Trip through the Jungle on a Boat

Wednesday a.m.
Yesterday, Tuesday, was really really busy! We took the jungle boat ride through the manglares – the mangrove forest, then we went up to the old fort and when we got home we watched some guys with a motorized hang glider. Almost wore my camera out. So this will mostly be pictures with a little commentary thrown in. John and Carol our friends from Idaho and George went with us on the ride.
I’ll say right off the pictures don’t do it justice. We were lucky in that we went early in the morning – well early for us – 9:30 well before any of the other boats were out. But the sun was kind of hiding behind hazy clouds so not as much sunshine as I would have liked for the photos. Getting ready to leave. If you click on the picture it will set up a slide show of sorts with the image quite a bit bigger.

Heading into the manglares. The water in most places was clear enough to see the bottom and the vegetation over hung the banks and formed tunnels for us to go under.

Saw lots of birds. They are so majestic looking. Seemed to be posing just for us.

The roots? growing off the trees into the water. I think there is a bird there too.

The boat was slowly moving through the still water when the boatman stopped and put the engines in reverse. He pointed to a couple of dead trees. THERE WAS A COCODRILO! A real live wild one. Okay so he wasn’t very big but he was there. The boatman said he was always in this same area.

Another type of bird. As you can see I don’t know birds, can’t name them just take pictures of them.

And just below this bird this nice snake rested on the branches. He was hard to get a picture of – took me a long time to focus in on him.

The water was very smooth and the boat motor quiet so listening to the all the bird calls was great. All that was missing was soft flute music. Then we went around a bend and saw these. They look big enough that you could spend a night in them. Awesome thought.

Some of the trees and other vegetation. So eerie.

Loved the roots on this tree. They looked like some kind of monster rising out of the water.

Lots of bright green plants with white flowers on them. Some kind of water lily we thought.

An air plant. We saw a lot of them, some of them almost as big as the boat!

Another inhabitant of the area.

Caught this one in flight.

Suddenly George broke the silence – “There’s a croc over there.” The boatman slowed down, backed up and sure enough another crocodile – this one bigger. More pictures.

On down? up? the waterway and we interrupted this dispute between two birds.

More pictures of the fantastic vegetation. Big ferns growing here.

Trees growing out of the water.

A whole area filled with bright green ferns.

And our stalwart spotter George did it again. Another croc. The biggest yet. And he opened his mouth for us.  A WOW moment.

Further on we spotted a big bird in a tree.

The boatman stopped so we could take pictures. As we were snapping away Carol suddenly said – “There’s an iguana there. Next to the bird.” Sure enough. They blend in with the trees so well.

Nice blue water at the crocodile sanctuary. Of course we had to stop there and check it out. 10 pesos each to go in. Worth the price.

A baby croc resting on a rock in the lagoon.

One of the big ones behind a fence. They almost look dead they are so still.

My finger touching the tail of one of them that was close to the fence. His other end was far away. They just feel cold and the tail is very hard.

George touching one of his front legs. I touched there too – felt cold and scaley and squishy. And he moved his leg as we touched it.

In a cage was this beautiful jaguar.

Always food for sale any place you go in Mexico. This group just got out of a couple of boats and are buying pastries before checking out the crocs.

Back out on the water. These are cactus type plants growing on the tree.

Just a view of the beautiful scenery. Real jungle.

Heading back through the tunnels of vegetation. A couple of times we all had to duck. I’m sure glad we got an early start. Our boatman took us on a very slow ride going in.

Coming out we met several other boats going in and they were setting up big wakes. I don’t think they had as nice a time as we did.

Our boat and boatman. I’m so glad we took this trip – it was great.

So enough for this post. Unless the telcel is working fast it will take a while to post it. Then later I’ll post about the fort and church and still later about the hang gliding (no I didn’t try it - they weren't offering rides- just doing a commercial of some sorts.)

Music video from Christmas Day

Going to try to post a video from the Plaza in San Blas taken on Christmas Day. Just a view of the plaza with some music in the back ground. Today the telcel stick seems to be working a little faster.
While it posts I'll be working on pics from yesterday.  Hope it works.

Would you like bees with your bread? Day in San Blas

Tuesday a.m.
Need to hurry and get this posted as today we are going to take a boat ride to see the crocodiles and the manglares - Mangrove Forest. Hopefully we’ll see some neat stuff. Have all my camera batteries charged and ready to go.
Yesterday, Monday, our neighbor Carol called to me that there were dolphins swimming past us. Went out to watch them. There were two of them and they were jumping clear out of the water. Of course my camera was inside. Ran in to get it and then they stopped jumping. This was as good a picture as I could get. Grrrr.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them. And turn you sound on for the videos.

Later we set off to do some errands in San Blas. On the way we stopped at the manglares boat tours and set up our excursion for tomorrow. A couple of their buildings – I think the orange one is the baños – bathrooms.  

From there we went out to the ocean. John and Carol wanted to check out the little boats that take people out to see the rock not too far off shore that looks like Jesus. And it really does. Click on the url to check it out from my blog last year. I have a couple of good pictures of the rock. Here is the link to last year.

http://www.mexicobymotorhome.blogspot.com/2011/02/ride-in-panga-ocean-and-mangrove-forest.html

I was looking through my telephoto lense across the water at the men in the little boat. Just as I snapped the picture the gentleman on the dock lifted his shirt. A half flash I guess.

Then we wanted to show them were the bakery was. Off the main streets the roads are cobblestones and mud. This one was no exception. Notice the puddles right next to the clean laundry. Hope all the cars go by slow so as not to splash.

The panaderia – bakery. I had never been in there. Usually waited in the car while Bill went inside to buy things.  

He always talked about the bees. I thought he meant the bees flying around outside. NO he meant the bees flying around inside. Inside? He said the workers say the bees won’t sting if you don’t molest them. Hummmm??? So of course I had to go in. And yes the place was full of flying and buzzing bees. Looking into the production area. Those are all rolls waiting to be baked.

A look at some of the pastries. The girl is sorting them to send out to stores and hotels. The bees were flying all around her and us.

A close up of one of the cakes – yes here are some of the bees- bees not nuts.

After leaving the bakery – we didn’t buy anything. We wondered Do bees poop???? Maybe I’ll look it up. Well here’s the answer. Yes they do but……"All bees eat is honey and pollen, and (for our purposes) that's all their poop contains. It's probably the least noxious poop in existence and quite safe to consume, at least when it's fresh." More information than you needed?

This long block wall is completely covered with graffiti type paintings. Each section has a message.

Downtown street in the center of San Blas. Very busy one way street. Church on one side – plaza on the other.

Parked and ate lunch at a restaurant called McDonalds. Very good food. I had quesadillas with guacamole – some of the best I’ve ever eaten.

After lunch we walked back up to the plaza and were surprised to see the government building being painted. It was repainted the two shades of blue only a couple of years ago. Bill got into a conversation with a man watching the painting. When he asked why it was being repainted so soon the answer was surprising. When ever the governing party changes hands the building gets painted in the new governments colors. The old party was blue, the new one is rust and beige. Interesting. As the guy with the roller painted the side of the building big chunks of the fading and peeling blue paint were coming off on his roller. Keep track to the guy in the upper left hand corner. The one in the blue shirt and jeans.

This guy was a joker – he climbed up on the tower and started to ring the bell. Everyone was laughing at/with him.

Now it was time to move the scaffolding. Everyone grab part of it to move it. As it was moved it swayed back and forth, creaked and groaned and threatened to collapse. See the guy in the blue shirt and jeans. He is standing on the ledge outside of the wrought iron railing.

Scaffold is in place.

The guy in the blue shirt was stranded outside the closed doors of the middle window. His paint was still on the balcony at the first window. So he carefully climbed across the ledge, over the railing and into the open window. OSHA would have a stroke. But everyone was having a good time. We stood and watched this quite a while.

On the other side of the plaza is this purple building. Kind of fancy – the pillar is made of sea shells.

Purple with deep purple trim and a palapa roof. I know I take a lot of pictures of buildings but the colors and architecture are so interesting.

Again watching the Huichol Indian doing some beading. He was making a bracelet. All of the Huichol vendors here in San Blas are related in some way. They live in a small town near Santiago Ixcuintla. And he told Bill that they only marry within their tribe. They do not marry outsiders.

Looking at the bell tower of the old church. Don’t think I’d even think about climbing those ladders.

When leaving town we were surprised to see the arch over the main street leading into town was undergoing some kind of renovation? Painting? Rebuilding? We’ll find out next time we go to town I guess. Nothing was being done to it when we passed through it going into town.

And on the way home we bought a seedless watermelon that was one of the sweetest we’ve ever eaten. For 10 pesos - 1 US dollar is worth 13.82 pesos – so it was less than a dollar.

Saw on TV that there was rioting in Indianapolis over Air Jordan tennis shoes. Actual rioting – not just pushing and shoving. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StQVCeVoqVI We live 40 miles from there. And Mexico isn’t safe? Read this a.m. that another 9 year old girl was found murdered in Indiana.

It got pretty cool in the afternoon and almost cold at night.
Now we get ready to take another boat ride in the mangrove forest with all the animals there. Hopefully I'll have lots of pictures.