She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain...

Since I titled my last walking post after a familiar song a lot of us learned as kids, I thought I'd follow that idea...  today we all (Eight, I think) met up with Memo and headed to the mountain.  This time the big white dog didn't come along, but Taylor, a big yellow lab (maybe) was our canine companion.

This time Memo had made arrangements for a local, Christian, to be our guide.  Christian has lived here all his life...  maybe 23 years...  and at 8:00...  away we went.

That's one of our fellow hikers taking a photo of part of our group.  Memo is in the black T-shirt and that's Christian in the hoodie.  This is the spot some of us changed shoes...  Bill & I both wore "knock-off" Crocs that we bought in town yesterday.  But after wading across the river, I changed to my New Balance walking shoes...  I know I need more ankle support to be walking mountain trails.

The first part of our hike was along a dirt country road.....  fairly flat, not badly rutted.  Easy walking.

We walked past a banana plantation....  (this looks to me like it's just getting started...  bet it will really be producing in a few years.)

We also walked past (what we think) is a field of sorghum.    And then...

A field of pineapple!

Maybe not the magnitude of Dole in Hawaii, but hey...  it will be wonderful to buy locally grown fruit in town!  One of the ladies said this area reminded her of the Big Island of Hawaii, and Memo said that we're on the same latitude, so that makes sense.

Bill and I have seen a fair amount of horses while on our walks.  They are often tethered to keep them from wandering away.  This burro was companion to a nearby horse...  just placidly munching down on breakfast.

Like all good hikers, after we took the gate down, all crossed over...  and we fastened the gate closed again. 

Soon we headed out of the farming area into the jungle. Bill & I were walking ahead of the group and Memo asked if he could take a picture of us.....  (His career was in marketing and he is bringing those skills with him to his retirement home in Mexico)....  I'm betting he'll use our picture for that kid's book "Hanzel and Gretal"....  don't we look like we're about to meet up with the big, bad witch?  Well, we never did find the house decorated with candy, so we just walked on...

Up the road...  and further up the road....  up, up, up....

Even had to do a little bushwhacking towards the top!

Can you see the town of Lo de Marcos?  Look just to the right of the tree that's on the photo's left...  that clump of white buildings is where we live. and where we started our walk from.

But we'd catch beautiful views of the ocean far below...

Still bushwhacking....  I think I see 3 or 4 of our group back thar in them weeds....

Finally made it to the top...  Here's some folks at a great Photo Op...

Look carefully...  that's Bill on the far right...  looks like he's telling someone about a huge fish he caught...  except we've not gone fishing, so I don't know what he's talking about.  And...  yep!  that's my shadow ...  me and my big hat!

So...  what else does a girl do?

Well, take a selfie!

Now you see the big hat up close!

Hey folks!  We made it to the top!

One last view from the top...  Isn't it lovely?

What goes up must come down...  and down we headed to the sea....

We didn't see any birds this trip (it really wasn't a birding walk), but I did see some flowers in bloom, a few mushrooms, and some huge ferns!  That fern in the lower left photo is at least 10' long... probably longer.

We came across this termite nest.. 

It looked like the branch it had been attached to had broken off the tree and the nest landed on the ground.  It looks like a big boulder (maybe 3' across).... and the photo on the left is of hundreds of termites following a path...  pretty much single file...  either to the nest or from the nest to the woods.  I should use the term "jungle", even though we didn't see any jungle critters, the vines, the trees and other vegetation sure was serious jungle habitat.

Back on lower ground we continued to head towards the ocean.  Recent rains had made this area a real swamp.  Bill & I were about to turn around and head back the way we came when Christian led us around the deep, muddy area.

Not far from that we emerged from the jungle....  right on the beach.

We said our goodbyes to Christian...  some went for coffee...  Bill & I headed to the fish market before they closed for the day.  Our walk took just over 2 hours, walking (give or take) about 5 miles.  And...  Memo is planning a walk to San Pancho next week...  another 2 hour walk, but we'll take the bus back.  Thank you, Memo, for taking all us touristas under your wing!

That's All For Today!