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 Travel & Outdoors | March 2006 
Viviendo en México - Michoacán part 2
 Korah Winn - PVNN
| | Korah Winn enjoys a stroll through the Mariposa Monarca Sanctuary in Michoacán. | 
| | The sky was thick with butterflies at the Monarch Butterfly Preserve in Michoacán. | 
| | A beautiful sight to see - hoards of butterflies sleeping in the trees. |
Philana and I woke up incredibly early Saturday morning because we wanted to make sure to get to the Monarch butterfly preserve as soon as possible so that we would not have to deal with crowds.
The night before, we made an agreement with our taxista (taxi driver) to come back early in the morning and pick us up. There were busses going that we could have taken, but we decided that it would be worth our while to split the cab fare and get there earlier and faster.
We were able to pass some tour busses on the way there. We grinned at each other when we realized that we were the first people at the preserve. As we got out of the cab, we waded our way through all the tourist booths that have sprung up around the area.
Since so many people have started coming to see the butterflies, this has become the perfect opportunity for many local people to make money. There were all kinds of handicrafts and foods to choose from. We just kept walking because we knew we would have time to browse afterwards if we really wanted to buy something.
After walking uphill for a while, we finally got to the ticket booth and paid our admission to enter the preserve. The forest was quiet as we entered. Since we the first people on the path, a guide was sent with us because some sleeping butterflies needed to be cleared along the pathway.
We were awed as we looked at the previously unimaginable clusters of butterflies clumped in the trees. I had never seen anything like it in my life. I remember seeing Monarchs as a child and marveling over their size and beauty.
Back then, it was something special to see one or two butterflies. I hope you can imagine my awe at seeing millions of them all together in one ubicación (location.) Never in my life have I experienced anything like it.
We began by helping the guide get the butterflies on the path out of harm's way. We walked up the mountain and stared at the hoards of mariposas (butterflies) sleeping in the trees.
The guía (guide) told us that the mariposas begin to wake up when the sunlight touches them and infuses their bodies with warmth. We intermittently walked and sat for several hours looking at everything. We could hear noise from people growing in the distance. The rest of the world was coming to look at the mariposas.
As more and more people came into the forest, more and more butterflies came alive. We began to see them flying through the air. The quantity of them grew and grew until the sky was thick with butterflies.
The amazement of the experience was on the faces of almost everyone there. As time passed, the butterflies flew lower until we were encompassed in flying butterflies. Philana and I acted like complete tourists by taking tons of pictures and videos of everything. We did not mind one bit because it was an experience we wanted so badly to capture.
I do not know if I will ever be able to do this again, but I can definitely say that if you are ever in Mexico it is something you MUST do if you have the chance. I would have regretted missing the chance to be engulfed by these delicate creatures if I had passed up my trip to Michoacán with Philana.Back to Part 1 »»» |
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