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Solipaso
Bird Watching and Cultural Trips Throughout Mexico
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Thanksgiving just passed and Christmas and the New Year are upon us...We hope this finds you well and enjoy the best of the holiday season. We have lot to share with you!
- In the month of November, we had the pleasure of running four different trips with great people. Now, in December, we are regrouping, getting ready for the holiday season and the new year! Read on to find links to our Trip Reports.
- We still have some space on our amazing Yucatan trip! We've included a brief trip description and a link to our webpage. It's a great winter getaway...and a trip full of birds, ruins, culture, history, delicious food and lots of fun! Join us or tell a friend! We've also listed some other upcoming trips that may be of interest.
- One of the highlight of Christmas is the Audubon Christmas Count. This December and January there are three different count cirlces in Southern Sonora. Come to Alamos for the New Year and participate in a couple of counts!
- We still have space available at El Pedregal for Christmas and New Years and we hope you can come join us for a holiday away from the hustle and bustle of malls and busy roads. It is peaceful and beautiful here and we are here to help make your holidays fulfulling, fun and relaxing! For the holidays, we are offering a great rate and a special addition to your stay with us. And, in January, come to Alamos for the Music Festival and stay at El Pedregal!
- Solipaso goes to Green Valley...We will be doing a presentation for the Green Valley chapter of the Tucson Audubon Society on December 18th, as part of their Living with Nature lecture series.
Read on...!
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January 10-19, 2011 
$3200 per person ($625 single)
If it's January, it must be the Yucatan. This is the third consecutive year we'll be running this great trip! There is so much to see in this region and over the course of this trip, we visit three biosphere reserves, several magnificent Mayan ruins, colonial era haciendas, beautiful beaches, mangrove estuaries and a combination of sleepy beach towns, Mayan villages and beautiful colonial cities.
The Yucatan is home to several endemics as well as a great variety of other interesting tropical species. Some of the must-see birds of this trip will be Yucatan Flycatcher, Yucatan Bobwhite, Yucatan Wren, Rufous-necked Woodrail, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Yucatan Vireo, Yucatan Woodpecker, White-bellied Wren, Orange Oriole, Rose-throated Tanager, Yucatan Jay, Grey-throated Chat and Black Catbird.
 Aside from the great birding, we have the opportunity to learn about the rich history of the Mayan culture, which is alive and well throughout the peninsula. By visiting several of the archeological sites and also staying in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, which is in the heart of the Zona Maya, we gain insight into the strong traditional indigenous culture, which today co-exists with modern day Mexican culture.
The food on this trip is great! We will enjoy fresh seafood dishes, traditional Yucatecan cuisine and all of your favorite Mexican dishes at a variety of different restaurants throughout the trip.
We hope you can join us for this great mid-winter getaway to the tropics!
EMAIL US FOR MORE INFORMATION or go to the YUCATAN page.
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TRIP REPORTS
With our new website, we are posting our Trip Reports under 'Latest News'...this way, not only can our guests enjoy Dave's trip recollections, but other people can read them and get in on the fun! Below you'll find links to our most recent trip reports:
In late October we ran a trip to Yecora-Alamos and had a great time with a group of 7 in our home state: Trip Report for Yecora Alamos
In early November, we lead a trip for a group of 12 from San Diego Audubon Society in San Blas:
Trip Report for San Blas San Diego Audubon
Following that trip, we had another small San Blas trip:
Trip Report for San Blas 11/8-15
We added a Durango Highway extension trip to the San Blas trip for the high elevation birds: Trip Report for Durango Highway
Over Thanksgiving, we ran a trip to Alamos with 5 fine folks:
Trip Report for Alamos Thanksgiving
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A FEW OTHER UPCOMING TRIPS
DURANGO HIGHWAY AND SAN BLAS February 4-13, 2011 $2750 ($500 single) OAXACA February 19-March 2, 2011 $3100 ($625 single) ALAMOS February 19-24, 2011 $1750 ($300 single supplement) CHIAPAS: PACIFIC COAST AND CENTRAL VALLEY March 4-10, 2011 $1800 ($375 single) CHIAPAS: CENTRAL VALLEY, LAGOS DE MONTEBELLO, LACANDON JUNGLE AND PALENQUE March 10-29, 2011 $3100 ($625 single) YECORA AND ALAMOS April 30-May 8, 2011 $2200 ($450 single) to see all of our trips! |
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CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS IN SOUTHERN SONORA
Join us for one, two or three Christmas Bird Counts in Sonora...at the coast, in Alamos, or up in the Sierra Madre. This is a great opportunity to see the area, meet other people and participate in a long standing tradition. We combine people from out of town with local birders which is fun and productive for everyone involved. This year promises to be a banner year for the Bird Count. Please let us help you plan your trip to Alamos to be a part of the count!
Navopatia - December 30, 2010
Alamos - January 2, 2011
Santa Barbara - January 5, 2011
Information about the Christmas Bird Counts
Email us to sign up or for further information.
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EL PEDREGAL NATURE LODGE NEWS
We have been busy making small improvements throughout El Pedregal, to make our place even better. At our entrance, we have new signage!
And, between the main lodge and the palapa, we've completed a beautiful new patio.
Christmas Special! - We have lowered our rates to $100 per night, which includes a delicious breakfast and taxes. For the Christmas season we are offering a special dinner one night during your stay, if you stay for a minimum of three nights. Alamos is a wonderful place to be for the holidays, far from the maddening crowds. We can help arrange activities to enhance your stay and make your stay in Alamos memorable and relaxing. Join us for holidays at El Pedregal! Music Festival in January - Every January, Alamos is home to an amazing and world renowned 'bel canto' music festival. Over the course of nine days, there are musical and cultural events throughout town. Artisans come from all over to sell their crafts and Alamos becomes a very lively place. Come enjoy this great musical and cultural event and stay with us! The dates for the festival are January 20-28, 2011. Please email us for a full schedule of events and to make a reservation. Iyengar Yoga Workshop in April - Join us for a great 10 hour yoga workshop that we will be offering April 4,5, and 6, 2011. The workshop will be taught by master Iyengar yoga teacher, Deborah Bristow, of Santa Fe, NM. The yoga workshop package is $560 usd and includes instruction, lodging and meals. Email us for more information. Become a Friend of El Pedregal Nature Lodge on Facebook!  |
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SOLIPASO GOES TO GREEN VALLEY!
We are excited to be giving a participating in the Living with Nature lecture series organized by the Tucson Audubon Society. We will be doing a presentation to the Green Valley chapter of the Tucson Audubon Society on December 18th, 2010. The topic of the presentation will be on 'Where the Sonoran Desert Meets the Tropics - Birding and Natural History of Sonora'. With images, maps, information and stories, we'll share our insight into birding throughout the state of Sonora, where we have lived and worked for 16 years. It will be held at the Green Valley Library and it will start at 10:00 a.m. We hope to see you there!
For more information email us or go to the Tucson Audubon webpage.
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As the year comes to a close, we reflect on all of the great adventures and good people we have had the good fortune to know. And, we mourn the loss of two good friends that we have come to know over the years here in Mexico. For those of you who have traveled to the Durango Highway, we wanted to let you know that Daniel, the owner of Daniel's in Copala, has passed away after a long battle with cancer. The good news is that Lupita and her sister are continuing to run the hotel and are doing a great job. And, for those who has taken our Rio Mayo float trip may have had the pleasure of meeting the patriarch of the town of Santa Barbara, Octavio. We just ran the river and found out he passed away a couple weeks ago...he lived a long life and died of old age at 100! We will miss his smiling face, his music and his connection to the past. Every day we are reminded to live life fully and make the most of each day. We look forward to more full days in the year to come. Peace to the World and saludos from Alamos!
David and Jennifer MacKay |
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