We spent 2 nights in Cerocahui, 11 miles down into the canyon, and visited the Mission School, a boarding school for 75 Tarahumara girls in kindergarten to sixth grade. The girls receive free schooling, and since the town is so far from their canyon homes, they live in darling, pink dormitory rooms. Started years ago by the church across the street, it is now run by a foundation, and teaches the girls the skills needed in today's world, including computer skills. The girls took a break from their cleaning chores and gathered to sing for us, after which we Elderhostelers sang for them.
While in Cerocahui, we also hiked several miles up a side canyon to a local waterfall, where Ernesto demonstrated how warm the water was. The beauty and solitude reminded me of Colorado hikes. Several of us also rented horses for a 2 hour ride through the forested mountainside surrounding this valley ranching community.
At Divisadero, from the two hotels
on the rim, we could see the Tarahumara residences of three families several
hundred feet below the rim, and then we hiked down to visit their homesteads
built on the narrow ledge. A close look will show these homes in the center
of the photo, about a third of the way down.
Here are the Tarahumara residences on the ledge seen in the photo above. A woman wearing the traditional brightly colored dress was weaving plant material into a basket as we visited. We also saw plant material being soaked in water which changes the color of the material. Girls selling finished baskets, and boys selling stones they had gathered, were along the path we had hiked. The baskets were also being sold at train stations, outside hotels, at picnic areas, and in numerous other locations, and the sales help the families purchase what they are unable to provide for themselves.
The group (l to r) photo taken in Chihuahua City:
Ruth, Ron, Harriet, Jean, Mary M., Margaret, Alan M., John S., Jan H., Angela, John D., Linda G., Marge, Ghislaine, Ray, Chuck, Mary P., Lou, Allan L., Linda P., John T., Jan C., Carol, Marion, Bob, Don, Ellen, and Mary H.
Kneeling: Ernesto, our extraordinary guide