SOCIAL DISTANCING IN THE TIME OF CORONA: PUERTO VALLARTA 2020-2021

In public health social distancing, which is also referred to as physical distancing, is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disease by maintaining a physical distance between people and reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other.

Today I am sharing a new blog posting which I have entitled "Social Distancing in the Time of Corona: Puerto Vallarta." I know that might sound pretty ominous, but hopefully I have made it something which I hope you will find entertaining, interesting, and informative. So let's meet our local amigos which have not heard of the virus and are happy to share their world with us.  

Saludos and away we go!

MARINE LIFE

A porcupine Puffer fish puffs up with his spines as a defense mechanism which are immediately retracted when he is released. He is part of the extended Pufferfish family, but unique because of this ability. It's definitely a good idea to have a strong pair of dive gloves when attempting this maneuver.


       

An Eagle Ray who I always comment on looks like he is flying with his "wings."

 

A spiny lobster just "hanging out" which we returned to his hidey hole.

GARROBOS

Stumpy is the old man of our Garrobo family and his age has been estimated to be over 25 years. One local theory is that Stumpy received his name because his once beautiful long black tail was somehow "lost" or "cut off" and thus he became a "Stumpy." More research on that theory is definitely needed.

                             

 Stumpy is a vegetarian and has a voracious appetite which I indulge almost on a daily basis. His favorite foods include pineapple, tomatoes, starfruit, and old ripe banana skins. I believe Stumpy now recognizes me on sight since he comes running through the heavy ground coverage when he sees me or maybe his reptilian brain remembers that I bring yummy Garrobo food. 

                        

Recently Stumpy has made friends with a new younger Garrobo who I have named Stella since I believe she is very pretty and consequently she must be a female. Young and "lovely" Stella has a typical long beautiful tail which is indicative of her Garrobo species. I obviously find these "Dinosaurs" fascinating and I hope you find them as attractive as I do.

BIRDS

As I just mentioned Pelicans are my favorite of our local bird species, but they definitely do not qualify in the "social distancing" category. They are a very gregarious bird and hanging out together seems to make them happy, but I love them just the same.

PELICANS are my favorite of the bird species and whether they are brown or white I think they are wonderful. Very few birds attract attention like Pelicans do. Soaring high in the sky in flocks, forming a near perfect “V” or diving abruptly within a school of fish I find Pelicans simply amazing.


Pelicans have the largest gular sac (pouch below their beak and from which the young ones feed). They build their nests in mangroves or in low coastal bushes. In our area they nest in the rocks of Los Arcos which we can see from our home. Females will lay two to three eggs and both parents will participate during incubation and feeding.

                                 

                  Los Arcos National Marine Park in Banderas Bay, Puerto Vallarta 

Pelicans have legs with four webbed toes. Most have a throat patch of bare skin called a gular patch. Pelicans feed mainly on fish, squid, and other marine species in general and they nest in colonies and are monogamous birds.

Here in the Bay of Banderas I doubt you’ll find an area where Pelicans cannot be found. They are just everywhere you look, perched on a fisherman’s boat, a tree, a dock, or just floating in the water.

                         

WHITE HERONS

 

A white heron (garza blanca in Spanish) mother feeding its young as seen in Puerto Vallarta. This photo is definitely one of my favorites. White Herons symbolizes wisdom, faithfulness, vigilance, and also speaks of your sense of independence.

The majestic white heron can often be seen among other water-friendly birds including seagulls and pelicans along the shore. White Herons also signifies determination because there will be plenty of marshes and ponds that a person will encounter in life and which a person will have to wade through. Very philosophical these birds!

CHACHALACAS are loud and raucous and the noisiest of birds, but I find them fascinating to watch as they stroll around our gardens where they seem appreciative of receiving vegetarian leftovers which I bring them. Don't you find their red eyes especially attractive!

As social birds chachalacas often gather in groups of ten to fifty individuals in trees bearing fruit and where they can rest. They often take dust baths which are used primarily for parasite defense, but which can also be part of the courtship ritual.

                        

Chachalacas feed on fruits, insects, and worms. They build nests in trees and lay two to three large white eggs which only the female incubates. The young are a precocial species which means the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching.

                           

Chachalacas are born with the instinct to immediately climb and take refuge in their nesting tree and are able to fly within a few days of hatching. I was fortunate enough to "catch" this young Chachalaca exploring his new environment which is a reminder that I should never leave the house without my camera! 

              

THE BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON are small birds compared to many of their long limb heron relatives. They’re most active at night or at dusk when you may see their ghostly forms flapping out from daytime roosts to forage. In the light of day adults are striking in gray-and-black plumage with long white head plumes.


These social birds breed in colonies of stick nests usually built over water. They live in fresh, salt, and brackish wetlands and are the most widespread heron in the world. Certainly a very adaptable bird, the black-crowned night heron!

 
BROWN PELICANS

 
A Brown Pelican taking a little time out for grooming which is no easy thing and I think he is especially handsome.

As I mentioned in the beginning of the posting I simply adore pelicans and consequently here is more of this bird species which I just had to share. The Brown Pelican is a very gregarious bird and lives in flocks of both sexes throughout the year. The brown pelican is a monogamous breeder within a breeding season, but does not pair for life. 

Nesting season peaks for the Brown Pelican during March and April. The male chooses a nesting site and performs a display of head movements to attract a female. At the nest site major courtship displays such as head swaying, bowing, turning, and standing on its legs without any support are performed by both the sexes.

Once a pair forms a bond overt communication between them is minimal. It is a colonial species with some colonies maintained for many years. The brown pelican flies at a maximum height of 60 to 70 feet above the ocean and can spot schools of fish while flying. The Brown Pelican is a piscivore (a great new word for me) which means he feeds primarily on fish. Well, enough already with the Pelicans!

The following link will take you to my blog posting on the marine turtles which I also find fascinating and which I believe  belong in the category of "Social Distancing" 

THE SEA TURTLES OF PUERTO VALLARTA AND MEXICO

I hope you enjoyed this "Social Distancing" album with images of some of our favorite local amigos. It certainly has made me realize how very fortunate we are to live in this wonderful environment. Until next time, wishing you safe travels and grand adventures wherever the road should take you, Laura

AN INTRODUCTION TO OUR GARROBO AMIGOS

                                

I admit to having more than a small fascination with our local garrobos. I find them immensely fascinating and I look forward to introducing you to this interesting species. So if you are ready, here we go.

I visit them each afternoon while taking a "reading for pleasure break" at what we call the grotto.  The local garrobos come to visit expecting some vegetarian leftovers which I bring them as treats. 

We have three garrobos which is I assume are related.  The old man I have named Stumpy, the younger male I have named Stanley, and the female I have named Stella.  Our garrobos seem to recognize me by sight or maybe it's by smell. 

                             

We have nicknamed Stumpy our oldest Garrobo "the Dinosaur" because he looks like he comes from prehistoric times. 

Spiny-tailed iguanas (Ctenosaura) commonly known as the black spiny-tailed iguana, black iguana, black ctenosaur, and garrobo is a lizard native to Mexico. This genus is part of the large lizard family native to both Mexico and Central America.

Locals often point to this reptile as an"iguana" and another as a "garrobo" with complete assurance although the untrained eye might see no obvious difference. In fact they are distinct species although both are called iguana in English and both belong to the Iguanidae (Iguana) family. 

Garrobos, also named Spiny Iguana or Black Iguana, have several lines of spines on their tail while Iguanas do not. Male Iguanas turn red-orange color when they are going to mate and Garrobos become light turquoise. Garrobos are more common probably because they are omnivores which is defined as an animal who has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter.

                

 

Every time I look at this old photo I feel as though our old "Garrobo Stumpy" is laughing at me! Our guess is that Stumpy is between 20 and 25 years of age and he still has a sense of humor.  

                            

And last, but not least in my humble opinion, garrobos also qualify as the "FASTEST LIZARD ON EARTH." According to the Guinness Book of World Records Garrobos are the world's fastest lizard with a maximal sprint speed of 34.6 km/hour or 21.49 miles/hour. That rates a big wow in my book.  

And Stumpy our "dinosaur" simply loves star fruits, but he is definitely not the neatest of eaters. 

Male garrobos are capable of growing up to 4 feet 3 inches in length and the females are slightly shorter at 3 feet 3 inches in length.  The males have a crest of long spines which extends down the center of the back. 

             

Stumpy is a voracious vegetarian and I feel guilty if I don't bring him a daily treat. 

Although coloration varies among individuals of the same species adults usually have a whitish, gray, or tan ground color with a series of 4 to 12 well-defined dark dorsal bands that extend nearly to the ventral scales. Males also develop an orange color around the head and throat during breeding season with highlights of blue and peach on their jowls.

 The above image is of our female Garrobo with her magnificent tail and I have named her Stella. I sense that Stella knows she is beautiful and not afraid to strut her stuff.

                              

Black spiny-tailed iguanas are excellent climbers and prefer a rocky habitat with plenty of crevices to hide in, rocks to bask on, and nearby trees to climb. They are diurnal and fast moving employing their speed to escape predators, but will lash with their tails and bite if cornered.  

                 

A photo of Stumpy and Stanley basking in the sun and soaking up the warmth of the rocks.  

Garrobos are primarily herbivorous eating flowers, leaves, stems, and fruit, but they will opportunistically eat smaller animals, eggs and arthropods. Juveniles tend to be insectivores becoming more herbivorous as they get older. 

                          

Stumpy is attracted to a vegetarian diet and literally comes running when I take down his afternoon treat.

                                                            

I have found our garrobos are especially fond of starfruit (aka carambola) which they coming running for when they are in season here.  They also like my other offerings including red tomatoes, cucumbers, purple grapes, and any other leftover produce I might have in the refrigerator. 

Stella soaking up some afternoon rays and which she particular likes. 

Mating generally occurs in the spring. Males show dominance and interest by head bobbing and eventually the male will chase the female until he can catch her and subdue her. Within eight to ten weeks the female dig a nest and lay clutches of up to 30 eggs. 

This photo of Stella our female garrobo just confirms how much they love our leftover fruits and veggies. Isn't Stella's tail simply awesome! 

                                       

The Mexican Spiny-tailed iguana or Garrobo is a social lizard which has adapted to living in groups as opposed to other species of Ctenosaura which tend to be solitary animals. 

Garrobos are excellent climbers and prefer a rocky habitat with plenty of crevices to hide in, rocks to bask on, and nearby trees to climb. They are diurnal and fast moving employing their speed to escape predators but will lash with their tails and bite if cornered.  

                                   

Stanley soaking up the afternoon rays in Puerto Vallarta and life is good especially on a warm sunny day.

Mating occurs in the spring. Males show dominance and interest by head bobbing eventually chasing the female until he can catch her and subdue her. Within eight to ten weeks, the female will dig a nest and lay clutches of up to 50 eggs in a burrow of loose soil. These eggs hatch in 90 days with the bright green babies digging their way out of the sand.

                   

Stumpy and Stanley having some fun and by Stumpy's expression he is really enjoying whatever they are up to.   

When born they are bright green and only change color to the adult gray after about a year. Youngsters eat meat, but when they reach adulthood feed mainly on leaves, fruits, and flowers although adults have been known to enjoy crabs, birds, small mammals and eggs, should the opportunity arise.

I sincerely hope you have enjoyed my introduction to our local garrobo amigos. I know I have enjoyed sharing them with you and in the process learning more about this fascinating species.  Until next time, thank you for joining me and wishing you well and safe travels.   Saludos,  Laura and "El Gordo" Stumpy

The following link will take you to my album for this posting.  I hope you enjoy.

LINK TO GARROBO ALBUM

A recent photo me an my old "Dinosaur" Stumpy for his afternoon treat.  

PS I couldn't resist some recent photos of another reptile species which I recently had the opportunity of catching on film.  My husband tells me I missed my calling of being a herpetologist.  I responded that I think I will stick with birds!  

                    

This lizard doesn't walk on water, it runs. Thanks to special fringes on its toes a  Brown Basilisk lizard can escape a predator by running on the water's surface earning it the nickname "Jesus Christ lizard."

                   

This is a photograph of a juvenile Brown Basilisk before he has turned a darker color like the above photograph illustrates. 

For those who might have missed my blog posting on the birds of Mexico here is the link and thank you for joining me.  Laura la Loca 

                      OUR PACIFIC COAST BIRD AMIGOS IN MEXICO

 

THE MAGICAL WORLD OF ALEBRIJES

While living in Oaxaca and recently revisiting our old haunts we discovered the wonderful and out-of-this world of alebrijes (pronounced as "aa-lay-bri-hays" in English) which are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of mythical creatures.

This blog posting is all about alebrijes and everything you have always wanted to know, but didn't know what to ask.  So if you are game, let's explore the magical world of alebrijes.

Although the history of this special art form is short it does not mean that it is not fascinating.  Alebrijes are whimsical carvings depicting animals, people, objects, and imaginary creatures painted with intense colors and intricate patterns. Although these distinctive creations are often assumed to represent a long established tradition of Mexican folk art they only began to appear in the 1940's.

Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantasy/mythical creatures. The first alebrijes, along with use of the term, originated with Pedro Linares. In the 1930s Linares fell very ill and while he was in bed and  unconscious Linares had a dream of a strange place resembling a forest.
































There he saw trees, animals, rocks, and clouds that suddenly turned into something strange. Some kind of animals, but unknown animals. He saw a donkey with butterfly wings, a rooster with bull horns, a lion with an eagle head, and all of them were shouting one word, "alebrijes." Upon recovery he began recreating the creatures he saw in cardboard and papier-mache and called them Alebrijes.

Although the creation of alebrijes originated in Mexico City artisans from other parts of Mexico soon began making their own versions. This is particularly true in Oaxaca where several artisans such as Manuel Jimenez combined the traditional carved wood crafts of the area with the ideas of Pedro Linares.

This version of the craft has since spread to a number of other towns including La Union Tejalapan and San Martín Tilcajete where it has become a major source of income for the area.

The three towns most closely associated with alebrije production in Oaxaca have produced a number of notable artisans such as Manuel Jimenez, Jacobo Angeles, Martin Sandiego, Julia Fuentes, and Miguel Sandiego.

The success of the craft, however, has unfortunately led to the depletion of the native copal trees whose wood is said to be magical.  Attempts to remedy this problem with reforestation efforts and management of wild copal trees has had limited success.

So how is an alebrije made? It all starts with a base of burnt wire that bends and molds to form the skeleton of the figure. It is then covered with several layers of newspaper and paste using cardboard to give it volume. The surface of the figure is then smoothed and covered with a layer of white base paint.


The base figure is then dried in the sun and once dry more detailed elements are added such as eyes, beaks, wings, and claws. Finally the alebrije is painted in several different colors and decorated with dots, stripes, and other patterns. By not using molds for its creation each alebrije is unique and original.

The making of alebrijes extended to other villages and today there are three main communities that specialize in the creation of carved wooden figures: San Antonino Arrazola, San Martín Tilcajete and La Union Tejalapam. It is estimated that today there are about 150 families of artisans who are fully engaged in the production of alebrijes.

In 1990 Pedro Linares received the National Science and Arts Award in celebration of his artistic career and his contributions to Mexican folk art. The artisan also made several alebrijes for Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera whose collection is today in the Anahuacalli Museum in Mexico City. Pedro Linares died at the age of 86, but his family continues the tradition of alebrijes to this day.

Today alebrijes are an undeniable part of the cultural and artistic imaginary of Mexico and it is a constantly evolving craft. Since 2007 the Museum of Popular Art of Mexico City has organized a parade of monumental alebrijes with the intention of promoting Mexican folk arts and culture.

In it hundreds of artisans build alebrijes up to four meters high and walk them through the historic center of the city in an event full of dance, music, and color.  All I can say is WOW!  

 

I sincerely hope you have enjoyed my introduction to the magical world of Alebrijes. And in closing I thought this image of a Oaxaca's Alebrije futbol (soccer) team player in his colorful alebrije shirt was a fitting closing image. Go team, go!

With my sincere thanks to Kevin Shaw for sharing his incredible collection and allowing me to photograph my favorite pieces for this blog posting.  Please see his web page at the following link: 
COLECTIKA ANCESTRAL CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY
Galeria Colectika Art gallery in Puerto Vallarta at the following website: https://peyotepeople.com/ Address: #858 G. Sánchez, Calle Allende esquina, Centro, 48300 Puerto Vallarta, Jal.

Until we meed again, wishing you well wherever your travels and adventures take you. Saludos, Laura