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Some scenery on our way to Catemaco from Puebla
Tunnel
A neat looking church
Sugar cane
Multimodal where you pay your toll for the Cuota highways
Villas Tepetepan and RV Park in Lake Catemaco All services including Wifi, pool, book exchange, close to groceries, Malecon and downtown GPS Location: 18.41889 N 95.12139 W 1,200 ft
This park is right along the river
Gizmo checking out the banana tree
The park has bungalows they rent monthly for approx $361, not including power
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catemaco,_Veracruz Quoted from Wkipedia: Catemaco is a municipality and city in the southeast of Mexican state of Veracruz, in the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas volcanic mountain range, along the Gulf of Mexico. In the 2005 INEGI Census, the municipality reported a total population of 46,702, of whom 22,965 lived in the municipal seat.[1] Ethnic composition is primarily of mestizo origin. Indigenous language speakers number fewer than 500. The municipality of Catemaco covers a total surface area of 710.67 km² along the Gulf of Mexico between the foothills of Volcano San Martín Tuxtla and the Sierra Santa Marta, and incorporate Laguna Catemaco and Laguna Sontecomapan plus a large part of the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve. Catemaco borders the municipalities of San Andrés Tuxtla to the west, Hueyapan de Ocampo and Soteapan to the south and Tatahuicapan de Juárez and Mecayapan to the east. Economically Catemaco depends on a mix of tourism, cattle ranching, fishery and agriculture. Statistically the municipality ranks as one of the poorer ones in Veracruz. The city of Catemaco nestles against Lake Catemaco at 340 meters (1,115 feet) altitude and is surrounded by numerous taller volcanic peaks. To the north, Laguna Sontecomapan occupies a large flood plain and joins the gulf at La Barra de Sontecomapan, Catemaco's most accessible beach. One of the featured attractions of the town are the "Monkey Islands", populated by abandoned research monkeys originally imported from Thailand. Almost 100 boats compete to ferry tourists out to see these Macaque monkeys imported to the islands in the 1970's.
Malecon
Main Square
Lunch at a nice restaurant on the lake John had grilled Mojarro ( Black Bass)
I had a shrimp torta
This a 23 year old crocodile that is in a pen at the restaurant. he was rescued when he was a baby and could not be re-released into the wild so the owner keeps him here. He is well cared for and fed chickens (raw)
Marketplace
John and I decided to take a tour of Lake Catemaco and hired a guide for a 2 hr trip. Cost was 450 pesos and 50 pesos for a tip You can see on the next two photos prices and what was included in the tour. Our guide was Juan
This is where the Virgin Mary appeared to a local fisherman on several occasions
A tree with hanging roots
Fisherman throwing his net
Isla De Las Garzas
The tour stopped at this island and we got off to explore an eco reserve Cost was 50 pesos each and we had out own personal eco guide
This was a meeting place and used as a calendar
This is where lava rocks were heated up and then used in what we would call a sauna
This is the sauna
Spring waters and special mud taken from this spot
We were taken to this dwelling and for a tip they asked if you wanted a mud facial. Of course the whole tour was in Spanish and John failed to tell me that I would be walking around with this mud on my face for the remainder of the tour ( approx 15 min) So I went for the facial. John put 11 pesos in the tip jar ( equals approx $1/CAN)
John and I are having a drink of the water out of banana leaves made into cups. The water tastes like it is carbonated tonic water. Very good! Notice John can barely contain his laughter at having me in the mud mask!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I obviously look sexy in mud!!!
An outdoor auditorium
Lizards are bred here and released into the wild. It is a way to keep the species from becoming extinct
Macaque monkeys brought over from Thailand for experiments were later released when no longer required. there are 20 currently living on this island. There are bananas and fruit dropped off to them and they are medically checked weekly by the gov't. They are well looked after and of course their population is controlled when necessary. They have adapted well to the island. they are known to swim under water to gather fish to eat unlike their counterparts in Thailand who stick to the forest.
On to Chichen Itza to see the Pyramids tomorrow
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Design by Angela 2008
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