EL CHARCO DEL INGENIO: THE BOTANICAL GARDENS OF SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, MEXICO

WELCOME TO ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOTANICAL GARDENS IN MEXICO!

                  
Welcome to El Charco del Ingenio in San Miguel de Allende, one of my two favorite botanical gardens and reserves in Mexico.  My other favorite botanical garden is the Vallarta Botanical Garden in the Cabo Corrientes (Cape of the Currents region just south of Puerto Vallarta.

These two botanical gardens are diverse, unique, wonderful, and could not be more different. They are not only a total delight to the senses, but an education to the wonders of the natural world.  I will be sharing the beauty of the Vallarta Botanical Gardens in a future separate blog posting. Until then I want to share with you the wonder of the Altiplano (high plain) landscape at El Charco del Ingenio. If you are ready, let's go check out "El Charco"!

Located above the colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, El Charco offers a fabulous view. Recommended:  take taxi UP to the botanical gardens and walk DOWN to return to town.

In the heart of the central highlands of Mexico, El Charco del Ingenio includes over 170 acres of natural preserve above the historical colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, a World Heritage site since in 2008.

This environmental conservation project was established and privately funded in 1991 as a community initiative of San Miguel de Allende. El Charco, a non-profit organization, has been recognized nationally and inter-nationally for its special efforts in conserving this amazing habitat.

El Charco del Ingenio (roughly translated to mean "the pool, pond, or puddle of ingenuity") is an extraordinary natural monument endowed with amazing biodiversity. Its name is believed to come from the natural pool/pond/puddle at the bottom of its imposing canyon. This pool/pond/puddle was believed by the indigenous people to have been surrounded by spirits and legends dating back to the pre-Hispanic period.

If you like cactus and succulents as I do El Charco is definitely your kind of place!

El Charco is dedicated to the restoration and preservation of Mexican flora and propagates species in danger of extinction from encroaching development. Many rare species of cacti have been transplanted from other surrounding regions in this effort.

Can you believe the size of these cactus paddles?

Departing from the visitor center, a network of walking paths allows the visitor to discover the preserve’s highlights which includes plants displays, scenic lookouts, bird sanctuaries, vestiges from the past, and an interactive children’s garden. El Charco is also a wonderful place for strolling, jogging, hiking, meditating, or simply enjoying nature. 

A visit to El Charco was definitely in order while our daughter visited us in San Miguel de Allende.

El Charco (the pool, pond, or puddle) is, according to surveys, home to 535 species of flora including cacti from 85 botanical families plus an additional 51 species of lichen.

Here is the charco (pool, pond, or puddle) which is the heart of El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Gardens and preserve.

Much of the flora flourishes in the dry scrub land that makes up most of the garden, while the dam that created the reservoir, built in the late 19th Century, offers habitat for 156 species of resident and migratory birds.

Nearly 170 acres make up the site where El Charco is located which includes three important types of terrain: canyon, dry scrub land, and wetlands. The wetlands are the result from the creation of a dam in the late 19th century which provided hydroelectric power to the downstream town of San Miguel de Allende.

School children, residents, and visitors from around the world can enjoy the incredible diversity and beauty of El Charco thanks to the dedicated group of people that support this special environment. With sincere appreciation, I say thank you and bravo to you all!

The Charco del Ingenio Botanical Gardens and its pond/pool/puddle as seen in the dry season.  I find this environment magical in its quiet and serenity.

Along with its primary mission of study and conservation of natural resources, El Charco and its connecting Landeta Park also serve as community gathering places. Talks, courses, workshops, guided visits, meetings, camps, astronomical observations, races, concerts, dances, ceremonies, and various festivities take place continuously. There are also opportunities for mountain biking, rock climbing, bird watching, camping and horseback riding.

Cactus is tough. But the succulent family is actually fragile. In too many instances a great number of the cactus species in Mexico are endangered due to factors both natural and man made. El Charco is dedicated to saving, protecting, and propagating Mexico’s wild cactus specimens.  Bravo!

If visitors look carefully, you might catch a glimpse of any one of the 110 species of butterflies that inhabit or visit the area along with the 18 different types of reptiles and amphibians, or the 11 species of dragonflies or damselflies that call El Charco their home. Wow!

ACTIVITIES AT EL CHARCO

The activities, ceremonies, and special events offered at El Charco del Ingenio are truly outstanding. The following were some of my favorite offerings which should not be missed!

Full Moon Ceremony which takes place every month in the Plaza of the Four Winds starting at sunset.The purpose of this ceremony is to bring nature back in balance on earth. Included in this ceremony is a bonfire, incense, chanting, and drumming. This ceremony is definitely up there in the "woo-woo" category, but it is quite lovely.

From the Full Moon Ceremony at the Plaza of the Four Winds ....

to yoga classes at the Plaza of the Four Winds there is something for everyone at El Charco.

Fiesta de la Santa Cruz del Charco del Ingenio (The Festival of the Holy Cross of El Charco del Ingenio) is celebrated during the first fifteen days of July in El Charco Botanical Garden and Landeta Park.

The ceremony starts in the Plaza of the Four Winds and the cross is carried to the four cardinal points of the Botanical Garden where the protective shrines are located. It finishes with the installation of the cross in Parque Landeta where the fiesta continues all day with ritual dances, music and more.

The Fiesta de la Santa Cruz is a popular festival directed by the indigenous communities of San Miguel which includes a candlelight vigil, raising of the standing offering súchil (an offering in the form of a tall construction made from local plants), a procession of the Holy Cross, dances of the rayados (striped dancers), concheros (shell dancers) and locos (the crazies, disguised as women and political caricatures), as well as a public dance and huapango arribeño (traditional music from the neighboring Sierra Gorda). 

Since its beginnings in 1991, this celebration is held every year in July to commemorate the foundation of the Botanical Garden as well as the rescue of this magnificent ravine, a project that not only preserves El Charco as an ecological reserve, but also as a ritual space for local indigenous communities of San Miguel. 

The image of the Santa Cruz (the holy cross) goes back to the wars of Conquest of the 16th century and the foundation of San Miguel de Allende. Consequently, Charco del Ingenio is a sacred territory for the communities of the Santa Cruz, urban as well as rural, who come to the annual festival.

The Spring Equinox Concert, held annually near the date of March 21, takes place in the Charco del Ingenio canyon with its rocky formations which create a naturally sculpted acoustic space. Every year a different musical group performs in this fundraising concert which benefits the botanical garden. 

This "Festival of the Sun" is usually celebrated with a concert in the garden's natural amphitheater. It usually begins at 5:00 pm and many stay after the concert to watch the sunset. 

We were living in San Miguel during El Charco's 20th anniversary which was celebrated by a very special concert for the Spring Equinox with a 90-member symphonic orchestra. The concert was in collaboration with the well known Festival of Baroque Music. Our stars were definitely in alignment for this occasion!

Insiders tip: You'll be literally sitting on the rocks, so bring a cushion, a hat, and cold water!

TEMASCAL RITUAL

A temazcal ([temasˈkal]) is a type of sweat lodge which originated with pre-Hispanic indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica.  It was used as part of a curative ceremony thought to purify the body after exertion such as after a battle or a ceremonial ball game. It was also used for healing the sick, improving health, and for women as an aid in giving birth. It continues to be used today in indigenous cultures of Mexico and Central America that were part of the ancient Mesoamerican region for spiritual and health reasons.

On the weekend nearest the full moon, one or two sessions of this ritual and curative ceremony using aromatic herbs and steam takes place in a sweat-lodge located in the ruins of the Hacienda Las Colonias in the northern part of the garden.  This relaxing steam bath is a ritual of healing and purification and is available every month for both men and women.

The following are more of my favorite photographs taken at El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Gardens:

The El Charco greenhouse contains the second largest collection of succulents in Mexico.

A fence of Saguaro cactus is certainly a detriment from wandering off the path!

Have you heard of agave azul (blue agave) tequila from Mexico? Just a little photo enhancement for fun!  

A good place to chill while exploring El Charco del Ingenio!  

Enjoying the annual benefit concert can be challenging for those with issues of height, but not a factor for these folks.

A water "feature" at the entrance to the Botanical Gardens which I find especially nice.

Our daughter standing up and taking measure of the tall cacti at El Charco.

El Charco del Ingenio overlooking San Miguel de Allende.

Time to say adios to El Charco and much gracias for the wonderful visit. We will be back!

I certainly hope you have enjoyed our excursion to El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Gardens.  Believe me when I say I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this amazing habitat and only wish I were closer so that I could visit on a more regular basis.  Please scroll down to the link for my entire El Charco photograph album.

I remember hearing many years ago that a picture is worth a thousand words and many memories.  Those words definitely contributed to and inspired me in the creation of MEXICO AND BEYOND: LAURA'S PHOTO JOURNEY.

Laura with "her" cactus and the original photograph from El Charco del Ingenio below:

EL CHARCO PHOTO ALBUM
I sincerely appreciate hearing from my readers with their questions, comments, and suggestions so don't be shy!  Until then, gracias and safe travels! Laura

                                   Adios from a blooming cactus.

GETTING AROUND IN LATIN AMERICA

My  husband and I embraced the joys and challenges (up to a certain point that is) in our nomadic lifestyle for almost eighteen years before he said "no mas." Now we are "settled" and I am blogging in order to recapture the memories of our nomadic years. For me those years were beyond exciting. I loved everything about discovering a new place, exploring it, and setting up a home base if it seemed right for us.

A very large part of our travels obviously involved getting from one place to another. It was called transportation and the challenges of transportation can be a real drag. But getting around in Latin America was a big part of the experience. It was often on the "getting around" part of our lifestyle that we met the most interesting people, saw the most interesting sights, and collected the most memorable memories.

Consequently, I have decided to share the different means of transportation which were most important to us during these years of our "getting around" in Latin America." In lieu of typical photograph captions, I will be adding quotes regarding travel which particularly resonate with me. So if you are ready, let's hit the road.  Or as we said most often to each other, "let's get back on the bus!"

"A  journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” Lao Tzu

"Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”  Anonymous

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” Aldous Huxley   

 

"If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fears." Cesare Pavese 

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." Robert Louis Stevenson

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for.” Gael Attal



“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going. Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.” Paul Theroux


“All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.” Paul Fussell


“Your true traveler finds boredom rather agreeable than painful. It is the symbol of his liberty-his excessive freedom. He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost with pleasure.” Aldous Huxley


“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”  Mark Twain


“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” James Michener


“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” St. Augustine



“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” Robert Louis Stevenson


“Never go on trips with anyone you do not love.” Ernest Hemingway


“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home,” Matsuo Basho


Please join me in this nomadic journey through my photographs which include descriptive captions in the following album link.  I look forward to your company!

GETTING AROUND IN LATIN AMERICA Please don't be shy!  Us bloggers love receiving questions, comments, or suggestions. Until next time, safe trails and travel well.  Laura                                            Memories are just a click away!

CHILE: THE PORT CITY OF VALPARAISO (VALPO)

A beautiful sunny day shines on the colorful homes built in hilly Valparaiso which is always appreciated in this often foggy coastal city.

It was time to visit Chile and its Pacific coast.  We had been living in and loving the lake district of Argentina including the wonderful town of San Martin de los Andes.  But as wonderful as the lakes of Argentina are, we were in need of a "Pacific Ocean" fix.  It was as easy as getting on one of the convenient and comfortable long-distance buses for the haul over the spectacular Andes and down to the coastline of Central Chile.  Before we knew it we were in Chile!

The city and port of Valparaiso (nickname "Valpo") is a must when visiting Chile!

It was during one of our Chile visits that we met the Pacific port and city of Valparaíso. "Valpo" as it is commonly referred to by the locals was unique, crazy, and wonderful in my opinion.  I could not describe Valpo any better than the following:

The street are in Valparaiso definitely makes a statement, but it's up to the viewer to decide what that statement is!

"Syncopated, dilapidated, colorful and poetic, Valparaíso is a wonderful mess. Pablo Neruda, who drew much inspiration from this hard-working port town, said it best: 'Valparaíso, how absurd you are…you haven't combed your hair, you've never had time to get dressed, life has always surprised you.'

But Neruda wasn't the only artist to fall for Valparaíso's unexpected charms. Poets, painters and would-be philosophers have long been drawn to Chile's most unusual city. Along with the ever-shifting port population of sailors, dockworkers and prostitutes, they've endowed gritty and gloriously spontaneous Valparaíso with an edgy air of 'anything goes.' Add to this the spectacular faded beauty of its chaotic cerros (hills), some of the best street art in Latin America, a maze of steep, sinuous streets, alleys and escaleras (stairways) piled high with crumbling mansions, and it's clear why some visitors are spending more time here than in Santiago."   source: Lonely Planet introduction to Valparaiso

Wonderful street art in Valpo is one of the rewards of walking the streets of this interesting and funky city!  

Valparaíso is one of the most important ports on the west coast of South America and lies around seventy miles northwest of the Chilean capital of Santiago. Built upon dozens of steep hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Valparaíso boasts a labyrinth of streets and cobblestone alleyways which embody a rich architectural and cultural legacy. The "Jewel of the Pacific", Valparaíso is a city that has been revitalized by tourism and its colonial architecture helped the city to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2003.

The old colonial architecture can be seen on the Plaza Sotomayor in Valparaiso which was in stark contrast to the avant-garde art exhibit of nudes!  



The interesting and unusual Menorá de la Paz (peace menorah) as seen on the wall of the synagogue in Valparaiso.

A bird's eye view looking down on the busy streets of Valparaiso.  

Valparaíso has a very mild Mediterranean climate closely resembling that of San Francisco at a similar latitude in the northern hemisphere. The summer is essentially dry, but the city is affected by fogs from the Humboldt Current during most of the year.  Valparaíso played an important geopolitical role in the second half of the 19th century when the city served as a major stopover for ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by crossing the Straits of Magellan. Valparaíso mushroomed during its golden age as a magnet for European immigrants when the city was known by international sailors as "Little San Francisco" and "The Jewel of the Pacific".

A typical foggy day in Valpo definitely reminds me of San Francisco in my home state of California.

The colorful buildings in Valpo are very much appreciated on a cloudy day in this port city.

While it is an important industrial city, Valpo also attracts its fair share of visitors due to its wonderful historic districts, the cobbled streets, and the amazing cultural scene.  The city hosts a vibrant and varied schedule of festivals each every year.

During our visit to Valpo we were able to enjoy the amazing avant-garde art exhibit in the plaza which were all of nudes!  Just wait until you see my album to this posting with a large representation of the paintings.  Consider yourself forewarned because this public art festival was VERY original and often quite startling!

Checking out this large and bigger-than-life nude art exhibit in Valparaiso was an unexpected bonus during our visit.

The art exhibit "Cuerpos Pintados al Aire Libre" (Outdoor Painted Bodies) included works by forty five different artists.  It was stunning!  

Another example of the stunning outdoor exhibit of painted nudes in Valparaiso.

Assuming a pose with one of the forty-five paintings of nudes while visiting Valparaiso - thank you, Valpo, for this great experience!  

The second half of the twentieth century was not kind to Valparaíso as many wealthy families abandoned the city. The opening of the Panama Canal and the consequent reduction in ship traffic dealt a staggering blow to Valparaíso’s port-based economy. The port of Valparaíso eventually recovered and now is a major distribution center for container traffic, copper, and fruit exports. Valparaíso is also receiving growing attention from the cruise industry during the South American summer.

 Nicknamed "The Jewel of the Pacific", Valparaíso was declared a world heritage site based upon its updated urban design and unique architecture:  a blending of the old with the new!  

Standing guard over the Plaza Sotomayor and its tribute to their national heroes.

I hope some of these old and derelict properties are left as a reminder of by-gone days!  

During the past fifteen years, Valpo has staged an impressive renaissance attracting many artists and cultural entrepreneurs who have set up businesses in the city's hillside historic districts. The city exemplifies Chilean culture with festivals every year. Valpo is definitely an interesting and happening place!

Major industries include tourism, culture, shipping and freight transport. Approximately 50 international cruise ships call on Valparaíso during the 4-month Chilean summer (yikes!).  The port of Valparaíso is also an important hub for container freight and exports many products, including wine (yeah!), copper, and fresh fruit.

 In 1996 the World Monuments Fund declared Valparaíso's unusual system of funicular lifts one of the world's 100 most endangered historical treasures. And they are quite a ride!

I love street art as you may know from my previous blog post which you can check out at the following link:   LINK TO STREET ART POSTING 

  A ride on these funiculars is definitely a "must do" while visiting Valpo!

Valparaíso has also transformed itself into a major educational center with four universities and several vocational colleges. Well done, Valpo! Well done! We look forward to returning for another more extensive visit the next time we are in the area.  

I remember hearing many years ago that a picture is worth a thousand words. Those words definitely contributed to and inspired me in the creation of MEXICO AND BEYOND: LAURA'S PHOTO JOURNEY.

Please go to the following link VALPARAISO, CHILE for additional photographs.  

The magnificent Andes as seen from our bus window on our way home to
SAN MARTIN DE LOS ANDES, ARGENTINA .  

Gracias, Valpo, for the fun visit and thanks to my blog followers for joining me!  Laura

                                             A Nomadic life can be thirsty work!