Dias de los Muertos: Mexico

November 1st and 2nd, mark the Days of the Dead (Dias los Muertos) in Mexico. November 1st is in honor of deceased children and infants (Dia de los Inocentes – Day of the Innocents) and November 2nd is in honor of adults (Dia de los Muertos).

Whenever I bring up Day of the Dead in conversation, it’s usually met with a response that insinuates morbidity. In fact, Day of the Dead is quite the opposite. Families and friends gather on these two days to celebrate the lives and memories of loved ones that have been lost over the years. It is a celebratory holiday and one of my most memorable travel experiences was a trip to Michoacan, Mexico to partake in the festivities.

Mexican legend has it that people die three deaths. The first death occurs when our body ceases to function. The second death happens when our body is buried, returned to the earth, and placed out of sight. The third, and final death, ensues when there is no one left to remember us. Dias de los Muertos is a way to keep the third death from coming to pass.

Over the two Days of the Dead, it is believed that the souls of the deceased find it easier to visit lost family members and friends. Because of this, people visit cemeteries in anticipation of this annual return. Altars are erected at the grave site and ofrendas (offerings) of the deceased’s favorite foods and libations are placed on the altars – enticement and sustenance for the soul’s long journey. Dias de los Muertos is a celebration of life as the thought of death is embraced and accepted.

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Mexico during this time of year, it’s an experience that provides insight into a national tradition that blends a variety of cultures spanning thousands of years. In the process, Dias de los Muertos just might change the way you view death.

Sustainable Tourism Development in Mozambique: A Case Study

This case study was presented by Sarah Fazendin of the Fazendin Portfolio at the ATTA (Adventure Travel Trade Association) World Summit in October 2009.  Reefs to Rockies has been working closely with the Fazendin Portfolio and industry partners in Mozambique to develop itineraries that emphasize sustainability and conservation efforts in the region.  The launch of Reefs to Rockies “Mozambique: By Land and By Sea” ( http://www.reefstorockies.com/mozam-itinerary.html)  incorporates several of the initiatives mentioned in the case study below.

Case Study

For nearly 40 years, Mozambique suffered at the hands of both colonial and indigenous governments. By the 1990’s, years of war and drought left Mozambique one of the poorest, least educated countries in the world. Much of today’s workforce in Mozambique grew up knowing nothing but war, have had little or no formal education, and have certainly had no tourism training. The one exception would be those employed by the coastal tourism industry, historically focused on the mass, mid-market travelers coming primarily from South Africa.

Today, Mozambique is a destination that many in the African tourism industry have recognized as capable of conservation and able to sustain a luxury travel product (travel product that follows the low-volume, high-yield approach). Not entirely unexpected, the majority of funding for conservation and community initiatives across Mozambique is currently coming primarily from international investment and from luxury tourism development.

One of the destination’s key selling points is that it remains free of crowds and is not “commercialized” like many other regions of southern Africa. Even the more popular and more densely developed archipelago beach regions are protected from over-development as they are National Parks and the likelihood of them gaining in bed nights is not likely. Mozambique also benefits from its location, nestled among key tourism destinations in southern Africa.

Many foreigners are involved, almost exclusively, in fact. Community development is part of their business plan, and the country has a young, energetic group of tourism industry professionals leading the charge. This is an open economy looking forward to better days. Across the country, from the Bazaruto Archipelago up to Cabo Delgado on the coast, and from the Limpopo Transfrontier Park up to the Niassa Reserve, in only a few short years some exciting sustainable tourism developments have been made leading to positive expectations for this developing tourism destination as a whole .

What will be the driving forces for Sustainable Tourism development in Mozambique?

1.  Foreign Investment and Guidance: Carr Foundation’s Involvement in Gorongosa National Park

The Gorongosa National Park Restoration Project is a collaboration between the Government of Mozambique and the Carr Foundation, a U.S. non-profit organization, to protect and restore the ecosystem of Gorongosa National Park and to develop an ecotourism industry to benefit local communities. The rehabilitation of Gorongosa National Park in Central Mozambique represents one of the great conservation opportunities in the world today. Gorongosa is a region of high species diversity and ecological features found nowhere else. In January, 2008, the Foundation signed a 20-year contract with the Government to co-manage the Park. Currently the Restoration project is; training a revitalized anti-poaching team and rebuilding park infrastructure, conducting biological monitoring including a large herbivore count, carnivore survey, fish survey and vegetation map, creating a permanent biological research center in the park that will not only advance scientific understanding but also provide education and employment opportunities to Mozambicans, and working to improve the lives of people in the Park’s surrounding lands by creating employment in park jobs, funding schools and health clinics, and training local farmers in sustainable agriculture.

2.  Young Energy and Enthusiasm: Nkwichi Lodge and Explore Gorongosa

These are two examples of young travel industry professionals taking their training and expertise from elsewhere in Africa and applying it in the developing tourism industry in Mozambique in the form of small, sustainable accommodation experiences in Mozambique.  The Manda Wilderness Community Trust works closely with Nkwichi Lodge, a hidden hand-built lodge on the dazzling Mozambique shores of Lake Niassa (Lake Malawi), to ensure that local communities also benefit from the growth of responsible tourism in the region. The Trust also manages the Manda Wilderness Community Conservation Area which was created to protect and manage a 120,000 hectare community reserve on the shores of Lake Niassa. The Manda Wilderness Project has managed to get the local communities to set aside some of their land for conservation, to make a wildlife reserve and to use their natural resources in a sustainable manner.

For example they appreciate their trees have a value. They control who comes to cut firewood in their local areas and regulate their harvesting. Patrick Simkin, the project’s founder, drew from his international and adventurous lifestyle set the scene to embark on this ambitious project and has been at Nkwichi Lodge since 1999 as the Resident Director and one of the share holders.

Another exciting new project is Explore Gorongosa, the first private tourism initiative in Gorongosa National Park (mentioned above). Having been involved in the safari industry quite extensively over the past decade, both on the ground in guiding and management roles in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, and in the back rooms of tour operator businesses and travel consultancies in Cape Town and London, Rob & Jos Janisch figured that there was indeed a niche for a small handful of unique safari products that endeavoured more actively to embrace the way the world of travel, particularly African safari travel, was moving. With much assistance from the park’s management team and from The Carr Foundation, the concept has manifested into Explore Gorongosa, a unique luxury safari experience within the Gorongosa National Park. The experience is a seasonal, luxury tented safari camp with plans to explore further options within this magnificent park.

Capacity Building by Private Sector in Luxury Travel: Coral Lodge 15.41

This lodge is in an area that is perhaps the least developed in the whole of Mozambique. Communities that rely on the tides and mangroves have been left behind in the development that has manifested elsewhere in the country.  Culturally separate as well (as beautifully chronicled in the book Mozambique Mysteries), there have been significant challenges here when it comes to capacity building. This luxury tourism project will employ many of the local community, training them in luxury tourism and building the capacity of even this community to benefit from Mozambique’s development in tourism.

The Ministry of Tourism of Mozambique (MITUR) recently mentioned capacity building in luxury tourism in a Responsible Tourism Policy and Code of Conduct report for the industry. While this needs to be implemented by MITUR, feedback and buy-in from key private sector stakeholders will ensure its successful implementation and ongoing capacity building in the luxury and sustainable segment of Mozambique’s tourism industry. Government support will play a critical role in the development of Mozambique’s luxury tourism industry.

Conservation through Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA): Machampane Wilderness Camp

A TFCA is a protected area that spans across boundaries of multiple countries, where the political border sections that are enclosed within its area are abolished. This includes removal of all forms of physical boundaries, such as fences, allowing free migration of animals and humans within the area. In the case of Machampane, this has allowed tourism investment from South Africa spill over into Mozambique, supporting the local communities and wildlife in the region. To highlight a few of the contributions via this Peace Park:

1. TFPD supports community owned shops by purchasing supplies in the remote town of Massingir and by taking its 4×4 trail clients to shops in Mapai where the clients purchase goods.

2. TFPD also introduces its guests to community life at local villages which supports the shops and craft makers and supports anti-malaria campaigns in nearby rural communities. 

3. TFPD markets PNL as a tourism destination and as a consequence of its marketing efforts generates clients both for its own and PNL’s facilities. This effort results in border fees/visa fees, import duties, park entry fees and park accommodation and camping fees which all accrue to the Mozambique Government.

Botswana’s Big Cats (Part 3 of 3)

3rd Up: Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Location: Moremi Game Reserve

Last night, we slept in a mobile fly camp in the Xakanaxa region of the Moremi Game Reserve.  Permanent water and varied vegetation zones support a diversity of species and Xakanaxa is known for consistently awarding its visitors with fantastic wildlife sightings. 

We departed camp at 7:30 am for our drive back to the airstrip.  Within moments, we were treated with a quintessential cheetah view.  It was standing on a termite mound in the golden early morning light.  Of all of the world’s big cats, the cheetah is my favorite.

Cheetahs are the fastest land animals on the planet so their bodies are built for speed.  With a flexible spine, long, muscular tail and streamlined shape, cheetahs can reach maximum speeds up to 70 miles per hour.  The dark tear mark below a cheetah’s eye, like the Eye Black seen on football players, attracts the sunlight and keeps out sun glare. 

Once a cheetah is within striking distance, it swipes at the prey’s hind legs with its front paw.  Its strong non-retractable claws, an unusual trait among felines, provide extra grip and help to trip the prey, knocking it to the ground.  A cheetah’s speed is an incredible heat generator so if it’s not successful in the quest for prey quickly, it has to stop for a rest.

After stretching a few times, our cheetah proceeded to an adjacent field where it hid behind a tall termite mound, surveying the area for prey.  A group of impala, about 40 yards in the distance, caught its attention.  The cheetah assumed the notorious cat stalk position and started creeping forward.  I moved to the edge of my seat in anticipation of the chase. 

The cheetah must’ve heard a noise from behind because it turned its head in the opposite direction.  Cheetahs are skittish, regularly scanning their surroundings for potential predators.  Leopards, lions, and hyenas will steal its kill.  By the time the cheetah turned back around, the impala had moved to within 15 yards, but the cheetah’s movement spooked them and they took off running.  You could see the cheetah relax in disappointment. 

No cheetah chase in this morning’s safari lineup, but we did have front row access to one of the world’s most magnificent felines.

Cheetahs at the Cincinnati Zoo

If you can’t make it all the way to the African savannah to watch a cheetah chase, the Cincinnati Zoo is a closer option.  The Zoo’s Cheetah Encounter exhibit features a track 100 yards long where resident cheetahs chase a spring-loaded lure.  In September 2009, Sarah, the Cincinnati Zoo’s 8-year-old cheetah, broke a land-speed record for mammals on her first try.  Shortly thereafter, she celebrated by breaking her own record in her second run. 

Botswana’s Big Cats (Part 2 of 3)

2^nd up: Lion (Panthera leo)

Location: Santawani Concession – operated by the local community and location of Botswana’s Predator Conservation Progeam.

This morning began with another game drive in the Santawani Concession. Yesterday afternoon was spectacular with the leopard sighting. Today we’re on the lookout for lions. We heard a male near the lodge last night and he sounded close, very close.

As we leave the camp, we notice a small herd of impala acting skittish. Owen, our guide, mentions that something must be going on in the area and that it probably involves lions. There is a resident group of lions, the Santawani Pride, that calls this area home.

After our mid-morning stop for coffee and cookies (I love this part), Owen asks if we’re ready to head back to the lodge. We haven’t seen any lions, but that’s to be expected when you’re stalking wildlife. Some days are just better than others, and this morning has been productive in other ways.

We turn down the road back to camp and two guides approach in another vehicle. They talk to Owen, but the language barrier is preventing me from eavesdropping effectively. After they pull away, Owen looks back at us and asks if we’re willing to stay out longer because a couple of lions have been spotted a few kilometers from here. That’s a silly question – of course, we’re game.

Our eyes resume scanning the landscape for the feline form. I see nothing other than swaying grass. All of a sudden, Owen turns off the road, pulls up behind a termite mound, and stops the vehicle. Lying in the grass in front of us are two lionesses. We’ve apparently disturbed nap time. One lifts her head for a moment, yawns, and then lies back down. Rest is calling and she doesn’t care to be bothered any further. The second reacts in a similar, unenthusiastic manner and we decide to leave them in peace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost back at the lodge, we see a vehicle pulled off the road. Owen pulls up next to them and in front of us is the infamous Santawani Pride feeding on a fresh giraffe kill. I can’t believe our luck again! Just a bit earlier I had asked Owen what the major predators of giraffes are and here, right in front of the vehicle, my question is answered in the best possible way. Wow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The alpha male has already fed and is sleeping, belly full, in the shade. The alpha female is feeding at the neck (it must be her favorite part) as the younger individuals work on the hind legs and abdomen. Yes, it’s gruesome, but it’s also spectacular. This is nature at its finest, and the day just got better.

Botswana’s Big Cats (Part 1 of 3)

1st up: Leopard (Panthera pardus)

Location: Santawani Concession – operated by the local community and location of Botswana’s Predator Conservation Program.

This is our first game drive of the safari and our guide, Owen, is driving us through the Santawani Concession near Sankuyo Bush Camp.  I’ve heard that this area is rich with predators like lions and leopards, but I’m not expecting to see any on our first drive.  I thought we’d have to work harder at finding these elusive predators.

About an hour in, we see a couple of vehicles situated under an acacia tree.  We pull up alongside and scan the tree for a glimpse of what is holding their attention.  After a few moments, we see the characteristic rosette spots on light-colored fur and the sleek, feline shape – a leopard.  And better yet, a leopard with its forepaws wrapped around a meal of fresh warthog!

Leopard feeding on warthog - Santawani Concession, Botswana

Leopards are the most widespread of the big cats, found in virtually every habitat from tropical rain forest to desert to temperate forests.  A leopard’s preferred prey varies, but those that live in open areas of Africa prefer to hunt roaming herds of herbivores.  A warthog qualifies as an African herbivore.  Leopards typically hunt alone and their brute strength allows them to pull prey into trees, out of reach of other predators like lions and hyenas wanting to steal their meal.  Hunting at night also gives them a competitive edge.

Spotted hyena (Photo by Kay Trotman)

As we sit and watch the leopard feeding, two spotted hyenas come into sight.  Something about hyenas always sends chills up my spine.  I think it’s their crouched stance while stalking and notorious laugh.  Either way, this is getting good.  The more aggressive of the two stands under the leopard waiting for a piece of warthog to fall from above.  Moments later, the hyena gets what it’s asking for – a scrap of warthog drops from the tree, and an enthusiastic hyena runs off with its reward.  I swear it has a smile on its face.

The leopard continues to feed, we continue to watch, taking photos and video to record our luck, and the day’s light continues to fade.  The Santawani Concession is already living up to its hype as a predator playground.

Baobabs and Elephants

Excerpt from Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa: “grotesque, comparatively short, deciduous trees with hugely swollen trunk: occurring at low altitudes in hot dry bushveld”.  Grotesque?  Webster defines grotesque as being distorted or unnatural in shape; abnormal and hideous; ludicrously odd.  All of those meanings seem to invoke a negative connotation.  To me, the baobab is a tree to be admired. 

Baobabs are often referred to as the “upside down tree” because the branches, when leafless during winter dormancy, look like roots up top.  Baobab bark is smooth and fibrous making it a favorite food of elephants.  Elephants are infamous for knocking trees over so that bark, branches, and leaves are easier to access.  Driving near Mapula Lodge in the Okavango Delta of Botswana, baobabs are not a common site across the landscape.  Up close to the trees, you can see clear evidence of elephant damage, but the baobab perseveres, living on, in spite of obvious damage.  Enduring, withstanding, imposing – those descriptors seem more appropriate than grotesque for the baobab.  Or better yet, how about strong?

 

The Long Haul: Denver to Botswana

When you look at a world map, Botswana is positioned half-way around the world from Denver, Colorado. Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Botswana for the first time to do site visits and to work on itinerary development.

View of Okavango Delta from plane

For many, Africa is a once in a lifetime destination. For myself, this inaugural trip was a childhood dream come true and I knew it was only the first of many adventures to the continent.

I departed Denver at 1pm on Tuesday, July 21 and arrived to the Okavango Delta, Botswana just after 5pm on July 23^rd. Local time in Botswana is 8 hours ahead of Denver. Flight time from Denver to Atlanta was 2.5 hrs where I met up with the first of two travel companions. From Atlanta to Johannesburg, South Africa, the flight time was 15 hrs 10 min. I overnighted in the Wanderers area of Johannesburg and headed back to the airport at 8:30 am with both of my travel companions now along for the rest of the journey. Our flight to Livingstone, Zambia was 1 hr 15 min followed by a 1 hr road transfer to the river crossing delineating the border of Zambia and Botswana. The river crossing lasted just a few minutes since we crossed by speedboat versus on a barge. Next, was a 20 min drive to a small airstrip in Botswana where our 6-seat charter plane was waiting. A 75-minute flight over the broad expanses of Botswanan wildlife habitat was a highlight of the journey. I had my first glimpse of elephants, a member of the Big 5, down below flapping their ears back and forth to cool themselves. Dry watering holes looked like pock marks on the landscape with game trails running in all directions from the source. We boarded mokoros for the last leg of the trip. We glided through tall reeds and past blooming water lilies and heard hippos grunting in the deeper waters a safe distance away – a relaxing way to end the peregrination.

View from the mokoro

Tree House chalet at Delta Camp

I stepped off the mokoro and onto the observation deck at Delta Camp just in time to watch my first African sunset. Was the long haul worth it? Absolutely! After a fantastic dinner of potato soup, fresh fish with rice and vegetable curry washed down with a glass of red wine, I climbed the stairs to my treehouse chalet for the night. I listened to the sounds of abundant nocturnal wildlife down below and felt the wind rustling through the tree branches. The long haul was definitely worth it and the trip had only just begun.

 

Meeting the Locals

Often times when I travel, the most memorable experiences are those unexpected, spontaneous interactions with the “locals”. Maybe I’m sitting across from them at a dinner table learning about local cuisine, maybe I wander into the courtyard of their family home to have freshly fermented chicha, maybe I’m running down the beach with them to see a leatherback sea turtle nesting on the beach by daylight instead of in the darkness of night. What I don’t expect is to have one of those experiences with a US local sitting next to me on my flight from Denver to Atlanta en route to Africa for my first safari. Today, that’s exactly what I got.

I’ll call this US local Scott. Scott was sitting next to me on my flight to Atlanta. We were seated in the exit row just behind first class and started talking about our luck with that ever-precious resource on flights – leg room. The conversation quickly turned to sustainability in travel, trends in the eco-conscious movement, marketing/branding for nonprofits, modern agricultural methods in the US, among other topics. I was engaged the entire flight, talking and then listening to Scott’s perspective.

You never quite know where the conversation is going to go the first time around with someone new. Is it possible you have some thing, many things, in common? Could you possibly have the same ideals, goals, and dreams? Will you connect? Isn’t it just that, the connection, you’re looking for when you wander across the globe to far away places to interact with the locals? Thanks, Scott, for the connection to one of my locals. The trip is already off to a memorable start and I can’t wait to see what Africa brings!

Announcing Monarchs of Michoacan with Sarada Krishnan of Denver Botanic Gardens (February 6 – 13, 2010)

Monarchs at El Rosario Reserve

Every winter, the cloud forests in the mountains of central Mexico play host to millions and millions of over-wintering monarch butterflies.  The annual migration of these monarchs from the Great Lakes region is one of nature’s greatest mysteries.  Incredibly, four to five generations separate the monarch populations that make this long and dangerous migration.  The monarchs creating the spectacle in Mexico are the great, great grandchildren of the generation that migrated there the year before.  Seeing the sheer abundance of monarchs, bending oyamel fir branches with their weight and sounding like raindrops as they take to the air, is a wildlife encounter not to be missed.

Sarada Krishnan, Director of Horticulture at Denver Botanic Gardens, is accompanying the group on this trip to Mexico.  Sarada has an extensive background in horticulture and butterfly ecology.  She served as the Director of Horticulture and Conservation at the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, Colorado for six years and she is also the author and publisher of “Butterfly Pavilion’s Butterfly Gardening: A Guide for Colorado Gardeners”.  Sarada’s depth of knowledge, enthusiasm, and passion are sure to make for an unforgettable experience for travelers joining her in Michoacan.

For a detailed itinerary, please visit Reefs to Rockies’ website ( http://www.reefstorockies.com/pdfs/R2RMonarchs-of-Michoacan-with-SaradaKrishnan.pdf).

For a great article on monarch migration, check out the July/August 2009 edition of Audubon magazine ( http://audubonmagazine.org/features0907/pullout-wildlifeSpectacle.html).

Night and Day with WIDECAST and Ecoteach

Leatherback tracks in the sand

Leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), a critically endangered species, are the largest turtles on the planet.  Their size is definitely notable as they make their way onto nesting beaches to lay eggs.  The turtle tracks left behind look like an SUV drove onto the sand.  Reptiles, or at least female reptiles, are tied to land for the egg laying process.  With marine turtles, this reproductive obligation seems especially cumbersome as they have evolved to efficiently glide through water and not a terrestrial environment.

Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to visit Estacion Las Tortugas north of Limon on multiple occasions with Ecoteach and groups of college students.  The egg laying season is from March through mid-June, but May is an especially good time to watch the spectacle.  A couple of weeks ago in addition to Estacion Las Tortugas, I traveled to two different WIDECAST (Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network) research stations with the director of Ecoteach – one in Gandoca, Costa Rica and the other at San San Pond Sack, Panama.  We had no idea what was in store for us.

Sunrise at San San Pond Sak Wetlands, Panama

Walking down the Gandoca beach by moonlight, I could see the reflective crests of waves crashing onto the beach, a cue used by the females to find their way back to the sea.  As our guide walked in front of us, I could also see bioluminescent sand dwellers light up with each footstep.  The glimmers of light always remind me of kids’ shoes with lights in the soles that flash with each stride.  We slowly approached the first nesting female of the evening and learned that she had already laid her eggs. 

Hatchery in Gandoca

The guide asked us to wait by the hatchery for news of another female on the beach.  Our wait was less than 10 minutes.  Making our way back down the beach, we saw a dark shadow at the intersection of sea and sand.  This female was just leaving the water and you could hear her grunts of exertion with each forward motion onto land.  I’ve been lucky enough to see more than a dozen nesting leatherbacks, but watching as one appeared from the sea was a first, and a welcome first at that.  We watched in awe as she found the perfect site, nestled into the sand and excavated the nest with her hind flippers.  This seemed like it was going to be the highlight of our trip.

The next morning, we crossed the border into Panama and met Erick from the WIDECAST project at San San Pond Sak Wetlands.  Our goal here was to learn about the manatee monitoring project on site, but the same population of leatherbacks from Gandoca also uses this as a nesting area. We weren’t planning on going out on turtle patrol so leatherbacks weren’t at the forefront of our minds. 

Covering the nest

Going back....

After a visit to the manatee observation platform with no luck, we returned to the station for our afternoon cafecito (coffee break).  A few moments later, one of the research staff members ran into the dining area shouting an enthusiastic “tortuga, tortuga!”  When we realized he was referring to a leatherback on the beach in daylight, everyone moved into action and ran down the beach.  I couldn’t believe my eyes – up ahead, a giant leatherback, a species that dates back 100 million years and the last species of their evolutionary lineage, was out in broad daylight.  Wow!  She had already laid her eggs, but we were able to observe as the team took measurements, snapped a few photos, and as she made her way back to the vast ocean from which she came.  Watching as she entered the surf and coming up for air while riding the waves is a sight I’ll never forget and I feel lucky to have been there.  My night and day with WIDECAST and Ecoteach are definitely ones to remember.