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Sunday, April 15, 2007

Tlacotalpan-Roca Partida-Monte Pio-Sontecomapan-Catemaco

Leaving Tlacotalpan, Salon Euphoria, and the Gallosa Family (Thursday).

The Virgin of the Candelaria.

Pic I took of bench in Tlaco plaza before leaving.

Kiosk.

Plaza.

Pet monkey.



A lake in the hills.


Approaching a small village.

Some scenery from the road.

Entrance to a ranch. See the cow/bull skull on the tree.

A nice land-rock formation.

A fun down-hill.

Bridge in Salinas.

Salinas-Roca Parida, a place, like Monte Pio, where a (fresh water) river meets the (salt water) Gulf. A nice place to swim.

In Salinas-Roca Partida, I met a family on the beach. The were having an extended family vacation at the aunt´s house on the shore. They invited me to camp in their yard, and I played with the kids, breaking out a little ball Broken Arrow Cafe in Alabama gave me. We played catch, and then I taught them how to play ¨500¨, where player throws the ball up for the rest to catch, shouting out a number, the number of points the receiver gets. I shared dinner with the family, and we talked about global warming and its solutions.

Mojarra fish farm.

Punta Roca Partida from further away.

A ¨teterete¨ lizard on a tree by the stream, Toro Prieto. Some guy almost killed it right as I was watching it by throwing a rock at it, but luckily it just missed. I asked why the boy was trying to kill it, and my impromptu guide told me that many around here ¨just aren´t educated.¨

Pet parrot.

Pet parrots, Toro Prieto.

This parrot could do the whistle, or ¨chifle¨, that means ¨wow, you´re hot¨.

These parrots live outside in a tree. Miraculously, they don´t fly away. The owner helps them back up to the tree if they fall so foreign dogs don´t get at them. Perhaps their wings are clipped.

The pet gator, Toro Prieto, near Punta Roca Partida.

Head of the gator.

Tail of the gator.

Middle of the gator.

Nice teeth.

Punta Roca Partida, which has a cave you can take a boat into, where they found buried/hidden objects of the pirates who used this region as their base.
Monte Pio--a great place to swim, a vacation destination for the region. Just note there is no cell phone signal or internet around. More of a natural attraction.

Monte Pio.

More of Monte Pio.

Monte Pio on Saturday morning. This place has two rivers coming together, and emptying into the Gulf, giving bathers the options of fresh water and saltwater. A fun place to swim, hang out, meet people, play soccer, eat, etc.

Loading a truck-load of folks Mexican-style. They were headed from Monte Pio to Catemaco, like me. The guy climbing up on the left eventually perched on top. Later down the road, I caught up to them on my bike as they stopped so the guy on top could change positions to stand on the bumper in back. This truck was packed! If not safe, at least they are getting good mileage per person!

A section of road in the bioreserve Los Tuxtlas designed to slow down traffic to protect the animals and call attention to, and appreciation of, the reserve.

Scene from the bioreserve Los Tuxtlas.

The kiosk in Sontecomapan.

The plaza in Sontecomapan.

What I thought was a cool looking, artistic looking tree at sunset on the road between Sontecomapan and Catemaco, Sat. Apr. 14 evening.

Where I ate last night, a front porch stand of ¨garnachas¨ and empanadas. Garnachas are fried masa with beans, cheese and salsa on top. I had three garnachas and one empanada. They sell for 2 pesos each, or twenty cents. I also had a locally produces soft drink, made in Coyame, and called Coyame. It is made with water from a local spring, and the flavor is apple-vanilla. The mother is Artemi Olivar, and the daughter Ingrit.

The central plaza in Catemaco.

I was pleased to see the waste management/separation and recycling system in Catemaco.

Catemaco´s main church.

City street in downtown Catemaco.

Sunday at the church in Catemaco.

Another turtle at the mini zoo in Tlaco.

A turtle at the mini zoo in Tlacotalpan

Sunday at the Catholic Church in Catemaco.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

The exercise class at Salon Euphoria.

Me with the turtle, also Violita by my side.

Marisol with a turtle at the mini-zoo in Tlacotalpan.

Me with a pelican at the mini-zoo in Tlacotalpan.

The group of us birdwatchers after we got back. Our guide was David, who moved to Mexico fifteen years ago. The other birdwatchers were a family from Mexico City.

The group of us birdwatchers heading out to see the great diversity of birds near Tlacotalpan.