Today our group got to sleep in a little, and we were able to have some sightseeing time before we began our drive back to the border. But first, Lupe had something very important that she wanted to show us. A large plot of land in Creel that isn’t too far away from the current orphanage had been purchased so that a new orphanage could be built. The current orphanage is a series of very old and rundown buildings, and they are in desperate need of an upgrade. A brand new three story building is set to start construction next year, and hopefully should be completed soon.

We couldn’t be more excited for Lupe and her kids, and we can’t wait to see what the new building looks like!

After getting to see the exciting new project, we got back into Clifford and headed to the Copper Canyon for some zip lining, food and shopping. The canyon isn’t too far from Creel, so the drive wasn’t bad. Once we parked, a bus shuttled us up the mountain to the main activity area where we got to do some sight seeing.

There were also some booths selling souvenirs including the famous baskets that everyone who donates asks for, as well as some funny knock off toys that we all got a laugh out of.

There was also a cool glass floor overlooking the canyon that people could walk over if they dared too.

One of the most popular attractions at the Copper Canyon is the zip lining. The main zip line here is actually one of the longest in the world, and it takes a lot of nerve to ride. Five out of the fourteen travelers this year decided to accept the challenge. Many of us have done the zip line over the years, and decided that once was enough. As someone who is not a fan of heights, I did the zip line once years ago, and do not want to do it ever again.

Elli, Jill, Jeff and Aidan have all done the zip line before, some even multiple times. Brenda was the only person who had not done it out of these five.

The rest of our group took the tram to the other side of the canyon. Even thought it was slightly less scary than the zip lines, it still is very unsettling for someone who does not like heights.

Once we all arrived at the other side of the canyon, we got to do some more souvenir shopping, and some beautiful sightseeing. We also got to see a stray goat which was very exciting for us.

After our small adventure, we all took the tram back as a group, and headed over to the nearby train station for some lunch. This particular train station sells the best gorditas in the world (according to Jeff) and are a must have every time we come visit. A gordita is a thick tortillas that is cut open and stuffed with all types of delicious fillings. There are multiple different meats, cheeses and vegetables that can be put inside, and my personal favorite is the nepalés (cactus) filling. We all ordered our food and got to sit back and relax a little as we ate our lunch.

Of course we weren’t alone while eating. We attracted a lot of company that were just too cute to ignore.

After lunch, it was time to head back to our van, and start our drive back home. We only put in a few hours today and will be driving most of the way back tomorrow. It took us about 4 hours to get to the city of Cuauhtémoc, where we would stay at a hotel for the night. Jeff booked us in a very nice hotel called The Apple Inn. Before turning in, we all decided to get a quick dinner at a restaurant close by called Troll. They specialized in boneless wings, burgers and beer. We spent some time eating and having a deep conversation of how much this trip means to us.

That’s about all we did today. Now we’re going to go get some rest before taking on the very long drive straight back home. We are glad we can have a day like this to show the new people in our group the beautiful scenery that Chihuahua and the Copper Canyon have to offer. It is always fun to be a tourist for a little bit while we are here!