Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 8, 1990, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press september pages Chuck features editor travel by Irene Morck press news g grand Canyon nation Al Park at a dozen people stand shiver ing and yawning on thin crusty Snow in the Stone Corral by the Edge of the grand Canyon while the Trail guide carefully matches each person with a the mules wait having gone through this routine hundreds of in a few minutes everyone is ready to follow the guide on to Bright Angel headed for the Bottom of this spectacular can Yon in Northwest dont try to steer your the guide Treyve been trained to just follow the the Trail from the South rim seems barely wide enough for the animals along the trails Edge the Canyon Wall drops in a precipice so sheer it can Only be called a the Trail is usually icy and Snow co Vered All but the mules never slip spikes on their shoes Cut easily into the the entire mule train comes to a the Lead animal has stopped to Rock Tower when that mule moves the next one walks to exactly the same place on the narrow Trail and relieves each mule adds to the thick Frozen yellow Waterfall clinging to the precipice at the Edge of the while those behind wait patiently for their True to the guides the beasts really do follow the on moves the mule train Down the Steep within an hour the air feels much the Trail becomes dirt and dust instead of ice and Snow and the riders Start to lulled by the mules steady sure footed their calmness and the unbelievable Beauty of the far below a huge Rock soft Dull red in its shaded shines fiery red where the Sun touches across the Distant Stone Walls radiate soft hues of purple and straight Down Are mesas and terraces made of rocks coloured Orange and about an hour later the Rock formations that were so far below Tower against Blue swinging Bridge the riders look certain they Are seeing the of the but within another hour those Are High the Rock colors seem More sombre lower Down Silver chocolate Brown and Rich the mule train passes through a Rock then comes to a narrow swinging the mules Cross it swaying calmly with its far below flows the Colorado its water a Muddy pinkish it seems impossible that this Little ribbon of a River could have carved out such an aptly named the Canyon is about 350 kilo metres six to 30 Kilometres up to Kilometres deep and flanked by a plateau to metres above sea this important geological site contains a wealth of animal and Plant sore bodies soon the riders Are on Green grass beside Silky Pink River they have arrived at the Bottom of the grand the phantom ranch and its rustic Wood and Stone Cabins lie nestled against the Valley mules carry visitors along a narrow path to the Bottom of the grand Canyon there Are a couple of hours to spend exploring before the air is gentle and so people shed their Winter jackets to walk amid cacti and Bushes growing in soft Green grass along the River that the riders visit Over dinner in the main theres a special camaraderie when people from Many different countries Are together More than a Kilometre below the earths sur those unaccustomed to Riding hobble around but com plaints Are made with a the next morning everyone must be up Well before More than a few people groan As they swing their sore bodies into the leaving the riders Are certain they can see the top of the but an hour later that High plateau is still far above As the mules continue climbing the 13ki Lametre Kaibab Trail Back toward the at Long last the party makes it to the riders cant help Star ing longingly Down at the splendid colors and Back Down into what now looks like the Bottom of the but they know it really overweight the South rim of the grand can Yon is accessible by Highway year there Are daily flights from Phoenix and Las vegas to Flag and regular bus service from Flagstaff to the South for riders must be Able to speak weigh less than 200 pounds and measure More than four feet seven there Are no even people weighing less than 200 pounds will be disqualified if they Are judged to be significantly overweight for their height or unfit in any other the mule trip is strenuous and should be undertaken Only by those in Good physical mule trips leave daily from the South reservations Are recon for information and res Contact your travel agent or reservations grand National Park Box grand Matador Battles male Bull Hacienda la Mexico Reuter she has swallowed fear and dust Many times while being gored and slammed to the ground by what she describes As some of the biggest and meanest bulls in latin Shes paid her dues and says she has seven broken Bones to show for but nine years after becoming the worlds first female professional Raquel Martinez says she is still fighting for recognition and the right to compete with Mexico top its due to the machismo in mex Martinez said in a recent inter contending that she had been virtually shut out of the country top Arenas and deprived of world class status because she is a most mexican bullfighter refuse to appear in the same ring with a so promoters have stopped booking Martinez noting that she used to fight As Many As 80 times a year but now performs fewer than off circuit the matadors Are saying if she then we so Ive been taken off the Martinez i hate to say because when these things come out in Mexico they other hate me even but they dont want to be in the same ring with the reasons Are says mar a self described Tomboy born in Mexico but raised in South Ern where her favorite sport was surfing before she got hooked on bullfighting in the for her fellow fighters Are resentful of the Flaxen haired Gringo who had the As she puts to break the barriers and As Sert herself in what is often de scribed As the most Macho spectacle on other matadors also resent her because they think she gets a free ride the Martinez they think that because in a woman ill win the audience whether i do Good or there mistaken i have to prove myself each says she has killed More than 500 including the one that gouged out a chunk of her thigh three years ago in great feeling its a great feeling for Byseit As a woman to be Able to handle that Power and that the Mas Sive and i transmit that feeling because the people feel the they feel the Martinez i enjoy handling the bulls so much that risking my life Doest mean very she readily admits that she has had less Success handling promoters and fellow and blames them for having prevented her from performing in latin americas Lead ing showcase for mexi co cites Plaza but in the interview on this picturesque farm and cattle ranch in Hidalgo just North of Mexico Martinez spoke of a Bright including the possibility of forming the first Mothe Randson Matador team with her 15yearold and invitations to perform later this year in Canada and the United states should give her career a boost while improving her standing among mexican fighters and Empire Martinez the invitations May even Lead to a performance in Plaza a Ca ree Long dream because every Matador in the world wants to fight she autumn the Harvest Northern lights and someone to share them Minaki Lodge is alive with the spirit of revel in the glory of nature and share this enchanting season at a most civilized resort in the our autumn getaway package includes the use of our sports daily Continental break Champagne upon arrival and nightly and our four seasons chef will provide gourmet delicacies to meet your greatest spend time alone in the a too m j per room or it per night Minaki Lodge i our Northland Kurot 18004653331 Ontario based upon double gratuities Kuum meal plan at Juh Paradero lures tourists Seattle times Cuba located 150 Kilometres East of the Paradero Peninsula is a Finger of land pointing East by Northeast into the Gulf along its 20kilometre Paradero has every natural ingredient demanded by Caribbean bound travellers Turquoise pow define White Flat beaches and Palm that not to men Tion 330 Days of Sunshine a As a visitors from around the world crowd Var Aderos beaches for the Standard fare of sailing and and the who know what they have at Are making the most of at the time of the revolution in Paradero was a sleepy resort owned by the Dupont family of Dela isolated from Havana and offering exclusive facilities for a scant 900 All that changed in the the cuban government decided to build up Paradero As their entry into the highly competitive Caribbean tourism a string of beachfront Large and stretch along the Peninsulas main the Avenue of the offering combined staffs of some work ers capable of taking care of visitors a and a new International Airport provides direct Access for world two new hotels opened there last according to tour trawl a travel Industry the 500room sol palmers is the cuban governments first joint Ven Ture built with a Spanish com Pany the 250room Paradise hotel is prices at Paradero Are not necessarily though certainly comfortable by Caribbean ;