We appreciate it when our guests share their stories with us and allow us to post them on our blog. A few months ago, Gloria and Ned Krier, from Tucson, Arizona, traveled with us to Myanmar and reported this:

We recently returned home from our trip to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). The highlights included several days in the archaeological area of Bagan, visiting hundreds of old temples. We also enjoyed seeing numerous religious buildings, covered in gold leaf and jewels, containing many sculptures of Bhuddha. It was a thrill to walk along the streets of the fabled cities of Mandalay and Rangoon (now known as Yangon) and see the fascinating culture on Inle Lake.

We were pleased with the pace of the trip. Often we are scheduled for too much “rest” time and we were happy to be “on the go” almost all day. The hotels we stayed in were very nice. The location of the hotel in Bagan was so convenient to walk and discover temples on our own.

Our guide, Simon, was with us for 13 days and AK was with us for three days. They were both very professional and friendly. Simon was charming and always wrote down the names of the places we visited during each day. They both always arrived on time and even came early. The drivers were polite and drove well.

Thanks for organizing a great trip for us.

Gloria & Ted Krier

Young monks in Myanmar taking their daily meal.

We appreciate it when our guests share their stories with us and allow us to post them on our blog. Last month Tessa Godfrey, from Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England, traveled with us on our Copper Canyon 10-day Independent Tour to the Bottom.

The journey down from Creel to Batopilas was both hair-raising and amazing. Lovely day exploring Batopilas and walking up and down-stream from the village. Glorious drive back up to Creel. The rock formations of the “Valley of the Monks” were a wonderful surprise. I also very much enjoyed the trip to Urique with Doug Rhodes, a very interesting man. The view of the canyon from the hotel [at Divisadero], including the bedrooms, was magnificent.

I liked the balance between your organization and our freedom. The scenery [on the trip] was incredible and your arrangements were excellent.

Many thanks,

Tessa Godfrey

If you look carefully you can see many cave dwellings in the cliffs throughout Mexico's Copper Canyon. Many indigenous Tarahumara Indians still make their homes in these traditional lodgings.

We appreciate it when our guests share their stories with us and allow us to post them on our blog. Last month Jo Rawlins Gilbert, from Menlo Park, California, traveled with us on our Copper Canyon 10-day Independent Tour to the Bottom and had this to report:

Jo Rawlings Gilbert reports on Mexico trip, December 2012

Mexico’s Copper Canyon was the third choice for this year’s Holiday trip. Rejected was Ethiopia’s Afar Region and the Balkans (too dangerous or too cold!), so I was left scrambling. In a stack of possible excursions was a clip from the National Geographic about The California Native and the Copper Canyon.

The California Native had a a ten day independent tour to the bottom of the canyon, including train ride and accommodations. We paid extra for two trips into the canyon—one with Don Diego. the colorful American operating a lodge near Cerocahui and another via cable car from the canyon’s rim at Posada Barrancas. A slippery drive on a wet, partially completed road for a two day stay at Batopilas, a colorful. remote mining town, was included in the tour.

It turned out to be an excellent choice: a combination of walking and sightseeing in some of the most beautiful country in the world.

There were four of us, two Brits and two Americans, who had traveled together in various combinations over some five years. All ladies of a certain age. Last year it was Rajasthan and the year before, Oman. Three of us did a four day pretour stay in Mexico City—one had been there before and the other was conversant in Spanish.

We met our fourth member at the [Mexico City] airport where we all flew to Los Mochis, the jumping off point for the tour. We had arranged for an extra day in El Fuerte before boarding El Chepe, the Copper Canyon Railroad, famed for its twists and turns and tunnels as it winds up into the Sierra Madres. Our adventure began but without Walter Houston and Humphrey Bogart.

View of Copper Canyon near Batopilas (Photo by Jo Rawlins Gilbert)

We were met at the first stop by Doug (Don Diego) Rhodes who could certainly qualify as a Readers Digest, Most Unforgettable Character. Ex-Army, ex-NASA, ex-cop, ex-tour guide, he settled in the area twenty-two years ago and now runs a lodge, Paraiso del Oso, for visitors such as us. Affable and knowledgeable, he provides social services for many of the local Tarahumara families in the area. As I found out, he is known from one end of the Canyon to the other. We stayed two nights, spending a day down the road to Urique.

On to Posada Barrancas, on the edge of the canyon, every room with a spectacular view. One of us hiked, two of us did the cable car and adjacent walks and the fourth stayed abed with a cold. So from there to Creel where there was a clinic. Medication helped but even more so, the descent to Batopilas.

There, as at other stops, the local Indians were selling their handicrafts. Colorful and peaceful, there was no pressure to buy. Their work was excellent and we bought bits and pieces.

Batopilas was the charmer. A remote, colorful, small, mining town located on what may have been a stream, but now with the rains, was a full sized river; it was a high point of the trip. We walked to the Lost Cathedral and to the ruin of Alexander Shepherd’s Hacienda. Shepherd, a runaway from Washington, DC, bought the mine in the eighteen-eighties and built bridges, viaducts and a hydroelectric plant. From a look at his crumbling hacienda, he lived high on the hog. All in all, I walked some 15K while the others, who also went along the wet and muddy aqueduct, totaled 20 K.

The ride between Creel and Batopilas was extraordinary: partly paved but often wet dirt. En route, we stopped at various scenic spots: waterfalls, lakes and volcanic eruptions of old. The Valley of the Monks was high on the outstanding sights of the trip. Back at Creel for a night, there was time to walk about the small Mexican cow town.

Copper Canyon's Valley of the Monks (Photo by Jo Rawlins Gilbert)

The train ride from Creel to Chihuahua was long and less scenic. Two of us took a included tour the next day, in and about Chihuahua while two others went about on their own—we met up for a mid afternoon meal, our final gathering as we all flew out the following morning. Chihuahua is a good sized city with mementos of both Indian and Spanish heritage. From the Cathedral to the Capital’s historical murals to Pancho Villa ‘s residence. Our guide took time and energy to make sure we appreciated Chihuahua’s past and present.

Accommodations: Ranged from Holiday Inn in Mexico City and Chihuahua and Best Western in Creel to the basic Paraiso del Oso near Bahuichivo and Hotel Juanita in Batopilas with Posada’s Hotel Mirador‘s spectactular views making up for its touristy ambiance. All different, a contrast with one another.

Food: Ah, that’s a different story. There were several really nice meals. This was not a gourmet’s journey—some of the meals were ok, some were suffered. But then, I avoid the nightshades which limits me. The cost of nearly half were included.

The tour: California Native did an excellent job of preparing and executing the tour. They rate an A+.

Comment: It is too bad that there were not more visitors. The local economy is suffering from lack of tourists. Apparently, fear of drug traffickers and personal safety issues keep people away. The Mexicans seem determined to keep the peace—cops of one kind or another were evident throughout. We certainly didn’t feel unsafe.

Cost: $1765 for the tour including the extra night at El Fuerte plus 190 Pesos apiece for trip to Urique. Approximately 200 Pesos for shared hotel room in Mexico City. Air fare San Francisco-Mexico City-Los Mochis; Chihuahua-SF was $856.47. Cat care: $650.

Jo Rawlins Gilbert

We appreciate it when our guests share their stories with us and allow us to post them on our blog. Last month Jean Dook, from Felix, Almeria, Spain, traveled with us on our Copper Canyon 11-day Ultimate Tour and had this to report:

A young Tarahumara girl carries her little sister, in Mexico’s Copper Canyon.

I had the trip of a lifetime. Will recommend your organization to everyone who stops to listen to all the wonderful stories I have to tell about the trip. I am trying to encourage some friends on the same trip so I can come again! If Rob [our California Native guide] had said on the last day lets turn round and start again I would have been the first in line to say YES!!!!! Lets do it.

I am now thinking about Costa Rica, it sounds wonderful too. But I may have fallen in love with Mexico.

Thank you so much I feel I have found a gem in the travel world.

Jean Dook

Archery is the national sport of Bhutan.

Dancing about and shouting sexual insults at the opposing team, Bhutanese sports fans enjoy their favorite pastime—archery!

Archery? It may seem counter intuitive for a devoutly Buddhist nation to choose a sport like archery since Buddhists have a profound reverence for all living things. Participating in a sport where the equipment is primarily designed for hunting or warfare seems a bit out of place. However, judging by the fact that nearly all villages in the Kingdom of Bhutan have an archery range, passion for the sport is not to be taken lightly.

Popularity of the sport can be traced all the way back to a 15th century legend. During this time, it is believed Lama Drukpa Kuenley, known affectionately as the “divine madman,” shot an arrow from Nangkartse in Tibet. Following the path of the arrow led him to Bhutan, land of the thunder dragon. Archery symbolism is present in Buddhist beliefs and often represents the offering of prayers.

Today the matches are a festival of brightly-costumed archers and spectators alike. In fact, the activity is centered as much around the pageantry of the festival as it is around the competition of hitting the bulls-eye. Archers go to great lengths to distract or demoralize their opponents—even going so far as to dance in front of the other’s target! This behavior is not just limited to the archers—the women in the crowd act as cheerleaders, shouting raucous and degrading comments about the other team’s heritage and sexual prowess. All of the hullabaloo is in jest, and no one is ruffled by it or takes much offense.

Nearly every village in Bhutan has an archery range.

Wielding the traditional hand-carved bamboo bow (nowadays some use state-of-the-art compound bows), participants compete in teams of 15 players. Two points are given if the arrow hits any part of the target, three points for a bullseye, and if the arrow sticks in the ground within one arrow’s distance of the target, the team earns one point. The first team to score 25 points is declared the winner. To play, the archers are each given two shots during their turn. The field is set up like a horseshoe pitch, so team members shuttle between the targets in between shots. Not only is hitting the target difficult, but the walking back and forth across the pitch can be tiresome as well, because the small wooden targets are placed 140 meters apart! That’s nearly three times the distance of Olympic standards (a mere 50 meters) and probably why archers take the risk of taunting their rivals while standing in front of the target. The rival discouragement is a large part of the spectacle.

Archery is the only Olympic sport in which Bhutanese athletes compete. The Bhutanese have been involved in the games since 1984 and in the 2004 Olympics they made it to the second qualifying round. In the 2012 London Olympics, Bhutan sent two female archers, one of the smallest teams at the event. They remain hopeful that Olympic gold is in their future. For now, as in the past, the bowmen (and women!) from Bhutan continue to play for the love of the sport and the next chance to poke fun at their friends.

For the last eight years, The California Native has been conducting tours in Myanmar. We invite you to join us before too many tourists discover the beauty and serenity of this destination.

The Shwedagon Pagoda, located in Yangon, is the most sacred Buddhist site in Myanmar. The pagoda, purported to be 2,500 years old, enshrines strands of Buddha's hair.

In Myanmar, a family celebrates a young boy's becoming a noviate monk. Most young boys between the ages of 8 and 12 in Myanmar spend time wearing monk's robes and living in a monestery.

Built in the 1800's, The U Bein Bridge, in Amarapura, Myanmar, is the world's longest teak bridge at 1.2 km.

In Myanmar (Burma), one group of indigenous people that really stands out are the Padaung women of the Karen people, sometimes known as “long-neck” tribe.

At first glance, it looks as if the women are wearing gold rings to elongate their necks, but actually, this is not physically possible. The long neck is really a visual illusion. The women wear metal rings, whose weight pushes down their collarbones and upper ribs to such an angle that the collarbone actually appears to be a part of the neck, giving the illusion of an unnaturally long neck.

The most common explanation for this practice is that the look of an extra-long neck is a sign of great beauty and wealth, which will help attract a good husband. Some also say the opposite; that it is done to make the women unattractive so they are less likely to be captured by slave traders. Padaung mythology says the reason for the neck rings is to prevent tigers from biting them. It is also said that adultery is punished by removal of the rings. If the rings are removed after years of wearing them, the woman must spend the rest of her life lying down since the neck muscles will have been severely weakened by years of lack of support for the neck. Luckily, the instances of divorce and adultery in the Karen tribe are very low.

A little holiday snow in the high country of Mexico's Copper Canyon creates a perfect Christmas Card.

Please join us and celebrate this year’s holidays in Mexico’s Copper Canyon. We still have some spaces left on our Christmas/New Years Ultimate Copper Canyon tour where we will celebrate a special Christmas with the Tarahumara Indians at the Paraiso del Oso Lodge.

On December 23rd, our small group departs from Los Angeles and Phoenix airports for an exciting tour into Mexico’s Sierra Madre. The 11-day Ultimate tour spends nights in El Fuerte, Cerocahui, Divisadero, Creel, Batopilas, and Chihuahua. As with all of our Copper Canyon tours, we ride the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad for one of the most spectacular train rides in the Western Hemisphere.

A Tarahumara church deep in Copper Canyon.

Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy a special Christmas Eve known as Noche-bueno (the Good Night), a delicious dinner at the Paraiso del Oso, and Ana Maria’s famous Christmas punch. Those wishing to join the Tarahumara Indians and mestizo community may attend the midnight mass, also known as La Misa del Gallo (Rooster’s Mass). Traditional Tarahumara dancing usually starts an hour or two before the mass, then recommences afterwards to make it an all-night celebration. As an old Spanish saying goes, “Esta noche es Noche-Buena, y no es noche de dormir” (Tonight is the Good Night, and it is not meant for sleeping).

A light snow paints Mexico's Copper Canyon in holiday colors.

As Christmas morning arrives, the celebration moves back to the Oso Lodge where local Tarahumara, who live in isolated ranchitos in the rugged mountains surrounding the lodge, join the hotel guests for the piñata party. The children take turns swinging at the Christmas piñata until it explodes, showering candy and small toys. The hotel is filled with laughter and glee as the children scramble to collect their treasures. Then gifts from under the Christmas tree are handed out. As the locals return to their mountain ranchitos, The California Native guests prepare for a beautiful day trip to the bottom of Urique Canyon. In the evening after the excursion, guests enjoy a special holiday dinner.

In a few days, it will be time to welcome in the year 2013, and we’ll join the New Year’s Eve celebrations in the city of Chihuahua.

Some other highlights of this tour are the Cusarare and Basaseachic waterfalls, a day trip to the village of Urique, the “Lost Cathedral of Satevo,” a trip back in time to the village of Batopilas, and magnificent vista points which overlook a whole series of intertwined “barrancas” (canyons).

Want to celebrate Christmas in Copper Canyon but can’t take the full 11-days for your winter vacation? We also have an 8-day trip which departs on December 21.

To be a part of this year’s celebration and enjoy this truly unique experience, call us at 1-800-926-1140 (or 1-310-642-1140) to make your reservations now as time is running out. Happy holiday season to all of our fellow travelers.

Young Tarahumara girls play at school in Mexico's Copper Canyon.

Looking for more unique destinations to offer our California Native guests, we visited several colonial cities which have been designated Pueblos Magicos, magic towns. These towns have been chosen for their natural beauty, cultural riches, and historical relevance and are said to offer visitors a “magical experience.” Among those we visited were Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Pátzcuaro, Cuitzeo and Santa Clara del Cobre.

California Native's Ellen Klein strolls along the street in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Don Quixote greets visitors at the Cervantes Museum in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Mexico's president, Felipe Calderon, addresses attendees at World Travel Fair.

California Native president, Lee Klein, discusses travel with Mexico's Minister of Tourism Gloria Guevara at World Travel Fair in Morelia, Mexico.

We really enjoyed visiting with these delightful adventurous women and reminiscing about the many years we’ve been conducting tours in this wonderfully remote part of Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountains.

The "three caballeras" in the small town of Urique in the bottom of Copper Canyon.

Loading up the burro for the days journey.

Everything tastes better in camp.