Last month, Southern California residents looked up to see this sky-written proposal from Mike Pepitone.Mike Pepitone marries California Native Operations Chief, Laurie Kraft, while Lee Klein (with California Native Official Wedding Hat) officiates.
On August 21, a beautiful Saturday afternoon, California Native’s Operations Manager, Laurie Kraft, married her longtime sweetheart, Mike Pepitone, at a poolside ceremony at their home in Torrance, California. California Native President Lee Klein performed the ceremony. The day was highlighted by a long awaited proposal written in the clear blue sky by five sky-writing airplanes.
A native-born Californian, Laurie has been with The California Native for over 18 years. Her family, including sons Jimmy and Jason, came down from Northern California and Washington for the event. Mike, who is an aircraft mechanic for Federal Express, welcomed his mother and family from their native Chicago.
We wish them a very happy and successful married life together.
Glistening orchids cling to the towering trees surrounding us in the swirling mist of the Costa Rican cloud forest. More than 1,200 species of these beautiful blooms can be found in this enticing little country which has made the orchid its national flower.
According to legend, orchids were given their name by the Greek philosopher Theophrastus, who was a student of Aristotle. The rounded paired bulbs of one common Mediterranean orchid looked like male organs to him so he named the plant orchis, the Greek word for testicle. In medieval Europe, aphrodisiacal powers were attributed to the plants and their dried pulverized tubers were used in love potions. Potions made from younger, firmer tubers were believed to result in the conception of sons, while potions made from older, softer tubers resulted in daughters.
Orchids cover a full spectrum of colors and patterns, from delicate pastels to vibrant full-bodied hues, and range in size from tiny plants an inch high with flowers so small that we can barely see them, to 50 foot long vines with blossoms spanning more than a foot—some bloom only for a day while the blossoms of others last for weeks.
But what actually is an orchid and why do people find them so fascinating? We looked into the nature and history of these exotic plants and came up with some fascinating facts.
Orchids are the largest family of flowering plants (almost 30,000 wild species have been classified) and also the most diverse. Although they can be found in a wide range of habitats—one is semiaquatic and only its blossoms poke above the water surface, while another grows and blooms entirely below the ground—the greatest diversity of orchids can be found in tropical cloud forests. Most of these tropical orchids are epiphytes—air plants, which grow on the trunks and limbs of trees. Although they grow on the trees, they are not parasites and only use the tree as a place to anchor where they can receive light high above the forest floor—biologists have recorded almost fifty different orchid species growing on a single tree.
An orchid seed has no food source of its own, but each species has a symbiotic relationship with one particular fungus—without that fungus the seed cannot grow.
Just as the colors and sizes of orchids have so much variety, their scents also cover a wide range—some have no scent at all, others give off musky decaying smells, and one has the delightful scent of vanilla—in fact, it is vanilla. The vanilla plant is the only fruit produced by the orchid family that humans can eat. Centuries ago, the ancient Aztecs used vanilla to flavor their chocolate drinks. When the Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortez was offered the drink by the Emperor Montezuma, he was so impressed that he brought it back to the King of Spain and it soon became a favorite with the royalty of Europe.
In addition to being designated as the national flower of Costa Rica, the orchid is also the national flower of Thailand, Singapore, Columbia, Panama, Indonesia, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, and the Cayman Islands—a very popular flower indeed.
Due to the popularity of our Copper Canyon Tours, we occasionally find the need to add additional dates. Last month we added another date for our 11-day Ultimate Tour in October and this week we are adding an additional 8-day Special Tour to our Fall schedule.
In Mexico's Copper Canyon a young Tarahumara lady smiles as she weaves a basket.Our newly scheduled 8-day trip begins on October 16th and returns home on the 23rd.
This exciting trip is similar to our 7-day Classic Tour but adds the adventure of traveling from Creel down to the village of Batopilas in the canyon bottom. During our two-night stay in Batopilas, we hike or ride to the “Lost Cathedral” and explore the many sights of this unique little town where time seems to have stopped in the 19th century. The itinerary of the trip is as follows:
October 16: We fly to the city of Los Mochis, then travel to the small colonial city of El Fuerte, where we spend the night and begin our Copper Canyon Adventure.
October 17: In the morning we board the first-class Copper Canyon train and travel up into the Sierra Madre Mountains, passing through 86 tunnels and crossing 37 bridges. This is one of the most spectacular train rides in the Western Hemisphere. After lunch we arrive at Divisadero and stay at a picturesque lodge located right on the edge of the canyon. Here we make our first contacts with the cave-dwelling Tarahumara Indians. In the afternoon we hike along the canyon rim for magnificent views. Dinner is at the lodge’s dining room, with its majestic view of the canyon.
October 18: After breakfast we hike to Tarahumara caves and spectacular canyon views. Usually our guides can make arrangements with the Indians to put on demonstrations of their famous foot races and folk dances. In the afternoon we board the train for the ride to Creel, a lumber town high in the Sierra Madre Mountains, where we spend the night.
October 19: We travel from Creel to the little town of Batopilas. We pass through mountains and valleys, and after reaching the Tarahumara community of Kirare we head down the long, winding dirt road that leads to the bottom of the canyon. We spend the next two nights in a charming little Mexican hotel in this village that seems suspended in time somewhere in the nineteenth century.
October 20: We hike or ride to the “Lost Cathedral” of Satevo and explore the area surrounding Batopilas.
October 21: Today we return to Creel. En route we hike to Cusarare Falls and a cave with petroglyphs.
October 22: Traveling to the city of Chihuahua, we stop at a Mennonite settlement for a homemade lunch, arriving in the afternoon at our deluxe hotel. After checking in we tour the city of Chihuahua—the State Capital with its murals, the State Museum and the home of Pancho Villa. This evening we enjoy our traditional farewell banquet.
October 23: We travel by van from Chihuahua to El Paso where we fly home, sad to leave but returning home with wonderful memories of this remote area of Mexico and the unique people who make it their home.
What’s included: These trips are fully escorted by our experienced bilingual guides. The price includes transportation and accommodations: one night in El Fuerte, one night in Divisadero, two nights in Creel, two nights in Batopilas and one night in Chihuahua; excursions, tips and most meals. Round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, Phoenix or El Paso is also included. Check with us for discounted air rates from other U.S. and Canadian cities.
Price per person (double occupancy): $2520
Space is limited to 14 passengers, so please join us now!
The beaches at Cancun give the traveler a chance to unwind at the beginning of a trip exploring Mexico
When you travel with us on our Yucatan Explorer Trips, you now have the option of beginning and ending your vacation in either city, Cancun or Merida.
With the large number of airlines flying into Cancun daily, starting your Yucatan adventure in Cancun allows you to take advantage of the competitive airfares and direct flights from the U.S. and Canada.
Cancun is renowned for its beaches, restaurants and nightlife, with all the glitter of an upscale beach resort. Merida, on the other hand, is a cosmopolitan but at the same time tranquil and charming colonial city.
Abandoned for more than ten centuries, the Pyramid of the Magician is the tallest structure at the Mayan ruins of Uxmal.
The Yucatan Peninsula is the homeland of the Mayan people, whose mighty empire lasted over a thousand years. Throughout the peninsula are the amazing archaeological ruins of their great cities. In addition, the Yucatan has lovely colonial cities and beautiful Caribbean beaches.
All of our Yucatan tours visit the Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, El Balam and Edzna, as well as the city of Campeche—its fort was built by the Spaniards as defense against the Caribbean pirates.
The tours which begin in Cancun also visit the ruins of the Mayan port city of Tulum, built alongside a beautiful Caribbean beach. and the archaeological site of Coba.
If you are looking for more an even more extensive trip, you can include Chiapas and/or Copper Canyon in your Mexico vacation.
This year in Mexico is a year for celebration. It is the bicentennial of Mexico’s War of Independence as well as the centennial of the Mexican Revolution. Two hundred years ago the first of these events set our neighbor on the path to becoming the 14th largest independent nation on Earth, as well as the world’s largest Hispanic country. It was the inspiration and leadership of one man which led to Mexico’s throwing off the shackles of Spain after almost three centuries.Father Miguel Hidalgo's speech, known as the Grito de Dolores, the “Cry of Dolores,” set off the Mexican War of Independence.
That man was a 57-year-old priest whose parish was in the city of Dolores, Guanajuato. The date was September 16, 1810. Early that morning Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla had the church bells rung to summon the townspeople to the church, where he told his followers that the time had come to expel the Spaniards who had misgoverned Mexico for so long. His speech, known as the Grito de Dolores, the “Cry of Dolores,” set off the Mexican War of Independence, which resulted in Mexico’s becoming an independent country.
Hidalgo was born in 1753 on the hacienda where his father was administrator. At twenty years of age he received his Bachelor of Theology degree and lectured in philosophy and theology at San Nicolás Obispo and, after being ordained as a priest, became rector of the school. His ideas and conduct were extremely liberal, which led to his being dismissed from that post, and twice being investigated by the Inquisition, who accused him of reading prohibited books, advocating doctrines of the French Revolution, doubting the virgin birth of Mary, gambling, and keeping a mistress. His last clerical position was that of parish priest in the little town of Dolores.
Hidalgo worked hard to improve the lives of his parishioners, mastering their Indian language and teaching them crafts and skills to improve their economic condition. He also introduced winemaking and silk culture, two industries which the government declared illegal in the colonies, and one day government officials came to the village and destroyed the vines and mulberry trees.
Late in the eighteenth century it became fashionable among cultured criollos, persons of Spanish descent who were born in Mexico, to form literary societies, which met for tea and cakes and discussed the classics. They also smuggled into the country books which were banned by the Church, such as the works of Rousseau, Voltaire, and Descartes. The literary societies gradually became political societies. Father Hidalgo belonged to one of these societies whose members were plotting a revolution to separate Mexico from Spain.
The group selected Hidalgo to lead the movement, and thus on the morning of September 16th, 1810, Hidalgo, with his “Cry of Dolores” launched the revolution, and the rebel army set forth, armed with machetes, swords, knives, clubs, axes, and a few muskets. As they passed through each town they opened the local jails and recruited the prisoners for their cause. Eventually their numbers grew to sixty thousand.
After six months of fighting, Hidalgo fell into a royalist trap and was captured. Because he was a priest, he was subjected to a lengthy hearing by the Inquisition, after which he was found guilty of heresy and treason, defrocked, and, on July 30, 1811, executed by a firing squad in the city of Chihuahua. His head, along with those of three other revolutionary leaders, was cut off and sent to Guanajuato, where it was put on a pole and displayed for a decade.
After Hidalgo’s death, the revolutionary movement continued until September 28,1821, when Mexico finally became an independent nation.
In Mexico, Hidalgo is credited with arousing the spirit of rebellion against the Spanish oppression. Because of his patriotism, his championing of human rights and his personal courage, he is considered by Mexicans to be the father of their nation and the symbol of Mexican independence.
Each year on September 15, Independence Day is celebrated throughout Mexico, with parades, fireworks, and the cry of “Mexicanos, Viva Mexico!”
So many of us have airline miles that will expire before we have a chance to use them. Recently I learned about a wonderful program that can really use those miles. The nonprofit Fisher House Foundation offers a program called “Hero Miles,” in which they work with the airlines, whose passengers have donated their frequent flyer miles, to provide assistance to our wounded service men and women and their families. Thousands of free airline tickets have been issued to soldiers who have been wounded while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan and are currently receiving medical treatment at a military medical facility. These tickets are used for a short visit home between procedures and treatment or to fly family members to wounded soldiers who are unable to travel home.
I can personally say that this program is wonderful. This last June, my nephew was severely wounded in Afghanistan. He was taken to Germany, where he under went surgery before being transferred to United States. The Fisher House Foundation, through the ”Hero Miles” program, flew his mother, father and sister to Washington DC to be at his bedside as he underwent several more surgeries. It does make a world of difference to these young men and women to have their families beside them while they go though such an extremely difficult time in their lives. The family presence really aids with the recovery process.
AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Midwest Airlines, United Airlines, and US Airways are currently participating in this program. Participating airlines change from time to time, so to find out if your airline is participating, visit the Fisher House website.
This very important program can only exist through the kindness and generosity of frequent flyer members. So please don’t let your miles go unused and support America’s heroes and their families by donating to the “Hero Miles” program. You’ll be helping to reunite these families and show that we do care for our American soldiers.
There is a local legend revolving around Chiapas, Mexico’s, Canyon del Sumidero. Legend states that the local tribes were fanatic about remaining out of bondage. So in order to escape slavery by the Spaniards, they committed mass suicide by diving into the canyon, believing that they would be free in the afterlife if they did so.In Mexico's Sumidoro Canyon, local Indians thew themselves over the cliffs rather than be enslaved by the Spaniards.
There is some historical fact associated with this legend. When the Spanish first came to Mexico, they conquered the Aztec empire, which was located to the north and west of Chiapas for the most part. Later, when Cortes sent tax collectors to Chiapas, they were met with fierce resistance. Eventually, in a fierce battle between indigenous forces and Spanish conqueror Diego de Mazariegos, many Indian warriors threw themselves into the Canyon del Sumidero, preferring death to slavery.
This canyon is located in extreme southeastern Mexico, in the central state of Chiapas. It was formed by a fault that still runs through the canyon, through which the Grijalva river still runs. The river and canyon are the primary feature of what is now known as Cañón del Sumidero National Park. The Mexican government named the site a National Park in 1980, in order to protect the area around it, as well as the flora and fauna. The canyon is one of Mexico’s most beautiful features, though it is not well known outside the country. It is the central tourist attraction for the state of Chiapas; important enough that it features on the state’s coat of arms.A crocodile blends in with his surroundings as he waits for his unwary dinner in Mexico's Sumidero Canyon.
The park is formed by two features; the Canyon del Sumidero itself, and the plains that the canyon-forming Grijalva river runs through. A series of tremendous earthquakes thrust the plains in some places more than a kilometer above sea level millions of years ago. Some time after, the Grijalva river cut down through the basalt and granite, creating the canyon seen today.
A speed boat tour down the canyon and the Grijalva river leads to many beautiful sights. Lucky boaters might see some of the native American Crocodiles. One particular sight that any visitor would be lucky to see is what happens to the canyon during the rainy season. Nearby streams and trickles of water all lead down into the canyon and the sides of the canyon cascade with beautiful waterfalls.California Natives enjoy the tropical scenery and wildlife as they tour Mexico's Sumidero Canyon by speed boat.
The indigenous group modern Chiapans are descended from is the Maya. It is only a small part of the Maya empire that once was, but thanks to the state’s powerful cultural identity and independence, they have never felt really bound to the rest of Mexico.
The California Native’s tours of Chiapas include a speed boat tour through this beautiful canyon.
We’re halfway through 2010 and it’s a good time to look forward to next year and the exciting places waiting to be visited. As an added bonus for your forward thinking, The California Native will help you save money on your 2011 vacation.
Everybody loves a bargain! So, if you book your trip to Mexico’s Copper Canyon, Yucatan or Costa Rica within the next 30 days, you can lock in our 2010 prices for your 2011 trip.
To quote some famous thinkers on the subject of saving money:
“Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy.” – Groucho Marx
“Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.” – Woody Allen
“A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.” – Yogi Berra
Criminals captured by police are often told metaphorically that they have reached the end of the line. In the case of repeat offenders in Argentina in the early 20th century, that statement was literal—they were sent to the prison at the end of the world.Ellen Klein stands alongside the Prisoner's Train, in Ushuia, Argentina, on a California Native Patagonia Adventure.
Ushuaia is known as the southernmost city in the world. Located at the southern tip of South America, it is an environment of extremes. The city was founded to establish Argentine sovereignty in the Tierra del Fuego region, and in 1896 a penal colony was set up for repeat offenders. To be sent here was seen as little better than a death sentence.
In order to transport the materials needed for the construction of the prison, a xilocar—a narrow-gauge train with shallow cars that ran on wooden tracks and was pulled by oxen—was constructed. However, it was limited in its ability to transport lumber from the forests, so in 1910 construction of a narrow-gauge railway began. The original steam locomotive that operated on the 15.5-mile line earned the nickname “La Coqueta” because of the little jumps and hops that it made as it chugged along the line.Between 1910 and 1947, Ushuia's 'Prisoner's Train' transported convicts to their daily labor.
The train was vital to the prison and the town itself. It transported prisoners to the surrounding forests to do the backbreaking work of logging. The lumber was then loaded onto the train for transportation back to Ushuaia. The prisoners’ efforts provided wood for cooking and heating during the harsh winters, as well as for construction. A large portion of the town, including buildings, streets and bridges, was built by the convicts, and it was not uncommon in the early days of the town to see teams of prisoners walking down the street.
After over fifty years of use the prison was shut down by Argentine President Juan Perón in 1947, and the train was decommissioned in 1952.
Forty-two years later, in 1994, the prisoners’ train was resurrected under the new name of Ferrocarril Austral Fueguino. It offers tourists a chance to ride along a new line that follows the old right-of-way.
There are three steam locomotives that run on the line, and all are fired by oil, rather than coal, in order to minimize the risk of igniting forest fires. They pull heated antique coaches with large windows that offer great views of spectacular scenery.California Native founder, Lee Klein, escapes from the Prisoner's Train in Ushuia, Argentina.
Leaving Ushuaia the train follows the Pipo River through the Cañadon del Toro as a bilingual guide explains the history and ecology of the area. At the Macarena waterfall, passengers can debark to visit a reconstructed campsite of the Yámana Indians. Continuing on through sub-Antarctic forest, passengers may see high stumps that are remnants of trees cut down by prisoners during the harsh winters, when snow could accumulate to tremendous depths. The next stop is at the entrance of Tierra del Fuego National Park. Here passengers can either debark and continue their journey into the park or return on the train to Ushuaia.
Modern Ushuaia, with its hotels, restaurants, internet cafés and shops, is very different from the conditions endured by its early settlers, and it is difficult to imagine the bleak future that loomed before those who were sentenced to imprisonment and forced labor in a time when the town barely existed. Thankfully, we can now leisurely ponder this thought in the comfort of a car on the FCAF line, a huffing and puffing tribute to those who unwillingly toiled to tame the end of the world.
Located near the northeastern corner of Costa Rica, surrounded by rain forest on one side and Caribbean beach on the other, is Tortuguero National Park, whose name means “The Place of Turtles.”Costa Rica's Tortuguero National Park is the easiest place in the world for viewing sea turtles.
Tortuguero’s 22-mile long beach is the main nesting area for Green Turtles in the Caribbean. It is also the easiest place in the world to view sea turtles.
Green Turtles mate and nest several times during a season. In mating, an amorous male holds onto a female with the sharp hook on his front flippers. If he can’t locate a female, he will improvise and substitute anything that floats, whether it be a piece of driftwood, another male turtle, or a skin diver.
An impregnated female will wait offshore until dark and then head for the beach and a nesting site. During her crawl up the beach, noise or lights will cause her to return to the safety of the sea. Once she has begun digging her nest, however, nothing will distract her. She uses her rear flippers to scoop out a hole about two-feet deep, deposits around one hundred leathery, golf-ball-sized eggs, covers the nest, tamps down the sand, and returns to the sea.
Many of the buried eggs are dug up by coatimundis, dogs, raccoons, and even humans. The remaining eggs hatch in a couple of months. The baby turtles use a temporary egg tooth to tear open their egg shell. It takes the combined power of about 100 cooperating turtles to excavate the two feet of sand which covers them.
The little turtles appear on the beach, usually before dawn, then scramble for the water. On the way many are eaten by hungry crabs and birds. If they do reach the water they stand a high chance of becoming dinner to an eagerly waiting fish. Of the hundreds of thousands who race for the sea, probably fewer than three percent survive. For the next half-century the turtles live nomadic lives, migrating over vast distances of ocean. After fifty years they reach sexual-maturity and return to the beach where they were born, to mate, nest and produce another generation.
In addition to the Green turtles, Tortuguero is also a nesting place for Leatherback, Hawksbill, Olive Ridley and Loggerhead turtles.
For would-be turtle watchers, the best time to see Green turtles is between July and October. At this time you can also see Hawksbill and Olive Ridley turtles. The Leatherback turtles return to Tortuguero during the months of February through July. Of course there is no guarantee that you’ll see the turtles at any time, as the weather, the tides, activity on the beach, and other factors can discourage them from landing on any given night.
With or without the turtles, Tortuguero is well worth visiting, as it is a wonderful place to view countless animals and birds. Getting there is half of the fun. There are no roads, just rivers and canals, so we travel by boat. Birds fly overhead, monkeys and sloths hang in the trees, and crocodiles rest along the river banks. Traveling up the jungle waterways one can easily imagine himself as Humphrey Bogart or Katherine Hepburn on The African Queen.
I can personally say that this program is wonderful. This last June, my nephew was severely wounded in Afghanistan. He was taken to Germany, where he under went surgery before being transferred to United States. The Fisher House Foundation, through the ”Hero Miles” program, flew his mother, father and sister to Washington DC to be at his bedside as he underwent several more surgeries. It does make a world of difference to these young men and women to have their families beside them while they go though such an extremely difficult time in their lives. The family presence really aids with the recovery process.
