The Guadalajara Reporter

The Secrets of Chuyville, a learning lab in the woods: Using Jalisco’s great natural resources for education

Chuyville is the name I gave to an area in the Primavera Forest where naturalist Jesús “Chuy” Moreno has been teaching kids about science, nature and survival for many years.

Operation Eagle’s Peak: Rebuilding monument atop Colima’s stunning snow-covered Nevado

Members of Jalisco’s oldest hiking and camping club told me they had a mission.

Killer bees responsible for 300 attacks each month

During a walk in the woods last week, the subject of Africanized bees came up. I asked my fellow hikers what was the worst bee attack they had ever heard about.

Veteran excursionista Mario Guerrero responded, “Without a doubt, it was the death of Enedino Luna.” Luna, he explained, had been a guide and trainer for Grupo Colli, Guadalajara’s most active organization for hiking and camping. Approximately 12 years ago, Luna took a group of young climbers into the hills near Magdalena to practice rappelling. “He stood on the edge of a cliff supervising the descent of the others. Somehow the rappellers disturbed a hive of bees on the way down and were immediately attacked. They responded by sliding down the rope even faster, and managed to reach the bottom and escape. Unfortunately, the bees also swarmed upwards, discovered Enedino Luna at the top of the drop and totally engulfed him.

Students encounter the old jimador: A visit to Tres Mujeres Tequila and La Toma Valley

Once again I had the pleasure of spending a day exploring the wonders of Western Mexico with students from the Waldorf School de Guadalajara. This time, the destination was La Toma Balneario where several room-temperature, spring-fed waterfalls cascade into swimming pools overlooking the deep, picturesque canyon alongside the town of Tequila.

How to nurture a love for exercise and a good diet

My friend Yoryet Román offers some suggestions for staying healthy and fit.

Peace Corps volunteer’s passionate tribute to the Primavera Forest

The first book ever published on the geology of the Primavera Forest will be a real eye-opener for most people who live in Jalisco.

A ‘trike’ flight above Los Pozos is taste of ‘unbounded freedom’

Not long ago I got a call inviting me to fly over the Salt Flats of Sayula in a tiny aircraft called an ultralight, which I learned is a kind of Delta Wing with a small engine and room for two persons. It has three wheels and is also called a trike.

Documentary places origin of Mexican firewater in Colima, makes case for pre-hispanic distilling

A new DVD with excellent sound tracks in English, Spanish and French brings to life fascinating discoveries on the origin of tequila, as well as a surprising new take on who was the first to distill this potent brew in the Americas.

Hunt for the Highland Hermit: Mystic philosophy, salubrious thistles & a beauteous belvedere

Many years ago I heard a rumor that there was a “man of letters” living in the hills near Atemajac de Brizuelas, high above the salt flats of Sayula. “His name is Alfredo and he’s been living in a cabin all by himself for 15 years,” a friend told us.

Curious to meet a modern-day hermit, we climbed a bumpy dirt road to a lonely area full of tall pines. At an altitude of 2,700 meters, we came to a small, rustic shack. Yes, it was the home of Alfredo the Hermit but he was hardly alone. Seven or eight visitors were seated with him on stumps and logs behind his cabin and – hard to believe – all were  engaged in a lively discussion of the nature of time.

Presa de la Vega’s biodiversity celebrated: The lagoon inches toward cleaner waters and happier otters

University students, teachers and townspeople recently gathered at the Casa de Cultura in Teuchitlán, Jalisco to celebrate World Wetlands Day (February 2) and to learn about the flora and fauna of nearby Laguna La Vega. In addition, they launched a stunning photo exhibit on the lake’s biodiversity by biologist Manfred Meiners.

Bike Station Primavera: A welcome oasis for cyclists and a model for Mexico’s parks

“You have to visit La Estación Bicicleta,” I was told again and again by friends who know the Primavera Forest well. “It’s such a cool place and they have a restaurant, too.”

The best places for volcano watching

Colima’s Volcán de Fuego (Volcano of Fire) has been relatively dormant for several years, but a few weeks ago local residents were reminded of the fact that they are living next to a time bomb.

Exploring Isla Isabel: Eyeball to eyeball with the Blue-footed Booby

Isabel Island is located 34 kilometers off Mexico’s western coast. It is a wildlife refuge with a population of some 42,000 birds and in 2003 was named a World Heritage Site. Because the birds and iguanas on the island have no natural enemies, human visitors can get quite close to them, for which reason the island is sometimes called the Galapagos of Mexico.

Great Balls of Stone! What to expect if you visit Las Piedras Bola in 2013

Naturally formed giant balls of stone are a rare phenomenon in most parts of the world, but not on a mountain top near Ahulaluco, 75 kilometers west of Guadalajara, where hundreds of them lie nestled in a bed of soft volcanic ash. It’s even said that these are the largest megaspherulites (their scientific name) in the world, for which reason I decided to go measure a few of the biggest I could find.

Spectacular day trip: wildlife sanctuary & pristine pyramids

Jaime Villa is a farmer who decided two years ago to start a wildlife sanctuary in the foothills of the Tequila Volcano. “The land,” he explained, “belongs to our ejido and it’s too rocky for farming. However, it’s extraordinarily beautiful and home to all kinds of animals and birds. So we applied to the government to set up a Management Unit for Wildlife Conservation (Unidad de Manejo para la Conservacion de Vida Silvestre or UMA) on 433 hectares of the land and our petition was granted. During the last two years, with the help of a grant, we’ve created a nature trail 350 meters long, a site for camping and picnicking, a hanging bridge, and a mirador with a spectacular view.”

Journey to Thuwal: A Saudi university looks at Arabia’s Caves

In 2009 I heard rumors that a new university had opened its doors in Saudi Arabia. It was said that King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) was vibrant, dynamic, staffed by the world’s greatest scientists teaching the world’s most brilliant students, a truly international university which its founder, King Abdullah, Arabia’s reigning monarch, envisioned as “a bridge between people and cultures … and a beacon for peace, hope and reconciliation.”

Tarantulas: one man’s fight to save a species – and it’s working

I was about to start a game of racquetball with my friend Rodrigo Orozco when his cell phone beeped. The text message was from an unknown caller. “I’ve been bitten by a tarantula. What do I do?” were the words on the small screen.

Local hikes provide perfect training for mad dash through Frankfurt Airport

Dear Readers,

Lest we forget the blessings of living in a nearly perfect climate and having an International Airport so small you can cross the whole thing in two minutes, I offer you the following.

Has the era of the useful telephone book come to an end

My Coolpix camera was beginning to show signs of its age and I suspected it might freeze on me completely one day, no doubt right in the middle of some momentous event I was covering for the Guadalajara Reporter. Such a possibility was, of course, completely unthinkable, so I turned to Google to check out the prices of the new Coolpix AW100, which is waterproof and drop-proof with a built-in GPS: the perfect camera for a dangerous cliff-hanging trail or an underground river.

A stroll up El Col: A ‘quick-n-easy’ hike for the ultra fit

“Where shall we go hiking this Sunday?” asked my friend Mario.