An interesting start to our Mexican journey.
A long delay to Gatwick and a rental car that was overheating in the traffic jams and bleeping and flashing at us, like in the movies when an airplane is crashing. A late plane comes next and then on arrival in Cancun my bag did not appear until everyone else had gone and then it turned up with stickers on for customs check – no idea why and no issue when they did check but added another hour to a long journey. We had hoped to arrive in daylight but due to delays it was not to be – not great for Steve driving, wrong side of the road, dark, busy and crazy unclear road system. After a couple of missed turns and around in a few circles we got to our accommodation 10 mins away after taking 30 mins. Dodgy looking area and very industrial but nice enough place.
In the morning we walked to the nearest eating place – fantastic tacos and very cheap.
Next comes a drive down the coast to the ferry for Cozumel Island but on arriving we are told wrong ferry – and to go further but that there may not be another car ferry today. We had researched the different ferry’s but somehow forgot to note it down and stupidly relied on a quick search (AI). After a 3 hour wait in a hot car in the ferry terminal we are finally off to Cozumel – but lady luck is still laughing at us. On arrival around 1 hour before dark we could not find our accommodation. On going into a shop to ask I find out it was right where we were but had closed down weeks ago. Great now getting late in the day and no-where to stay. Local guy said there was a hotel 2 doors down but on going there that was also shut for renovation. (Pretty annoyed with booking.com as we should have been informed of the shut down – and I found out later that you could still book the other hotel for these dates even though that was also closed… Dodgy)
Internet on our phones was not strong enough to bring up airbnb or booking – or anything really so we had to drive up the road in the hope of finding somewhere – we ended up in a massive place in town – not our style at all but not too many sensible options around (only plenty of fancy resorts at prices way out of our budget and desire).
On the bright side, when landing the water looked so clear and very inviting.
The resort turned out to be like Butlins on Spanish steroids, music all day long fun activities(not) in afternoon and evenings. Got lucky on the last evening when rain washed out some sort of singing competition.
The first day was a lot of rain but we still managed to find some great birds, surprising really seeing the number of people that descend on this small island every day. 4 Cruise ships with an average of 28,000 people every day – madness.
Snorkeling when the rain stopped was interesting, surprisingly a lot of fish but the coral has been decimated. Not surprising when I saw some divers standing in 20 foot or more of water on the only stuff still alive. – You would think divers would want to preserve the coral……
Still not enough stuff to see for a second snorkel. Thought we would look at some archeological sites, the first we could not find – but did find lots of birds in the area. The second was great for birds on the way and in the car park but the ruins themselves were so expensive we did not bother.
Driving to the other side of the island you go from flat calm water to very choppy, blowing a gale and a sea of Sargassum, amazing the change.
All in all an interesting island but not really our style. Off back to Cancun for a couple of days.
Our airbnb here is also interesting – having to lift bags over a giant wall step to enter and a toilet that you can only flush every half our or more – even after the owner came to try to fix it, the refill just dribbles in.
Enjoyed a walk in a great park, surprisingly empty for a city, with some great birds, coati’s and squirrel’s. Would have gone again on the second day but it did not open on Mondays.
The other interesting thing about this park is that it is built on a rubbish dump so surprising the amount of birds and plants that will overcome this.
The next part of our trip is mainly birding around the south and west. This is where Mexico really surprised me and was nothing like expected. The scenery is so diverse along with the habitats, from cactus forests to rain forest and mountains. So much great scenery – not that we captured much on camera as never anywhere to stop on windy roads.
Not only was the scenery varied but so were the altitudes, we slept from sea level to 3100 mtrs and everything in between – up and down like a yo yo. Of course that also goes with the temperature too 37 and humid on the coast and 2 and very cold up high.
We were very impressed in one area when we saw a massive government clean up of rubbish (it needs it in the whole country) but at least some is done – a tourist area of course.
On a differernt topic the Mexican diet is interesting – a bit how I eat (minus the beans). Meat 3 times a day with tomatoes, onions and coriander with everything plus bread. Hardly any vegetables that we saw (except beans with everything). The cost of meals here is out of all proportion to the cost of other things like accommodation but in saying that meals are so huge that one is too much for both of us most of the time.( Definitely not a gourmet trip).
One of the reasons we came west was to find a rare bird called a Tufted Jay – not realising the huge toll costs to drive there.
Toll costs on the roads are one of the highest in the world, and the roads have other things to throw at you.
Mudslides
And crashes
And Rocks
And of Course
After the coast we drove the 3.5 hours of windy roads – as above pics show to find the Tufted Jay and others. Not to be, we arrived in the afternoon to this
which stayed and added heavy rain. 5.30am still the same, stayed till mid morning but no change and no sign of change.
A brief interval in cloud for around 2 minutes showed us potential view.
No Tufted Jay or Aztec Thrush or anything really.
We did find a woodpecker.
Back down the scary rock fall road and head back to Mexico city.
Our last stop is Baja California Sur, again very different from other places. It reminds us both of part Alice Springs and around and part South and West coast of Australia – apart from with Cactus plants. Stunning scenery again and quite remote with dirt roads and no big built up areas.
Some great beaches for surfing and some impressive snorkeling – not so much for Coral but for the big schools of very large fish. Internet and getting text messages really lousy.
Our last but one day in Mexico should have been birding – but lack of text messages for dual authentification meant that the entire day was taken up with Vodafone – and still no result. Frustrating to say the least.
Our real last day and the reason we came to this area was to swim with the massive (hundreds to 10s of thousands) of migrating Mobular Rays.
Unfortunately our lack of luck in Mexico is still with us – we did see some jumping out of the water but they had an unusual occurrence for the last 7 days with Orca’s in the bay trying to eat the Ray’s so they are very separated instead of in large groups. You can only swim with them when in their large groups (and away to the side of the mob or fever as it is known) so as not to disturb them. Still watching them jumping was pretty amazing.
Below, not my pictures but the solo ray is what we saw, the group is what we hoped to swim with.
In the afternoon we wanted to do the birding we could not do the day before but it is a tidal lagoon area – and 1 it was incredibly windy and 2 such a high tide all the paths were underwater – another thing out of the window.
Next stop Brazil – well that was the plan. Flight was to go via Panama City at with a 1 hour layover. Firstly an email saying flight leaving 15 mins early – rock up earlier and it’s changed back to original time. That time comes and we get boarded onto bus and then stand in bus outside plane for 30 mins before going back to terminal and still stuck standing in bus for another 30 mins. Bus then moves 2 spaces and lets us off. Back to the start. Eventually our plane leaves 2 hours late and no-one will tell us about the connecting flight. Arrive in Panama City at after 5 hours in late evening. Large queue of people with varying missed connecting flights. Finally after 2 hours in airport we board a bus to complimentary hotel, arriving just after midnight. Next flight tomorrow evening, basically 23.5 hours after landing.
Massive hotel, awful smorgesboard food and very old smelly rooms. Looked nice in the photos, just glad we are not paying.
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BIRD & WILDLIFE IDENTIFIED:
Birds:
Acorn Woodpecker
Altamira Oriole
American Avocet
American Barn Owl
American Coot
American Kestrel
American Robin
American White Ibis
Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem
Anhinga
Arizona Woodpecker
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Audubon’s Oriole
Aztec Rail
Azure-crowned Hummingbird
Azure-hooded Jay
Balsas Screech-Owl
Bananaquit
Band-backed Wren
Banded Quail
Banded Wren
Barn Swallow
Barred Antshrike
Bearded Wood-Partridge
Berylline Hummingbird
Bewick’s Wren
Black Catbird
Black Phoebe
Black Storm-Petrel
Black Tern
Black Thrush
Black Vulture
Black-backed Oriole
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Black-capped Gnatcatcher
Black-chested Sparrow
Black-chinned Sparrow
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black-faced Grosbeak
Black-headed Grosbeak
Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush
Black-headed Saltator
Black-headed Siskin
Black-headed Trogon
Black-necked Stilt
Black-polled Yellowthroat
Black-throated Magpie-Jay
Black-vented Oriole
Blue Bunting
Blue Grosbeak
Blue Ground Dove
Blue Mockingbird
Blue Seedeater
Blue-black Grassquit
Blue-capped Hummingbird
Blue-capped Motmot
Blue-crowned Chlorophonia
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
Blue-grey Tanager
Blue-throated Mountain-gem
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Botteri’s Sparrow
Boucard’s Wren
Bridled Sparrow
Bridled Titmouse
Bright-rumped Attila
Broad-billed Hummingbird
Bronzed Cowbird
Brown Creeper
Brown Jay
Brown Pelican
Brown-backed Solitaire
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Brown-headed Cowbird
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Buff-breasted Flycatcher
Buff-collared Nightjar
Bumblebee Hummingbird
Bushtit
Cactus Wren
California Gnatcatcher
California Quail
California Scrub-Jay
California Towhee
Canivet’s Emerald
Canyon Towhee
Canyon Wren
Caribbean Elaenia
Cassin’s Kingbird
Chestnut-capped Brushfinch
Chestnut-collared Swift
Chestnut-headed Oropendola
Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo
Chihuahuan Meadowlark
Chimney Swift
Chipping Sparrow
Cinnamon Hummingbird
Cinnamon Teal
Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer
Cinnamon-bellied Saltator
Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater
Cinnamon-tailed Sparrow
Citreoline Trogon
Clark’s Grebe
Clay-colored Thrush
Cliff Swallow
Colima Pygmy-Owl
Collared Aracari
Collared Forest-Falcon
Collared Towhee
Collared Trogon
Common Black Hawk
Common Chlorospingus
Common Gallinule
Common Ground Dove
Common Pauraque
Common Raven
Common Squirrel-Cuckoo
Common Starling
Common Tody-Flycatcher
Common Yellowthroat
Cooper’s Hawk
Coppery-tailed Trogon
Couch’s Kingbird
Cozumel Emerald
Cozumel Vireo
Cozumel Wren
Crane Hawk
Crescent-chested Warbler
Crested Caracara
Crested Guan
Curve-billed Thrasher
Double-striped Thick-knee
Dusky Hummingbird
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Dwarf Jay
Dwarf Vireo
Eared Grebe
Eared Poorwill
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern/Chihuahuan Meadowlark
Elegant Euphonia
Elegant Quail
Elf Owl
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Eye-ringed Flatbill
Fan-tailed Warbler
Fawn-throated Foliage-gleaner
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
Five-striped Sparrow
Flame-colored Tanager
Flammulated Flycatcher
Flammulated Owl
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Forster’s Tern
Franklin’s Gull
Fulvous Owl
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Garnet-throated Hummingbird
Gartered Violaceous Trogon
Gila Woodpecker
Gilded Flicker
Glossy Ibis
Golden Vireo
Golden-browed Warbler
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker
Golden-crowned Emerald
Golden-crowned Warbler
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Golden-olive Woodpecker
Grace’s Warbler
Grass Wren
Grassland Yellow-Finch
Great Egret
Great Horned Owl
Great Kiskadee
Great Tinamou
Greater Pewee
Greater Roadrunner
Greater Yellowlegs
Great-tailed Grackle
Green Heron
Green Jay
Green Kingfisher
Green Shrike-Vireo
Green-breasted Mango
Green-fronted Hummingbird
Greenish Elaenia
Green-striped Brushfinch
Grey Hawk
Grey Kingbird
Grey Plover
Grey Silky-flycatcher
Grey Thrasher
Grey-barred Wren
Grey-breasted Martin
Grey-breasted Woodpecker
Grey-breasted Wood-Wren
Grey-collared Becard
Grey-crowned Woodpecker
Grey-crowned Yellowthroat
Grey-headed Dove
Groove-billed Ani
Gull-billed Tern
Hairy Woodpecker
Happy Wren
Heermann’s Gull
Hepatic Tanager
Hooded Grosbeak
Hooded Oriole
Hooded Yellowthroat
Hook-billed Kite
Horned Lark
House Finch
House Sparrow
Hudsonian Whimbrel
Hutton’s Vireo
Inca Dove
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper
Keel-billed Toucan
Killdeer
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Laughing Falcon
Laughing Gull
Least Grebe
Least Tern
Lesser Goldfinch
Lesser Greenlet
Lesser Ground-Cuckoo
Lesser Nighthawk
Lesser Roadrunner
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
Lesser Yellowlegs
Lesson’s Motmot
Limpkin
Lineated Woodpecker
Loggerhead Shrike
Long-billed Starthroat
Long-tailed Wood-Partridge
Lovely Cotinga
Magnificent Frigatebird
Mallard
Mangrove Cuckoo
Mangrove Swallow
Mangrove Yellow Warbler
Marsh Wren
Masked Tityra
Mealy Amazon
Melodious Blackbird
Mexican Chickadee
Mexican Duck
Mexican Hermit
Mexican Squirrel-Cuckoo
Mexican Whip-poor-will
Mexican Woodnymph
Middle American Leaftosser
Military Macaw
Montezuma Oropendola
Montezuma Quail
Morelet’s Seedeater
Mottled Owl
Mountain Trogon
Mourning Dove
Muscovy Duck
Myiarchus sp.
Neotropic Cormorant
Northern Barred-Woodcreeper
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
Northern Bentbill
Northern Bobwhite
Northern Cardinal
Northern Emerald-Toucanet
Northern Flicker
Northern House Wren
Northern Jacana
Northern Mockingbird
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Northern Shoveler
Northern Tropical Pewee
Northern Yellow Warbler
Nutting’s Flycatcher
Oaxaca Sparrow
Ocellated Thrasher
Ochre-crowned Greenlet
Olivaceous Woodcreeper
Olive Sparrow
Olive Warbler
Olive-throated Parakeet
Orange Oriole
Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush
Orange-breasted Bunting
Orange-fronted Parakeet
Orchard Oriole
Osprey
Pacific Screech-Owl
Painted Redstart
Pale-billed Woodpecker
Peregrine Falcon
Pied-billed Grebe
Pileated Flycatcher
Pine Flycatcher
Pine Siskin
Pinnated Bittern
Piratic Flycatcher
Plain Chachalaca
Plain-capped Starthroat
Plumbeous Vireo
Purple Gallinule
Purplish-backed Jay
Pygmy Nuthatch
Pyrrhuloxia
Red Warbler
Red-billed Pigeon
Red-breasted Chat
Red-capped Manakin
Red-crowned Ant-Tanager
Reddish Egret
Red-headed Tanager
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Red-lored Amazon
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-throated Ant-Tanager
Red-winged Blackbird
Ridgway’s Rail
Ringed Kingfisher
Rivoli’s Hummingbird
Roadside Hawk
Rock Dove
Rock Wren
Roseate Spoonbill
Rose-bellied Bunting
Rose-throated Becard
Royal Tern
Ruddy Crake
Ruddy Duck
Ruddy Foliage-gleaner
Ruddy Ground Dove
Ruddy Quail-Dove
Ruddy Turnstone
Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush
Rufous Mourner
Rufous Piha
Rufous-backed Robin
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
Rufous-breasted Spinetail
Rufous-browed Peppershrike
Rufous-capped Brushfinch
Rufous-capped Warbler
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Russet Nightingale-Thrush
Russet-crowned Motmot
Russet-naped Wren
Rusty Sparrow
Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow
San Blas Jay
Savannah Sparrow
Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner
Scott’s Oriole
Scrub Euphonia
Semipalmated Plover
Short-billed Pigeon
Short-tailed Hawk
Sierra Madre Sparrow
Sinaloa Crow
Sinaloa Wren
Slate-colored Solitaire
Slate-throated Redstart
Slaty Vireo
Slaty-breasted Tinamou
Slaty-tailed Trogon
Smoky-brown Woodpecker
Snail Kite
Snowy Egret
Snowy Plover
Social Flycatcher
Song Sparrow
Sooty Shearwater
Southern House Wren
Spot-breasted Oriole
Spot-breasted Wren
Spot-crowned Woodcreeper
Spotted Rail
Spotted Towhee
Spotted Woodcreeper
Spotted Wood-Quail
Spotted Wren
Steller’s Jay
Streak-backed Oriole
Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Strickland’s Woodpecker
Striped Sparrow
Stripe-headed Sparrow
Stripe-tailed Hummingbird
Stripe-throated Hermit
Stub-tailed Spadebill
Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher
Sumichrast’s Wren
Tawny-winged Woodcreeper
Thick-billed Kingbird
Thicket Tinamou
Transvolcanic Jay
Tricolored Heron
Tropical Kingbird
Tropical Mockingbird
Tropical/Northern Mockingbird
Tufted Flycatcher
Turkey Vulture
Turquoise-crowned Hummingbird
Tuxtla Quail-Dove
Unicolored Jay
Variable Seedeater
Varied Bunting
Vaux’s Swift
Veracruz Wren
Verdin
Vermilion Flycatcher
Violet-crowned Hummingbird
Violet-green Swallow
Virginia Rail
Wedge-tailed Sabrewing
West Mexican Chachalaca
West Mexican Euphonia
Western Bluebird
Western Cattle-Egret
Western Flycatcher
Western Gull
Western Sandpiper
Western Spindalis
Western Warbling Vireo
Western Wood-Pewee
White-bellied Wren
White-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Wood-Wren
White-collared Swift
White-crowned Parrot
White-crowned Pigeon
White-eared Hummingbird
White-faced Ibis
White-faced Quail-Dove
White-fronted Amazon
White-lored Gnatcatcher
White-naped Brushfinch
White-naped Swift
White-striped Woodcreeper
White-tailed Hawk
White-tailed Kite
White-throated Flycatcher
White-throated Jay
White-throated Magpie-Jay
White-throated Swift
White-throated Thrush
White-throated Towhee
White-tipped Dove
White-winged Dove
Willet
Wilson’s Plover
Wood Stork
Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay
Xantus’s Hummingbird
Yellow Grosbeak
Yellow-backed Oriole
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Yellow-billed Cacique
Yellow-breasted Chat
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Yellow-eyed Junco
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Yellow-green Vireo
Yellow-headed Amazon
Yellowish Flycatcher
Yellow-olive Flatbill
Yellow-tailed Oriole
Yellow-throated Euphonia
Yellow-winged Cacique
Yellow-winged Tanager
Yucatan Flycatcher
Yucatan Jay
Yucatan Vireo
Yucatan Woodpecker
Butterflies, Moths & Insects:
Banded Peacock
Band-winged Grasshopper
Bee Fly
Bella Moth
Black Belly Potato Beetle
Black Percher Dragonfly
Blomfild’s Beauty
Bold Jumping Spider
Ceranus Blue Butterfly
Chrysomelidae Leaf Beetle
Common Green Darner Dragonfly
Common Whitetail Dragonfly
Dainty Sulfur Butterfly
Darkling Beetle
Drymaeus Land Snail
Eastern Tail-blue Butterfly
Flat-backed Millipede
Giant Mesquite Bug
Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
Golden Banded Skipper
Green Lynx Spider
Green Pug Moth
Gulf Fritillary
Large Orange Sulphur
Hesperiidae Moth
Jersey Tiger Moth
Jewel Beetle
Julia butterly
Large Orange Sulfur
Lixus Placidus Weevil
Macaria Moth
Many Banded Daggrwing
Mayfly
Mexican Kite Swallowtail
Mexican Red-rumped Tarantula
Noctuidae Moth
Palo Verde Beetle
Red Postman
Robber Fly
Rustic Sphinx Moth
Rusty-tipped Page
Slaty Skimmer Dragonfly
Texan Crescent
Two-barred Flasher
Virginia Ctenucha Moth
Western Rose Chafer Leaf Beetle
White Ermine Tiger Moth
White Morpho
Zebra Longwing
Reptiles etc:
Black Spiny-tailed Lizard
Cape Dwarf Gecko
Central American Wood Turtle
Common Chuckwalla Lizard
Green Iguana
Gulf Coast Toad
Hilaire’s Side-necked Turtle
Jalisco Mud Turtle
Mexican Dusky Rattlesnake
Mud Turtle
Serrate-legged Tree Frog
Striped Basilisk
Texas Spotted Whiptail Lizard
Tree snake
Western Fence Lizard
Underwater:
Atlantic Blue Tang
Bar Jack
Barberfish
Bigeye Jack
Blue Chromis
Bluehead Wrasse
Bluespotted Cornetfish
Bullethead Parrotfish
Ceasar Grunt
Coral Hawkfish
Eyestripe Surgeonfish
Foureye Butteflyfish
French Angelfish
French Grunt
Giant Caribbean Anemone
Guineafowl Pufferfish
Gulf Grouper
Humpback Red Snapper
King Angelfish
Longnose Parrotfish
Long-spine Porcupinefish
Mexican Barred Snapper
Monocle Bream
Monk’s Devil Ray
Ocean Surgeonfish
Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
Pacific Bullethead Parrotfish
Pickhandle Barracuda
Razor Surgeonfish
Red Snapper
Redtail Parrotfish
Rock Beauty
Smooth Trunkfish
Social Feather Duster
Stoplight Parrotfish
Spotted Rose Snapper
White-belly Snapper
Yellow Sea Chub
Yellowfin Mojarra
Yellowfin Parrotfish
Yellowtail Damselfish
Wildlife
Black Squirrel
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Collie’s Squirrel
Cozumel Coati
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Grey Fox
Hispid Cotton Rat
Long-tailed Weasel
Mexican Cottontail Rabbit
Red-bellied Squirrel
Red-tailed Squirrel
Ringtail
Rock Rat
Rock Squirrel
White-nosed Coati
White-tailed Antelope Squirrel
Wild Pig
THINGS TO DO
Parks
So many parks to visit for hiking and archeological ruins that it is just a matter of choice and time which ones to go to.
Other
Hiking
Snorkeling
Bird watching
Ruins
WHERE TO STAY
Accommodation was very varied and often unusual so hard to pick a stand out – we always love the ones in parks etc for the ambience even if the accommodation itself is very basic.
WHERE TO EAT
Cancun – Tacos y gorditas “La especialidad”. – Locals told us they were the best in town and we agree.
Elsewhere it was so pot luck and most places had no real names – very much trial and error.
COSTS
Archeological sites:-
Between 210 and 800 Peso per person, depending on site.
FUEL:-
24 Peso per litre for Petrol on average.
ALCOHOL:-
Domestic beer 6 pack – 60 – 90 Peso
Local spirits 750ml 200 – 400 Peso
Hi Again , i wrote a reply and then it flicked off, so not sure if it sent……… probably not ha. Anyway take care in Brazil and i hope things go a bit smoother for you both, as Mexico sounded very up and own .Nice Scenery though, thanks for the blog.