Butteflies galore

Still no photo uploads since I need to deal with a cracked rim on my bike. Photo uploads are just too slow on this computer. Maybe in 4 days in Taxco??

We spent 3 days in Morelia waiting out a torrential downpour that never stopped. when we were finally able to leave town, we passed the town of Tuxpan which was turned into a disaster site. The river that flowed through town had flooded, washing away housing, and filling others with mud. The military was there directing traffic around the muddy streets and distrubiting food to those in need.

We have been fortunate enough to ride on road without much traffic. Road with enormous trees and dense forests unlike any we´ve seen in Mexico. Yesterday we took one of these quiet roads to the tiny Ejido of Macheros. Here is the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. WE had to pay a small amount for a compulsory guide, then worked our way up the mountain Cerro Pelon. After an hour of hiking, we were rewarded with literally MILLIONS of butterflies all over the fir trees. The sun had yet to hit the trees, so these shaded branches were covered with what looked like black leaves. This was actually just the butterflies with their wings folded inward, which they do when cold. The underside of their wings is black. As the sun hit the branches, they slowly open their wings and the branches turned orange. A bit more time later, they were flying all around us. Some landed on us if we were in the sun. Others flew to different trees. The only thing I can think of that this reminded me of was watching a bat migration of thousands of bats in Coloardo...which paled in comparison to this. The amount of butterflies in that one area was astounding, and definitely one of the highlights of this trip. After they mate here, the males die, and the females go on to fly to the southeastern US, where their eggs hatch, butterflies are born, then go to the Great Lakes, then a few generations later, other butteflies find themselves here. It´s considered one of the most complex migrations on the planet and scientists still don´t understand it. Sorry for the weak, rushed explanation here.

Suffice to say we were thoroughly blown away. Nice hike back and we were back on the bikes. Now we are in the Pueblo Magico of Valle de Bravo. Gorgeous valley with a lake in the middle. Time to walk these streets to fix my bike and get more food...