Bus-eye view: Mexico City's Turibus is a comprehensive, economical way to see the sights

by Christina Stobbs

La Penita de Jaltemba translates to mean “Place on the sandy shore, across from the cliff”. The beach of La Penita is not the most beautiful beach in this area, and some might say the beach is a little rough around the edges, as it is frequented by fisherman at the main entrance, and decorated by a crumbling cemetery on the far north end. That said, this beach has a definite charm. The Pacific waters are crystal clear and warm, and because the beach is not heavily used, a day at La Penita beach is relaxing, and a simply a wonderful way to spend a day in paradise.  Palm trees sway in the wind, egrets play in the waves, and numerous pelicans, frigate birds, and vultures hang out with the fisherman at the main entrance to the beach, which of course is a great place to buy fish. It is also a lot of fun to watch the local children swim and play in surf in the waters.

If you are in the mood for some adventure, walk to the far north end of La Penita beach. At low tide if you clamber across the rocks, you will discover yet another pristine beach set in the seemingly lost
jungle found only in story books, and walk for miles and miles along a  breathtaking  beach, which you will likely have all to yourself.  The beach is set in a bay which is called “Boca de Narjana”  (Mouth of the
Orange) and slated for, but yet to be developed. There is a turtle sanctuary mid way down the beach as the turtles nest at this beach from late summer until December. You can also access this beach by
driving north five minutes past the town of La Penita, through the small and delightful Mexican town of La Colonia.

If you decide to visit the enchanting, Mexican town of La Penita make sure you attend the "tianga", an every Thursday gigantic flea market with close to one hundred merchants selling everything from fruits and
vegetables to artisan crafts, in and around the main town square. La Penita offers some great shopping for silver and leather jewelery, and surprisingly the small town has a number of first class restaurants including Xaltemba Restaurant and Galleria which more often than not offers some terrific entertainment, and Soley’s an Italian restaurant popular for great Italian dining and a hang out for Tianga day.

La Penita is an enchanting Mexican town, with a growing Canadian expatriate population. The people of La Penita are friendly, warm and open hearted. I think most visitors simply fall in love with the town and decide to retire here, because everyone is so friendly, living here is very affordable, and it offers people the chance to enjoy the simple things in life, like falling asleep or awaking to the sound of the ocean, and it is easy to just sit back and take in the abundance and beauty of colourful tropical flowers and fruits, including bananas, mangos, bougainvillea, hibiscus, while drinking a beer that still costs just $0.80 USD.

Christina Stobbs

www.tropicalmanorhouse.com

Featured Accommodation

3 one bedroom apartment and a two bedroom house

www.sunsethouse.ca

email casa@sunsethouse.ca

250-768-0303 ( May to September 30th)

011 52 1 322 173 4599  Mexico (October to May)

Winged Jewels of the                  Riviera Nayarit

By Tara Spears

In the blink of an eye it appears like a brightly colored prism hovering over tropical flowers; just  as quickly it disappears, leaving a neon memory.  Anyone fortunate enough to observe a hummingbird can readily understand why the ancient people coveted these diminutive and elusive birds, venerating them as gods and using their iridescent feathers in religious ceremonies.  Those visiting or living in the Riviera Nayarit have the opportunity to see these winged jewels in their natural habitat. Of the 339 hummingbird species that live in the Western hemisphere, most species reside year round in Mexico, with dozens more species wintering here in southwestern Mexico.

Unique Coloration:

The brilliant, iridescent colors of hummingbird plumage are caused by the refraction of incident light by the structures of certain feathers. Like any diffraction grating or prism, the hummers’ unique feathers split light into its component colors, and only certain frequencies are refracted back to the viewer. The apparent color of any particular part of a feather depends upon the distance between the microscopic ridges in its grid-like structure. The resulting colors are much more vivid and iridescent than those of birds with only pigmented feathers.  Because hummingbirds don't really sing, males will use their brilliant feathers, those around their neck that are called gorgets, in breeding displays. They also use their gorgets as a threat to territory intruders. The variations in gorgets also help identify the various species of hummingbirds. Not all hummer colors are due to feather structure, however; the duller, rusty browns of Allen's and Rufous Hummingbirds are the result of pigmentation. Iridescent hummingbird colors actually result from a combination of refraction and pigmentation, since the diffraction structures themselves are made of melanin, a pigment.

Flying Ability:

Hummingbirds are famous for their amazing aerial displays. They are able to fly up, down, forward, backward and sideways, besides stop in midair- they were the inspiration for modern helicopters. They can beat their wings 60 to 200 times per second-so fast that the human eye cannot detect it- and reach a flying speed of up to 60 mph! Unlike most birds, the hummingbird’s wing is joined to its body only from the shoulder joint, allowing it supple movement and an180 degree axial rotation. According to the International Wildlife Encyclopedia, hummers’ hovering ability is accomplished by tracing its wings in a figure eight forwards and backwards.  The hummingbird’s wing strokes are so powerful because one-third of the hummingbird’s body weight is dedicated to its breast muscles.  Because they fly so much, they have poorly developed feet, barely able to walk. However, hummingbirds are able to perch and will do so at feeders regularly but the hummingbird is much more comfortable when flying. Some of the hummer species exhibit aerial displays when courting; other flight displays are aggressive behavior to protect their territory. Hummingbirds' wings 'buzz' or make a whirring sound while the birds are in flight. This sound is referred to as a "wing whistle." Many hummingbird species fly great distances when they are migrating.

Feeding Habit:

Hummingbirds are very small birds with a high metabolism. A great deal of energy is spent flying, so they must feed almost constantly. Hummingbirds can consume up to twice their body weight in nectar every day. They usually feed on nectar and insects. Hummingbirds actually lap up the nectar with their tongues. A lot of people think that hummingbirds have a hollow tongue like a straw. Not so, but their tongues do have grooves on the sides that collect nectar. When the bill constricts, the hummingbird can swallow the nectar from flowers and feeders.  When the chicks hatch, they need protein to grow, not sugar, so their mother spends most of her time catching small insects and spiders for them.

Unique Adaptation:

These marvelous flying jewels logically cannot sustain their flying 24 hours a day so they have developed a unique survival mechanism. Torpor is a hibernation-like state that a hummingbird can enter to help conserve energy. While in a state of torpor, a hummingbird will lower its body temperature by about 20 degrees and up to 50 degrees. This will help the bird conserve energy on cold nights or anytime that food might be scarce. The next morning the bird can raise its metabolism and get its body temperature back to normal usually within a few minutes but, it can take up to an hour. Hummingbirds can even lower their heart rate from 500 beats per minute to as few as 50. Also to conserve energy, hummingbirds may even stop breathing for periods of time. Even with all these energy conservation abilities, a cold night or difficulty locating enough food for a day, can prove to be fatal to the hummingbird. That’s why once you put out a feeder, it is vital to maintain it.