Retire Early
Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age
of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this
financially independent lifestyle, they invite you
to take advantage of their wisdom and experience. |
|
El Chepe Stops in Creel,
Mexico
in the Sierra Tarahumara of
the Copper Canyon
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli
Currency Converter
We're on the El Chepe train, riding
from the City of Chihuahua towards Los Mochis. Our first stop is Creel.
Founded in 1907 as a railroad depot on
the Chihuahua–Pacific line, one hundred years later Creel has become a
Pueblo Magico. This is Mexico's version of a World Heritage site.

Creel is over 7,640 feet high
Here you see the coordinates of the city
of Creel, Mexico, and its location on the El Chepe rail trip. In the lower
right hand side of this plaque, you'll notice the marker of "Pueblos Magicos"
a distinction that every chosen city and town in Mexico wears with pride.

Two train tracks touch in the town of
Creel
The town of Creel is all about the
railroad. The track runs right through the town and the railway station is
just one block from the main street. Tourists come and go, and locals travel
between cities along the way.
We found ourselves walking along the
tracks at several points during our short stay in Creel.

Downtown Creel
Creel was historically a logging town,
but tourism has become the primary job source over the last 20 years. Tours,
hikes and horse riding
through the Copper Canyon as well as to the Basaseachic Falls (the 2nd highest falls in Mexico) are attractions.
Here you see a gift shop, a small hotel
and a place that rents off road vehicles for touring.

Murals are common in Creel
The indigenous Rarámuri live here as
well, selling their handicrafts. The men are distinctly known for their long
distance running ability.
You will note the obvious depiction of
the El Chepe, the Basaseachic Falls, the cable car at Divisidero, an old
church and some rock formations, all tourist attractions in the area.

Some locals hanging out in downtown
Creel
We visited a local restaurant on this
street, called Lupita's several times. It had good home cooking, at a decent
price and the locals recommended it.
Notice the food cart past the last bench
here. Street food all over Mexico is notoriously good.

An indigenous Rarámuri woman looks off
into the distance
It is our experience that the indigenous
all over the world just love bright colors and patterns. Their clothing
often reflects a happy and whimsical style - not that these people don't
have a difficult, down-to-earth style of living.
The Raramuri are also called Tarahumara
and when the Spanish came in the 16th century, these Tarahumara retreated
into the Sierra Madre.

Adapting to a modern lifestyle?
Most of the Raramuri still practice their
traditional herding lifestyle, living in natural shelters such as caves or
cliff overhangs. Some have small cabins of wood or stone.
Raising cattle, sheep, and goats, almost
all Rarámuri migrate in some form or another in the course of the year.
But all of that doesn't keep this woman
from becoming a digital goddess!

A native woman and child in downtown
Creel
Even though the culture is a
traditional one, we saw many of these indigenous with cell phones. Who could
they be calling? Each other? Their husbands out in the field while the women
were in town shopping?
Was the woman letting her husband know
the current price that goats or cows were fetching?
(Do you think she uses emoji?) ;-)
What websites could she possibly be
researching?
All these questions, and today, no
answers for me!

Colorful weavings were sold in town at
the Plaza
Again, a festive mixture of patterns and
colors seem reflective of any of the indigenous we have seen all over the
world.
These shawls show some distinctive
geometric symbols that most likely have spiritual or community meaning in
their culture. In
Guatemala,
some of the textiles have animals and totems woven into them, telling a
story, or displaying their beliefs.

Rugged buildings in the center of town
A 10 minute walk from our
hotel was El Centro, where we purchased our meals and extra drinking water.
This style of building
is reminiscent of the Wild West of our own nation. The poles are holding up
rooftops built for cover from rain or searing sun, and to tie one's horse
while you go shopping or have a brew inside.

The concierge at our hotel Hacienda
Bustillos
We stayed 2 nights at our hotel for about
$33USD per night. The quoted price was about $39USD nightly, but we
bargained for the better deal.
Our concierge really enjoyed her job and
was both helpful and good natured. Our next stop was El Fuerte, and I had a
hard time getting the exact number to the hotel where we were choosing to
spend the night the following day.
I explained my problem to this young
lady, and she took care of it right away, making reservations for us.

Other pricing as marked
This very clean hotel offered larger rooms with
kitchens or for families. At this writing, the Mexican Peso to the Dollar is
about 18+/-.
You can find out the current rate
here at this currency
exchange link.

Confused?
I love signs like this! Welcome to my
world.
Being directionally challenged, this is
the way I see maps and exotic locations in the world.
Point somewhere and say "315 kilometers."
Who would know otherwise, right?
I certainly wouldn't!

The train station at Creel
We had great weather on this trip - BLUE
skies and dry.
I know some really enjoy fog, mist, even
rain, but for us, sun and low humidity is our favorite!
The day we arrived, this place was
packed. Families meeting other members of their clan, vendors with items for
sale, taxi and tour drivers were waiting in the parking lot, and shouting up
at this station to get people into their vehicles.
You couldn't tell by this photo now, but
the place was very chaotic when the train stopped.

The city sign in the center of town
The "in" thing to do these days in
Mexico
is to have your photo taken at the city's colorful sign. Whether it's
Chapala,
Morelia,
Comitan or elsewhere, each city has a beautiful and
cheerful sign displayed in town.
Next stop,
Divisidero by bus, then on to
El Fuerte, home of the legendary ZORRO!
For more stories
and photos on the El Chepe Train Ride,
click here.
For more stories
and photos on Mexico,
click here.
For more on
Retirement Topics,
click here and
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About the Authors



Retire
Early Lifestyle appeals to a different
kind of person – the person who prizes their
independence, values their time, and who doesn’t
want to mindlessly follow the crowd.
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