Tropical Snow and Butterfly Cyclones

In the last post, the great Christmas adventure, we went up to Nevado de Toluca looking for some snow (nevado being "snowy" in Spanish). Alas, there was none. The mountains around us all appeared quite bare. Here are the legendary couple Itza (Iztaccíhuatl)and Popo (Popocatépetl) as seen from down the street from me on Christmas Day. Just after that, the weather turned nasty (for Mexico City) and despite it being the dry season, it proceeded to rain off and on for 10 days.
We emerged from the wet and cold to find our dry, brown volcanoes looking like this:

Today we went to the Monarch Butterfly Santuary near Valle de Bravo, and this required that we drive past Nevado de Toluca, who was finally living up to his name.

Though the Mexican state of Michoacán is famous for being the winter haven of the Monarch butterfly, this butterfly sanctuary is located in the state of Mexico, significantly closer to us and by far more secure with fewer drug cartels. A win-win all around. There were horses there to take us up into the sanctuary, and we couldn't pass up the chance to have some other legs climb those steep, muddy trails. We had ridden horses only once before in Iceland, and at that time, they were very strict about safety. I wasn't allowed to bring my camera bag (and especially not allowed to take pictures while riding), we had helmets, a brief lesson on guiding (steering? driving?) the horses, and were all made to learn how to check that our saddles were safely secured. Mexico is certainly not Iceland. We had no helmets of any kind, our horses were led for us, Nevara couldn't even reach her stirrups (causing me riding behind her no end of worry), and then there was Raul's experience. At one steep bit of trail, his horse started sliding back down, and I thought he was falling off of his horse, but actually, his saddle was sliding off, so Raul was squashed between the bank and his horse's rear end. He wasn't hurt, but we did make certain that everything was cinched up very very tightly from that point on.

The trail was littered with the bodies of dead butterflies, and we saw a few flitting about as we rode, but it wasn't too impressive. Then we came to a point in the trail where we all dismounted, and we four followed a guide on foot up another steep trail. There we found the Monarchs.

The trees were loaded with them, the branches bent under their weight.

We were impressed with the quantity of them, truly it was amazing, and then the wind picked up. The butterflies were everywhere, landing on everything, blowing around like astonishing black and orange dust-devils. When we listened we could hear the sound of their wings flapping. It was truly exquisite, something that no camera could capture. We stood in awe for a long time before we headed back. Next month these delightful insects will begin their journey north again, back to the US and Canada.

Lovely Weather For A Sleigh Ride Together

It's been gorgeous here -- 72 degrees, crisp blue skies, a light breeze. And it's Christmas Day. After we opened our prezzies, we went to find a little more seasonal weather and took a car-ride to Nevado de Toluca -- an extinct volcano about an hour from our house. The night before, we had dinner with our friends at their apartment tower, and from their window could see our volcanic neighbors Itza and Popo whom I rarely get to see from all the haze. And then today, probably my 5th or 6th trip to Toluca, the entire landscape was different. For the first time, as we drove down the highway, this monstrosity loomed up ahead. It was as if it had lumbered in last week from somewhere else, migrated down from the American Rockies to overwinter here in Mexico. I had never seen this mountain before in my life. And we were about to climb into its caldera.

Mexico City is at about 7000 ft up. Our house is about 7500 ft up. Nevado de Toluca is the 4th highest peak in Mexico at 15000+ ft. We drove most of it (as did much of Mexico's populous on this most holy day), and then walked up to the rim of the crater. My lungs started burning not 500 feet from the car. Though the temperature was about 68 here, the wind was terribly fierce and gave us instant earaches and mouths full of dust. No one wanted to hold the dog's leash, we so desperately wanted to keep our hands in our pockets. The wind was blowing into our faces, down the mountain, and Raul urged the girls on with the possibility that we would be protected from the wind once we arrived in the crater. At the crater's edge, the wind was even worse. Instead of dust blown around, it was small rocks and the occasional Mexican child. Rather than hiking into the crater and down to the two lakes that are there, I quickly took my shots and we skiddaddled back down. All in all a jolly good Christmas trip. (Really! I recommend the hike. But dress for the wind -- tie-on headgear/ear protection, scarf to protect your mouth from dust, sunglasses/goggles.)

Posada

Posada (from Las Posadas -- "the inns") is a 9-day celebration here in Mexico (and elsewhere) symbolizing the trials of Mary and Joseph finding "there was no room at the inn." This is celebrated in neighborhoods typically with a family being designated the hosts each night, and either statues of Mary and Joseph or folks dressed up like them will go door to door, each time being told there is no room at the inn until they come to the host's home, where they will be welcomed in along with the "pilgrims" carrying the statues or escorting the live actors who will then worship at the nativity scene, then feast and beat open a large piñata. All along Reforma, Mexico's main drag, are little shacks that during the day sell drinks or jewelry or other little odds and ends, and after every 3rd or 4th shack is a nativity scene sponsored by local companies or organizations. Huge piñatas decorate the street. We came down on Saturday to take some photos.

After walking by myself to shoot some more, I returned to see this cute little vagabond sitting under a tree.

The World's Largest Artificial Tree

Reform Art

At Día de los Muertos, Reforma was decorated with festive and frightening oversized alibrijes -- hand-carved and -painted critters from Oaxaca. This beauty hadn't been hauled away yet. There are always really groovy things to see on Reforma.

Thankful for Grooming

Warning: this post might be disturbing for the germaphobic.

After the turtle hatchery, we drove a few miles to the little village of La Ventanilla (the little window), named for this rock formation. The village is inhabited by 25 families who work together to preserve the local mangrove swamp and its fauna. We came to take a tour of this mangrove swamp and see us some cocodrilos.

It didn't take long for the cocodrilos to appear.
It was extremely hot there in the sun with the ocean breeze blocked by the dunes. This vulture seemed to be waiting for us to expire.

Egret #1. This place was a bird-watcher's paradise.

Our ticket claimed that in addition to a lagoon tour, we would also gain access to a crocodile hatchery and the Ventanilla Zoo. The fellow paddling our boat pulled up to a dock on a little island and ushered us all out. The "zoo" consisted of some local wildlife in small, chain-linked fence cages.

Zorra wanted to take home this little fox (zorra) that was about the size of a house cat.

It was love at first sight for Nevara and the monkey there.

Probable not the same annoying grackle from the turtle hatchery, but you never know.

Hibiscus sabdariffa -- the type of Hibiscus used to make the drink jamaica.

White-throated Magpie-jay -- Calositta formosa

Baby crocodiles

Guinea Fowl -- these lovelies were walking around the outdoor kitchen of a local eatery there next to the animal pens. We had a snack to eat but stayed vegetarian with quesadillas and admired the adorable baby sleeping in a hammock. She looked so cute and comfortable.

While Raul and I finished up our eating, we allowed the girls to wander back to their favourite animals. When we came to collect them, Nevara was at the monkey pen grooming and getting groomed. Zorra was with the little fox, petting this sad little creature who really wanted to go home with us.

We didn't pet the crocodiles.

Despite an hour of research, I have no idea what kind of bird this is.

So, we were cruising back, and we saw in the water a really huge log-looking thing. Turned out to be a crocodile swimming next to us -- a 4-meter long crocodile.

Anhinga -- Anhinga anhinga. When we saw this giant bird sitting in a tree, Raul asked the guide for me what kind of bird it was. His response, "Pato." Duck. It turns out that in Oaxaca, any water fowl of a certain size that you can't identify is called a duck.

Iguana (actually there is a second one in this picture -- can you see it?)

Another Egret

Northern Jacana -- Jacana spinosa

Being that it was Thanksgiving, I went out swimming with the girls that evening and talked about what we are thankful for. Zorra was thankful for crocodiles and foxes. Nevara was thankful to have finally found someone who respects her. She said, "That monkey respected me!" Why do you think that? "He showed his respect by grooming me."

I am thankful for my wonderful family with whom I can have incredible adventures, especially my funny children -- incredible adventures themselves.