See our photos below!
La Primavera Forest
and Boiling River
Friday, September
29, 2006
Our place is just
a few miles from an active geothermal area known as la Primavera (the Springtime). It
is one of the neatest things about living here, as long as it doesn’t blow up.
Historically, the
Primavera has erupted in a massive explosion every 10,000 years—an eye blink in geologic time, to be sure, but comforting
for people living nearby. Ten thousand years is such a long time. Except that the last blast was about 13,000 years ago.
What to do? Go somewhere else until the explosion is over and we can count on a restful
10,000 years more?
Nah—we’re
Mexicans, by birth or by adoption. And good Mexicans, when confronted by such
a dilemma, use that time-honored phrase “No pasa nada!” (“Nothing
will happen!)
“No pasa nada”
still gives me chills from my years as a junior high teacher. Every time one
of my angel-faced students said it, it meant green smoke was about to billow from the chemistry lab or that the scorpions
were missing from their terrarium.
Aside from its explosive
character, the Primavera is a wonderful neighbor. A huge, mountainous forest
just to the left of Guadalajara, the park acts as a “lung,” sending its clean, fresh air to flush out the poisonous
fumes of the city. It is also the perfect spot for a picnic, hiking, and taking
photos of rare and beautiful plants.
The most amazing
feature of the Primavera is the Rio Caliente—a boiling hot river. Streams
gush forth from several springs in the mountains, steaming away. In the hottest
pools float green and black and amber algae, adapted to live in extreme heat and nowhere else.
Fresh from deep
within the earth, the mineral-laden, salty water is hot enough to cook lobsters. But
by walking downstream, comfortable bath-water-warm pools can be found, and there is nothing more sensual than stretching out
in the pebbly shallows and letting the healing waters stream endlessly over your body.
We have followed
the river for several miles as it winds south, then west through the forest. It
stays warm for a surprising distance, and there are several small waterfalls and beaches to enjoy along the way.
We often go to the
Primavera to photograph orchids, bromeliads, and pinguiculas. It seems something
new is in flower ever month.
Much
more on the amazing Primavera forest in subsequent posts.
Dan and Omar
