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BajaBlanca
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Location: La Bocana, BCS
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any suggestions on the best place to buy pottery ?
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Neal Johns
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Pottery, Mata Ortiz/Casas Grandes Pottery is the way to go.
A separate car trip to Mata Ortiz, about 100 miles below the AZ border on good paved roads is the way to get pottery at half price. You also pass the
ruins at nearby Paquimé. Great ruins and Museum. History of the town Mata Ortiz and Master Potter Juan Quezada that started it all: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mata_Ortiz
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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BajaBlanca
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Just had someone stop by who has done the slow train and said if you are not in ahurry (and we are not), this is the way to go 
Neal - love the idea for the Mata Ortiz , will discuss with Les
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bigmike
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Don't take the local train, it was packed to the gills, no food car, no bar car, yes much cheaper but I think you would have trouble seeing the views
as it was so crowded in there.
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BajaBlanca
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Can anyone tell us the best way to get to Mata Ortiz ? We can rent a car or ????? take a bus bus ???? what town is the closest ???
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Neal Johns
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BajaBlanca - starting where?
We cross the border at Douglas, AZ , then Janos, then Casas Grandes/Paquimé, then Colonia Juarez, then Mata Ortiz.
If you go, I have a great couple in Colonia Juarez (not the border Juarez) you should meet. On one of my Copper Canyon trips I dropped in with 12
people they did not know and they solved a flat tire repair problem, fed them, and the people were all in love with them. Part of the Romney clan. As
in Mitt and George. Colonia Juarez was one of the several Mormon colonies in Mexico.
Neal
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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wilderone
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The closest large town is Casas Grandes. Not sure if you can rent a car there. No bus service that I'm aware of, however, I'm sure a taxi can take
you. Maybe one of the potters can take you back to Casas Grandes. You can spend the night in Mata Ortiz - there are at least 3 places that I'm aware
of and have stayed at - a great way to get the feel for this small town - so many fine people to visit with - meals are usually included. You might
also get one of the potters to take you out to the ruins in the Sierra Madre the next day - need clearance and 4wd comes in handy at times. They all
drive trucks there.
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BajaBlanca
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Neal - we will be on the train. we start at los mochis and travel west
wilderone - is casas grandes near any of the train stops ?
how far - timewise - is mata ortiz from casas grandes ? are the ruins you are referring to the casas grandes ruins ? I remember seeing pics
somewhere ... ancient indian dwellings that look VERY interesting
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Neal Johns
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Mata Ortiz is about 20 miles from Casas Grandes by paved road via Colonia Juarez.
They are about 150 miles from Creel as the crow flies, better done as a separate trip.
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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BajaBlanca
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Neal - If we go to Chihuahua, end of the line oe train...does that bring us closer to Casas Grandes?
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Neal Johns
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Casas Grandes is 162 miles like the crow flies from Chihuahua. You just can't get there from there. 
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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motoged
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| Quote: | Originally posted by wessongroup
| Quote: | Originally posted by DianaT
We really like the town of Creel ---hope you enjoy it.
This may have been just a bay day....but 8 people were killed.... heavily armed men setting up road blocks and doing anything they wished to do.....
on this particular day in the town of Creel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTaS41pxf-I&feature=playe...
Looks a bit like Iraq..... but, it is in Mexico
As someone posted above, the Cartels are active in this area.... |
Kinda interesting....what sort of security camera system does Podunkville Creel have that it can focus in on a pendejo snorting coke from a baggie
????
The video was eerie for sure....and as much as I have wanted to explore CC by motorcycle and get off the beaten track, this video and stories from
riders who have come across plantations and pick-up trucks full of heavily-armed guys has dampened my interest. The train is likely a safe ride and
minding your own business otherwise is the usual good advice....just seems that enjoying the countryside is more and more difficult in many parts of
Mexico.
Que lastima 
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Don't believe everything you think....
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BajaBlanca
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it is indeed really huge shame ... I do hope we see NOYHING scary...just people and pottery and beauty
thanks all for your ideas .. time to pack ... we leave in the morning
I shall post pics on the blog and on facebook when we get back
tchau (portuguese) hasta luego (sp) pa pa (Polish) sayonara BYE BYE
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wilderone
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I hope you find a way to get to the Mata Ortiz area, even if you have to drive with your own car after your Copper Canyon train ride. I spent more
than a week in the area on one trip. The Anasazi ruins I refer to in the Sierra Madre are not the Pacquime ruins - they are a group of cliff
dwellings, some bones even, and a grand one called Grandes Ollas (I think) which is a cliff dwelling containing many rooms. West of Colonia Juarez.
It's a long drive in the mountains, passing through streams, ranches - a wonderful trip en route. I once spent a week with Juan Quezada learning
pottery techniques and we also poked around trying to find turquoise and other stuff - so much fun. If you end up in the area, also check out a place
called Quarenta Casas - another Anasazi ruin site - you have to walk a ways to this one from the place where you park. With the pottery at Mata
Ortiz, the ruins, Mormon farms with peaches, apples, a fabulous area to tour. Once you're in the area, you can pick up a good map, showing all these
places. Vaya con dios.
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BajaBlanca
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we are in la paz everyone
ferry tonite
see you with updates in a week or so
weather is gorgeous here. the roads were great , some repaving being done and the parts that are done as smooth and very nice
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaBlanca
we are in la paz everyone
ferry tonite
see you with updates in a week or so
weather is gorgeous here. the roads were great , some repaving being done and the parts that are done as smooth and very nice |
Hope you can make it to Mata Ortiz and that area---it really is an interesting area---We usually stay in the new Casas Grandes and explore from there.
Besides the wonderful pottery in Mata Ortiz, the master, Juan Quezada also has done some paintings that reflect his famous mirror images---and some
limited edition copies are available.
We try to stay away from there, however, because we always spend too much money. 
If you go and buy anything, be selective---unfortunately since the road was paved and more tourists travel there, there is quite a lot of pottery sold
on the streets that is not so good.
Have a GREAT time.
Diana
Question for the board---someone quoted where I said that we really like creel, but inside the quote box was a reference to a video that was not a
part of my post???? Not sure how that happens.
[Edited on 5-15-2010 by DianaT]
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Marc
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Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
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| Quote: | Originally posted by chippy
I would not take the train from Los Mochis.Drive to El Fuerte instead. There are a few nice hotels there that you can leave your vehicle and its a
great little colonial town. The train ride from Los Mochis to El Fuerte is flat and boring and you would have to get up hours earlier in the dark.
Take extra batteries for your camera you will be taking alot of photos. We stayed in a hotel on the rim. I highly recomend it. Unbelievable sunsets
and the sunrises weren´t to shabby either. Google it there is alot of info out there. Have a great trip! |
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Marc
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In El Fuerte scope out the way to the train station beforehand. The road is not signed. Go to the little store opposite the station. He will store
your car in a locked yard (and cover it as well).
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wilderone
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I heard that tourism to Mata Ortiz is way down because of general anti-travel hubbub. Also, the pottery "on the streets" is where you'll find the
potters inviting you inside their homes to see their ollas. There are over 200 potters there - at least 1/4th are noted, "collectible" potters.
Unless you know the houses of the particular potters you want to buy from, then see as much as you can, and make your selections accordingly. Many
potters display their work in a central place, such as Juan Quezada's old house and studio, or in the back section of the grocery store, but most of
the premiere potters sell out of their homes. You can buy excellent pots for $20 or less for smaller ones; and thousands of dollars on others. Mata
Ortiz pottery is some of the best in the world - collected by the Japanese who are also some of the best potters in the world (I would argue that
Koreans have better pottery than the Japanese). But part of the experience of buyng pottery in Mata Ortiz is the manner of purchasing from the
potters in their homes - where, if you're lucky, you can also see how it is fired or see them working on painting, or some other stage of creation.
You will soon see (and become hooked) on the varieties of pottery and want one of each - black on black, classic Mimbres style brownware, white clay,
newer designs with green or blue paint, stylized animals, etc. Many potters have their signature style. You can get a good overview of what is
available on eBay. Maybe even see an artist those work appeals to you, and once in town, ask where he/she lives. If you spend the night in Mata
Ortiz, you'll have even more of an opportunity to ask about individual potters that you learn about. And please take a walk down the street, across
the dry river channel to Porvenir. Many excellent potters live here. If you get serious about the ollas, Juan Quezada's brother and sister, daughter
and a nephew make very excllent pots and live in Nuevo Casas Grandes. And of coure, there are many shops between Casas Grandes and Mata Ortiz which
sell the pottery, including the museum. But the thrill of going to Mata Ortiz is meeting with the potters. Yeah, I was hooked once - I have 45 pots.
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wilderone
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Out of curiosity, I checked out the offerings on eBay - this is a beauty:
http://cgi.ebay.com/OSCAR-QUEZADA-JR-Mata-Ortiz-pottery-High...
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