Friends from Oregon

We had a great couple of days visit with our old friends from Portland -Scott, Karen, and Fiona, until all the grownups got sick with something muy mal, requiring antibiotics from the doc. Nataly and Fiona did a fabulous job entertaining themselves and letting us recover.

But lets focus on the positive. We had a great afternoon up at the botanical garden, which has transformed itself into a green oasis and full reservoir, since our previous visit. This really is a special place. Every time we go we find a new area to explore, though we always have to make time for the slide! They have an extensive collection of cacti and other succulents. I appreciate them and find them interesting, but I love the green, and the wildflowers that are blooming in this short rainy season.  

caterpillars that like to clump together

 Karen and Fiona have great eyes for spotting wildlife, from clumping caterpillars, anthills, and soaring birds, to beetles and we thank for them sharing their interest and knowledge with us.  We all loved hopping around on the huge boulders below the dam.

We also had a great day at the hot springs La Gruta.  There are many pools of different temperatures. For the grownups the highlight is the Gruta (or cave) itself. You approach it via a long, narrow, dark, and steamy tunnel. The water progressively gets hotter and hotter as you near the cave. 

The cave is made of natural stone with an arched ceiling. There are 2 small holes in the ceiling in which a ray of light may shine in.  It was most beautiful, serene, and wonderful.  The hot water rises as steam and precipitates back down as droplets.  At certain time there is a gusher of high pressure water which you can line up to stand under for the ultimate back massage. The food was delicious here too.  We enjoyed seeing the local Mexican families enjoying themselves and having the sounds of Spanish wash over us. When you can't understand, its like a lovely, white noise. At the end of their visit we all recovered enough to enjoy a meal out, with Michael and Scott putting their stomachs to the test (successfully) with the “volcano” (a meat extravaganza).