Looking for a Catamaran Cruising Blog?

If you found this blog via a link from a cruising site ~ we did cruise Mexico on our Ocean 49 cat for a season. See the first text box on the right for links to our preparations, trip down Baja, life in Mexico, cruising and trip back up to SoCal. Unfortunately we are back to the grind in the USA...

Sunday, January 18, 2009

The Incredible San Blas "Jungle Cruise"!

Affordable, awesome and full of wildlife.
The San Blas "Jungle Cruise"!
We caught the cruise in San Blas, which gave us an additional 3 miles or so of winding mangrove-filled canal and wildlife viewing.
There is a second place to start the trip in Matanchen Bay, and amazingly enough the price is the same from each starting place.
The panga makes a quick stop at Matanchen, where you pay your $90 pesos and get a free beverage of your choice ~ including a cerveza for the guys!
Thanks again to Google Earth!I marked the trip with little arrows.
The trip follows a 16 kilometer natural spring water canal and ends in a fenced off swimming hole with incredibly clear and refreshing water!
It wanders through several different types of foliage eco-systems ~ mangrove canals, mangrove fern and palm areas, bayou and then a grass and reed wetland area.
We saw lots of small crocodiles and a few bigs ones.
All kinds of different birds ~ a tiger heron, ibis, great blue herons, a strange looking relative of the cormorant and about a dozen others that I can't remember...


Jose was our driver and had incredible eagle eyes.
He spotted all kinds of wildlife!

















See if you can spot the green iguana that Jose so easily spotted...Then an hour long stop at the swimming hole!
Nothing like seeing a fence to keep the crocs out...
Both Jim and Susan went in Tarzan style.










I of course slid in on the ladder and Alan dove in...



A stunning place for a mid-morning swim!











This guy was at least 12 feet long!












At times we felt we were in "Apocolypse Now" or "The African Queen".
One of those jungle or river flicks.
Jose said these huts were built for a movie ~ we just didn't catch what movie...What a treat this was!

4 comments:

capricorncat08 said...

Wow, that swimming hole looks inviting! Were you still on the lookout for crocks? How were the no see ums at Singlar? Sounds like you are having a blast. Good job.
Carol and Wayne

Jolea said...

wow how cool are you guys!!!!

Suzie said...

Thanks for making me feel like I was right there with you in the panga! Can you see me?? I am sitting right behind you. I love that great big bird that I don't know what it is but he is perdy. Great pictures - as usual!

judith said...

I love that picture of you and Jim with the guide in the back cranking up the Ipod... You can tell by the other pictures he was really trying to spot the wildlife for ya'll.