperson formed it. Obsidian blades also would be set into a wooden club and make a formidable weapon such as I had seen on the ancient codices, the picture books painted on deerskin left by the Mixtec culture.

     We continued higher through high bushes towards the top of the mountain and I could see clearly the pyramidal stone temples along the ridge at 6,300 feet above sea level.
     Still seeing shards everywhere on the ground, I realized that at one time this hill had been crammed with houses. With the sun still low, we could see terraces where houses once perched on the hillside. I imagined a thousand houses of thatch and daubed mud sprouting on the ridges and hillsides wherever there was the slightest flat space.
     No water ran on the hillsides. The spring, the guide said, was at the bottom of the hill. The people would have transported all water from the spring or from the river, carrying it along the trails just like we were walking, steep trails at that, steep enough to make anyone think twice about living in a place where you had to transport everything you needed: food, water, firewood, and of course, the tons of stones that it would take to build the city in the first place.
     Well-organized and centrally-controlled governments make cities like the one that came into view as we reached the top. It would take a strong ruler or priestly class to make people do all the work to support the lifestyle that these people lived. It would take thousands of workers hiking down each day for water and firewood, food, and building stone.

A standing stone at the ruin of Monte Alban

said to serve as a marker of the two

zenith days in Oaxaca.

      The bushes grew higher as we reached the top of the mountain; still we had seen few trees. We walked the trail beside an unexcavated mound and came to another mound with recent excavation work. From these pits and tombs, our friend told us, the artifacts would go to the nearby museum and labratory for study during a several year archaeological project.

     We then climbed a little higher to a level and cleared plateau and we were at the top. We had a clear view of three alluvial valleys as we faced the high Sierras to the north. A valley to our left, the Etla Valley, one to our right, the Mitla Valley, and behind us to the south, the Zimatlan Valley. The valleys were formed by the once mighty Rio Atoyac, which now ran as a trickle from the Etla Valley and joined the Saledo River to then run through the Zimatlan Valley. From there the river flows west as it tumbles and twists through a drop of five thousand feet elevation and courses through over a hundred miles as the crow flies to become the Rio Verde before emptying into the Pacific Ocean.
     In the center of the wide plateau stood an unexcavated mound. Our guide pointed out that we were on Monte Alban's south platform. We soon came to a set of steps that descended to the main plaza of the city. Forty-three steps I counted, steps that led to the quarter-mile long plaza.

A view from the north platform

looking towards the south platform,

the structure in the background.

      As we descended, the plaza lay before us, wide, long, and flat, an area between stone buildings that some archaeologists believe was a market place similar to what one sees today where markets surround the churches, similar to what Bernal Diaz del Castillo described in his book about the conquest. The markets Castillo described surrounded the temples at Tenochtitlan, the city of Moctezuma and the Aztecs, the city that the Spaniards, led by Cortez, conquered in 1519.
     We could see that the city of Monte Alban occupied the top of the hill for a half mile. The Zapotecs had quarried the hilltop, starting in 500 BC, and leveled the area of the plaza while leaving a high place in the north and one in the south. They constructed stone temples along each side of the plaza at the edge of the slope and they built pyramidal temples on platforms in the north and south, In the middle of the plaza they built a series of buildings running north/south.
     The city was impressive indeed and nearly overwhelming in its size and scale. All the while, however, as we walked the plaza, I couldn’t help but speculate on the reason for its demise; the city was planned so meticulously, why had they suddenly abandoned it after more than 1200 years.
Perhaps we will never know.

Best Ways to See Copper Canyon, Train from El Fuerte

2010-01-07T19:12:00.000-08:00

Best Way To See Copper Canyon, El Fuerte Station to Divisadero and Creel

This article looks at several of the easiest ways to get deep into the canyon and where to go once you arrive.

El Fuerte offers a Copper Canyon

Train Station

Copper Canyon is one of the most isolated tourist spots in Mexico. Getting there offers some challenges and some options.

         Scenery is the draw for most visitors. Others relish a chance to see the reclusive Tarahumara Indians who until recently lived in caves within the canyon. For other visitors, the attraction is the 400 mile trip on Mexico’s last regularly scheduled passenger train and the view that the train trip reveals. Flexibility is one of the keys to enjoying a trip to Copper Canyon. Here are some options for reaching the canyons.

By Train from the West Coast
      The Copper Canyon train makes one first class trip each day from each end of the four hundred miles of track that traverse the Copper Canyon. On the Pacific Coast, a daily first class train leaves Los Mochis and heads east. Meanwhile, inland from the city of Chihuahua, a first class train leaves heading west to Los Mochis.
     Three days a week, at seven am, a second class train leaves Los Mochisan an hour or so after the first class train. The first class train stops to pick up passengers in the town of El Fuerte at 8:55 am and then continues on. It soon starts its climb into the mountains.

El Fuerte train station offers overnight several day parking for

Copper Canyon Train trips

     This is the dream trip for railroad lovers. You can stand between cars and look out at the steep cliffs and river valleys far below. Train lovers might also prise a trip into the dining car where you can have an elegant breakfast for 100 pesos. Plush seats, air conditioning, and security while you sip coffee and look out on the canyons below. This is a memorable train ride.

     Passengers have two options to start the trip from the western end. The best is to drive or bus to El Fuerte and board the train there. (Route 32, fifty miles northeast of Los Mochis) If you are driving south on Route 15, watch for the El Fuerte turn-off, Route 1, just south of the Sonora/Sinaloa border.
     El Fuerte has an interesting history and well preserved Centro Historico. Hotels in the town center will help with transportation to the train station, six kilometers south of town. Hotel El Fuerte a best bet
A cab will be 40 peso per person for a group or 100 pesos for a single passenger.
If you drive into El Fuerte, take a right on the road to Hoyanco just after the Pemex station. Stay on the road for six kilometers and you will reach the train station. You can park in a secure lot run by a family just to the right as you enter the train station parking area. The family parks you in their back yard for 100 pesos per night. If you board the train at El Fuerte, you haven’t missed any of the scenery; the first 50 miles east of Los Mochis are through flat farmland.

Cusarare Canyon bike rides and tours bring

visits to Tarahumara artisans

Once you are aboard, the seats offering the best viewing on the eastbound train out of El Fuerte are on the right side.

Once into the canyon, the best stops for viewing the canyon are the towns of Divisadero or Creel. In those towns, you can find lodging and tours within the canyons. In Creel you will find an ATM, tours, restaurants, and all levels of lodging.
You can stay in the canyon area for as many days as you like. The return train will arrive in El Fuerte around 7:00 PM-9:00 PM

Cusarare Canyon offers a visit to

Tarahumara weavers

By Train from Chihuahua

Trains leave from the city of Chiahuahua daily and make the trip southwest to Los Mochis. Much of the early leg of that trip, however, is not through spectacular scenery. The better option for those looking for scenery (other than train lovers) is to drive or bus into the town of Creel. There are many lodging options there and good access to the canyon for hiking or biking. From Creel, you can buy a train ticket for the stop at Divisadero and the lodging on the edge of the canyon. Transportation in Creel could also include tour bus, van, or truck rental to towns such as Batopilas a hundred miles from Creel, deep in the canyon.
See the Three Amigos in Creel for vehicle and bike rentals.

If you do opt for the train trip from Chihuahua, the best canyon stop would be either Creel or Divisadero. You can later catch the eastbound train to return.
Another option would be to drive or bus into Creel from Chihuahua or Cuauhtemoc and then take the train to El Fuerte. The train ride between Creel and El Fuerte is the most scenic. Once you arrive in El Fuerte, between 7:30 and 9:00 pm, the waiting taxis will take you to a hotel. The hotel El Fuerte would be a good choice, it is an unusual place with great décor offering rooms for two at 740 peso per night. The colonial center of El Fuerte has abundant charm.
You cab out to the station and board the eastbound train the following morning for the return to Creel.

Just be careful that the train doesn't leave Creel or Divisadero so late in the afternoon on a westbound trip that the scenic canyons will be in darkness when you pass.

Cusarare Falls 11 miles by road from Creel

Sightseeing within the Canyons
Creel is a small village with a train station, hotels, restaurants, bus station, church, and a bank. It serves visitors who then bike, hike, or tour by bus or car to other sights in the canyons. The Parque Natural Barranca del Cobre is a huge area of many canyons. Good roads (dirt switchback and paved) connect the villages of Batopilas, Urique, and Divisidero, likey places to visit.
Day trip from Creel, bike or hike with an afternoon pickup, Cusarare Falls

Lodging within the Canyons
The village of Creel is noted for its wide range of lodging options. Many visitors head to Creel and then go from there to other villages. Divisidero has its famous hotel, located on the edge of the canyon with great views. Batopilas is down in the canyons and offers lodging deep in Tarahumara country

Copper Canyon is a huge area nearly forty miles wide. The canyon park is truly remote, although you will not feel isolated with all the amenities available. It is best however, to keep a few things in mind. Trains can break down. The tracks are also used by freight trains that do occasionally derail. Don’t go in by train if you are on a tight schedule. Have several days of leeway in case the unexpected happens.

There are no good and direct roads across that 180 miles or so between Creel and El Fuerte the stations at the eastern and western ends of the scenic area. You can bus back through Cuauhtemoc, Hermosillo but it is a long way around.

If you have plenty of flexibility built into your trip you will relax and accept the unexpected. Flexibility in surplus is what you will need to enjoy a trip to Copper Canyon.

Mexico City Bus Stations, Terminal Norte, Terminal Tapo

2010-01-06T18:05:00.000-08:00

Mexico City

From Morelia it is a six or so hour trip to Mexico City Terminal Norte. From there I took an ADO first class bus to Oaxaca City, a seven hour trip.
Norte is an old station but a great hub for bus trips throughout Mexico including trips to Teotihuacan and the ruins of Tula.
Four bus terminals serve the country from Mexico City. You must start from certain terminals to reach a destination. That info is hard to find so I will list it here:

Mexico City’s Terminal Norte also called Terminal Central Norte, serves the country north to the US border and includes Matamoros, Nuevo Loredo, Juarez/ El Paso TX, Agua Prieta/Douglass, AZ, Nogales/Nogales, AZ, and as far west as Tijuana/San Diego. The States of Mexico served to the north and west include Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahiula, Nuevo Leon, Sinaloa, Durango, San Lois Potosi, Tamaulipas, Nayarit, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Hidalgo, Aguascalientes, Michoacan, Colima, and Queretaro. Southern and eastern States served: Oaxaca, Chiapas, Veracruz, and Puebla.

Mexico City’s Tapo Terminal or officially called Terminal Oriente serves the southern and southeastern parts of Mexico including the States of Puebla, Oaxaca, Tlaxcala, Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Veracruz, and Yucatan.

Mexico City’s Terminal Central Sur serves the central and southern States of Guerrero Puebla, Morelos/Cuernavaca, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Tabasco, and Chiapas.

Mexico City’s Terminal Centro Poniente serves the central and western states of Michoacan, Jalisco, Guerrero, Nayarit, Queretaro, the State of Mexico DF, and northwest to Sonora, and Sinaloa.

I Arrived in Oaxaca in the early morning just as the sun rose. From the ADO station I could walk to the Zocalo by then I needed to stretch my legs.

Bus To Morelia, Touring Morelia, Butterly Migration

2010-01-03T09:42:00.000-08:00

Bus to Morelia, Touring Morelia

The bus pulled into the first class bus station several miles from the center of the city of Moralia with the sun not up yet. I grabbed a cab for 70 peso and reached the Centro Historico in a few minutes. I wanted to see the downtown area of preserved colonial buildings that are now museums. The city has an artisan museum and several fine old hotels grouped around the main plaza. Street-side restaurants look out on the plaza from beneath the preserved Portales.

First stop, a breakfast of coffee and eggs at the outdoor restaurant. Feels like Europe, perhaps Italy, with all the old timers sipping their cappuccino and appraising the young women who walk by on their way to work.

Just across from the portales, next to the Cathedral, a kiosk dispenses maps for a small fee.
      The Cathedral gave the city a chance to show off its wealth. They built it in a Baroque style called Tablerado starting in 1660 and completing it in 1744. The stone is pink Cantera, a soft, easily-worked volcanic stone that gives the church its unique tone. The interior does impress.
     The rich towns lavished much cash on their churches during colonial days. The cathedral at San Luis Potosi, a silver mining town, ranks highest on my list but Moralia is right up there.
     I checked at the tourist kiosk for information about a butterfly trip. The monarchs winter in the mountains of Michoacan, not far from Moralia. I will make Morelia a base city for my next winter trip when I will stop to see the Monarch Migration. I learned that MMG Tours offers a nine-hour trip leaving Morelia at 8:30 am. The trip includes guide, modern van, and lunch. The cost is 500 Pesos, $40 USD Approx.
      The Monarchs start moving south from Canada and the US in September and complete the migration in November. They roost for the winter on the steep slopes of the southwestern sides of mountains near ten thousand feet in Michoacan State where it borders the State of Mexico. It wasn’t until 1975 that researchers discovered that the Monarch butterfly wintered in Michoacan.
     Morelia can also be a good base for tours of Patzcuaro its islands and the Archaeological Zone of Tzintzuntzan. On my next visit I will also plan on booking with Morelia Michoacan Guides    www.mmg.com.mx for a tour of the ruin site of Tzintzuntzan.

     Morelia's Centro Historico is a walkable several blocks north and south and 20 blocks east and west. Sightseeing in the historic center of Morelia was made easier by the tourist kiosk that dispenses information and sells maps. I headed for the Artisan Museum and the craft shops at Plaza Valodollid. The Artisan Museum is located in Morelia's oldest building, the 1550 exconvento San Francisco. The space, located on two floors, provides great shopping and an enlightening look at the many arts and crafts produced in Michoacan.
     Later I caught a cab to the Anthropology museum. They have a great collection of pre-Hispanic art and archaeological artifacts, but, unfortunately, they don’t allow photos.
Next to the Museum the park offers outdoor tables for coffee or ice cream in the Park of Roses.
Morelia Monarch Butterfly Migration

Border Crossing, Bus Nogales to Mazatlan

2010-01-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

Border Crossing

Mazatlan to Guadalajara and Morelia

After my tour with Armando, I decided to continue with Tufesa because they had a bus leaving at a convenient time for me. I had also never ridden all the way to Guadalajara with Tufesa so I wanted to check on that service for future reference and for info for the softseattravel website.

From Mazatlan the bus goes southeast down to Tepic, the capital city of Nayarit State.
Of interest to surfers and Ecotourers here would be the village of San Blas, on the coast. The bus has skirted about a hundred miles of mangrove swamp that lines the coast southeast of Mazatlan. This area attracts migratory birds of all description and includes, according to reports, 500 species of birds. The village holds an annual birding convention in January.
The mangroves produce a rich array of feed that flows into the waters offshore. This attracts Humpback whales that migrate south from Alaska to winter along the coast. Whale shark, a 30 foot-long plankton feeder, also visit these waters and this makes San Blas a good place to whale watch.
Surfers will note that the Bay at Matanchen, (Matachen on some maps) once produced the longest surfable wave, an event that put San Blas into the Guinness Book of World Records. The ocean bottom has changed since then but the surfing is still notable and the beaches, Las Islitas, el Borrego, los Cocos, and Miramar are often deserted. Many lodging options make San Blas a good visit. See San Blas Lodging

I learned about a trip out of San Blas that might be a great adventure. A boat takes groups of four people at a time and leaves them on an island about 40 miles offshore. The boat captain provides fifty gallons of water but otherwise you provide your own food. This means catching fish for dinner, snorkeling for shellfish, and scrounging whatever else you need or haven’t brought with you. Sounds like an adventure worth investigating. See for further info.

From Tepic it is 214 K to Guadalajara, about three hours. In total, from Mazatlan to Guadalajara it is a 500k (310 miles) trip and takes about eight hours.
Tufesa stops at two terminals at Guadalajara, which is a huge city. I stayed on for the second terminal near the Centro Historico because from there I could get a bus going towards Mexico City. I left the Tufesa bus and caught a cab to the central bus station, just a short trip.
Turns out there was a Primera Plus leaving an hour and a half after I arrived so I was able to buy a ticket and board after having a late dinner.
I bought a ticket to Morelia.
I wanted to stop for a while and tour the city. Morelia has some great colonial architecture and some nice old hotels near the Cathedral. I planned to put in for the night at one of the old classic hotels.
As the Primira Plus bus pulled out of the station, I settled back in the deep recliner and looked forward to a cup of coffee at one of Morelia’s sidewalk cafes beneath the portals of an old hotel. Morelia

Border Crossing By Bus, Nogales to Mazatlan

2010-01-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

Bus Through Mazatlan
I will continue this recount of the trip although several months and a few side trips have intervened. The links will provide additional info on bus service in Mexico at softseattravel

I didn’t plan my timing well on my Tucson Tufesa bus departure and therefore landed in Mazatlan at 4:00 am. The Tufesa station is open all night, however.

I could have continued on to Guadalajara with Tufesa but wanted to switch to Primera Plus, (Flecha Amarilla) because their service is a step above at around the same price. They reach only as far north as Mazatlan. They serve Mexico DF (Mexico City Bus Terminals) Tufesa goes south only as far south as Guadalajara

A little café in the small station provided a snack. I then took a cab to the Primera Plus terminal not too distant and located on the same street. Once there, I found that their first bus left for Guadalajara at 7:00 am. I had time to kill.

The cab driver took me to the beach area where, within the hour, the restaurants would open. I went to Pancho's right on the beach with a view of the islands Venado and Pajarro. (Open at 7:00 am)

Breakfast at Panchos is a favorite of the locals and the tourists who come each year from Canada and the US. They don’t really like the term tourist, winter visitors suits them better.

The seating at Pancho’s is on an elevated patio right on the beach, not fifty yards from the waves. You look out on small islands offshore, Venado, Chivo, and Pajaro. The islands are good props for an evening sunset photo.

Pancho’s is situated in one of the many small malls along the beach, interspersed within mid and high-rise hotels. There are plenty of good shops nearby.

I left Pancho’s after breakfast and walked along the beach road headed southeast. Mazatlan offers some good recreation with about three miles of beachside walkway along the arc of coastline where many small parks have a large sculpture as accent.

A cab driver approached and offered his services. I asked him about a tour through the city for an hour. How Much?

“Two hundred peso,” he said in good English. That’s about 15 USD and not bad for a private tour. He proved to be a fountain of info about the city. If you are visiting Mazatlan for the first time, this might be the way to become quickly acquainted with the city.

Armando Milan proved a friendly and helpful person who showed me his city from top to bottom. He is knowledgeable, helpful, safe at the wheel, courteous, and flexible. He can get you the local info on restaurants, gambling casino, theatre, bullfights, beaches, surfing, good views, and the old city.

Turns out that he is a 20 year resident of the city and has a family of four grown children. He seemed to know everyone in the city. His Cell: 044-669-155-6308,
Home, 9 40-1908. He can pick you up at the airport if you are flying in.
Mazatlan’s Centro Historico is a walkable several blocks around a zocalo. Sightseeing in the historic Center will reveal some great colonial architecture.
Mazatlan has its tourist season from December to April. During those months Canadian, American, and European tourists come to enjoy the beaches and nightlife, casino gambling, shopping, restaurants, and Sunday bullfights. Cruise ships also visit from the US, a Carnival cruise was in port for the day.

Armando invited me to visit his house and stay for the afternoon meal, a kind offer but I was ready to resume my trip south. By now, I had decided to stick with Tufesa and go with them to Guadalajara.
By noon, I was on a Tufesa bus headed out of Mazatlan bound for Guadalajara.

From Guadalajara you can reach Morelia for the Monarch Butterfly Migration.

Flights to Mazatlan
You can reach Mazatlan by air on many National and International flights.
Mazatlan's Aeropuerto Internacional General Rafael Buelna (MZT) 30 minutes outside of the City of Mazatlan. ($300 Peso cab ride to the city of Mazatlan)
Mazatlan is served from Houston, Tucson, Chicago, and LA as well as Mexico City and many other hubs. Mazatlan is served by International flights, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Northwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, US Airways, and WestJet

Mazatlan by Bus
Reach Mazatlan by Bus from the US on Tufesa, Tap, Elite, Omnibus, and other lines that serve Mazatlan with first class service from the north. Primera Pus serves Mazatlan from Mexico City and Guadalajara. Tufesa Bus serves Mazatlan with cross-border buses from Phoenix and Tucson through Nogales.

Tufesa

Bus Through Mexico, Nogales to Mazatlan

2009-10-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

The Cross Border Bus can be convenient.

     You stay on the same bus and only get off briefly to pass your bags through an X ray check or through a custom check were you press a button for the random search.
     They are looking mostly for taxable items that you failed to declare or that exceed the allowable limit. You present your passport, secure you visa, and then board the same bus for the remainder of the trip.
      Caution:Don't transport fruits, meat, plants, and, (obvious) drugs.  http://softseattravel.com/Backpacking-Venezuela-Rio-Caribe.html
     Drug sniffing doges are in use at border crossing check stations and at check stations within the US border and within Mexico.
     Caution:Watch your luggage at the border check station.- stick with your bags and follow them through the xray and check stations. Keep essentials in your day pack or on your person, your passport, visa ATM/ credit cards, camera, laptop and money.

     Tufesa Bus:
     Tufesa Bus Line runs luxury first class buses in the US and Mexico and they make the cross border trip. They run from Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, NV, and 16 California cities to Guadalajara, Mexico with stops in major cities along the way. They do not, however, make sufficient allowance for the securing of a visa at the border (Nogales). Their passengers are mostly Mexican with Mexican passports and they do not need a visa.
(visas are not required of foreign visitors for short stays or stays in the vicinity of the border)
     The Tufesa bus for Guadalajara stops at a Nogales, MX terminal for a half hour but the terminal is about a mile away from the actual border where you get your visa / Tourist Card.
     If your stay in Mexico will be longer than 72 hours and you will go south beyond the border State of Sonora or beyond Baja you should get the 180 day visa, often called a Tourist Card.

      Two Workarounds to getting a visa at the border:     One way around this short duration stop at the border is to apply for a visa at a Mexican consulate well before you reach the border. Large cities   in the US will have such consulates. The consulate in Tucson AZ does not issue a visa. Another way around this would be to buy a bus ticket to the border only, (Nogales in AZ)   Leave the bus and take all of your luggage with you. Get your visa at the border crossing. (6 month visa 260 Pesos) Take a $7 USD cab to the Tufesa station, buy a ticket and re-board the same bus if it hasn't left.
       This is the safest way to both secure your luggage and save your ticket price, although it hardly makes for a convenient cross border trip.
        I took a chance and left my checked luggage on board the bus at the border crossing check station and told the driver I needed a visa. He said he would wait. Lucky for me there was no line and I received the visa quickly and then went to the adjacent bank to pay. Again no line. I then returned to get the visa stamped. Any line and I would not have had time to do this.
I made it back to the bus, now waiting for me with an impatient driver, and we continued on to the Tufesa station for the haf hour stop. (serviceing the bus)
     There are many buses leaving Nogales and going south down the coast or inland to Chihuahua. Tufesa is not the only one.
     Bus lines that run to Mazatlan or Culiacan from the Nogales Station next to the new Tufesa station. Other lines include TBC, Tap, Elite, and Omnibus. They all run luxury buses south. If you do miss the Tufesa bus you will have options.
see      Other bus options and Mexico City terminals http://www.softseattravel.com/Mexico-Bus-Travel-North-Chihuahenses-Omnibus.html

     The Tufesa bus left Tucson at 11: am and was scheduled to arrive in Mazatlan at 430 am, a 17 hour trip.
At the border, several US agents boarded and checked out several of the Mexican passenger, thouroughly. Otherwise the trip was uneventful and a good stretch of sleep followed after sunset.

     Arriving at Mazatlan at 4:30 am was not good planning since I had to wait until 7: am for restaurants to open. I had planned to take a Primera Plus bus (Flecha Amarilla) to Guadalajara but their first bus out was 7:am. I instead made plans to visit Mazatlan for the day and perhaps overnight.
See Mazatlan
http://www.softseattravel.com/Mazatlan-Sinaloa-Mexico-Pacific-Coast-Beach-Resort.html

Next: Touring Mazatlan

Border Crossing, Nogales to Oaxaca Mexico by Bus:

2009-10-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

Border Crossing

This travelogue is meant to share information that will make your bus trip through Mexico easier.

I am traveling from Tucson Arizona to Oaxaca, Mexico, where I live part of the year. I want to reach Oaxaca for the Day of the Dead celebration, an event the I have witnessed for the past 12 Day of the Dead celebrations. The event is a spectacle, one of which I can never get enough. The candle-lit cemeteries in XoxoCotlon where my friend Juan Cruz Pascual will create his sand painting during the afternoon of October 31, are magic places during the evening vigil. See the sand painting process http://www.softseattravel.com/Day-of-Dead-Sand-Painting-Juan-Cruz-Pascual.html

XoXocotlan’s old cemetery is a magic place on October 31 during the night. The thousands of candles light up the tombs and the faces of the people as they sit by the graves. On the following night, the village of Tlalixtac de Cabrera holds a livelier celebration with brass bands and strolling guitar trios. The village of San Filipe del Agua holds a friendly celebration. Follow the Aqueduct north of the city of Oaxaca to the Pitico market and cross the street to the cemetery. Bus service or $3.50 taxi. Taxi back to the city. The Panteon General is a good take the first night of November.

I am leaving Tucson in the early afternoon with a plan to reach Mazatlan by dawn the following day (16 hour trip)

This might sound grim to some but the luxury Tufesa bus is a high tech rolling hotel made for sleeping. Once darkness descends (7:00 PM) I will sleep and the miles will speed by.

Farmland reaches all the way south for 600 miles but at Mazatlan the mountains below Durango start to pinch in and the farms turn to citrus and tropicals. At Mazatlan you cross the Tropic of Cancer and enter the tropics.

See "Alta Vista Ruin Site on the Tropic of Cancer" for the ruin site; go to Zacatecas either from Durango City or from Zacatecas City. Alta Vista is near Sombrerete in the small town of Chalchuhuites. It is a little-known site except for those that follow the solstice and the Zenith days.

Tip: Estimate Miles and Time Between Stations

I plan a long bus trip through Mexico by using the maps offered by Guia Roji, a book of 42 maps that fits in the daypack. It is important on a long bus trip to estimate your miles between cities and bus stations, more importantly, your time between stops. Plan on doing 50 miles and hour and plan your departure so that you arrive in your destination terminal early in the morning so that you have daylight to explore the city, beach, or ruin site.

An example is the trip from Tucson to Mazatlan; it is 800 miles distant, which computes to a 16-hour trip from Tucson. Therefore, I want to leave Tucson around noon or early afternoon so that I arrive in Mazatlan at 6-7 am and have time to explore the beaches.

Mountain travel will be much slower than 50 mph. A trip from Oaxaca City to the Pacific Coast beaches of Puerto Escondido or Zipolite for example will cover only 125 miles but take 7-8 hours. You can ask the ticket sellers at the station the trip duration but they are not always informed.

If you do head inland to Durango from Mazatlan, pick up some motion sickness medication. The mountain road to Durango is as steep and twisting as any you will ever see and bound to make you queasy.

Bus travel is not about saving Money: the trip might actually cost more when you consider the expense for hotels, food, and sightseeing. Bus travel in Mexico for me is about comfort, adventure, flexibility, and a boots on the ground tour through the city, ruin site, or village. I am free to detour, stop, speed through, or lounge for a few days. It is comfort and lack of anxiety that I like.

These tips might help you see more and see it comfortably. Saving money (not likely) if it happens at all, will be a plus.

Border Crossing: First Day On The Road

2009-10-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

Tucson’s Tufesa Station is at 5550 South 12th Avenue, Phone 520-294-3780 website, http://www.tufes.com/.

I enter and look around at a small room that serves as the Tufesa Bus station; not plush, I know, but the buses are. The ticket seller speaks English and Spanish. I haven’t made a reservation although Tufesa has a good website that would have allowed me to make a reservation and get a seat assignment. I rarely make a reservation when traveling through Mexico by bus; I prefer the flexibility of just showing up.

The downside to just showing up is that I might not get seat 4 or seat 20. I will take anything in the high teens or the low 20s for a night trip; it is like riding an old swayback horse who smoothes out every bump and every rattle. Any seat in the high teens and low twenties makes a great snooze.

For the 6:30 pm bus, the sun will be no problem and I will plan on sleeping for eight hours, which will be about 400 miles.

The sun will come up as I near Los Mochis the town where the Copper Canyon Train starts its 6:00 AM run north through Tarahumara country. Another eight hour from there and I should cross the Tropic of Cancer near Mazatlan.

I have driven these roads south along the Gulf of California and Mexico’s Pacific coast a few times so I don’t need to see the scenery; sleep will be my priority. In Mazatlan I will change buses to the Primera Plus bus line. I like their service to Guadalajara and I have left open the option to tour Mazatlan and its beaches. Primera Plus offers a sandwich, snack and water on boarding. Their buses have two lavatories, men’s and women’s, leg rests, and plentiful departures to Guadalajara.

Tips on Purchasing Bus Tickets in Mexico:
If you are purchasing bus tickets in a Mexican bus terminal and are not fluent in the Spanish language, write your destination, time of departure, and the listed price on a piece of paper or in a note book page along with your name spelled out legibly. The ticket sales person will assign the seat to your name. Bus lines post their destinations, departure times, and prices on boards behind the counter in most stations or out in front at a few others. The clerk, seeing that you are a tourist, might assume that you want an elevated level of service. (called Lujo, Grande Lujo Executivo etc.) The elevated level of service cost considerably more but is not much different than “Normal” first class service except for the free bottle of water and perhaps a bag of chips.

If you write down your destination, which you probably couldn’t pronounce correctly anyway - try saying Coatzacoalcos three time rapidly - write the price and the departure time, you prevent communication errors.

Tip:
Always choose your own seat. If you let the ticket clerk assign a seat, they will give you the seat at the back of the bus and you will be too close to the lavatory, the engine noise, the tire noise, and the slamming lavatory door.

Don’t stress too much over seats, however, the buses rarely fill and once the bus is rolling you can move to a more comfortable location.
Time To Go:
The Tufesa bus has arrived from Phoenix. In ten minutes I will be on the way to Nogales and the border crossing -
more later.

www.softseattravel.com/Mexico-Transportation-Taxi-collectivos.html

Border Crossing, Nogales, Mexico, Preparation:

2009-10-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

Border Crossing, Nogales, Mexico, Preparation:

For overseas, Canadian, or American independent travelers and backpackers, the long- haul first class buses of Mexico offer an alternative to the airliner. The buses have more room and are more comfortable than an airliner. The service in Mexico is plentiful and, other than being a longer trip in terms of time spent traveling, a much more stress-free experience.

Cautions: the buses are cold. The air conditioning systems are blasting frigid air, bring a sweater or jacket.

Mentioned earlier: bring earplugs for the movies; you will get either cartoons, Cantinflass specials, or US action flicks

The great advantage of bus travel in Mexico over air travel is that you can stop in the small colonial cities or beach towns and resort areas along the way and tour for the day. You can then Taxi back to the bus station, board a night bus and sleep until you reach the next city or beach. If you time it right, you arrive in your next city at dawn (7 am in the tropics) and you start touring the city or you put into a hotel or hostel for an overnight stop.

Visiting Cities, Ruins, or Beach Areas

The bus stations in the larger Mexican cities are open 24/7. You can arrive in the morning and check your luggage for a small fee. You are then free to travel the city, ruin, or beach with just your daypack. (the Mochila in Mexico)

Taxis are usually inexpensive ( $3 to $7 USD) except in Mexico City. You could also catch a local bus or collective taxi to the beach or ruin after a little inquiry at the station or some web research. Collectivos are shared taxis and offer a better price. Ask where the collectivo passes for your destination and you can save. See addition info on the web at Mexico Transportation: Taxis, Collectivos, Bus Travel.

Some Tips:

Keep your daypack with you and your essentials like sweater, computer, camera, snack water, etc in the pack in the overhead or under your legrest. Keep your passport, visa, money, credit cards, ATM cards etc on your person. (Obvious) Leave the bling at home.

Don’t share drink or food with strangers. Would you do that at home on public transit?

Tip:
Let the starter or concierge arrange for your taxi in Mexico City and in other large cities. The price will be pre-set and there will be no surprises. If you are on the street, ask for the taxi stand or go into a hotel and ask the clerk to call a taxi. Let the starter at the bus station arrange for the cab. Always agree on a price before entering. (Obvious)

Ask other travelers to join you and share the price, the taxis charge by the trip not by the number of people.

Caution:
A large city could have more than one bus station; Mexico City has four first class stations. Write down the name of your station once you arrive and before you catch a taxi to head into the Centro Historico of the city or to the beach or ruin site. These stations might just be a three letter abbreviation (TAM, for instance for Transportation Autobus Moralia, or ADO First Class in Oaxaca) You are apt to forget this after a day of touring or beaching. Write this on your ticket stub and you have the station name and the bus line. Do the same with your hotel or hostel. Ask at the desk for a card with the name and address. Hand that to a taxi driver when you want to return to the station and you will have no problem. (Other cautions will follow in subsequent posts, the obvious, the subtle, the bizarre)

Just show Up
If you are accustomed to air travel you have been conditioned to arrive two hours before your flight and to go through all sorts of preliminaries before boarding. Bus travel in Mexico will be quite different for you. There are no preliminaries. You can hardly book ahead online and you don’t need to. You just show up, buy a ticket and ten minutes before the bus is scheduled to leave, you board. The buses never fill and the choices for seats are many except on certain runs. Busy routes like Oaxaca to Jalapa, or Colima to Mexico City will have buses running on the hour or half hour in the evening. Choice seats, however, will book early.

Choice Seats
     What is a choice seat? For some, a seat in the back close to the lavatory is ideal. For others the deodorant smell from the lavatory and the hum of the back tires (duels, possibly four tires each side) make the back seats undesirable. Some travelers prefer the middle of the bus where the tire noise is less and the bus body absorbs the hum of the wheels and the bumps in the road.
      I prefer seat number four: front seat, right side. Sure it’s a long walk to the lavatory but during the day I can look out the huge bus windshield and see far ahead. At night I can sleep with no one in the seat ahead of me.
Drawback: some front seats do not have a leg rest. A second choice for me on a night run is in the middle of the bus, window, I like the leg rest when sleeping.

Tips:
     On a southbound bus during the afternoon, the sun will bake the right side of the bus; looking out the window will be difficult.

Drink lots of water to prevent dehydration. Much of Mexico is at or above 5,000 feet. Mexico City is at 7,400 feet. Keep aspirin and Imodium in your pack. Buy water and snacks at the station stops, get out and stretch your legs whenever possible. Keep the sweater or jacket handy, stations in the mountains can be cold.

Boarding
Security will do a pat down for metal objets when you board. They might video each passenger, you might encounter drug-sniffing dogs at border crossings or stations near the border. The security is nowhere near as thorough as in an airport and varies at each station. See David Rice, Backpacking Venezuela by Bus,   for hairy description of a drug search
www.softseattravel.com/Backpacking-Venezuela-Rio-Caribe.html

      While traveling, have your visa and passport on your person, the authorities might check your passport when you buy your ticket and again on boarding. Rarely there will be a roadside check of visas and passports, usually along the Guatemala border possibly at the US border or within the US near the border. See Palenque Transportation, lodging, Mayan Ruin Site, Chiapas, Mexico, if you will travel to Palenque.

see www.softseattravel.com/Mexico-Transportation-Taxi-collectivos.html

   www.larpman.com/transportpages/buspages/bususa.html

for other cross border buses

Next: Tips on buying tickets

Border Crossing: Nogales

2009-10-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

Tucson Arizona to Oaxaca, Mexico

I will take a Tufesa bus from Tucson Arizona to Guadalajara, Mexico.

The Tufesa buses run from Salt Lake City, Utah to Guadalajara, Mexico. the bus leaves Tucson at 6:30 pm daily.

For those interested in touring all the way to Central America by bus , you could go from Guadalajara on a Primera Plus bus to Mexico City’s Terminal Norte, an ADO bus to Tapachula, Chiapas and then a Tica Bus to Panama City, Panama.

see David Rice bus South America Eight Months for an account of David Rice's eight month bus trip from Missouri to Antarctica and back

I will be heading for Oaxaca City after visiting a few cities along the way. I will reach Oaxaca City via ADO first class bus service out of Mexico City’s Terminal Norte.

Tufesa buses leave from 16 locations in California and four in Arizona as well as Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. They make the border crossing and reach south to Guadelajara with many stops along the Pacific coast. Once in Mexico you will find that Mexico's Bus systems are a great way to see the country. They use dozens of hub cities to reach even the most distant ruin Site and colonial city for about 1-2 peso per mile. (10-15 cents USD) The roads are a combination of modern high-speed toll roads (quota) and secondary roads.

Mexico second class bus lines are based in every city. They use secondary roads. The first class buses avoid the steep mountain roads wherever possible; the mountains are so steep that people get sick (upchuck from motion sickness.) on the twisting mountain roads

Mexico's first Class buses have plush seat for sleeping, leg rests, air conditioning, (bring a sweater) lavatories, seat belts, deeply reclining seats, and video movies. (Bring ear plugs for the back to back Cantinflas retrospectives.)

Mexico first class bus travel will reveal one of the best bus systems in the world. Mexico’s long-haul Flecha Amarilla, ADO, Cristobal Colon, ADO Platino, Chihuhuenses, Tap, Omnibus, and other lines reach all of Mexico in luxury. Several bus line cross the border. Tufesa is one that serves Utah, Las Vegas, Nevada, and California with cross border buses.

I will recount the trip from Tucson to Oaxaca for those interested in a bus trip through Mexico.