TL #1

Monday, 22 June ’81

Hi! I woke up scratching! I’m covered with bites … Never saw anything biting, so don’t know if it is mosquitos, flies, fleas, or what. We could have adjusted to this a bit slower, I think … but we plunged right into filth!

Robert and I walked across the border at Mexicali. (It cost us $43 from home to the border plus a little for food.) It isn’t the American tourist town that Tijuana is … We were quite a spectacle. Robert’s carrying 70 pounds and me about 50. Everyone was very helpful … but I think that Mexico is worse that Italy for its buses and trains … Even in the stations, no one seems to know anything … Ask 2 people, and you will get 2 different answers. Or they’ll tell you "no train today" and one pulls up 5 minutes later. Someone has explained that the people want to be helpful, so if they don’t know the answer, they’ll tell you anything.

But I can’t get into such detail … There’s too much to tell … and this pen is lousy and driving me crazy.

Robert says that I look healthy. But I feel dirty. Still getting headaches … but either from the heat or from not eating. With the heat, one doesn’t feel very hungry … and basically I’m eating only from necessity. We buy oranges and mangos and they’re good but messy. With no way to wash, I hesitate … but only for a while. at every trains station, children run through the train selling fruit and tacos and tamales, etc. we eat the food this way mostly. It’s cheap (usually around 5 pesos, which is about 20¢) for each one! They’re good – About the same as in the states, but with less filling and very greasy. We usually have to buy sodas to drink … but we’ve occasionally chanced the water. I am fine … but Robert is feeling a little strange today.

Dust, dust everywhere. It’s very dirty. Every time someone drives by, I have ot stand and close my eyes. My hair is stiff and dry … caked with the dust. This morning hitched a ride to a lake 9 km out of town. Went swimming. It felt great (There’s no running water in our hotel … which means that toilets don’t flush either). So we got some dust off. But now we’re waiting for a train and will be on that for 30 hours or so. The trains are filthy and we don’t take "special first class", which occasionally have air condition but no interesting people. We usually take "general first class" which you wouldn’t believe could be any dirtier or more crowded until you see second class. So we’ll sit in the open window to get some air … but it’s like a hot furnace blast … and the dust flies!

We’ve met a guy named Dietmar. He’s German but grew up in Mauritius attending English school and has now finished a year of university in Ottawa and is going home via Central America and Brazil. His Spanish is quite good and it’s a relief. NO ONE speaks English in these out-of-the-way towns. We stumble along. But it’s definitely necessary to know Spanish if you travel here.

The trip almost began with a catastrophe. When we left the train the other night (for our first stop) my camera was nowhere. It was late and there were no lights in our train. When we’d got up from our seats, a boy had jumped into them immediately. I put on my pack and then began groping for my camera. Dietmar and Robert had already gone ahead. I yelled for Robert, we both searched. He finally got a flashlight from someone. But now the boy had disappeared in the darkness. We got a train worker. He looked all around. I’d really about given up … I saw no way we’d ever get it. The train was about to pull out. All the people around there were of course innocent. And I couldn’t accuse when I had no idea where that boy had gone. We left the train. Somewhere another man came who had some kind of official appearance. He got on and again we searched all over. He talked to all the people there … and then a boy pulled the camera from under his seat. Wow! What a relief. I am much more cautious now. Hopefully that will be our worst incident.

I haven’t told you where we are. We’ve been 2 days in Creel … a small village in the mountains. The train ride up was beautiful. The canyons are truly comparable to Grand Canyon … but more varied as we travel along. The vegetation changed dramatically with the altitude. Pines replaced cactus. Creel was supposed to be an interesting town. We’ve had a good time, but most tourists would really dislike it. We’ve only lucked out.

On a hill overlooking the town is a statue of Christ. So Robt and I walked up there yesterday morning. Several women were up there preparing an altar … and some nuns were visiting with young girls. As we sat there, a whole procession came up from the town of about 50 people - Mexicans, Indians, priests and nuns, children and old. They had a full mass with communion. We were accepted right in - although obviously not belonging. Everyone stares wherever we go … and the children get brave and will come very close. It turned out to be a special Sunday service, but we never understood.

Later yesterday, we were hoping to catch a ride to the lake … While waiting, a freighter train was stopped. Dietmar got the idea of going to a nearby town (San Juanito - 30 km) where they were having a fair (feria) with entertainment. So we asked the train man, and he hustled us into the caboose. That is the way to travel. Sitting in the vista section of the caboose is scenic and comfortable … and free! The festival was ok … We were the only "gringos" … carnival rides, games, goodies to eat (including cotton candy), and a mariachi band. Without really knowing what we were doing, we lucked out getting back to Creel, too. There was one bus and we jumped on it and it parked at our hotel door for the night.

Tomorrow night we arrive in Guadalajara. We’ll get a little nicer hotel there … I promised Robert. But still budgeting to no more than $5 for a hotel unless otherwise stuck. This place with no water … but at least a clean bed cost about $2.40 per person. I want to shower and wash some clothes, too. But don’t think we’ll stay too long there. Most of what we want to see and do is away from most tourists. We’ve really enjoyed just walking the "streets" of Creel and seeing how the people live ... That makes it much like walking through the villages of Nepal.

The train man on the caboose we rode was a goldmine of info on traveling Mexico. He advised that Guadalajara was expenisve and "plastic" … but I think there are some great sights to be seen there, too. After all, that is part of Mexico … and the fact that it is a tourist spot means there are things to see thee. But we got good advise on villages south of there.

Now I take you back to our trip down from Sumner. It was great to ride in the truck … really eye opening (?) … anyway I learned … Has Dale told you about our one night camped at a rest stop? That crazy weather! It began a very forceful rain during the night - One little cloud moved from the foot of the tent to the head and then reversed … Robert dared out and blocked the sprinkler with a rock.

We stayed 3 nights with Mike and Diane in Sunnyvale. Had a nice time. Their 2½ year old daughter, Gemma, is real cute … and bright, too! She determined that my name was made up of "sun" and "rain"! We had luck with my Vienna buddy, Jane. She’s bored in her retirement and finds few people interested in her 30 years in Japan, Thailand, Australia, Austria, London, etc. But she’s a great lady and will soon have interesting people around her. It was good to see her. Then we went to Keith and Kathy’s for the afternoon and dinner. They’ve got a great family, nice home … and it’s a good feeling to be with such happy people.

Greyhound right to El Paso (via L.A.) and Don picked us up. I’m so glad we got there when Ann was in town. We had a nice evening with them. Beautiful home. Next day to AAA. The HPM was working! and really an exciting piece of work. Saw Marian and Diane, Tom and Helen, etc. AAA is turning TVA’s moustache wite just like I saw it do to JMM 12 years ago.

San Diego for our last drink of water, big meal, and gratis bed. Janet hauled us around for 3 days. We got final things taken care of, swam in the ocean a couple of times. Really enjoyed staying with her and Emilio. Two of his children are there … Luis just graduated from high school … and Emilito is about 8, just visiting for a couple of months, and speaks only a little more English than I do Spanish. A full and hectic apartment!

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And now it’s the next day … that should be Tuesday, I believe. A slight change in our plans. I’m now sitting on the beach of Mazatlan. The sky is beautiful, weather is great, and the water is warm and nice! Robert is half fish, I think. He challenges those waves for hours. None of us ever thought we’d hit this "jet set" town, but it evolved naturally, conveniently, and much to our pleasure. It’s not tourist season, so the beach is isn’t crowded at all. It’s not Mexico, but is is nice for the afternoon.

Our train from Creel to Sufragio was 2 hours late so we missed a connection we wanted to make … but it was a beautiful trip. - about 8 hours through canyons and lovely, changing vegetation - from 7500 feet to almost sea level. This trip through the Copper Canyon is billed as an "engineering marvel". We don’t know the exact number, but there are something like 48 bridges and 72 tunnels.

So we played Scrabble and cards in the train station waiting for the next connection. It was an hour late and then sat for 2 more hours before finally heading out at 6:30 this morning. We didn’t want to arrive in Guadalajara late in the evening and then have to look for a hotel … so we decided to stop off here and catch a night bus to Guadalajara, arriving in the morning and saving one night’s hotel. But the bus is about $5.00 more than the train might be, but the train wouldn’t go until something like 4 AM. I dot cherish the thought of another sleepless night, so right now don’t know what we’ll do.

Wednesday - 2 weeks after leaving home - in Guadalajara. Had a good night’s sleep on the bus. Found a comfortable room (~ $10 for 3 people). Showered an shampooed and washed cloths. Now will find a post office to send our first films and letters. Then to Tlaque-Paque.

All is well and we’re feeling great! For mail: The Spanish form of "General Delivery" seems to be:
Lista de Correos
‘til July 20th : Guatemala City, Guatemala
‘til Aug. 20 : Quito, Exuador
‘til Oct. 1 : Lima, Peru
And they will put things supposedly by the first letter of our last name, so we will look under ‘A’ and under ‘S’. Also ‘R’ ‘cause somethimes they might use first name so please make those letteers clear.
I promise to make the next letter easier to read. p> Greetings, hugs, and love from both of us
(kramar).
Surain and Robert

[Letter 1]