South Of The Border

By Briane Lemay

March 12-25, 1999

Destination:  San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico

My Objectives: To learn about our environment from the cross-timbers of Oklahoma all the way to the Tropical coastline in Mexico. Our mission is to experience Mexican Ecology and to see the differences between our two cultures. We will participate in field studies with other Mexican students and Professors from Mexican Colleges.

The schedule was as follows:

·        March 12-15, ~39 hour drive to San Blas

·        March 15-20, ~ Field Study with other students from Mexican University, In and around campsite on beach in San Blas.

%         Day 1: Secure tents on beach under the palm trees, and find out which groups we are all in and where we are going for our first day in the field. I was slightly sick from eating or drinking something so I was unable to attend my Herpetology.

%         Day 2: Bird watching.

%         Day 3: Short four hours of trap checking and then free day. Exploring the quaint little town of Aticama down the beach from our campsite. 

%         Day 4: Ichthyology- morning session of ocean seining followed by an afternoon of snorkeling at the crocodile farm.

%         Day 5: Group trip down the Tovarra River and a delightful evening spent wandering around San Blas purchasing inexpensive souvenirs.

%         Day 6: Heading for Real De Catorce.

·        March 20-21 driving to Real De Catorce, I came to call this little town “Heaven In The Hills”

·        March 22-24 roaming around shopping and enjoying the Mexican culture.

·        March 25-27 Homeward Bound

The next few paragraphs are journal entries about the trip and all my memorable experiences while there.

Journey Of Discovery

Well in the course syllabus Bruce mentioned long and stressful driving, and well he means it. There were four students from Murray State College there and 4 other students from the University of Kansas. We loaded down Bruce’s truck and we then headed down to old Mexico. While driving down the open road with strangers some strange topics can come to mind. Everyone was pretty open about themselves and well sharing was a blessing. There was sense of brotherhood amongst us all. No one really complained or argued we all pretty much agreed to some form of compromise and well communication was our strongest virtue. Everyone there just really wanted to get a chance to get away from the everyday stressful life of the typical college student.

Bustamante Canyon And New Friends

Bustamnte canyon was out first resting site. It was a plush campsite surrounded by majestic mountains. There are a couple of warm water springs that provide a home for vast amounts of Sichlid species. I found a few new friends that evening from Monterrey. These new friends welcomed me and the others with open arms, and lots of free beer. I enjoyed a night of pouring my heart out to complete strangers and keeping most of the group awake with my cackling and singing. I woke up the next morning to the wonderful mountains and quiet warm water springs. We packed up our gear and headed down to San Blas.

Through the Sierra Madres

We drove in and around these enormous mountains during the evening. At first site the falling rock signs don’t really scare you much until you see the size of the rocks. Most of the group slept, but not me, nope I was enjoying the scenery. The views of the town down below were totally fantastic. It felt like I was watching a large light display and it was put on in your personal honor. The views were one of a kind and I doubt I will ever see anything like this again on Earth.

The Beach In San Blas

We set up our lodging for the first hour or so and then on to meet our new friends. We were all assigned to certain groups with so many American students and so many Mexican students. The first day I was supposed to go out on Herpetology but I was very sick so I laid around the tent and drank a little water until I could slowly rejuvenate.

Bird watching

Now bird watching was the coolest thing a person can do. I was able to actually trap and tag different species of birds. We used small black soft nets to catch birds so we could catch and tag them. We checked our net every thirty minutes. There were a total of seven nets strung up in several areas all around our makeshift tag lab. Some of the species included as follows:

1.      Black Vulture

2.      Black Parrots

3.      Magillavarys Warble

4.      Hummingbird

5.      Crested Cara

6.      A small bat also found its way into our nets

Mammals/ Mastozoology- Trapping and locating species

We just came back from setting traps with Dr. Moore. We set about a hundred and fifty traps total. We baited the small traps with oats and the large traps were baited with sardines, and if we are lucky we might just catch a possum or something larger. We will make a midnight run to check the bat nets. The midnight bat check was a total success. We caught three bats in the nets and we recorded vital information and we then let them go. The species were as follows:

1.      Small female bat, Genus-Sturnira Lilium

2.      Large Male bat, Species Artibeus Intermedius

3.      Medium Male bat, Species- Phyllostimidae

The next morning we checked our traps only to find nothing except two small Rice Mice. After picking up all the traps we decided to look for track and we were shown how to make plastered copies of the tracks in the dirt with a special mixture. The rest of the day was spent in the quiet quaint town of Aticama eating fresh oysters and fried shrimp.

Ichthyology- Fish Finding

Today I was on fish detail and “Oh Wow”. I had more fun in one day with the fish group than I did the whole week in anything and everything else. We pulled in the nets that had been set out the night before, and we caught a large Catfish and two brown spotted stingrays. We then used what they call a bag Zane to seine the ocean for a few more specimens. We caught numerous crabs and even a small lobster. We caught another stingray and a few more crabs. It was so awesome to be able to touch an actual living stingray; there is no other feeling like it in the world.

After we ate lunch and we then went to the crocodile farm to go snorkeling. The water was very warm and well swimming with crocodiles nearby was actually kind of exciting. To be able to swim in the same water as a large deadly amphibian was a welcomed pleasure. There were hundreds of different species of fish in this area it was an underwater fairyland.

Final Good-byes

 The big farewell party was a blast. We confessed to each other how much we were all going to miss each and every thing we did the whole week. The next morning we took a small riverboat ride down the Tovarra River. The ecology was spectacular. As we rolled along this mangrove swamp area a feeling of everlasting tranquility surrounded the group. We were in a cozy tunnel of sorts with a final dead end into a luxurious bar and restaurant. After taking a few pictures and a having a few cold Frescas we loaded up and headed home. We exchanged e-mail and phone numbers and we bid the Mexican students farewell.

Heaven In The Hills

We left our small beach paradise we headed for the city in the rocks. We arrived late Sunday Night and we decided to camp outside so we did not have to waste one of our hotel nights. It was a good idea until Jack Frost did more than nip my nose. I was breaking icicles off my nut when he morning arrived. We parked our vehicle and near the Town Square while our fearless leader went to secure us lodging for the next two nights. I was pretty much broke but I was able to eat plenty of Avocados, Tomatoes, and Cucumbers for about two dollars. Everything is so cheap it is hard not to spend money.

The next day we went exploring. The Catholic Church was spectacular, I was astounded to see the many painting and religious symbols that I did see. The shopping was great, and so was the hotel. Hot water and a free breakfast, a man just cannot go wrong. The last day was spent walking in and around the city streets spending money and dreading the drive home.

This is just a sample of some of the things we did in Mexico. There were so many more but I just could not put them all down on 5 to 10 pages. If you were considering taking this course I would highly recommend it. All you need is a taste for adventure and an open mind. I learned so much about Mexican Ecology, and just as much about our own ecology. This trip provided me with an opportunity to see something different; a chance to see another culture outside of my own and I can guarantee anyone who goes on this trip that his or her view of, and appreciation for, “Life” will forever change.