Copper Canyon - Tonachí, Chih. to Creel, Chih.

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

You've heard the expression, "waking up with the chickens". Well, the next morning we did, literally!

The chickens were in a pen not far from the trailer so we didn't have much trouble getting up and on the road, although we were excited to get to Creel and see the canyon. This part of the trip was great driving, the scenery fantastic especially if you like driving in pine forests.

We pulled into Creel and as we passed the lake we discovered our first contact with the Tarahumara.

Everyone was friendly and eager to sell us something. As you'll see this week, the Tarahumara make most of their money selling things they either make or buy for resale. Just like the Virgin of Guadalupe and Mickey Mouse, many things are now made in China and sold here as souvenirs. I'll show you later how to pick some great buys that you can guarantee are made by the Tarahumara.
We'll pull into the campground at Creel tomorrow. We decided to stay there for two nights to get our feet wet. We paid for primitive instead of water and electric.
Please drop me an email and let me know if you find this info useful. Feel free to ask questions about boondocking or living in Mexico in the comments sections and I will be glad to answer it.
Did You Know You Can Use Credit Cards at Pemex Gas Stations?

Over 2500 Pemex stations accept credit cards. Each station has its own policy as it is a franchise and privately owned and operated under the rules of Petroleos Mexicanos. It is easy and I have been paying all my gas purchases, even while on the road, with debit or credit cards. Some stations only accept Visa and MasterCard while others in addition accept American Express and debit cards.

When you find a station, check to see if the sign says that they accept credit cards. If so, pull in and ask "do you have a line to charge?". If you don't see a sign showing the credit cards like the one here in the photo, ask where the nearest station is that accepts credit cards. They will tell you.

After the attendant pumps the gas, he will swipe your card through the reader shown below:

A print out will follow for you to sign and he will give you a copy of the credit card charge. At this time ask him for a ticket. The ticket appears below and it will show all the pertinent information; company, date, time, location, liters, price per liter and total purchase. This is your ticket of proof should you ever have a problem. I know that some people have had the swapping 50 for 500 situation. It has never happened to me or to almost anyone who purchases gas in Mexico. The credit card gives you the proof you need. You can always ask for a ticket with our without credit card purchase.