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A Whale of a Time in Baja

Our tiny boat bounced as the giant whale broke the water’s surface and rested close enough for us to touch. As she breached, the cameras clicked furiously. Our skipper pointed to more enormous whales—they were all around us!

Visitors pet a baby California Gray Whale in Magdalena BayAfter a summer spent in the frigid waters of the Chukchi and Bering Seas, feasting on immense quantities of small crustaceans, the California Gray Whales begin their annual migration south to Mexico’s Baja California. Swimming 5000 miles along the North American coast, they arrive in the warm, protected bays to breed, give birth, and rear their infants.

During the long southbound journey the whales court and mate. After a gestation period of thirteen months a female whale gives birth to her calf. Newborn Grays are about 15 feet long and can weigh up to 1500 pounds!

A California Gray Whale raises his head to take a look in Baja's Magdalena Bay

Another female, called an “auntie,” often assists the mother with her calf, so the whales are often spotted in groups of three. The calf nurses on its mother’s milk, ten times richer than cow’s milk. By swimming against the current in the lagoon, the young whale builds up its muscles, and by Spring it is fat (around 3000 pounds), mature (at least 19 feet long), and ready for the long northward journey.

One area the whales prefer is Magdalena Bay. This narrow section of calm waters between the coast of Baja and Magdalena Island may harbor fewer gray whales than other lagoons, but here they are densely congregated, creating a wonderful place to watch them swim and play.

A California Gray Whale dives tail up into Baja's Magdalena BayEasily accessible from La Paz and Loreto, Lopez Mateos and San Carlos are two coastal towns where pangas, small motor boats, depart for whale watching. Skimming along the water with frigate birds soaring overhead and whales breaching in every direction is an unforgettable experience.

Magdalena Bay is also home to a variety of fish and shellfish, as well as bottlenose dolphins. In the dense thickets of mangroves, which dominate Magdalena Island, many species of birds can be found. A pack of coyotes inhabits the island, and from the boat they can be seen on the beach feasting on fish which they have learned to eat as they adapt to island life.

An invigorating boat trip like this is sure to build up a whale-sized appetite. Returning to shore, the day concludes by feasting on freshly-caught local seafood at one of the nearby restaurants. Baja offers many activities and is also an excellent gateway for tours to Copper Canyon.

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Costa Rica’s Curious Critters

From a place like no other in the world, come animals like no others in the world.  A few of the animals that can be spotted on California Native Costa Rica Explorer tours are the Jesus Christ Lizard and the Two- or Three-toed Sloth.

In Costa Rica, a two-toed sloth hangs lazily in a tree.Hanging upside-down from the branches of trees in Costa Rica’s lush rain forests, sleep the two and three-toed sloths. The Spanish word for sloth is perezoso, meaning “lazy”, and  sloths, who sleep around eighteen hours a day, live up to their reputation.

Because of their “lazy” or slow-moving nature, sloths live high in the forest canopy, which camouflages them from predators. They spend most of their time in the trees. By adulthood sloths are about as big as a medium sized dog. Their permanent smiling expression gives them almost human-like characteristics. These fascinating creatures can live up to thirty years. They begin reproducing at about age three and bear one baby a year.

Costa Rica is a wonderful place to observe and photograph sloths, because of the abundance of cecropia trees, which are the sloth’s favorite food. The leaves of these trees are spread out enough to make “sloth-watching” easy.

Basilisks are the other curious creature can be found on many Costa Rican rivers.  Here, you’ll see strange-looking lizards go charging from the banks, standing on their hind legs, running across the river—literally “walking on water.”

Costa Rica's 'Jesus Christ' lizards can walk on water.Basilisks, aka “Jesus Christ lizards” refer to the legendary monsters whose breath and glances were fatal to those unfortunate enough to encounter them. Basilisks are quite large, as lizards go, up to three feet long, and the males have large crests on their heads, backs, and tails. This, and the fact that they run on two legs, makes them look like little dinosaurs.

The name Jesus Christ lizard refers, of course, to their ability to walk on water. They do this by running very quickly over the water’s surface on their large hind feet, which have flaps of skin along each toe. This ability is best developed in young lizards, who can run twenty yards or more over the water without sinking. The ability to “walk on water” helps the basilisks catch food and escape from predators.

Basilisks eat almost everything, including insects, shrimp, scorpions, other lizards, snakes, fish, small mammals, birds, flowers and fruit.

Their only natural enemies are raptors, opossums and snakes, who view the basilisks as potential dinners. To protect themselves while they sleep, the basilisks bed down in vegetation overhanging water, and, when the vegetation is disturbed, dive to safety.

Come with us to Costa Rica and meet the Jesus Christ lizards as well as the many other exotic birds and animals that dwell in the forests and rivers of this magical little country at the center of the Americas.

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The Real Treasure of the Sierra Madre

The beauty of Mexico’s Copper Canyon and the simple life-style of its Tarahumara residents is the real “Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” but this remote region of rugged mountains and deep canyons may also hold more traditional treasure—gold and silver buried in undiscovered troves.

Treasure may be buried near the Satevo Mission

In February, 1767, King Charles III of Spain decreed that all Jesuits be expelled from the New World and that their properties be confiscated. His counselors had advised him that the Jesuits held a special allegiance to the pope and opposed the supremacy of the monarchy. In addition, there were suspicions that the Jesuits were involved in political intrigues in Madrid. Some of this came about because the Jesuits, known as the “Black Robes,” had acquired much wealth and power throughout the empire, causing enmity among clergy of other orders.

To prevent the Jesuits from hiding their wealth, it became imperative that the expulsion be carried out simultaneously and without warning throughout the empire. Messages under seal of the king were sent to all military commanders and were not to be opened until June 25. On that day the officers were ordered to arrest and deport the Jesuits and confiscate all the church’s property for the crown.

Despite the best efforts at secrecy, the Jesuits in Mexico became aware of the plan and began conveying their treasure out of the country by secret channels. Because of the short notice, they could not transport all of the gold and silver and were forced to bury large quantities of it.

In the bottom of Copper Canyon, four miles beyond the town of Batopilas, is Satevo, a small settlement with a beautiful old church, Iglesias San Miguel de Satevo. The church, with its three-tiered bell tower and its three domes, is all that remains of the mission of Santo Angel Custodio de Satevo, built by the Jesuits around 1760 and destroyed by a fire in the late 1800’s. All of the mission’s records were lost in the fire and the church has become fancifully known as the “Lost Cathedral of Satevo.”

In the 1800’s, vandals looking for wealth hidden by the Jesuits, ransacked the church and its crypts, but there is no evidence that they found anything. Some people believe that treasure is still hidden in the vicinity of the old church and, indeed, throughout the Sierra Madre mountains.

Many of our Copper Canyon trips visit Satevo and the old church of San Miguel de Satevo. On these journeys to the bottom of the canyon you probably won’t uncover the gold and silver allegedly buried by the Jesuits, but among the beauty, tranquility, and the always-present history of the region, you’re sure to discover your own “Treasure of the Sierra Madre.”

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Fruit: Fresh and Fancy in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has always been known as an excellent destination for the outdoor adventurer or bird watcher. Another attraction to this peaceful, central American country is the fact that Costa Rica is a fruit-lover’s paradise. Having a warm tropical climate year round makes Costa Rica a perfect place for growing a wide variety of fruits. Fresh pineapples, tree-ripe bananas, and delicious coconuts are just a few of the delicacies to be enjoyed there. Add buttery papayas and juicy mangoes to the list and you’ve got a true Costa Rican fruit cocktail. Many of these fruits you can readily find in supermarkets across the U. S. (and there is a good chance that many of them come from Costa Rica) but some of the more exotic fruits require a passport to taste.

Included among these exotic fruits are Mamones, Tamarindo, and Pejibayes. Curious names for equally curious tastes, these gems highlight the diversity of fruit-filled Costa Rica.

Mamones Chinos (mem-MO-nays), or Chinese Suckers, are pit fruits whose skins are covered with soft red spines. You may have heard them called by the name lychee. Lychees or Mamones Chinos are slightly sweet, not very acidic, and have a chewy texture similar to that of a peeled grape. Their subtle flavor is addictive. The spiny skins are fun to peel into and resemble the seed pod of a Gum tree. Sold in big bags by street vendors, Mamones have unique taste that is not soon forgotten.

Another Costa Rican delicacy comes from the seed pod of the Tamarind tree. Tamarindo looks like a pea pod that you might find in a salad or a stir fry, except they are fuzzy on the outside like a Kiwi or a the skin of a fuzzy peach. Inside the pod, the seeds are sticky and pasty and too bitter to eat. However, if you soak the seeds in hot water you can extract the flavor.  Even then, the mixture may have too strong a flavor, but if a simple syrup is added to sweeten the mixture and then the beverage is poured over ice, the fresh tamarindo drink becomes a refreshing treat similar in flavor and texture to apple juice.

The Pejibaye is probably one of the strangest fruits to be tasted in Costa Rica. Pronounced pay hee bah jay, this palm fruit tastes like a cross between potato and coconut. The Pejibaye is similar in size to a pecan and contains a hard pit that needs to be removed before eating. Like the tamarindo, the pejibaye is prepared by boiling the fruit in water.  Locals often serve the fruit with a dollop of mayonnaise and a cup of hot coffee. This exotic flavor is hearty.

Join us on a vacation in Costa Rica: adventure, fun, good food, and last but not least, fruit as fine as any in the world.

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The Desktop Traveler

The California Native is happy to announce our new email newsletter, “The Desktop Traveler.”

We like to keep in touch with our many friends and fellow travelers and so, way back in 1984, we began publishing our California Native Newsletter. Now the newsletter has more than 10,000 readers and we receive many cards and letters from our readers telling us how much they enjoy the publication. We have even had several people sending notes saying “Although I can no longer travel, I would like to continue receiving your newsletter and I am sending this to help cover the postage.” We very much appreciate these gestures and we donate any money we receive to charities supporting the Tarahumara people in Mexico’s Copper Canyon. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

With the advent of the internet we added our California Native website. In addition to listing all of our current trips and prices, it is filled with useful information on all of our destinations including an archive of the hundreds of stories we have published over the years, charts to compare our various trips, and many other features.

Last year we introduced our Blog, Facebook and Twitter pages, to make it even easier to communicate with us.

Now we have added another way to keep in contact with our many friends, our email newsletter, “The Desktop Traveler.” This short little newsletter will be published once every few weeks and features stories which are fun and interesting to read.

If you are already a subscriber to The California Native Newsletter (and we have your current email address on file) you will automatically receive the Traveler. If you are not receiving it and would like to, please call or send us your email address. We don’t want this to be looked at as being “junk” mail, so you can always opt out by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom.

Here is a sample of the publication:

 

The Desktop Traveler from The California Native
The Silver King of BatopilasAlexander Robey “Boss” Shepherd, the last territorial governor of Washington D.C., developed the remote Copper Canyon village of Batopilas into one of the richest silver mining towns in the world.  Read the full story.

 

 

 

 

The Legacy of Chan Chan

The capital of the Chimus, Chan Chan dominated over 600 miles of Peru’s Pacific coastline before the Inca empire. The Chimu civilization lasted for almost 500 years.  Read the full story. 

 

 

 

 

Monkeying Around in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a great place for “monkey watching.” On our California Native trips we watch howler monkeys, spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys and capuchin monkeys, while they in turn watch us.  Read the full story.

 

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The Hills Are Alive in Costa Rica!

There is nothing like standing at a safe distance while watching glowing-hot boulders being pitched into the night sky.

California Native tour group poses by Costa Rica's Arenal Volcano
California Native tour group poses by Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano

The Arenal Volcano, situated near the town of La Fortuna, rises nearly 4,200 feet above the surrounding landscape, making it visible from almost anywhere. Arenal is the youngest and most active of all of Costa Rica’s volcanoes. Major eruptions occured in 1968 and 2000, but smaller eruptions happen more frequently–and on some days as frequent as every 15 to 20 minutes. Belting out its thunderous boom, the Arenal is a highlight for visitors touring the country.Costa Rica, located at the center of the America’s along the Pacific Ring of Fire, has five active volcanoes.

The Poas Volcano, located near the crafts-town of Sarchi, rises 8,884 feet above sea-level and is home to an impressive array of flora and fauna. The main crater is 950 feet deep and quite active with steaming geysers and frequent lava eruptions. At Poas, the last significant eruptions occured during the time between 1952 to 1954.

The California Native offers tours of Costa Rica which visit both of these living reminders of the raging powers beneath our feet.

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Discover Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu, ‘Lost City’ of the Incas

“Suddenly we found ourselves standing in front of the ruins of two of the finest and most interesting structures in ancient America. Made of beautiful white granite, the walls contained blocks of Cyclopean size, higher than a man. The sight left me spellbound.”

When Hiram Bingham went looking for the legendary Inca city of Vilcabamba, the last refuge of the Inca kings, he did not suspect that his journey would lead him to discover the most spectacular archeological site in the Americas—Machu Picchu.

When the expedition from Yale University, of which Bingham was the director, entered the Urubamba Canyon, in July of 1911, a peasant told him of the ancient ruins at the top of a hill called Machu Picchu. Bingham accompanied him up the dense jungle-covered slope to the top, where a child guided Bingham to the ancient stone structures buried beneath tropical vegetation. Bingham was so impressed that he wrote in his diary, “would anyone believe what I have found?”

Hiram Bingham Discovers Machu Picchu
Hiram Bingham in 1911

It is hard to imagine a more spectacular setting—an ancient stone city 1,300 feet above a frothing whitewater river, surrounded by jungle-covered peaks and brilliant orchids.

Of the two surrounding peaks, the first is named Huayana Picchu, which translates to “young peak” and is the one most often seen in photographs. The second peak is called Machu Picchu or “older mountain.” The original name of the city has long been forgotten.

Until Bingham’s discovery, Machu Picchu had been unknown to the outside world for nearly 400 years. It was a mystery how all knowledge and records of an entire city disappeared. It is now believed that Machu Picchu was not a city at all, but a royal estate and religious retreat, built around 1460 and located off the main routes. It could only be reached by paths accessible to those traveling by royal decree. The Incas had no written language. Their history was kept by verbal historians, who, following the collapse of the Inca state, were unemployed. Few of the Inca people ever knew that Machu Picchu even existed. As the Spaniards advanced into Peru, around 1527, half of the population died of small pox. This was followed by civil war and the abandonment of Machu Picchu. Thus, this magnificent “stone city” disappeared.

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A Visit With Mrs. Pancho Villa

Sitting in her simple wooden chair, Doña Luz Corral de Villa, widow of Pancho Villa, began a rambling discourse on her life with the famous—or infamous—bandit, general, and hero of the Mexican Revolution.

The year was 1974, seven years before her death, when I first met Mrs. Villa. My father and I were touring Copper Canyon, and we were introduced to her at her home in the city of Chihuahua.

Sharing her memories with us, eighty-two year old Doña Luz told us of her life as a child, living with her widowed mother in the town of San Andres. One day, when she was a teenager, Villa and his soldiers rode in and demanded monetary contributions from the townspeople. Her mother asked to be excluded, and Villa visited her small store to see if she was really as poor as she claimed to be. There he met Luz. The courtship was very brief, and over the objections of her mother, Luz married Villa. The attending priest asked Villa to make his confession. The General refused, stating that it would take days to list all his sins.

Luz was not the only woman in Villa’s life. He was linked with several in bogus marriages, but later Luz was able to produce a valid certificate proving that she was his only legal wife.

The couple had one child, a daughter, who died within a few years. Luz had no other children, but she took in children Villa had fathered with other women. Perhaps she felt that he would always return to her, knowing that several of his children were with her. Villa built the quinta (manor) during the Revolution, and Luz lived there until her death in 1981. Villa was assassinated in 1923, and several of his “wives” claimed the manor. The marriage certificate might not have been sufficient to safeguard her claim, but Luz had an important ally, Alvaro Obregon, President of Mexico. During the Revolution, Obregon had visited the Villas at the quinta. There Villa had plotted to have Obregon killed, but Luz had interceded, saving the future president’s life. The favor was not forgotten, and Obregon used his considerable influence to protect Luz’s claim.

Eventually the house became a museum, with Luz the resident caretaker, and she tried personally to meet each visitor. Luz traveled through Mexico and the United States, and in Los Angeles received the key to the city.

Shortly before her death she wrote a book about her life with Villa, Pancho Villa: an Intimacy, published by Centro Librero La Prensa, in the city of Chihuahua. In it she loyally defends Villa against most of the accusations against him for his many excesses while leading the Army of the North. While this book must be read with a skeptical eye, her account provides interesting insights into Villa and the Revolution.

The above story was written by Don Fuchik (1941-2004). A long-time travel consultant and guide for The California Native, Don was also my close friend for 51 years. Don held a Master’s Degree in Latin American history and received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities for his studies of this region.
Lee Klein

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Tarahumara — The Runners

In the summer of 1993, two of our California Native guides, Doug Stewart and Tarahumara woman Lynn Reineke, escorted a small group of Indians from the depths of Mexico’s Copper Canyon to Leadville, Colorado, where they astounded the world of marathon racing by coming in first, second and fourth place in a 100 mile ultra-marathon race, wearing their native garb and sandals made out of discarded tires.

Tarahumara Indian Lady in Mexico's Copper CanyonWho were these strangely-dressed people, who came from obscurity to outpace hundreds of experienced runners?

They call themselves the Rarámuri, the Runners, and they inhabit the rugged and remote area of mountains and canyons in Mexico known as the Barrancas del Cobre or Copper Canyon. They are known to the outside world as the Tarahumara.

No one knows how long the Tarahumara have lived in their rugged homeland. Archaeologists have found artifacts of people living in the area three thousand years ago, but it is not known if they were the ancestors of the present day Indians.

There is no recorded history of the Tarahumara prior to the coming of the Spaniards in the sixteenth century. Their first European contact may have been with Coronado’s expedition as it passed through the Sierra Madres searching for the legendary Seven Golden Cities of Cibola. In 1607 the Jesuit missionary Father Juan Fonte established the first Jesuit mission in their territory.

During the next one hundred and fifty years, the Jesuits built twenty-nine missions and introduced the Indians to Catholicism, domestic animals, the plow and the axe. Their influence came to an abrupt halt in 1767 when the King of Spain expelled their order from the New World. The Franciscans took over from the Jesuits, but their influence on the Tarahumara was minimal and the Indians were pretty much left alone until the Jesuits returned in 1900.

The Tarahumara have traditionally lived in isolated family units and small settlements. The Spaniards tried to bring them into more concentrated communities but the strong-willed Tarahumara managed to resist these efforts, and today a large number still live in small, isolated groups. During the time of the Jesuits, mineral wealth was discovered in the region and many Indians were forced to work as slaves in the mines. This and the encroachment of the Spaniards upon their lands, led to many bloody revolts throughout the seventeenth century.

Today the Tarahumara number around 50,000. They still inhabit the same region they have for centuries—the rugged Sierra Madre Occidental of northern Mexico. They live in caves and small wood or stone cabins and practice subsistence farming. The majority practice a form of Catholicism liberally inter-mixed with their traditional beliefs and ceremonies.

Among the peoples of North America, the Tarahumara are considered to be the most primitive, the least touched by modern civilization. They are also the most unmixed of any of the Indian tribes of Mexico.

Many of the men and most of the women still dress in their traditional styles. The ladies wear wide multiple skirts, full sleeved blouses, a head band or bandana, and a shawl for carrying a child or other objects on their backs. The little girls dress the same as their mothers and often carry a little brother or sister on their backs. The men wear a breech-cloth held together by a wool girdle wrapped around the waist, a cloth head band, and a loose cotton shirt.

Running up and down the steep canyons is an important part of the Tarahumara culture, not only as a means of transportation and communication in this rugged area, but as a sport in which villages compete against each other. From the time they are small children the Tarahumara take great pride in their running skills.

In the Rarámuri philosophy, respect for others is of prime importance. They give greater value to persons than to objects, and business matters take second place to respect for human beings. On our trips through Copper Canyon we also learn to respect other people, especially the Rarámuri, as we meet them, discover their unique culture and perhaps adopt some of their philosophy into our own lives.

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So, You Wanna Buy a Hammock?

California Native's Ellen Klein relaxes in a hammock at a jungle resort.Some say the it was the ancient Greeks, some argue that it was indigenous Americans like the Mayans of the Yucatan or the Urarina of the Peruvian Amazon, and while there is some debate over the origins of the hammock and which civilization can claim the rights of ownership, no one can deny the functionality of design. Some of the earliest hammocks developed have been found in the Bahamas. These were made from bark stripped off the hamack tree–the likely origin for the name. Over the years, the bark used in construction was replaced by sisal fibers and today hammocks can be crafted from many materials such as canvas or nylon.

Sisal fiber was instrumental in the fabrication of hammocks giving weavers in the Yucatan an important role. From the mid 19th century all the way to World War I, sisal fiber was considered the major cash crop for this area. In fact, the town of Sisal is located just 53 miles north of the Yucatan’s capital city of Mérida and still contains an abundance of the plants from which the fiber is produced.

The popularity of hammocks spread due to their function in the Royal Navy. Here, hammocks benefited sleeping sailors because they rocked in synchronicity with the pitch and roll of the ship. These sleeping arrangements were preferred because hammocks take up less room than traditional bunk beds and protected sailors from falling out while asleep on rough seas.

The widespread use of the hammock may have come from their utility on the ocean, but their safety benefits evolved from necessities on land. The elevated support of the hammock allowed the ancient Mayans a better alternative to lying on the wet jungle floor filled with biting insects and other vermin.

Hammock: just saying the word causes you to imagine swaying in a breeze on the beach or relaxing in the backyard on your day off. Known for their cocoon-like comfort, there is no disputing the practical design of a hammock. And over the years, artisans have honed their craft and now hammocks are made in a variety of colors and styles. In the capital city of Merida and its surrounding villages, the hammock has become a symbol of the Yucatan. Travelers to this part of Mexico can readily find hammock vendors in the central plazas of towns they visit. Adding to their unique design is the fact that Mayan Hammocks are lightweight and easy to pack, making them great souvenirs from your next trip to the Yucatan peninsula, the Peruvian Amazon, or Costa Rica with The California Native.