Silence. Chaotic noise. Which do we prefer? The lovely silence among the pines

A day of adventures and lots of hiking in the pine tree silence only to return toa hotel jammed with 3 bus loads 

of noisy, newly arrived tourists. They get one day to the Divisadero Adventure Park and then they leave again 

this morning. The waiters, whom we now know by name, are setting places at everytable inside, outside, 

at the bar and even in the lobby. Feeding over two hundred in-and-out visitors! 

Ivan, our tour guide arrived with his exquisitely beautiful wife Yolanda- a Canadian, Irish, Comanche princess! She 

really is descended from Quanah Parker and an Irish father and Canadian mother. When the father abandoned

the family, the mother set out to take odd jobs across the US. Yolanda took off onher own at 16 with an ancient

Minivan with tie-dyed curtains, stopping for audio books, wine and cheese snack trays, and working when

necessary. She arrived in Creel and married Ivan and now helps with setting up picnics and running the 3-Amigos

Office. She will meet us out in the boonies to have our picnic. 

We set off from the hotel with the sun brilliant in the blue sky. The only clouds were an occasional thin distant contrail.

Our path curved along the very top of the canyon rim, a rocky path among the thin scattering of pine trees. Only 

occasionally did we hear a few birds- Cedar waxwings from what Linda said. With the dog, now named Dexter,

following along, only running off to chase squirrels here and there, we hiked up and down into small valleys and 

Up on to the rim. We did see the swale where rain water gathers and runs down into the rock crevices that 

Provide the spring water for the Tarahumara cave dwellers down below.

After about an hour, we emerged at the Adventure Park. Above us arched an immense canopy for an outdoor 

Amphitheater, not yet in use. Scattered buildings for ticket offices, a small restaurant with a shop. Then the 

Immense cables and structures to hold the cable cars. We got tickets for the cable car and I bought a $50

ride on the longest zipline in the world.

They make you sign a waiver about a zillion different warnings, in particular the hike up from the landing

site to the cable cars, 700 meters up. They also don’t allow you any time to question your sanity and hesitate. 

I was strapped into an intricate harness with a seat and straps around my legs, my waist, my chest, and

my arms, then they attach the heavy handles that connect to the cable. I waddled over to the launching 

platform, climbed the steps and they hooked me up. I put my feet up and they opened thegate. Suddenly

Iwas flying out over the canyons.

There was no feeling of height, just looking down at the canyons in the depths, the wind whistling past, and 

the zing and squeal of my hook on the cable. Truly it felt like wonderful flying! No effort, no worries, no concerns. 

And then it was over. I hit the springs attached to the cables at the other end.

The girl had me unhooked in a matter of minutes and then pointed up the trail. OMG! 700 meters! I was back

to landlocked insect crawling my way up the narrow rocky switch backs. No handrails. Just white painted

boulders to cling to as I pulled my shaking body, heart pounding, breath coming in panting gasps, sweat 

running into my eyes, up the incredibly steep rocky steps. Ivan worked his way down to me, and helped me

up the last 100 yards. Linda was frantically trying to get her walking stick to me so I could help myself up 

the paths. That stick really helps!

We took the cable car back down to the park and then more hiking off to a spot on private property where we

found Yolanda. She had laid out a table, as promised, on the edge of the canyon. White table cloth, ornate runner,

goldedged square center cloth, crystal goblets, plates of charcuterie - cheeses, olives, grapes, and salami meat

And wine from the region. The “servants” table for Ivan and Yolanda was around the corner out of sight! Across 

the canyon we could see the buses that take people to the park and way, way off in the distance, the hotel along the rim.. 

Total silence. Lovely sunshine. Blue skies. Scattered pine trees. And the canyon dropping away behind us. Wow!

Yolanda and Ivan packed everything up into five totes, stored the folding table and chairs in the back of the Suburban.

We loaded up and went by the train station where there is a long series of little shops. Linda and Michele shopped 

until Phil and I collapsed on the concrete berm and waited until they were done. 

Back at the hotel, we were faced with the bus loads of tourists from all over Mexico.We have gotten so well

acquainted with the staff that they willingly brought our meals to the room. This time, instead of a bowl of soup, it was

a salad and lasagna and a small chocolate muffin. Enough for one night!