As one of our objectives is to explore the tropical forests of our country, we could not overlook the Huatulco region, ideal for extreme sports.
We descend from the abrupt and rugged Oaxacan mountain range, crowned by the Zempoaltépetl at 3 390 meters above sea level and leave the coniferous forests behind to gradually penetrate into the tropical vegetation and reach the coffee town of Pluma Hidalgo, where we would start the adventure on our bikes mountain, crossing a good stretch of the jungle through muddy and steep paths. In this region, the evergreen jungle extends from 1,600 to 400 meters above sea level, and the town of Pluma is 1,340 meters above sea level.
The first settlers who arrived in this region came from Pochutla, an important commercial center that connects the coast with the mountains, and the Oaxacan and San Pedro el Alto valleys. A group of people supported by a large coffee company explored the region and after having some problems with other populations, they finally settled in Cerro de la Pluma, where they built a small palapa and founded the first known coffee plantation in the state. like La Providencia.
Some time later and due to the success of La Providencia, other farms were established in the area, such as Copalita, El Pacífico, Tres Cruces, La Cabaña and Margaritas. Hundreds of men came to work in what was then called green gold (the species that is exploited in Arabica Coffee), but with the international drop in the price of coffee, abundance ended and some farms were abandoned, leaving their great Jules Verne novelty machinery. at the mercy of the jungle.
We toured the picturesque town where the life of the inhabitants unfolds between the constant tropical rains and the thick fog. The alleys rise and fall like a great labyrinth between the wooden houses and the stone constructions are covered with moss and flowers that hang from the pots. Women and children leaned out of the gates and windows, wishing us a safe journey.
We started pedaling (our goal was 30 km down in the town of Santa María Huatulco), we left the town behind and we entered the thick vegetation accompanied by the sound of cicadas and birds.
This area of the state has not yet been so punished by man, but there is currently a project to build a road that would cross the jungle destroying it, since loggers would have free entry. In addition, as has already been proven on many occasions, these types of projects designed to satisfy the interests of a few cause many more problems than those that solve the communities they affect.
The tropical forest is one of the most beautiful and complex ecosystems on our planet. It is home to a large number of plants and animals that maintain a delicate balance, are vital regulators of biological cycles, and many of the species are not even known and much less have been studied, therefore, it is not known if they are useful. or not to man. The most important individuals of the tropical forest are the trees, since they are the ones that provide support, shade and humidity. The trees depend on the existence of the rest of the organisms that live in this ecosystem: insects that have developed fabulous mimicry systems, spiders that weave their large cobwebs into the bark and a myriad of organisms that in turn are the food of numerous species of birds such as woodpeckers, sanates, bluebirds, colorful parrots, parakeets and toucans.
Surrounded by this wonderful environment and with mud up to our ears, we arrived at the town of Santa María Magdalena after pedaling hard, and the municipal president welcomed us with some good glasses of pulque de palma to regain energy. The town is small, only a few houses are distinguished by the thick vegetation, but it has its joke.
After spending time with the people of Santa María, we continued pedaling through the clouds and the green landscape. From this point, the descents became very steep, the brakes barely grabbed from so much mud and sometimes the only thing that stopped us was the ground. During the tour we crossed numerous rivers and streams, sometimes by pedal power and sometimes, when it was very deep, loading the bicycles. On the banks of the path, over our heads, gigantic ceiba trees covered with red bromeliads, epiphytic plants that grow high in the trees, seeking sunlight. The main species of trees in this region are the strawberry tree, the oak, the pine and the oak, in the higher regions, and the cuil, the cuilmachete, the avocado shawl, the macahuite, the rosewood, the guarumbo and the degree, (whose sap is used by the locals to strengthen the teeth), in the areas closest to the coast.
This wonderful habitat is occupied by a myriad of animal species such as vipers, iguanas (an exquisite dish in the region, either in broth or mole), deer, ocelots and other kinds of felines (very attacked for their skins), wild boars, cacomixtles , raccoons and in some rivers, deep in the jungle, with luck you can still see water dogs, better known as otters and also very hunted for their smooth fur.
Ethnically, the population of this area belongs to the Chatino and Zapotec groups. Some women, mainly from Santa María Huatulco, still keep their traditional costumes and still celebrate some rites around agriculture such as the blessing of the milpa and the patron saint festivities. The population helps each other a lot, young people have to help the community and give a compulsory social service for a year known as "tequio."
Finally, after a long and strong day of pedaling, we reached the beautiful town of Santa María Huatulco at dusk. In the distance the mystical Huatulco hill was still covered by the jungle and crowned at the top by a mass of clouds.
