Mexico Trip Part 4: Turtles, Hiking, and Mythical Mexican Creatures

Day 5: Turtle Release

Nothing gets the crowd going like a turtle release. Part of Playa Viva being an eco-resort is that they have a turtle sanctuary on the property. One of the perks of being a guest is getting to see the little guys being released in the mornings. When a new batch hatches, they are freed on the beach in front of the resort area.

As soon as they are poured out of the bucket, the race is on. What impressed me most about these little guys is how tough they are. After flailing their way through the sand, they finally reach the surf where they are violently sucked out to sea, spun around in a couples of waves, and sometimes pushed back onto shore. Inevitably they find a way to get some distance from land, come up for a few gulps of air, and push on into the ocean.

Day 6: R&R

We read, we relaxed, we drank coconut water. Ahhh….vacation.

Day 7: Hiking Through the Mexican Wilderness

“Are you going on a hike? You must go up by the lake. The birds are out today.” Julia, the manager at Playa Viva, had been on a hike earlier in the day and was enthusiastically recommending to us a route we were sure to enjoy. You can drink only so much fresh coconut water so we decided it was time to explore the many trails cut through the green landscape. We strapped on our sandals and headed up the trail for an adventure.

The first thing we noticed was that there are a ton of lizards in the area. As we walked along the dirt road, they darted out everywhere. Every 20 steps we took, the bushes would shake and out ran a critter.

We eventually made it to the small lake Julia referred to us and she completely undersold it. The lake and the trees surrounding it were covered in cranes, storks, and flamingos. As we approached, one quarter of the lakes population decided I was too close and began circling overhead looking for a new perch. It was fantastic.

Along the rest of the trail we met a horse that we were later to learn is called “Horse.” We also came across some beautiful mango trees and finally the beast.

While walking through a particularly thick, green part of the trail around the backside of the lake, we saw the beast dart into the undergrowth ahead of us. At first I only caught sight of the hind quarters. It was orange (Brandy description: Red/Gold) in color with fur and had a fluffy tail. It had the build of a medium sized dog but it moved like a cat. I could see evidence of strong muscles as it moved through the forest.

Not knowing how to react, we waited several seconds and continued on only to find another specimen of the same variety ten minutes later. This time Brandy caught full sight of it. She described the face as being halfway between a cat and a raccoon. At the time we labeled it the exotic Mexican cat-bear and went, all be it more cautiously, on our way.

Upon our arrival back at the resort we describe this beast to several of the locals and we were told it was this:

http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/animal,tejon/Interesting

The pictures you are seeing are of a Mexican Tejon. It’s looks like the mix between a badger and a raccoon and it is definitely not what we saw. When we returned home we still couldn’t shake the fact that what we saw was different, so to the interwebs we did go. After about 20 minutes we found our animal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguarundi

We immediately sent an email back to the resort and here is the actual reply.

Well, I just showed this pic to Julia and she screamed. These are endangered. The fact that there are any is a very good sign. Serafin saw these about two years ago, we showed the pic to him too, and no one believed him!!!! This is amazing. We are going to forward the pics to David and hopefully get their pics in the book! This is also really great because it means that Playa Vivas preservation efforts are bringing animals back to the area. Yay!!! Thank you so much sharing this!!! -Amy

The animal you see is consider in danger of extintion, jaguar, Serafin the maintenance guy see them 2 years ago, may be the same. It´s so exciting I´ll check more when I walk around Playa Viva. It´s very nice to see that this Jaguars chose Playa viva as their home. -Julia

Although Wikipedia does not show the animals as being threatened, in this part of Mexico the animal’s habitat has been steadily shrinking and sightings have become less frequent. The staff was very excited that all their hard work is paying off.

While we were there a farmer had started clear cutting the land around Playa Viva to make way for cattle. As a result much of the wildlife was taking refuge on the resort’s land. Also, a developer came to look at the property. We had a side conversation with his architect. The developer wanted to put a 200 room hotel further down the beach on the land he owned and the architect was trying to convince him otherwise. As the architect put it, “This is the country. You shouldn’t do that sort of thing out here. It doesn’t fit. It’s not sustainable. You have to build to your surroundings.” Wise man.

In the next post I’ll be showcasing Playa Viva’s solar power grid and will introduce you to Poncho the Frog. Also, I’ll be sharing some of our best memories.

7 July, 201326 July, 2013

Mexico Trip Part 3: Daily Activity at Playa Viva

Day 4: Getting Fit

The night had only yielded three more bug bites from the previous day, so I counted my midnight bathroom break a success. It was morning and in only three days time, I had developed the habit of jumping in the ocean upon crawling out of the mosquito net. I found that a morning ocean dip helped cauterize the previous night’s wounds.

Fishing

Today however I decided to try something different before my plunge. I had made up my mind to go beach jogging and would continue to do so a couple more times throughout the trip. I expected my legs would be entirely worn out but I didn’t expect the cuts and scrapes from the seashells on the bottom of my feet. This morning and each morning after, I came across these guys.

They would spend most of the morning walking up and down the beach catching bait. Later during the day you could usually see a boat out fishing just off shore but I couldn’t be sure it was the same guys.

Yoga

After my run and my daily fall into the ocean, I learned that this morning was a yoga morning. Several days a week Playa Viva offers yoga classes.

Now yoga. I’ve tried yoga, usually with Brandy, and have seen a variety of teachers. The different types are as follows:

The Med-i-taters: This particular lot likes to sit still, and think about nothing. At the same time they encourage you to “touch your third eye.” I’ve yet to find my third eye, and, if I ever do, I would be hesitant to touch it.
The Killers: A killer is the yoga teacher who also teaches pilates and the spin class and the water aerobics class and the cross-fit class all before lunch. His or her job in life is to show you how inferior you are. When a killer says the phrase, “If you are a more advanced student, try doing this pose,” he is the only one in the class doing that pose. Spare time consists of doing 100 push ups and then popping a power bar before chasing down an antelope and strangling it with bare hands.
The Balanced: These people know what they are doing. They practice yoga because it keeps them healthy and sane. They know that yoga isn’t the whole answer, so they also encourage healthy nutrition, massage, cardio, and other positive things we all know we should be doing anyway.

Amy Zimmerman, our instructor and resident massage therapist, fell in with the balanced approach. We got to know Amy during our 10 day stay. She’s been doing yoga and massage for 15 years and is currently traveling the globe while plying her trade. We were lucky enough to have arrived during her several month stay at Playa Viva.

During class Amy was quick to walk around and help people. No one was left behind. She was patient, professional, and knowledgeable. She’s a great teacher.

Later during the trip, Brandy started having some significant muscle pain in her neck. Usually she would have to go to her chiropractor to get things worked out, but without a chiropractor on site, she decided to try massage for the first time. Amy did a fantastic job. Brandy went from having no mobility in her neck to being able to turn it again within hours. By the next day the therapy had done wonders. So if any resort out there is looking to hire a fantastic yoga instructor and massage therapist then contact Amy.

Soccer

Johnny, resident all around guy of everything, asked us all if we would like to participate in a staff vs. guests soccer game to which most of us replied in the affirmative.

I’ve never played soccer with people who knew how to play soccer. I didn’t grow up with it, so every time I played some semblance of the game in the past, I recall it involving a lot more contact. Eventually someone would get tired of the uselessness of trying to kick the ball and would pick it up. The game then became “kill the man with the ball.”

The game started with me on the team of the two playing staff members, Johnny and Abraham. Midway I had to run to the restroom and when I got back the teams were all turned around. Anyway,the pictures below say a lot more than I can write.

What I learned about playing soccer on the beach in Mexico:

You can’t use your hands.
Or an arm.
You can’t set picks.
You can’t kick through someone else’s leg(s).
Kicking the ball should not be accomplished with your toes.
Sand will stay resident in your nose for no less than a day and a half.
Kicking the ball at the goalie accomplishes nothing.
Kicking the ball too far away from the goalie accomplishes the same.
When you see a someone getting to kick the ball without defenders (the penalty shot), a wall of guys will form ahead of him. If you are in that wall of guys, it is customary to take one hand and place it over your heart to salute your country and put the other hand respectfully over your junk (i.e. picture #7).
Passing it to someone who knows what to do with the ball is a strong option.

What a day! Busy times. Join me next time when I discuss releasing baby turtles, food, and other vacation-ly things. If you missed them, here’s Part 1 and Part 2.

2 July, 20132 July, 2013

Mexico Trip Part 1: Playa Viva for the Disconnect

Brandy and Jason in the Mexican Mountains

Get Gone

Sometimes it’s time to go, not for a weekend or even for a week, but get-out-of-town-as-long-as-you-can-afford GO. This was one of those trips. Brandy and I rarely have these trips. As travel is part of my job, we usually get a few hours to see new places, experience new cultures, and try exotic food. It’s immensely fun but it’s usually not restful and there’s really no time for a recharge.

So after traveling, working, and being inundated by all the stimuli and challenges of living in an urban environment, there comes a point when we want to get absolutely away from everything and press the OFF button on life. Our last trip like this was 6 years ago to Prince Edward Island, Canada. This time we headed south to the village of Juluchuca, Mexico to stay at a remote eco-resort, Playa Viva.

We scheduled all 10 days of our vacation at this location. Its top features include no telephones, TVs, or communication devices of any kind in the rooms. On the whole, huge plot of land this sanctuary resides, there is only 1 place to get WiFi internet access. Guests refer affectionately to that small corner of the commons area as the “internet chairs.” The place is gloriously and wondrously disconnected from everything (even the power grid). Think about it. For 10 whole days we had no idea what has happening in the world. Fantastic!

Day 1: Poo, Bugs, and Fleeting Sleep

Our first day was a travel day, and we arrived at the resort with two other travelers Mario and Christine. We had a wonderful meal and then settled into our room for the remainder of the day. Our room was the Private Casita.

By private I mean private to other humans but as you can see from the pictures, the rest of the jungle has a perfectly clear idea of what’s happening.

When traveling to a resort of this kind, there are a few things one must get comfortable with.

Take the time right now to read the sign in the last picture. That’s right, your used paper goes in a basket, not a bowl. It’s eco. Get used to it hippy.
There is no inside. It’s all outside. So when a grasshopper chirps, you hear it. When a cicada decides to sing and 1,000 of his cousins join him, you embrace it. When the whole forest decides that tonight they’re going to have a concert to show you that the 4:30am cargo train horn from DC to Philly can’t touch the ceaseless echo of the swarm, you remember you brought ear plugs.
In the middle of the night you will have to pee. You will not be able to hold it. When you leave the fortress that is the mosquito net, you are done for. Baring a mason jar, I highly recommend having pants and a long sleeve t shirt nearby for emergency runs.
It’s hot. Sleep naked.

The first night’s sleep reminded me a lot of what it’s like the first night you’re out hiking. You hear everything and you don’t get much sleep, but unlike my hiking experiences I wasn’t starving, I wasn’t on the ground, and I didn’t really fear a rat running across my face in the middle of the night.

Day 2: Glorious Morning and Wondrous Nothing

The next morning I awoke to no alarm clock, I did not stumble to the shower, and finally I did not drive down the expressway like a zombie drinking milk and eating cold cereal from a bag.

I awoke to the rising sun, I stumbled over to my bathing suit, and I plodded across the sand and fell headlong into the ocean. GOOD MORNING!

The rest of the day cycled between food, ocean, pool, books, and back again. It was a wonderful cycle of getting absolutely nothing productive done. What a dirty word at a place like this. Productive. HA!

Stick around for subsequent posts where we visit a farm with no electricity, I destroy my feet, and I display my inability to play soccer.