The village of La Yerbabuena, 26 miles north of Colima, is disappearing from official maps since an attempt several years ago to relocate the entire village of 250 people further away from the active volcano.
The Volcan de Fuego, which regularly belches up columns of steam and ash, provides an awesome backdrop for viewing resident and mi
gratory birds such as the Grey Silky, Acorn Woodpecker, Townsend’s Warbler, and the ubiquitous Vermilion Flycatcher. Add to this mixture the coolness afforded by its 1,500-meter altitude. No wonder Yerbabuena’s residents are staying put!
Occupants of the 15 or so remaining households, clustered around the stately garden they constructed some 20 years ago, are hanging onto the life they love. They hope that hiking, birding and a unique temazcal experience will gradually develop into a sustainable local economy. A temazcal is a sweat lodge ceremony favored among numerous Native American groups both in Mexico and in North America that has been used for centuries as a traditional cure for many ailments.
The structure in Yerbabuena is of adobe, and mimics the shape of the volcano, which looms above.
Yerbabuena presents a genuine example of community-based ecotourism in process. Visitors enjoy a cathartic two-hour temazcal ceremony celebrating Mother Earth, water, air and fire. A leisurely stroll to the mesa through lush montane forest brings explorers face to face with the remains of pre-Hispanic temazcales and a monument to two Catholic priests who blew themselves up during the Guerra Cristera, a bloody struggle between the church and the government following the Mexican Revolution.
For the more adventurous, book an overnight hike further up the flank of the volcano. All proceeds go into a community cooperative which helps fund the project.
Contact Information: Call Don Toño at 044-312-10-50595 (cellular) to make arrangements. If your Spanish is limited, make arrangements by phoning Katharine Collins at 044-312-10-06481. Katharine is a U.S. citizen living in Comala and volunteering to help the Yerbabuena project succeed in addition to running its one-room schoolhouse, for which the government is not providing teachers.
Written by Dave Collins, who runs Immersion Adventures (www.immersionadventures.com), a kayak and birdwatching outfit specializing in educational and hands-on learning experiences with nature. Tel: (315) 351-5341. Email: dave@immersionadventures.com.
