A visit to Campeche's Zoo and Botanical Gardens

Margay cat (Leopardus wiedii). We found this small wild cat at Campeche's Zoo and Ecological Center. This beautiful animal is one of many that inhabit the Mexican State of Campeche and other parts of the Yucatan Peninsula. Most of these creatures live in deep forest or remote coastal areas and are wary of humans. Visiting this facility is a great way to see creatures you might not otherwise encounter. The Zoo and Ecological Center is open daily, except Monday. The hours are from 10am to 4pm.

The Margay is a solitary, nocturnal animal that is smaller, but otherwise similar in appearance, to the ocelot. Its habitat is forest land, either deciduous and evergreen. The cat's climbing ability allows it to hunt up in the trees rather than on the ground. The Margay's diet consists of birds and their eggs, lizards, monkeys, tree frogs, opossum, and fruit. The Margay's extra large eyes also assist in its hunting. Females usually produce only a single cub in a mating cycle and cubs suffer a 50% mortality rate, keeping normal population numbers small. However, illegal hunting and deforestation have reduced the already small population and caused Margays to be listed as a threatened species.

Northern crested caracara (Caracara cheriway). The caracara's wing span averages 125cm (49in) and its weight ranges from 0.45-0.9kg (1-2 lbs). It is not a fast flyer like its cousins the falcons. Consequently, this large bird is often a scavenger rather than a hunter. It has been observed walking or even running along the ground. The caracara has a very wide range. It has been spotted from the northern Amazonian Basin all the way up to New Brunswick, Canada. Normal habitat for the caracara is open agricultural land, but it can also be found in coastal woodlands and mangrove swamps.

Its diet is primarily carrion and slow-moving or immobile live prey. These, include small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish, crabs, insects, and occasionally fruit. Some Mexican ornithologists believe that the caracara is the "eagle" depicted in sacred, pre-hispanic, Aztec codices. If true, the bird appearing on the Mexican national flag, sitting on a nopal cactus eating a snake, may well be a caracara.

Coatimundi (Nasua narica). Like their raccoon cousins, these little guys are active, clever, and dexterous. Although we found them in an enclosed area in the Zoo, the coatis had long since figured out how escape. A few moments after we appeared at their cage, coatis were suddenly in front of us on the sidewalk. They stood on their hind legs and extended their front paws in an obvious appeal for treats. We had nothing for them and, in any case, the Zoo discourages feeding them. After a bit, they departed with disgusted expressions. In their view, we were just another couple of stingy tourists.

Like the caracara, coatimundis have a wide range. They can be found everywhere from South America to the southwestern US. These little creatures have sharp teeth and it is therefore risky to keep them as pets. Their long prehensile tails are used for balance and signaling. Coatis often live in troops and extend their tails straight up to keep track of each other in brushy areas. Their diet consists of lizards, rodents, small birds and bird eggs, crocodile eggs, and invertebrates such as tarantulas.

American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). There were a number of crocs at the Zoo, but I had trouble photographing them because their cages got in the way (probably a good thing, come to think of it). I finally found this one comfortably sunning itself in a more open area. The croc ignored me completely, not moving a muscle while I took photos from several angles.

American crocodiles are the most widespread of the four croc species in the Americas. Their range extends from Florida to the coasts of Mexico and all the way down to Peru and Venezuela. Although they prefer the salinity of coastal waters, they can also be found in fresh-water river systems. Preferred habitats include lagoons, brackish lakes, and coastal mangrove swamps.

This species of croc can grow as big as 6.1m (20 feet) and 907kg (2000 lbs). The croc's nostrils, eyes, and ears are all on the top of its head. This allows the rest of the body to remain under water when stalking prey. They can attack rapidly, both on land (16km/h or 10mph) and in the water (32 km/h or 20mph). Not the sort of creature you'd want to encounter while wading through a mangrove swamp.

Yucatecan white-tailed deer (Odolcoileus virginianus yucatenensis). The Zoo keeps a number of white-tailed deer in large open enclosures. The little faun above was nudging its mom, trying to get some milk. Mom was a little nervous about my presence. She kept moving around, while keeping her large dark eyes focused on me. The deer is named for its tail, which is white underneath. When threatened, it will flash the white as an alarm to other deer in the area. Although she was wary, her tail was down. I guess she didn't view me as an acute threat.

White-tailed deer have adapted to an astonishing variety of habitats, making them the most widely distributed ungulate in the Americas. Their populations have grown so large in some areas that they damage the forests in which they live. They also cause a substantial number auto accidents that are not only fatal to the deer but occasionally to humans as well. I can attest to that, having slammed into a large buck one night in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. Although the deer was killed, I was unhurt. The amount of damage to the car amazed me.

Northern black bellied whistling duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis). The duck gets its name from its noisy whistling call. My telephoto lens makes it appear that I am almost cheek-by-jowl with the duck. It was a very cooperative subject, remaining perfectly still.

The northern black-bellied whistling duck ranges from the southern US to western Panama. Large flocks gather in quiet shallow lakes, ponds and marshes. Like swans and geese, breeding pairs stay together for many years at a time. A pair will share all the tasks of raising their young, which grow up quickly. The ducklings leap from their nests within two days of hatching and can feed themselves immediately. Whistling ducks are not migratory, although flocks may move about locally. They generally feed at night on plant material, but also eat insects, spiders, crustaceans, and various aquatic invertebrates.

Yucatecan raccoon (Procyon lotor hernandezii). This guy was dead to the world. He probably had a hard night out, binging on the contents of local garbage bins. The species is also called Mexican plateau raccoon, or just common raccoon. Like their coati cousins, raccoons are dexterous and ingenious at escaping enclosures. They are also notorious burglars, complete with black eye-masks.

The common raccoon's range is from southern Canada to Central America. Life expectancy can be up to 16 years. They feed omnivorously on small mammals, rodents, birds and their eggs, insects, berries, and fruit. Raccoons love to scavenge in garbage containers and will even break into a house and ransack the cupboards. They are quite fastidious and are known for brushing dirt off their food and even washing it before eating.

Peccary (Pecari tajacu). Peccaries are in the family Tayasuidae, which means New World pig. However, zoologists now think they don't belong in the pig family at all. Although they share some similarities in appearance to the Old World pigs introduced during the Spanish Conquest, their hooves and the structure of their stomachs are different. The ancient Maya kept them as pets, as well as for food.

Peccaries are also called javelina, due to their sharp tusks. However, they are usually not aggressive toward people unless they feel threatened. These animals are quite social and sometimes travel in herds of more than 100. They are omnivorous, with a diet that includes roots, grasses, seeds, and cacti, but also insects, grubs and the occasion small animal.

Black spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura similis). Although ferocious in appearance, these are very gentle animals and are often kept as pets. Like the American crocodile and the whistling duck, this iguana remained perfectly still while I took my photographs.

Black spiny-tailed iguanas get their names from the black stripes on their bodies and the spines that grow in a ridge along their tails. They are the largest and fastest-running species in the genus Ctenosaura. Iguanas are also excellent climbers. This species prefers a rocky habitat with crevices in which to hide from predators. While they are not aggressive, they will lash out with their tails or even bite when cornered. While juveniles tend to eat insects, adults become herbivores as they age. They can be found throughout southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula and down through Central America to the coast of Colombia.

Mexican dog (Doggus houndus). Just kidding on the scientific name! This pooch epitomizes the expression "laid back." As to his breed, my father would have called him "100% Mexican dog". He apparently belongs to one of the staff and has free run of the Zoo. We were the only visitors that morning, so he tagged along with us. In addition to the ones I have displayed, there are many more creatures here. The Zoo and Ecological Center really deserves a visit if you want to take a look at Campeche's wild animals.


Jardin Botanico X'much Haltún

The botanical garden is housed in Baluarte de Santiago. It stands across the street from Hotel Plaza Campeche, where we stayed during out visit. The baluarte (bastion or fort) is one of eight that surround Old Campeche, connected by high walls. Two guard posts perch high on the corners. The man leaning against the baluarte's corner provides some scale to show the height of the walls.  You can visit the baluarte and its botanical garden daily, except for Sunday, from 8am-2pm and 5pm-8pm. On Sunday, the hours are 8am-2pm.

Completed in 1704, Baluarte Santiago was the last of the eight bastions built to protect against pirate attacks. However, this is not the original baluarte, which was demolished at the beginning of the 20th century. Pirate attacks had long since ceased and, in any case, the old stone walls were no defense against modern naval guns. This replica was built in the 1950s.

The garden's name, X'much-Haltún, means "water that flows from the earth". Once you walk through the main entrance and leave the bustling city behind, you enter a different world. The high thick walls shield you from traffic noise. While the conditions outside may be hot and sticky, here it is moist, cool, and shady. The thick jungle surrounding you contains more than 98 different species of Campeche's medicinal, edible, and ornamental plants.

Bamboo clump. Mexico has 8 genera and 37 species of bamboo. Of these, the genus Olmeca and its 14 species are endemic (grow only in Mexico). There was no informational sign, so I am not clear which species this is. However it is almost certainly of the genus Olmeca, since the garden is devoted primarily to native species. Bamboo belongs to the grass family. The plant's name comes to us from the Dutch or Portuguese explorers of the East Indies, who translated it from Malay.

This plant grows incredibly fast, as much as 910mm (36in) in 24 hours. However, growth speed is related to soil and climate conditions. Anyone who has mistakenly planted bamboo as an ornamental knows that it requires a constant struggle to avoid being overwhelmed. Since ancient times, bamboo has been used for building materials, tools, furniture, fences, scaffolding, cooking utensils, even weapons. Pre-hispanic Maya codices show them using bamboo in some of these ways.

Chit palm (Thrinax radiata). Its common name is thatch palm, because of widespread use to thatch roofs. Chit is a Maya word, sometimes spelled Chi'it. This palm can grow up to 6m (20ft) in height and its range extends from southern Florida, through the Caribbean, to the coasts of Yucatan and Belize. It prefers the narrow strip of land between sandy beaches and inland Mangrove swamps. Unfortunately, this is exactly where developers like to build beach properties, so the Chit palm has become endangered in some highly developed areas. Fortunately, the Caribbean coast of Campeche is largely undeveloped. In addition to thatching roofs, the Chit's palm fronds are used as brooms.

Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). Stately coconut palms require sandy soil and high humidity. They not only grow wild, but are cultivated in great groves in coastal areas where the palms can reach up to 30m (98ft). Scientists believe that the coconut palms of the Caribbean and East Coast of Mexico originated in West Africa. They were brought to the Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese during the early colonial period.

Coconut palms have been used for a variety of purposes since very ancient times. The coconut fruit has an edible interior and contains a nutritious "milk". Coconut oil is used in cooking, particularly frying. The husk of the fruit can be used as a bowl, cup, or a digging tool, and can be burned as a fuel as well. The leaves of the palm can be thatched for roofs, woven into baskets, or used as brooms. The trunks make excellent building materials.

Flor de Mayo (Plumeria rubra). In Mexico, its common name is cacaloxóchitl, a Nahuatl word meaning "crows flower". The frangrancy of the plant persuaded a 16th century Italian noble to use the Flor de Mayo to make perfume. His family name was Frangipani, which became yet another name for the plant.

The range of the Flor de Mayo runs from central Mexico through Central America and down to Colombia and Venezuela. Since it was discovered by Europeans in the 16th century, it has been introduced to other areas, including Africa and Asia. The plant likes hot rocky areas and a climate that ranges from dry to moderate rainfall. It is used for decorative gardens but also for Hawaiian leis and for medicinal purposes.

Croton (Codiaeum variegatum). While its colors make it attractive, crotons need to be handled with care. The sap can cause skin eczema and the bark, roots, latex and leaves are all poisonous. The seeds can be fatal to children who ingest them. The plant was introduced to the Americas from Asia, where it is native to Indonesia, Australia, Malayasia, and the western Pacific islands. When growing in the wild, it favors open forests and scrubland.

Strangler fig (genus Ficus, species?). Strangler figs wrap themselves around another tree, hence the name. However, this process apparently does not harm the host tree and can even help it withstand strong winds. The "strangling" process begins when wind-blown ficus seeds are deposited in the crevices of a host's trunk. The strangler grows down to reach the soil and up to reach the sunlight. These trees are particularly prevalent in dark forests when sunlight is scarce. After the host tree dies and rots away, the strangler often remains as a hollow structure.

Jungle flame (Ixorra coccinea). The Jungle flame, also known as Flame of the Woods, is another native of southern Asia, specifically India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. It likes hot weather and moist, organically rich, and well-drained soil. The flowers, leaves, roots, and stem can be used medicinally and the fruit is edible when ripe. However, its main use is in decorative gardens.

Screw pine (Pandanus utilis). The screw pine has been described as "amazingly bizarre" and I'd have to agree. When I came upon this plant, I first thought the teepee of rods were some sort of support system put up by the gardeners. Then it dawned upon me that these were the roots of a plant! The screw pine is not a pine, despite the name, and not a palm, although its foliage vaguely resembles that of a palm.

These tropical trees need lots of space and a warm climate. They are tolerant to both droughts and salt, due to their adaptation to coastal areas. They get their "pine" appellation from their edible pineapple-like fruit. Be careful around them because the edges of their leaves have little spines that can painfully stick the unwary person.

A wall-top guard post is a reminder of the purpose of the original baluarte. The little structure is hardly larger than an old-fashioned phone booth. It has three gun slits, one looking out and one on either side looking down the length of the walls. As with the animals of the Zoo and Ecology Center, the X'much Haltun Botanical Garden has many more plants than I show here. If you like plants, I encourage you to stop by and enjoy this place.

This completes my posting on the fauna and flora of Campeche. I hope you enjoyed it and, if so, that you will leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below. If you leave a question, PLEASE leave your email address so that I can respond.

Hasta luego, Jim

Musing on the Malecon

The Ajijic Malecon, with Lake Chapala and the south shore mountains in the background. The winter and spring of 2019 have been especially lovely, so I decided to share some photos I took along the shoreline walkway. In Spanish, a walkway like this is called a malecon.

More and more of Mexico's pueblos sport colorful signs announcing the name of the town. The mountain in the upper left of the photo is Cerro Garcia. At 2,743m (9,000 feet), it is the loftiest peak directly overlooking the lake.

At the east end of the Malecon is a grove of eucalyptus trees filled with parakeet nests. One of the nests rests in the fork of the tree seen above. The wild parakeets are one of the many species of birds that can be found at Lake Chapala. Some are year-round residents, while others migrate from areas as far away as Canada and South America.

A white pelican glides demurely along the shoreline. The water has been unusually high this winter and spring. Normally, local residents could be seen resting in the shade of the tree above. Now, only the pelicans can enjoy it. Excessive local rain is not the reason for the high water. Lake Chapala is fed by the Rio Lerma, which flows through a number of Mexican states. Heavy rains in those other states prompted them to open their dams to prevent overflows. While Lake Chapala gets some benefit from the extra water,  in drought years the same dams hold back water and the lake's level often drops significantly.

Tall, leafy trees shade the park next to the Malecon. Some of these are relatively recent. In 2008, an upstream release of water drastically raised the lake's level and flooded the shoreline. This included the area called Parque Amistad (Friendship Park), which runs along the north shore of the lake. The government of Chapala decided to raise the level of the park and build the current Malecon along the shore as a barrier against future floods.

At first, I was a bit dubious about the project. Many of the former park's lovely old trees were cut down during the construction. Also, I have seen projects like this begin and then be abandoned due insufficient funds or a change of administration. However, new trees were planted and construction continued steadily. When the new Parque Amistad was at last completed, the result was a lovely new recreation area along the shore. More improvements have been added every year since it opened to the public.

A Great White Egret eyes its possible lunch. Ardea Alba is found along the shore year round. Some can be found perching on beds of  lirio (water hyacinth), like the egret above. Others hang out along the concrete edge of the Malecon. At night they roost high in the trees along the lake. Usually an egret's long neck curls back in an "S" like a snake's body. When it's stretched out, the egret is almost ready to strike into the water for a small snake or a fish.

A woman contemplates the lake from the muelle (pier). This view is from the east side of the muelle. It juts out into the water from the base of Calle Colon, the street that runs north to south, from the foot of the mountains to the lake. Colon is lined with restaurants, cantinas, art galleries, and boutique shops. In a previous posting, I dubbed it "Ajijic's quirkiest street".

The lirio (Eichhornia crassipes) you see in the foreground is one of the most invasive plant species in the world. It originated in the Amazon and constant efforts are needed to keep it from overwhelming the lake. Local Lakeside governments work hard to control it. However, periodic water releases from the upstream dams bring great rafts of lirio down to Lake Chapala, requiring cleanup efforts to begin again.

A Snowy egret rests on a branch. Snowy egrets are smaller than their Great White cousins. The Snowy (Egretta thula) has a tuft of feathers running from the top of its head down the back of its neck. When it is excited, or wants to intimidate another bird, a Snowy will flair these feathers while spreading its wings.

Often, a Snowy will fish right alongside a Great White. This confused me at first, because I initially thought the smaller bird was the female of a breeding pair, not an entirely different species. The close proximity of the two species also puzzled me because a Great White will aggressively challenge any of its own species that might stray into its preferred patch of shoreline. For some reason, the larger bird doesn't consider a Snowy to be a competitor.

View of the west side of the muelle. The "barber pole" at the end of the pier is a navigation light. The structure built along the pier is a restaurant that was completed a while back, but never opened, apparently due to legal issues. It is the last of a series of restaurants on this spot that have closed for similar reasons. Mexican federal law prohibits the building of any private structure within a certain distance from a shoreline. Time and again, restaurants have opened on this pier and then have had to shut down.

Sometimes the closure doesn't happen for several years. This may indicate that the owner had friends in high places or (as many suspect) money has changed hands. The current restaurant was announced with great fanfare but, after a long period of remodeling, everything stopped. I have mixed feelings about all this. On a hot day, this is a great spot for a restaurant. On the other hand, I would hate to see the quiet shoreline overwhelmed by a line of glitzy establishments projecting out into the water.

The Malecon, looking west from the muelle. A line of palm trees was planted along the edge of the Malecon, with benches placed between them for those who want to stop and enjoy the view. Parque Amistad is on the right. In drier years, there is a narrow beach between the Malecon and the water. However, this year the water reaches right up to the edge of the wall.

A fountain decorates the east end of Parque Amistad. The fountain wasn't running the day I took this photo, but it is quite lovely when it does. The muelle and its restaurant can be seen on the left side of the photo. Set under Parque Amistad's trees are picnic areas with tables and BBQ pits. On weekends, the park and Malecon are packed with Mexican families. Parque Amistad is a major attraction, both for local folks and visitors from Guadalajara.

A playground with various climbing and sliding structures. The population of Mexico tilts toward the younger end of the scale and kids are everywhere. A sign at the play area credits the federal government for funding the equipment. Adult exercise equipment can be found a little further west. All this emphasis on exercise is a good thing, because Mexico has a problem with obesity. It recently passed the US as the most obese country in the world. Fortunately, there seems to be a boom in gyms, running, bicycling, and soccer (fútbol, in Spanish) and other vigorous activities. I've even noticed more Mexican hikers on the trails in the mountains.

View of the Malecon, looking east. Most mornings, the Malecon is almost empty, except for a handful of expats like Carole and myself. Most Mexicans are at work or in school during the morning hours. While we enjoy the people-watching opportunities in the evening and on the weekends, we find the Malecon most enjoyable during strolls on quiet mornings like this one.

The Malecon includes this amphitheater. The seats and classic columns provide a faint echo of ancient Greece. This area was created for musical events and political rallies. When millions of people in the US and around the world marched and rallied on January 21, 2017, expats and Mexicans living in Ajijic participated in the event. Four hundred expats and Mexicans marched from the Ajijic Plaza to this amphitheater to support women's issues. The gathering did a lot to cement the relationship between foreigners and people in the local community. This was particularly important at a time when the new Trump Administration was gearing up to attack the human rights of immigrants.  Believe it or not, a photo of our rally made the front page of the New York Times!

One of the date palms that grow along the Malecon. The palms were small when they were planted about nine years ago, but now they tower over the walkway. Evidence of cultivation of date palms (Phoenix dactylifera) dates back to 7000 BC in Mesopotamia. In 1765, during the late colonial period, the Spanish brought them to Mexico. The fruit of date palms is edible, but I don't know if anyone actually consumes the dates that grow along the Malecon.

Impromptu art work adorns the skateboard area. Next to the amphitheater is a skateboard area, complete with ramps and other devices to challenge the skills of local kids. The existence of this area helps keep the skateboarders off other areas where they might damage property or themselves. The people who built this area apparently encouraged local "taggers" to do their work here, so as to keep the spray painting contained. An explosion of remarkably creative artwork resulted.

This brilliant poinsettia caught my eye. Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is an indigenous Mexican plant that can be found throughout the north shore area of Lake Chapala. It is cultivated in local gardens but also grows wild. The bushes on which they flower often attain a height of 10-12 feet. The plant got its name from Joel Roberts Poinsettia, who was the US Minister to Mexico in 1825. He introduced the plant to the United States. Because it flowers in winter, it became a popular Christmas decoration.

A Chacmool in the park's sculpture garden. A little west of the skateboard area is the sculpture garden. Chacmools were pre-hispanic stone sculptures closely associated with human sacrifice. The one above is a reproduction. These reclining figures first appeared in the Toltec Empire (700-1000 AD). They have also been found at Chichen Itza (600-1200 AD) in Yucatan. It was a Maya city which had a somewhat mysterious connection with the Toltecs. The Aztecs (1200-1500 AD) were also fond of Chacmools. They were originally barbarian nomads from the northern deserts. After their arrival in central Mexico, they  decided to adopt cultural features of the great empires that had preceded them, including Chacmools.

The Malecon, looking west. The north shore mountains can be seen in the background. The sculpture garden continues on the right side of the walkway. I hike regularly, not only in the north shore mountains, but also in the south shore's Sierra El Tigre, as well as locations even further afield. In fact, I am a founding member of the Ajijic Hiking Group and lead some of their hikes. Every Tuesday and Friday morning, hikers meet up to choose their route for the day. The menu includes hikes of every level of difficulty from "beginner" to "very difficult".

A local fisherman casts his net on the edge of the lake. On any given day, you can find fishermen casting nets like this along the shore. Just past the western end of the Malecon, you can find their camp where they pull their boats up and repair their nets. So far, I have seen only men or boys engaged in this activity. Even on cold days, you can find them knee-deep, or even waist-deep, in the chilly water. Their catch includes charales and tilapia. The former are small, about the size of sardines. The tilapia are larger, about the size of perch.

While the fishermen make net casting look easy, it is an activity requiring a high level of skill. Sinkers are attached to the edges to pull the net down and envelope fish. Cast nets are a technology that is extremely ancient. The oldest sinkers yet found were unearthed in Korea and date to 27,000 BC.


This completes my posting on Ajijic's Malecon. I hope you enjoyed it. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below. If you leave a question, PLEASE include your email address so that I can respond.

Hasta luego, Jim

A hike to the mysterious rock balls called Piedras Bola

A rock sphere perches on a pillar of volcanic tufa. Piedras Bola ("Ball Rocks") is a protected area deep in the mountains overlooking Ameca, in the Mexican state of Jalisco. The area is famous for the large stone balls found there, some of them almost perfectly spherical. They can be found lying on the ground or, in some cases, perched on rock pillars. A few months ago, I visited Piedras Bola, along with several carloads of expat hikers. We were led by my good friend Jim Boles, one of the more adventurous of my fellow hikers.


Overview

Google map showing the area between Lake Chapala and Piedras Bola. The protected area is identified by the red marker in the upper left of the photo. My hiking friends and I all live on the northwestern shore of Lake Chapala, between Chapala and Jocotopec. The drive from Chapala to the protected area is about 113km (70mi) and takes about 2 hours.

Upon arriving at the park entrance, you can leave your car by the highway and hike in on a forest road. However, it's a pretty fair distance and all up hill. If you try it, make sure you have plenty of time, water, and are in good shape.

Alternatively, you can drive in, but a high-clearance vehicle is necessary. Four-wheel-drive is not normally required, but there were some spots where I found it tough going in my two-wheel drive Toyota RAV-4. I guess it all depends on your sense of adventure and how many people are available to push if you get stuck.

Flower of the Leonotus leonurus. I took this shot at the parking area on the highway next to the Piedras Bola entrance road. This plant is native to southern Africa, according to Ron Parsons, my expert on Mexican flowers. How it got to this remote spot is a puzzle, but Ron says that it naturalizes easily. I guess it is just another sign of how small our world is. Ron is a wonderful resource and his work can be accessed through Wildflowers and Plants of Western Mexico or on his Flikr site: https://www.flickr.com/people/95453157@N02/?ytcheck=1&new_session=1

An almost perfectly conical mountain rises in the distance. There were numerous spectacular views on our drive up into the mountains, as well as along the trail. The conical mountain is almost certainly an extinct volcano, of which there are many in Jalisco. I have climbed several volcanos in the area, including Nevado de Colima and Volcán Tequila.

The forest through which we hiked was open and park-like. High altitude forests in Jalisco tend to have very little underbrush, giving them a pleasantly open feel. By contrast, the mountains around Lake Chapala, where I usually hike, are much lower and covered with dense, jungle-like foliage.


The hike in

Three expats hiker along the park's access road. The man on the left is Beto, a Mexican-American who moved down to live full-time in Mexico. The two others are Marilyn and Peter. All three are great people to hike with.

Not far along the trail, we encountered a small lake. For reasons not clear to me, the shoreline was bordered with dead trees. Perhaps it has something to do with the water. Whatever the water's quality, the setting was lovely.

A little further on, we reached this small, rather odd cottage. Notice the sofa sitting on the edge of the roof on the right. It seemed a strange place to store furniture. There was no one around, so we couldn't ask about it.

A tall mirador, or lookout point, was attached to the cottage in back. When we followed the trail behind the cottage, we noticed that the cream-colored mirador had a door at the bottom. Since it was standing wide-open, we decided to take a peek.

A spiral staircase led up to the viewing platform. This was too much to resist, so several of us climbed up to take a look. When we got to the top, we saw that the rooftop of the house was flat concrete. The sofa was apparently placed there so that the cottage's occupants could enjoy the view in comfort. The only thing missing was a cooler for the beer.

Penny, Beto, and Brian were surprised to find us on top of the house. By this point, the warm weather had persuaded Beto to strip off his long-sleeve shirt and zip off the leg bottoms of his hiking pants. After checking out the view, we descended the spiral stairway. The cottage is apparently a public building used in administering the park. We never did encounter the people who use it.

Near the cottage are a couple of very rickety footbridges. Brian and Beto's wife Shari decided to give one of them a try. The rest of us looked it over and took another route. As they say, discretion is the better part of valor.

Not far from the bridge and cottage was a large stone amphitheater. Perched around the amphitheater you can see several of the smaller piedras bola. The cottage, bridge, and amphitheater are all apparently part of the park's infrastructure.

Piedras Bola formations

Beto and Shari lean against two of the rock balls during a break. Many of the balls sit on the surface or are partly submerged in the tufa (volcanic ash). There are a number of theories about the composition of the rocks, why they are round, and how they got here. As usual, some are convinced that they were crafted and placed here by space aliens. Skeptical of such claims, I decided to investigate a bit further.

Other rock balls sit on top of eroded pillars of tufa. Another theory proposed that the balls were carved by pre-hispanic people. This sounded somewhat more plausible than space aliens. However, while pre-hispanic folks did a great deal of stone carving, there is no evidence that they created these megaspherulites, as the scientists call them. While Mexico's native people have probably been aware of the piedras bola for millennia, scientists did not take note of the rock balls until the 20th century.

Tufa pillar with a partially round ball on top. Actually the first person to take official notice was not a scientist but a silver mine manager named Robert Gordon. Beside the entrance to his mine sat a huge piedras bola, which gave the mine its name. In 1967, following his retirement, Gordon decided to contact an archeologist named Matthew Williams Stirling. The archeologist agreed to look into the matter and quickly discovered an additional 17 rock balls in the area. Stirling theorized that the balls were man-made. However, this was based on very little except Stirling's previous experience in other areas where stone balls were crafted by humans.

Anthony enjoys a view of the mountains from a cliff top. In addition to being an enthusiastic hiker, Anthony is a yoga instructor who, with his lovely wife Katherine, has lived full-time in Mexico for a number of years. Word about the strange rock balls spread and, in 1968, a team from the US Geological Survey, National Geographic magazine, and the Smithsonian Institute arrived to take a look. In an article that appeared in the August, 1969 issue of National Geographic, they disputed the archeological theory because of a lack of evidence. (Being scientists, I doubt they gave the space alien theory a moment's thought).

Jim Boles, at the base of a vertical cliff. I asked him to pose here to provide some scale to this photograph. When I walked around the back side of the cliff, I was astounded to find that it was part of a single huge rock. One half of the rock apparently sheered away sometime in the distant past. The leader of the scientists was Robert L. Smith, of the US Geological Survey. Smith and the others determined that the balls are made of rhyolite, a rock that is formed from volcanic lava.

Remains of a wasps' nest formed an interesting pattern on a tufa formation. The National Geographic article postulated that the piedras bola began to form when a volcano in the area erupted 10-12 million years ago. Fragments of molten lava and ash shot into the sky, along with superheated gases. When they landed in the valley below, they were covered by layers of tufa ash. The glassy fragments began to cool, forming the nucleus around which surrounding material began to crystalize into spheres. The size of the ball depended upon how slowly the crystalization occurred. The slower it went, the larger the ball.

Anthony leads a group of hikers up from an arroyo. In 1998, a scientist at the University of Guadalajara proposed still another theory. Arturo Curiel Ballesteros agreed with the volcanic origin of the piedras bola. However, he asserted that the spheres were formed while still hurtling through the air and retained their shape when they landed in the soft tufa. This seemed unlikely to some of his fellow scientists (as it did to me) at the University of Guadalajara. Six of them got together and, in 2007, published a 266-page book on the subject, known as "the Bola Book."

Jim Boles passes by a large and partially fractured rock ball, on his way out of the park. The Bola Book agrees on the volcanic origin and chemical make-up of the rocks, but differs on how they came to be spherical. The authors assert that the piedras bola were the result of a pyroclastic flow--basically a hot, gaseous, avalanche full of lava and debris. As the incandescent lava bombs inside the flow were pushed along, their rotation caused them to form spherical shapes which they retained when their motion stopped. They were then covered with falling ash and remained entombed for millions of years. Natural processes of erosion wore away the tufa, leaving the rock balls fully or partially exposed.

Tasty tostadas from the restaurant where we lunched after our hike. One of the most enjoyable aspects of these hikes is the aftermath. Sitting around with good friends, comparing our hiking experiences, while enjoying a feast like this, makes all the effort worth while. So, which theory to believe? I'll leave it to you. Meanwhile, Scientists believe that there may be many more piedras bola deep under the surface. And, there may yet be other theories in the works about their origin. Stay tuned...

This completes my posting on the Piedras Bola. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, and would like to make a comment or ask a question, please do so in the Comments section below or email me directly.

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Hasta luego, Jim