Butterflies, Flamingos & Tequila!

Mexico

Butterflies, flamingos and Tequila! There is no place in the world which can rival Mexico when it comes to hospitality and a friendliness. It is the most welcoming culture you'll ever encounter. Embedded in their language is the phrase "Mi casa es tu casa" which means "My home is your home". And Mexicans don't just say it out of habit, they embody it. When you point a camera at the people of Mexico they smile; when you stand next to strangers the will strike up a conversation the best they can. If they can, they'll invite you into their home for a meal! Hospitable cultures are always accompanied by amazing food and drink and Mexico is certainly full of amazing food AND drink! Their natural culture of hospitality makes for a pleasant stay for any visiting foreigner. By the end of this trip you will have a greater understanding of how your camera works and how to get a great photo when you want to take a great photo. You'll have the opportunity to do everything from macro photography to landscape photography. And most of all bird photography. And oh yea, Tequila. There will most definitely be TEQUILA! Although we won't go overboard because you'll still need to "focus".

Itinerary

Our journey begins in the capital city Mexico City (aka: Ciudad de Mexico "CDMX"). The next day begins early with a drive out to Teotihuacan: home to the 7th tallest ancient pyramid in the world. Unless there are clouds in the sky it's not a great photo op but no trip is complete without a visit there. We'll return to the city for a short stop at the Basilica. Overall an easy day.

Day 3
Head west to Toluca and then onwards to our final destination Angangeo. We'll stop in Toluca to photograph the Cosmovitral with its amazing stained glass windows. Afterwards we'll have the famous Toluca torta sandwhiches before heading to the ranch. Time permitting, we'll stop along the way to photograph butterflies or whatever strikes our fancy.

Day 4
After breakfast we'll head to the Monarch butterfly sanctuary for a hike and a shoot. We'll spend the whole day photographing the butterflies and the landscape. You'll need your macro lens for this.

Day 5
Before heading to Morelia we'll take one more opportunity to photograph butterflies. The day will end in UNESCO World Heritage town of Morelia, known for it's colorful buildings and preserved Spanish architecture.

Day 6
Following breakfast we'll take a long drive to Guadalajara where we'll stop at the old orphanage, now a museum to see the most amazing murals ever produced by José Clemente Orozco. This site is an amazing photo op and not to be missed. From there we'll slowly make our way through town stopping at a couple of cathedrals before we head to Amatitan.

Day 4
We'll get up early and to head into the mountains to photograph the Agave fields. Afterwards we'll have breakfast with the locals before heading to Tequila for a distilery tour. Of course there will be TEQUILA! The day will end with a horseback ride at sunset to again photograph the agave fields.

Day 8
A travel day. We'll head back to Guadalajara to catch a flight south to Merida and onwards to Celestun and head to bed early.

Day 9
You'll need to be well rested as we're going to get up long before the sunrises to take a boat ride out to capture the Flamingos! We'll be met by thousands of these beautful pink birds; although known for flamingos there are dozens of other large birds around (including raptors) to photogrtaph. We'll have lunch in town and then depending on the tides we'll either take it easy on the beach next to the hotel or head out for a boat ride into the mangroves for a dip. The day will end with a sunset shoot with the Flamingos.

Day 10
Following another sunrise Flamingo shoot, we'll head to Uxmal to see more pyramids. And time permitting we'll stop at Choco-Story to see if they have any chocolate we can partake in. Our day ends in Merida for one last meal together.

Day 11
Depart for home.
Transportation

You will be responsible for all international transportation requirements. This photo tour will begin in Mexico City (exact hotel and meeting location will be provided after registration) and end in Mexico City. If you would like to extend your stay in the Yucatan please please let us know. Once the photo tour begins, all internal transportation costs are included in the registration fee (including airport transfers: Mexico City Aiport to Hotel (Day 1) and Merida to Merida Airport (Day 11). We will be using private van and walking within city limits; for travel between cities a 14 seat sprinter van will be used so that everyone has plenty of room. We will begin our trip with a meet and greet on Day 1 in Mexico City and end with a farewell meal Day 10 and departure on Day 11 in Merida. It is best to fly into Mexico City and out of Merida if possible.
Accomodation

You will be staying in hotels small and large . Hotels are chosen not only for their cleanliness and comfort but for their proximity to either food or photography locations. For instance in Celestun we will stay on the beach where a boat will pick you up right from the water just steps away from the hotel itself.
Meals

On your journey you will have the opportunity try everything from street food to a fine modern Mexican meal. Of course there will be plenty of tacos but Mexican food is much much more than tacos. We'll be in three different regions and will have opportunity to try the regional specialties. . In total there will be 29 meals of which all breakfasts and 1 dinner are included in the registration fee. Alcohalic beverages are not included.
Medical

As with all travel outside a first world country it is recommended that you have all of your childhood immunizations up to date and/or boosted. The United State's Center for Disease Control also recommends that you are immunized against Hepatitus A and Typhoid. For more information on which vaccinations are necessary please visit the CDC website.
Documents

Visa requirements for visiting Mexico. Citizens of the USA, Canada and UK with a valid passport are not required to apply for an entry visa to Mexico for stays less than 90 days. For a list of which countries fall under this exemption please follow this link: VISA REQUIREMENTS. For those who require a visa please please scroll to the bottom of the page. You are responsible for fulfilling your own visa requirements. Please take care of this 3 months in advance.
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