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coolcancunyachts · 3 years

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Studying Nature in Mexico is an Unforgettable Adventure

After spending many vacations in Cancun Yacht Rentals , Mexico, I decided to take the plunge and move there to study the beautiful nature I'd admired in my previous trips. Having lived many years in the comfort and safety of American suburbia, it was time for some adventure. After learning Spanish, I went to the Yucatan and rented a home in suburban Playa del Carmen and hired myself a maid. Then, with help from hired guides and friends, I visited a variety of remote places in the Mexican jungles. It was an unforgettable experience to see a variety of animals in their natural habitats.

The ever-growing city of Playa del Carmen is an hour south of Cancun, and easily accessed by public buses. Both cities are on the Caribbean Sea, where coral reefs abound up and down the coastline. The beauty of pure white, limestone sand, and richly colored, turquoise water of the ocean drew me down there. Being a nature artist, I was fascinated by the plants and animals of the region. Armed with my cameras, drawing paper and pens, I got to work drawing and photographing bugs, birds, plants and anything else exotic. Soon, my artwork landed me a job as main illustrator for a large nature park called XCaret.

Whenever I had a drawing to deliver to my employer, I would board the employee bus for XCaret, and then walk down a long, back jungle path next to the park to the office. These walks fascinated me, due to the path was directly next to fenced enclosures for their zoo and aviary. Flamingoes, spider monkeys and a harpy eagle were animals I could see the best from the path. One time I made the mistake of giving one of the monkeys a cookie, only to see the other monkeys chase after him to steal it, trying to beat him up! I quickly got out a couple more cookies and gave the rest to them, to avoid the original monkey from getting hurt. They all sat there munching peacefully as I snuck off, hoping nobody saw.

In Mexico, you will see iguanas in nature frequently. As I walked down the nature path on my way to work, there was rustling in the big tree near me. I looked up only to see a large, 6 foot green iguana male with bright orange fringe on his back, in the canopy of the tree. He looked down at me. I remember people telling me that iguanas are good eating, taste like chicken, and that they are called "chicken of the tree". I never found out if that was true or not, but then, I wasn't about to go eating iguanas. Nope, I'm not that adventurous in my dining choices. Black iguanas can be seen usually sitting one per rock pile. Everywhere there were rocks, were male iguanas sunning themselves. Interesting creatures. In Chankanaab Park (on the island of Cozumel) there is a huge iguana that walks around public areas, oblivious to the humans that walk past it. It will bite if petted, the park employee told me. So, I took photos of it and kept my distance.

Another lizard that was interesting and plentiful, was Basiliscus basiliscus, the basilisk. There are a few varieties of basilisk to be found in Mexico. It can run on water if it gets scared enough, and I witnessed it after scaring one unintentionally. Later, I found a smaller one and drew it for my job, they have intense eyes, looking very serious. When I was finished drawing him, he ran upright into the jungle, glad to be free of the big, scary human with whom he'd spent a few hours with.

The jungles of Mexico are fascinating, but I would never recommend walking off your path into one. First off, the foliage is very dense. Second, there are critters in there that can hurt you if provoked, namely scorpions, snakes and spiders. Look, but don't touch. I have seen all of these, and have paid people to remove them from my home. Scorpions will come after you if they are agitated. Back away quickly, wherever they cannot follow. The lighter colored ones, I was told, are more dangerous than the black ones. There are tarantulas in Mexico, and they are big but not aggressive, thank goodness. I had a red-kneed tarantula taken away from the front of my door once. My maid used to throw out other spiders she found inside, and laugh when I would be freaked out by them. "This? It's harmless!" she'd tell me. Yuck. I took her word for it.

As for snakes, there are a few that are reason enough not to go walking alone in the jungle. First, there are huge boa constrictors. My ex-husband was called by the ladies next door, to remove a 6-foot boa out of their rental flat. They said it just slithered into the open back door. Lesson learned, never leave an open door to your house if you live close to the jungle. Then, there is a crimson colored snake the locals called Coralio. I don't know its scientific name, but it was beautiful but deadly. A man who lived near me had a whole apartment full of snakes, and he showed them to me up close. Snakes are interesting but it pays to watch where you step, since my ex and I nearly stepped on one during an evening walk. There are other snakes to watch out for, but these are the kinds that we saw. All snakes will mind their own business if unprovoked, it seems, trouble seems to be when humans aren't paying attention and step on one by mistake. So, it pays to watch where you walk.

Then there were the amazing birds. A gorgeous variety of colors, shapes and sizes, birds in Mexico are exotic and fascinating. My favorites were the toco toucan, motmot, currasows, Yucatan jay, cinnamon-colored cuckoo, and pileated woodpecker and violaceous trogon (a relative of the resplendent quetzal). They had a knack for showing themselves whenever I didn't have my camera with me. I did draw and take notes of what I saw, then look them up later. There was a bird that was so colorful that locals called it, "siete colores" (seven colors). After looking it up, I identified it as a painted bunting. Another bird locals call "pecho amarillo"(yellow breast), otherwise known as the great kiskadee, used to sit outside my window and yell, "Eeee, Eeee!" at the top of his lungs. We used to call back at him, and he'd answer. Very funny bird.

In Playa del Carmen, there is an outdoor aviary, built into the jungle, in the Playacar section. I went in there and walked around, to see the different birds that usually are hidden by jungle. One bird took a fancy to me, a barred currasow who followed me everywhere. She was my feathered tour guide, and posed for photos freely. I finally got to see a chachalaca up close, a relative to a turkey, that is shy, loud (its call sounds like a rusty meat grinder), and travels in groups. Also, there were red ibis, more flamingos, egrets, and much more. The aviary is a must see if you visit Playacar.

Another interesting natural sector in the Yucatan were all the bugs. Insects of every kind, in great quantities. I could've done without all the mosquitoes, though, thank goodness for bug repellent. My favorites were the butterflies. Sometimes when driving down remote roads, we came across undulating masses of various butterfiles colored yellow, white or black. Monarch butterflies also migrate in large groups down to Mexico, I saw them once, too. The most beautiful butterfly I came across in the wild, in my opinion, was the morpho butterfly. It has large irridescent blue wings, wasn't as common as other butterflies, and preferred the privacy of non-populated areas like fields and jungles. There was another butterfly that was big, brown and with its wings closed, was the size of a large dinner plate. It was called an owl butterfly, and flew slowly. I got really close to him and he seemed unafraid. He had patterns on his wings that were like numbers. Fascinating.

Beetles. Ahh, beetles..not very graceful, and apparently not all that bright, but endearing with their less than graceful antics. There were golden scarab beetles that used to fly into my window as I was working, frequently. They usually landed on their backs with their feet flailing helplessly in the air. Eventually the situation would rely on me turning them right-side up, some would then fly off, others would somehow end up on their backs again. It was odd, but I took the opportunity to draw these metallically colored insects, who looked as if they were gilded in brushed gold.

Grasshoppers and katydids are in large quantity in the jungles of the Yucatan. There are so many varieties of grasshoppers, I lost count. As for katydids. their bodies are gigantic, the size of a sparrow. I caught one, to draw him, then when I let him go off my balcony, he flew away in a straight path. His big, green body was visible for a very long time as he flapped off into the sunset, it was surreal.

Sea creatures and fish are plentiful in the Caribbean Sea. Though the reefs are endangered and show signs of damage, they are still beautiful. Every day, I'd snorkel in the low-traffic area near my home. It was serene to get to the beach early in the morning, pick up a few shells that washed up on shore, then make my spot on the beach. I'd snorkel until my body got cold, every day. There weren't many large predators in the areas I swam in, due to the breakwalls that run up and down the coast, separating the shores from the deeper, ocean water. Once in awhile, a barracuda would find its way into the reef area, my, what big teeth they have. Out there, you can see dolphins playing in the waves made by large yachts or ferries. Bottle-nosed dolphins are very social creatures and seem unafraid of humans. Some of the most memorable smaller fish and creatures I saw were brittle starfish (they live under rocks and will climb off your hand quickly if you try to hold one), octopus, conch, sea turtles, moray eels, blue tangs and of course, those feisty damselfish. Though I haven't gotten my scuba license, I went on a few professional scuba tours where the water was so shallow, snorkeling was possible. Tours are great for finding gorgeous coral gardens that aren't visible to everyone else. The prettiest ones I saw were near the town of Puerto Morelos.

Other places I liked to explore were the Cenotes Azul, and Dos Ojos. Cenotes are brackish water natural bodies of water that the Mayan indians used to build their villages around. Now, they sit in the jungle and tourists enter them to go cave diving. Underneath the Yucatan is an elaborate network of caves that attract cave-divers from all over the world. Not me, I preferred just swimming in the crystal clear water in the mouth of the cenotes, and observing the fish I saw. One of the cenotes had fish that I'd seen in pet stores back in the US, swimming there naturally. Jack Dempsey fish and green sailfin mollies, along with a kind of livebearer fish I didn't recognise. They were very colorful, and the Dempseys, being combative cichlids who like to pick on one another, had tattered fins. But, all the fish were very healthy. What a wonder it is to swim among them in their natural habitat. The nature around cenotes is interesting, too. I saw a basilisk run across the water, when I swam too close to him, and a duck that would dive for fish and stay underwater for a long time. Nature abounds in and around cenotes.

The nature of Mexico is plentiful and beautiful in all its forms. The tropical, hot climate brings out flora and fauna unlike anything I've ever seen in my home state of Ohio, or even in my current state of Florida. Living among the lush jungles, hearing jungle frogs sing at night and spending time with my wonderful Mexican co-workers, guides and friends changed my life. By being respectful of nature (look, don't touch) and watching where you walk, you will see clouds of butterflies, brilliantly colored birds, and animals like coatimundis, agoutis and others normally only seen in zoos. My employer promoted the preservation of Mexico's wildlife, and it was my honor doing artwork of all things natural for them. I miss walking the jungle path to their office weekly and seeing the zoo animals, as well as the wild ones in the trees. If you love nature, make sure to visit Mexico and go on tours to see the beauty of the wild, but with professionals who know where to take you. It will be an experience you will appreciate and remember forever.

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annoyingcherryblossomnight-blog1 · 7 years

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Holidays In Ile

Ever because the allied forces landed on the seashores of Normandy this space of France has had particular meaning for a big multitude of males and their families. Smaller canine may be held or lay between the seats; it is a mistake to permit them to put within the aisle as a result of individuals will be passing typically and your canine could get hurt. Additionally, you will find that this can be an effective way to satisfy different like minded families and people, whilst having fun with yourselves and, of course, testing yourselves to the boundaries alongside the way. One among its biggest and most colourful sights is its aviary of South American birds. Working holiday makers must have a visa when getting into Britain. I am not sure in the event that they do it in the identical approach in different French cities, but that was really humorous. While the catacombs have proved to be a popular and profitable tourist destination, the various tunnels and chambers have lengthy posed a problem for construction in Paris. In case you are lover of arts, then don't miss to make visit to massive number of museums and monuments on this metropolis. The Embassy of Switzerland, Pretoria, telephone 012-452-0660. Norway: Royal Norwegian Embassy, Pretoria, telephone 012-342-6100. Resorts are convenient if you're staying over evening in a city, however if you wish to explore a area, then the very best thing to do is rent an apartment or a house. French History alone might occupy you for the remainder of your life! Additionally, you will not wish to miss Chartres en Lumieres, the sunshine show between April and September of all of the historic buildings. If you wish to explore Paris, then Paris metropolis break is the best option. It's now hailed as some of the standard vacationer spots in Germany. 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When touring aboard Barge Cruises, which range in size from four - 24 passengers, industry standard is 5% of the whole cruise worth paid on to the Captain. The overall cost of a Schengen visa (of any category) is l60 (R575). There are numerous museums and art galleries to select from; the Louvre often is the most well-known, however additionally it is the busiest and its sheer size might be daunting. Additionally, you will get to taste a few of the world's finest wines in Europe. The specialty meals shops are just as in style, such because the pastry and cheese shops, though you won't be capable of bring these residence as souvenirs. The established truth about Europe came out in the year 2004 when World Tourism Group declared it as the largest travel spot on the planet. This city is popular for Its arts, delicacies, fashions. That is perfectly authorized in Europe which makes it a quite widespread option. But for those who had been to go to in July and August you may even see overcrowded resorts, loads of visitors jams, excessive temperatures and expensive services. Apart type this, the Montmarte area has an exclusive cemetery where the great souls of Degas, Stendhal, La Golie and many others. Eiffel Tower, The Louvre and The Musee d'Orsay are among the in style vacationer points of interest in Paris. Some loves to go to beaches, museums, Churches and a few loves to get pleasure from sports activities adventures. Get pleasure from a meal on the famous Colombe d'Or Restaurant or sip a beer at an outdoor cafe while watching a neighborhood game of petanque. It's best to pay a tip of 10-15% of the metered fare to taxi drivers; hairdressers ought to obtain 10%, and assistants 5%. Smaller suggestions of around 1 Euro are affordable for cloakroom and washroom attendants, ushers, and museum tour guides. E book your one-day to visit Paris widespread sights. 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This romantic metropolis has vacationer sights such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, Sacré-Coeur, Centre Pompidou, Musee d'Orsay and the Louvre Museum. If you're lucky sufficient to have good climate this is simply the best way wherein to travel from one web site to a different. Along with the cathedrals in Chartres and Reims, this cathedral is among the first three Gothic cathedrals inbuilt France of the Excessive Gothic style. Thus, it crammed Germany with monuments to the tales of our grandfathers about occasions long past but by no means forgotten. Macau has tons to offer all its tourists - unique restaurants, the most effective resorts and lots of casinos that make the nightlife vibrant and attention-grabbing. There are over 6,000 official campsites for motorhomes across Western Europe alone, so you will be spoilt for selection. The town lights are virtually as exciting because the exhibits put on within the Metropolis of Lights. Other than its sightseeings, town is for the ones who are searching for wonderful food and drinks. One of the exciting methods wherein to benefit from the space is by taking one of many motorbike tours which are often obtainable. Within the summertime, France is almost as well-liked as Spain is in the winter for those on their European motorhome tour. You have to go to to Laeticia Ivanez's Les Prairies de Paris, which is exciting boutique having lots of glamorous clothes. The Battle of Normandy was one of many world's best navy clashes and D-Day stays one of the most important dates in the history of the Second World Struggle. Most of Southern France is off the beaten vacationer trap, plagued by medieval villages, and containing acres of glorious and scenic vineyards. The SNCF (French State railway company)'s Carte Senior entitles those over 60 to reductions of 25-50% on all practice journeys, even should you don't ebook upfront, for an entire yr. Nevertheless, tourists and French diners habitually depart behind some free change as an extra tip, significantly when the service has been extraordinary. Its assortment of work is the most spectacular, containing masterpieces by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Caravaggio and Rembrandt, though it additionally has varied sculptures and artifacts from ancient Egypt and Greece. Imagine not dropping precious holiday time moving from one town to a different, but simply going to sleep and waking up in a new place in the morning, your new adventure prepared to begin as quickly as you step out of your door. The Cathedral has amazing stained glass, together with some designed by Chagall and is nicknamed 'God's Lantern' because the cathedral is flooded with gentle as a consequence of having the second highest nave in France. For example, if you're visiting Germany for three days, France and the Netherlands for two days each, you'll apply on your Schengen visa at the embassy or consulate of Germany. Paris is the most effective place on the earth for shopping, so if you want to shop observe the locals. Although I did not meet any hostility myself personally from the locals, but they say that it's quite straightforward to harass a Frenchman from Paris just asking one thing like «The place can I discover the Eiffel Tower here?». Finland: The Embassy of Finland, Pretoria, cellphone 012-343-0275. Schengen is a wine-growing village in south-japanese Luxembourg close to the purpose the place the borders of Germany, France and Luxembourg meet together. While lots of the caves function wine cellars, some have been was extra household-friendly sights. The Spanish Embassy, Pretoria, telephone 012-460-0123. Contact the Embassy of Ireland, Pretoria, 012-342-5062 for further information. St. Barthelemy is definitely the safest island in the Caribbean and it has virtually no crime price at all (besides the tiny thefts). River cruises, vine valley tours, winter sports activities, hiking, and island visits additionally draw significant number of vacationers every year. Even today there is quite a lot of curiosity in the Battle of Normandy and many veterans, their kids and grandchildren go to the world for a touring vacation. The Christmas market in Carnot Sq. will simply seduce you. It's known as the Capital of the World, and this is true only because it is being visited by all the people from all the locations of the world. You can make visit to St Bonaventure Church, St Just Church, Notre Dame de Fourviere and Saint Bruno Church. Of the highest France tourist attractions, more than 7 million folks visit the Disneyland Paris, Eiffel Tower, Fontainebleau Forest and castle, and the Louvre Museum annually.

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popofventi · 7 years

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Mental Yoga Sunday :: 5 Favorite Long Form Reads This Week 3.19.17

// WORK YOUR BRAIN OUT WITH OUR 5 FAVORITE LONG READ THIS WEEK //

INTO THE WOODS (THE GUARDIAN)

"Christopher Knight was only 20 years old when he walked away from society, not to be seen again for more than a quarter of a century. He had been working for less than a year installing home and vehicle alarm systems near Boston, Massachusetts, when abruptly, without giving notice to his boss, he quit his job. He never even returned his tools. He cashed his final pay cheque and left town.

Knight did not tell anyone where he was going. “I had no one to tell,” he says. “I didn’t have any friends. I had no interest in my co-workers.” He drove down the east coast of America, eating fast food and staying in cheap motels – “the cheapest I could find”. He travelled for days, alone, until he found himself deep into Florida, sticking mostly to major roads, watching the world go by.

Eventually, he turned around and headed north. He listened to the radio. Ronald Reagan was president; the Chernobyl nuclear disaster had just occurred. Driving through Georgia and the Carolinas and Virginia, blessed with invincibility of youth, buzzed by “the pleasure of driving”, he sensed an idea growing into a realization, then solidifying into resolve.

All his life, he had been comfortable being alone. Interacting with others was so often frustrating. Every meeting with another person seemed like a collision.

He drove north to Maine, where he had grown up. There aren’t many roads in the centre of the state, and he chose the one that went right by his family’s house. “I think it was just to have one last look around, to say goodbye,” he said. He didn’t stop. The last time he saw his family home was through the windscreen of his car.

He kept going, “up and up and up”. Soon he reached the shore of Moosehead Lake, the largest in Maine, and the point where the state begins to get truly remote. “I drove until I was nearly out of gas. I took a small road. Then a small road off that small road. Then a trail off that.” He went as far into the wilderness as his vehicle could take him."

STUMP THE BOOKSELLER

If you like to read, enjoy helping others and think you are capable of naming the un-Google-able title of the books people love but can't quite remember...then boy o' boy is Stump the Bookseller the website for you to kill an entire Sunday reading. This website has existed in some form or another for the better part of two decades. It is part puzzle, part public service. Mystified readers desperately post descriptive, dream-like entries of long lost books they once treasured with the hope someone like you will come along and miraculously remember and reveal the book. I must admit, it's a bit addictive once you start reading through it. Here are a couple recent posts:

A SHY GIRL AT SUMMER CAMP - I am looking for a book I read somewhere around 5th grade. The year was 1977-78ish. Everyone was reading Judy Blume. The book I’m looking for was about a girl who went to summer camp. I think the girl was overweight. My recollection is that the girl was shy for some reason, or maybe that’s how I saw myself. Maybe the girl just wasn’t happy with the way she looked. Perhaps Judy Blume or another author popular at the same time?

UNFORTUNATE MONSTERS IN A FLOOD? (Solved!) - I was born in 1978 and remember a picture book full of bizarre creatures whose anatomy blended real-world objects, e.g. a monster with a “bird feeder mouth” into which rain was falling and on which birds were perched, and a forlorn-looking monster with a faucet for a nose or mouth, sitting on a rock. I think water was a theme in all the illustrations, and my brother seems to remember that the book was about “fantasy creatures that missed Noah’s Ark”. (I’ve ruled out “The Lost Zoo” by Cullen.) I recall the art style being painterly and/or airbrushed, with colorful graded shading that gave the creatures great depth. The facial features were detailed, not unlike what you see in a Google Images search for “antique sea monsters”.

IS THE DARK REALLY MAKING ME SAD? (MOSAIC)

How do Scandinavians deal with long, dark winters? And what might this teach us about the relationship between our moods and sunlight?

"The inhabitants of Rjukan in southern Norway have a complex relationship with the sun. “More than other places I’ve lived, they like to talk about the sun: when it’s coming back, if it’s a long time since they’ve seen the sun,” says artist Martin Andersen. “They’re a little obsessed with it.” Possibly, he speculates, it’s because for approximately half the year, you can see the sunlight shining high up on the north wall of the valley: “It is very close, but you can’t touch it,” he says. As autumn wears on, the light moves higher up the wall each day, like a calendar marking off the dates to the winter solstice. And then as January, February and March progress, the sunlight slowly starts to inch its way back down again."

LONDON BRIDGE IS DOWN (GUARDIAN UK)

The secret plan for the days after the Queen’s death. She is venerated around the world. She has outlasted 12 US presidents. She stands for stability and order. But her kingdom is in turmoil, and her subjects are in denial that her reign will ever end. That’s why the palace has a plan.

"Her eyes will be closed and Charles will be king. His siblings will kiss his hands. The first official to deal with the news will be Sir Christopher Geidt, the Queen’s private secretary, a former diplomat who was given a second knighthood in 2014, in part for planning her succession.

Geidt will contact the prime minister. The last time a British monarch died, 65 years ago, the demise of George VI was conveyed in a code word, “Hyde Park Corner”, to Buckingham Palace, to prevent switchboard operators from finding out. For Elizabeth II, the plan for what happens next is known as “London Bridge.” The prime minister will be woken, if she is not already awake, and civil servants will say “London Bridge is down” on secure lines."

ESCAPE TO ANOTHER WORLD (1843 MAGAZINE)

As video games get better and job prospects worse, more young men are dropping out of the job market to spend their time in an alternate reality.

"Today’s games seem to be displacing careers, friendships and families, and thus stopping young people (particularly men) from starting real, adult lives.

Over the last 15 years there has been a steady and disconcerting leak of young people away from the labour force in America. Between 2000 and 2015, the employment rate for men in their 20s without a college education dropped ten percentage points, from 82% to 72%. In 2015, remarkably, 22% of men in this group – a cohort of people in the most consequential years of their working lives – reported to surveyors that they had not worked at all in the prior 12 months. That was in 2015: when the unemployment rate nationwide fell to 5%, and the American economy added 2.7m new jobs. Back in 2000, less than 10% of such men were in similar circumstances."

Mental Yoga Sunday :: 5 Favorite Long Form Reads This Week 3.12.17 ~ Fin.

-xxx-

#Long Form Reading #Into the Woods #The Guardian #Mosaic #London Bridge Is Down #Guardian UK #Stump The Bookseller

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coolcancunyachts · 3 years

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Examining Nature in Mexico is an Unforgettable Adventure

After spending many vacations in Cancun, Mexico, I decided to take the plunge and move there to study the beautiful nature I'd admired in my previous trips. Having lived many years in the comfort and safety of American suburbia, it was time for some adventure. After learning Spanish, I went to the Yucatan and rented a home in suburban Playa del Carmen, and hired myself a maid. Then, with help from hired guides and friends, I visited a variety of remote places in the Mexican jungles. It was an unforgettable experience to see a variety of animals in their natural habitats.

The ever-growing city of Playa del Carmen is an hour south of Cancun and easily accessed by public buses. Both cities are on the Caribbean Sea, where coral reefs abound up and down the coastline. The beauty of pure white, limestone sand, and richly colored, turquoise water of the ocean drew me down there. Being a nature artist, I was fascinated by the plants and animals of the region. Armed with my cameras, drawing paper, and pens, I got to work drawing and photographing bugs, birds, plants, and anything else exotic. Soon, my artwork landed me a job as the main illustrator for a large nature park called Xcaret.

Whenever I had a drawing to deliver to my employer, I would board the employee bus for Xcaret, and then walk down a long, back jungle path next to the park to the office. These walks fascinated me, the path was directly next to fenced enclosures for their zoo and aviary. Flamingoes, spider monkeys, and a harpy eagle were animals I could see the best from the path. One time I made the mistake of giving one of the monkeys a cookie, only to see the other monkeys chase after him to steal it, trying to beat him up! I quickly got out a couple more cookies and gave the rest to them, to avoid the original monkey from getting hurt. They all sat there munching peacefully as I snuck off, hoping nobody saw.

In Mexico, you will see iguanas in nature frequently. As I walked down the nature path on my way to work, there was a rustling in the big tree near me. I looked up only to see a large, 6-foot green iguana male with bright orange fringe on his back, in the canopy of the tree. He looked down at me. I remember people telling me that iguanas are good eating, taste like chicken, and that they are called "chicken of the tree". I never found out if that was true or not, but then, I wasn't about to go eating iguanas. Nope, I'm not that adventurous in my dining choices. Black iguanas can be seen usually sitting one per rock pile. Everywhere there were rocks, were male iguanas sunning themselves. Interesting creatures. In Chankanaab Park (on the island of Cozumel) there is a huge iguana that walks around public areas, oblivious to the humans that walk past it. It will bite if petted, the park employee told me. So, I took photos of it and kept my distance.

Another lizard that was interesting and plentiful, was Basiliscus Basiliscus, the basilisk. There are a few varieties of basilisk to be found in Mexico. It can run on water if it gets scared enough, and I witnessed it after scaring one unintentionally. Later, I found a smaller one and drew it for my job, they have intense eyes, looking very serious. When I was finished drawing him, he ran upright into the jungle, glad to be free of the big, scary human with whom he'd spent a few hours with.

The jungles of Mexico are fascinating, but I would never recommend walking off your path into one. First off, the foliage is very dense. Second, there are critters in there that can hurt you if provoked, namely scorpions, snakes, and spiders. Look, but don't touch. I have seen all of these, and have paid people to remove them from my home. Scorpions will come after you if they are agitated. Back away quickly, wherever they cannot follow. The lighter-colored ones, I was told, are more dangerous than the black ones. There are tarantulas in Mexico, and they are big but not aggressive thank goodness. I had a red-kneed tarantula taken away from the front of my door once. My maid used to throw out other spiders she found inside, and laugh when I would be freaked out by them. "This? It's harmless!" she'd tell me. Yuck. I took her word for it.

As for snakes, there are a few that are reason enough not to go walking alone in the jungle. First, there are huge boa constrictors. My ex-husband was called by the ladies next door, to remove a 6-foot boa out of their rental flat. They said it just slithered into the open back door. Lesson learned, never leave an open door to your house if you live close to the jungle. Then, there is a crimson-colored snake the locals called Coralio. I don't know its scientific name, but it was beautiful but deadly. A man who lived near me had a whole apartment full of snakes, and he showed them to me up close. Snakes are interesting but it pays to watch where you step since my ex and I nearly stepped on one during an evening walk. There are other snakes to watch out for, but these are the kinds that we saw. All snakes will mind their own business if unprovoked, it seems, trouble seems to be when humans aren't paying attention and step on one by mistake. So, it pays to watch where you walk.

Then there were the amazing birds. With a gorgeous variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, birds in Mexico are exotic and fascinating. My favorites were the toco toucan, motmot, curassows, Yucatan jay, cinnamon-colored cuckoo, and pileated woodpecker, and violaceous trogon (a relative of the resplendent quetzal). They had a knack for showing themselves whenever I didn't have my camera with me. I did draw and take notes of what I saw, then look them up later. There was a bird that was so colorful that locals called it, "siete colores" (seven colors). After looking it up, I identified it as a painted bunting. Another bird locals call "echo Amarillo"(yellow breast), otherwise known as the great kiskadee, used to sit outside my window and yell, "Eeee, Eeee!" at the top of his lungs. We used to call back at him, and he'd answer. Very funny bird.

In Playa del Carmen, there is an outdoor aviary, built into the jungle, in the Playacar section. I went in there and walked around, to see the different birds that usually are hidden by the jungle. One bird took a fancy to me, barred curassow who followed me everywhere. She was my feathered tour guide and posed for photos freely. I finally got to see a chachalaca up close, a relative to a turkey, that is shy, loud (its call sounds like a rusty meat grinder), and travels in groups. Also, there were red ibis, more flamingos, egrets, and much more. The aviary is a must-see if you visit Playacar.

Another interesting natural sector in the Yucatan was all the bugs. Insects of every kind, in great quantities. I could've done without all the mosquitoes, though, thank goodness for bug repellent. My favorites were the butterflies. Sometimes when driving down remote roads, we came across undulating masses of various butterflies colored yellow, white, or black. Monarch butterflies also migrate in large groups down to Mexico, I saw them once, too. The most beautiful butterfly I came across in the wild, in my opinion, was the morpho butterfly. It has large iridescent blue wings, wasn't as common as other butterflies, and preferred the privacy of non-populated areas like fields and jungles. There was another butterfly that was big, brown and with its wings closed, was the size of a large dinner plate. It was called an owl butterfly and flew slowly. I got really close to him and he seemed unafraid. He had patterns on his wings that were like numbers. Fascinating.

Beetles. Ahh, beetles..not very graceful, and apparently not all that bright, but endearing with their less than graceful antics. There were golden scarab beetles that used to fly into my window as I was working, frequently. They usually landed on their backs with their feet flailing helplessly in the air. Eventually, the situation would rely on me turning them right-side-up, some would then fly off, others would somehow end up on their backs again. It was odd, but I took the opportunity to draw these metallically colored insects, who looked as if they were gilded in brushed gold.

Sea creatures and fish are plentiful in the Caribbean Sea. Though the reefs are endangered and show signs of damage, they are still beautiful. Every day, I'd snorkel in the low-traffic area near my home. It was serene to get to the beach early in the morning, pick up a few shells that washed up on shore, then make my spot on the beach. I'd snorkel until my body got cold, every day. There weren't many large predators in the areas I swam in, due to the broken walls that run up and down the coast, separating the shores from the deeper, ocean water. Once in a while, a barracuda would find its way into the reef area, my, what big teeth they have. Out there, you can see dolphins playing in the waves made by large yachts or ferries. Bottle-nosed dolphins are very social creatures and seem unafraid of humans. Some of the most memorable smaller fish and creatures I saw were brittle starfish (they live under rocks and will climb off your hand quickly if you try to hold one), octopus, conch, sea turtles, moray eels, blue tangs, and of course, those feisty damselfish. Though I haven't gotten my scuba license, I went on a few professional scuba tours where the water was so shallow, snorkeling was possible. Tours are great for finding gorgeous coral gardens that aren't visible to everyone else. The prettiest ones I saw were near the town of Puerto Morelos.

Other places I liked to explore were the Cenotes Azul, and Dos Ojos. Cenotes are brackish water natural bodies of water that the Mayan Indians used to build their villages around. Now, they sit in the jungle and tourists enter them to go cave diving. Underneath the Yucatan is an elaborate network of caves that attract cave-divers from all over the world. Not me, I preferred just swimming in the crystal clear water in the mouth of the cenotes and observing the fish I saw. One of the cenotes had fish that I'd seen in pet stores back in the US, swimming there naturally. Jack Dempsey fish and green sailfin mollies, along with a kind of livebearer fish I didn't recognize. They were very colorful, and the Dempseys, being combative cichlids who like to pick on one another, had tattered fins. But, all the fish were very healthy. What a wonder it is to swim among them in their natural habitat. The nature around cenotes is interesting, too. I saw a basilisk run across the water when I swam too close to him, and a duck that would dive for fish and stay underwater for a long time. Nature abounds in and around cenotes.

The nature of Mexico is plentiful and beautiful in all its forms. The tropical, hot climate brings out flora and fauna, unlike anything I've ever seen in my home state of Ohio, or even in my current state of Florida. Living among the lush jungles, hearing jungle frogs sing at night, and spending time with my wonderful Mexican co-workers, guides and friends changed my life. By being respectful of nature (look, don't touch) and watching where you walk, you will see clouds of butterflies, brilliantly colored birds, and animals like coatimundis, agoutis, and others normally only seen in zoos. My employer promoted the preservation of Mexico's wildlife, and it was my honor to do artwork of all things natural for them. I miss walking the jungle path to their office weekly and seeing the zoo animals, as well as the wild ones in the trees. If you love nature, make sure to visit Mexico and go on tours to see the beauty of the wild, but with professionals who know where to take you. It will be an experience you will appreciate and remember forever.

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