Not a camping trip this time

[jdtrotter]

Our recent trip to Northern Mexico had two major purposes----buy more beautiful pottery at Mata Ortiz, and to finally make it to the bottom of one of the Canyons collectively known as Copper Canyon---the town of Batopilas.

We did not take the Casita this time as it is why we did not make it to Batopilas in February---the water systems were freezing in Creel where we would have left the Casita. One travels from the Pine Forests of Creel down to the tropical climate of Batopilas.

For anyone interested in that area, I have created new albums for this trip in our webshots listed in our signature. I was going to post a couple of pictures here, but can't seem to do so at the moment. Look for 2005 Mata Ortiz November, 2005 Creel November, and 2005 Batopilas November

It is 140 kilometers from Creel to Batopilas and it takes over 4 hours to drive. The last 65 km are down a switchback dirt road that ranges from great to very narrow on the cliff's edge---the part you just hope you won't come accross oncoming cars. When we left Creel, we were scraping the ice off the windshield, and it was very warm in Batopilas. At one time, it was a major silver mining area, and when the ex mayor of Washington D.C moved there early in the 1900s, it became the second city in Mexico to have electricity.

The whole area is fascinating, including the lost mission. Enough. If anyone is interested in more, the webshots are there, and I would be more than happy to share information about traveling to Mexico, with our without your trailer.

Diane

[Maggie O.]

Now I REALLY want to go. Beautiful pictures. Thank you.

[jdtrotter]

Hi,

Since I could not add pictures before, I thought I would do so at this time. I would love to encourage more people to visit the village of Mata Ortiz and purchase their beautiful pottery there---it is an easy trip from Arizonia or New Mexico.

Diane

These pictures are of Lila Silverira and her husband, Carlos Carrillo and their home in Mata Ortiz----we bought a couple of pots there. The last picture is typical of the village.

[jdtrotter]

And, for those of you who love dirt road adventures, the first two pictures are part of the road down to Batopilas.

The third picture is the the lost mission at Satevo

The fourth picture was taken (at a distance) of some Tarahumara people in the plaza of Creel ---

Great trip, and you can leave your fiberglass egg in Creel at the RV place --- and if you don't want to drive your own car, you can rent a small Nissan Truck

Happy travels
Diane

[Nancy in Oregon]

Thank you for the pictures, Diane! Wow, I love that landscape and pottery.

Nancy

[jdtrotter]

This is the pottery that we have bought so far---can't wait to go back.

[Suz]

How interesting and beautiful. I can see why you wanted to go back.

Thank you so much for sharing your pictures with us.

[Nancy in Oregon]

Exquisite, Diane! Just as an interesting side note, those same designs are found in the southwest but were also found on 3,000 year old pottery in the Ukraine. Makes me really wonder about synchronicity and/or the land bridge theory. Thanks so much for sharing!

Nancy

[jdtrotter]

Exquisite, Diane! Just as an interesting side note, those same designs are found in the southwest but were also found on 3,000 year old pottery in the Ukraine. Makes me really wonder about synchronicity and/or the land bridge theory. Thanks so much for sharing!

Nancy

That is interesting. The Paquime people ---Mata Ortiz and the ruins at Casa Grandes, from what they know were connected with the Pueblo Indians in the Southwest. They also had trade all the way to the south of Mexico as they raised tropical birds---but a connection to Ukraine----that is fasinating. I want to learn more about that.

The current pottery at Mata Ortiz began with one man---Juan Quezada. He found pottery shards in the local mountains and began to teach himself, and later the village, how to make pots. All of the clay is from the local mountains, their is no wheel used---all of it is hand formed, and it is often fired under a bucket with cow dung. While many of the designs are copies of the ancient designs, some potters have branched out and are doing some very different and modern themes. Oh, some of them still use the hair from children to create their brushes for the painting.

Some of Juan's pottery now sells for several thousand dollars. The young couple whose home we visited were trained by Juan. They were recommended to us by a Walter Parks. On our first trip there, we were lucky enough to meet Walter who was there for a visit. He wrote one of the original books about Mata Ortiz--"The Miracle of Mata Ortiz" He is still active with an organization that has worked to improve the village.

I have looked at your art on your webpage, and I just bet you would love Mata Ortiz. I encourage people to go to the village rather than buy it here in the states.

Ukraine, I just have to find out more

Diane

[Nancy in Oregon]

Here's more information, Diane.

http://www.trypillian.com/

Thanks for the compliments about my art! I bet I would love Mata Ortiz, too.

Nancy

[Summer&Brad B.]

WOW!!! beautiful pottery and wonderful pics. I LOVE that mission-im a painter, and see the possibilities of a painting trip down there!!! thanks for sharing-it's really beautiful!

Summer
My Webpage

[jdtrotter]

WOW!!! beautiful pottery and wonderful pics. I LOVE that mission-im a painter, and see the possibilities of a painting trip down there!!! thanks for sharing-it's really beautiful!

Summer
My Webpage

I really like your paintings, and yes, you would find lots of great subjects for painting down there. I often wish I could paint---but beyond a stick figure I am lost. I have saved your webpage.

The lost Mission is considered lost because there is no record of it being built in the 1760s. And, while that was a silver mining area, there never was a large settlement there.

Here is another shot of the mission as you cross the river. I have also included what I thought to be an interesting shot of the main street in Batopilas because it is a town with absolutely no liter----major fines, but I guess tires and engines don't count.
The third picture is a street shop selling what I think is the ruin of the world---plastic is everywhere.
And, because you are from Southern Utah, I included a picture of a home in Colonia Juarez because the homes in that Mormom settlement look far more like they belong in Southern Utah than Mexico.

Diane

[Nancy in Oregon]

im a painter, and see the possibilities of a painting trip down there!!!

Beautiful paintings, Summer! I'm planning a two to three week trip to Mexico next year to paint, too. I'm trying to decide where I want to go. This is definitely a possibility.

Nancy

[Kurt & Ann K.]

jdtrotter,
The land bridge concept is quite interesting. I was told by a Navajo school teacher many years ago that there are many words in their language which are of Germanic origin. Meanings and even pronunciation are basically the same. There is, however, no historic knowledge about how they came to be included in the Navajo language. It appears that they have been in use since knowledge of the beginnings of the Navajo language. In our discussion, the possibility of travel via the land bridge was mentioned. More clues to the mystery? After Genesis 11:9? Wide-ranging travel by other peoples such as the Vikings and South Sea Islanders (Kon-Tiki) and via the Bering Land Bridge across what is now the Aleutian Islands are an interesting topic for discussion. The extent of those travels may have been truly phenominal.

Your pictures of the trips are beautiful and the pottery is exquisite. Thanks for the introduction!
Kurt & Ann K. [b]

[Gigi]

Lovely pictures, Diane!

While in China, I saw many examples of pottery that resonated deeply with what I'd seen in Mexico. There is evidence of tribes crossing The former Soviet Union to Alaska and then south through North America. This is a fascinating subject.

Here's another artist who would love that mission as a subject. Perhaps we'll have to do a gtg with the Eggs.

I wouldn't mind buying a spot of land down there. It's lovely.