Palms, Tortugas and Salt

Jacquie takes in the view from the deck of Casa Ola Brisa.

13 people loaded into the van and we bebopped south to Manzanillo. We were on a tour with Mex-ECO, a guided tour company based in Melaque. We have been on two tours with this company prior to this and have enjoyed each one.

Hibiscus.

Today's tour took us to Manzanillo where we visited the Ola Brisa Gardens, or as they call it, The Civilized Jungle. This oasis was created by two expats, Tommy and Patty Clarkson, who for the past 11 years have created a beautiful refuge on the hillside outside the big city. The lot is not a huge expanse, but a normal-sized lot that they have packed full of palm trees and plants from all around the world and especially from Mexico.

Our tour took about three and a half hours and in that time we learned everything we will ever need to know about palm trees. It was overwhelming, but a very nice tour. Tommy led the tour and his enthusiasm about the gardens was very apparent and it was refreshing to see someone that put everything into this endeavor.

One of the beautiful palm trees in the garden.

We loaded back into the van and then drove around Manzanillo to the small beach town of Cuyutlán where we invaded a beach restaurant and had lunch. The town's economy was solely based on two things, salt and tourism. The beach was lined with empty hotels and beach restaurants. We seemed to be the only people in town this Monday.

We finished our lunch and then bumped along south to the El Tortugario Ecológico. In this area, we loaded into a panga and took a short tour of the mangroves. We viewed many birds and many mysterious splashes. Each time we were told that the splashes were little crocodiles. I have no photo proof of this, so you have to use your imagination.

A Thai Spirit House.

Finally, we went to the Tortuga breeding area and looked at several different varieties of Tortugas.  We were told that they are breeding these tortugas and then returning the young tortoises to the ocean. The pools where the animals resided were clean and the Tortugas looked healthy, but we really did not like the fact that they were in captivity and not free to swim the oceans. The final three pond areas were not filled with water, but were empty and lined with sand. These housed iguanas that were fed and cared for by the caretakers. These reptiles were free to wander but kept close to the food and water.

At the end of that tour, we drove back into Cuyutlán and drove by the closed Salt Museum. No one in the van was upset that we did not stop at the Museum. Dan, our guide, told us some facts as we inched by the building, the long day showing in everyone's faces. We hit the highway for a long hot drive back to Melaque. It was great to experience what we hadn't had the opportunity to see before.