August and September mark the “high season” for wildflower watching in this part of Jalisco and one of the best places to see them near Guadalajara is the Cerro de Colli, which lies just west of town, next to the Periférico (Beltway). This is the closest “corner” of the Primavera Forest to the big city.

If you search for San Marcos, Jalisco in Google Earth, you will be transported to a small town near the Sayula Salt Flats. This San Marcos is a bit of a curiosity because all the houses there have naturally hot water pouring out of the faucet, thanks to hot springs located under the town. For some reason, GE completely ignores the “other San Marcos,” located along the western border of Jalisco, near Etzatlán. Too bad, because “San Marcos of the West,” if I might call it that, has more than one surprise to offer visitors.

Cam Honan, originally from Australia and now living in Jalisco, may have done more walking than anyone else on earth. Honan has hiked over 80,467 kilometers in 55 countries and his next goal is to stroll through Chihuahua’s Barrancas del Cobre, where he expects to cover from 300 to 500 kilometers, all on foot. Perhaps “stroll” is not exactly the right word to describe Honan’s upcoming adventure. “It will be a combination of canyoneering, bushwhacks, scrambling, wading, hiking and hopefully avoiding drug fields,” he explains with a wide smile. “Nevertheless, I consider Copper Canyon one of the world’s best hiking sites. In fact, I would put it among the top ten on the planet.”

One day, along the northern edge of the Primavera Forest, I noticed a narrow opening in a canyon wall. I stepped through and found a long passageway stretching before me. I soon discovered I was in a typical slot canyon, with vertical walls rising straight up some 70 meters, but in some places the walls were a mere two meters apart. It had a flat, unencumbered floor and I sauntered along easily, fascinated by long, shelf-like protuberances on both sides of the gully.

His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman of Saudi Arabia and Governor Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania launched an astonishing exhibit of artifacts entitled Roads of Arabia at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA on June 21, 2013. The 240 pieces on display tell the story of life and art in the Arabian Peninsula from 7,000 years ago to the early 20th century. Surprising though it may seem, The Guadalajara Reporter was on hand for this event, thanks to a kind invitation extended by the Prince himself, but before describing what can only be called a landmark exhibition, I must say a word about an aspect of the evening that will probably not be recorded by other reporters.

La Catrina, the grinning skeleton with the elegant, floppy chapeau, is, without a doubt, the most famous creation of Mexican cartoonist, illustrator, artist and satirist José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913), whose work was so prolific that even today no one knows exactly how many obras he produced. But if you’d like an overview of his work – and at the same time an insight into life in Mexico during the tumultuous days of the Revolution – the place to visit is the Posada Museum in Aguascalientes.

For some time I’ve heard rumors about the amazing Bat-Gen of Dr. Arturo Solís of Aguascalientes – a new and different source of electricity that he says may someday power our homes and vehicles. Finally, I found myself heading for Aguascalientes on business and I decided it was time to stop in at the Human Photosynthesis Study Center, hoping I might have a chance to examine the Bat-Gen and interview Dr. Solís.

Jalisco’s Juan José Arreola Public Library is located on the northern Periférico (Ring Road) very near the Telmex Auditorium. This library literally has “something for everyone” and most of it is free of charge.

While soaking in a pool of hot mineralized water at the Primavera Forest’s famous Caliente River, I was introduced to a remarkable man.  “I’d like you to meet Cam Honan,” said my friend Diarmuid Milligan. “Like you, he enjoys hiking.”

Archaeologist Carlos Lopez Cruz, 47, died in El Amarillo, a tiny community in the municipality of Amatitan, Jalisco, around 2 a.m. on May 4, during a local religious festival.  

The celebration of June 5, World Environment Day, began in 1972 and is one of the main ways the United Nations fosters worldwide awareness of the environment.

It was celebrated in Jalisco by a full week of eco-activities starting with an Eco-Fair held in the little town of La Primavera on Sunday, June 2. La Primavera is located 17 kilometers west of Guadalajara and marks the principal entrance to Bosque La Primavera, the celebrated pine-and-oak forest often referred to as “the lung of Guadalajara.”

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

“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.”

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.

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.”

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.