The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL, January sixteenth, exploring El Fuerte and Cerocahui.

Yesterday, we started a journey into Mexico's magnificent Copper Canyon region via the Chihuahua Pacific railroad. Though a thrilling, dramatic excursion, the train ride through the Sierra Tarahumara mountains offers only passing glimpses of the deeper canyons. Getting a lay of the land requires stopping for a few days in one or more of the small towns along the way.

Los Mochis is the western railhead, but the nearby colonial town of El Fuerte is a better place to catch the train. 400 years ago, the Spanish built a hilltop fort here to protect themselves from the local indians. The fort, now the site of the local water tower, overlooks a picturesque market town that still retains its traditional architecture and ambiance, especially around its cobbled central square. The quaint Pousada Hidalgo, once the mayor's mansion, is the best place to stay.

The town of Bahuichivo is a thrilling, three-hour train ride east. It's a whistle-stop of no particular interest other than its proximity to the village of Cerocahui. There's a bumpy half-hour bus ride to this peaceful pueblo of 600 residents that was once a Jesuit mission. Set in a tiny valley amid the towering mountains, Cerocahui is a good base from which to explore the lower canyons by foot or horseback.

From there, magnificent waterfalls blossom at every turn. The nearby Gallegos lookout offers a sweeping panorama of the river Urique 6,000 feet below and its centuries old mining town. The old mission provides Cerocaui's only accommodations.

FMI For Copper Canyon railroad information contact: www.railsnw.com or 503.793-0523. For tours Columbus Copper Canyon Travel www.canyontravel.com or 1 800-843-1060. For hotel information or reservations, contact Balderama Hotels in Mexico, (681-8-70-46)

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