Visiting Kopala

Kopala is a village (600 people, just like Weiten-Gesaess) half ways up into the Sierra Madre, about 70 km from Mazatlan. I took a day-trip with a tour company. The village is quite old and only some ten years ago got a single telephone connection - the lady who serves it has to run to get you when someone calls. My idea of maybe spending some time in that village is slightly dashed by knowing now that there is no Internet... I talked to a Canadian who lives there and offers a re-furbished house for rent (500/month): no mosquitoes, no need for air conditioning, safe, clean and relaxed. The population is poor and little boys try to sell you form a dollar little house carvings from a local bark.

.

.

.
.






The Canadian sells for the people some handicrafts - stitchery, mango jam etc. (See picture with the table - this is the house for rent).


.

.

.
.






The village is way over 100 years old, maybe 200, and of course has a beautiful old church. There some restaurants because there are quite a few visitors - touring from Mazatlan, usually on day trips. Once they are gone, in the later afternoon, the place reverts to peaceful village life. During the heydays of silver and gold mining (only a very few silver mine in the region is still active). The overall scenery really is now traditional Mexican as you see from the houses. Astonishing is how clean the place is kept...

.

.

.

.




.

.

.

.
.
.
.
.

.



The surroundings are very green - forest and shrubs all the way to the mountain tops. The village is maybe 1000 m in altitude (my guess), but the road creeps past it, tuck air brakes rumbling in the background, steep up the the so-called Durango Highway, a major engineering feat, soon to be paralleled by a more direct highway which will have dozens of tunnels.