Bahrain's national event: F1!

That was a controverted event, many people thought / wished / hoped it would not happen but it finally did: the F1 Grand Prix Sakhir took place yesterday and I must admit (even though my interest for Formula 1 was close to zero before Sunday!) that it was a great event.

The event was well-organized, the weather was very enjoyable, and the race was just a rush of adrenaline! It just leaves you asking for more!

Obviously there was also a great deal of patriotism from the Bahrainis who took part in the event. I was surprised at how loudly both Bahrainis and expats / immigrants cheered when the King appeared on the track (he came by helicopter 5 minutes before the race started, and off he was 1 minute after handing Vettel his trophy). And during the award ceremony, poor Vettel didn't understand why the crowd suddenly started to clap and cheer and get excited, and the reason for it was that just below him, somewhere he couldn't see, a banner was being deployed, on which we could all read: WE DID IT! TOGETHER! (And that's when I got sick of so much self-patting in the shoulder)

Still quiet at 11 am

Mc Laren exhibition

Hamilton's joystick

Walking in the rain to stand the heat

The concert stage

The Shaolin Warriors trying to kill their friend with spears

Weird, leggy people

The presentation of the drivers

Last minute checks

A Gulf Air plane flying by

Everybody rushing out of the track before the start of the race

1. Vettel   -   2. Hamilton   -   3. Webber  

A bunch of Umpa-Lumpas changing Checo's tyres

Sebastian Vettel running towards the podium

Award ceremony (champagne shower included)

1. Vettel   -   2. Raikkonen   -   3. Grosjean

Copper Canyon, Gold memories

The highlight of our trip to Mexico was the discovery of the Copper Canyon onboard the only passenger train in Mexico: the legendary Chepe (Chihuahua-Pacifico). 

We flew from Monterrey to Chihuahua and spent one day discovering the city, since the train left on the next morning at 6am (Mexican) sharp! We then stopped at the station "Posada Barrancas", from where we got the best views onto the Barrancas (canyons), and on the next day we continued our way to the Pacific, stopping at Bahuichivo, where we stayed in the town of Cerocahui, in the middle of the lower Tarahumara mountains. The next day, we got on the train for the last time and got off at the station of El Fuerte, in the state of Sinaloa. We spent the night, and the next morning we were off to Los Mochis, where we caught a bus to Culiacán, where we took the plane back to Monterrey.

A small part of Pancho Villa's house in Chihuahua

Pancho Villa with a fellow revolutionary

La Casona, a delicious restaurant in Chihuahua

Doesn't Chihuahua's angel look like a fairy?

Chihuahua train station, 5.30 am

Onboard the Chepe

People getting on and off on the way

Barrancas del Cobre at last

Zip-lining and suspension bridges in Barrancas del Cobre's adventure park

 

Happy hour at Hotel El Mirador

Piedra Volada, Barrancas del Cobre

Posada Barrancas rail station

Bear-shaped rock on the way to Cerocahui

Cañon de Urique

A vineyard in Cerocahui

Cerocahui's church

On the Chepe again, crossing one of the 37 bridges 

Getting out of one of the 86 tunnels

A different landscape as we arrived in Sinaloa

El Fuerte, Sinaloa (allegedly the Zorro's hometown)

The fort that gave its name to the town 

Back to Monterrey: the Cerro de la Silla, my favourite mountain in the world!
(especially because I climbed it twice!)