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El Planeta Platica (The Earth Speaks):
Eco Travels in Latin America
Volume 3, Number 1
Southern Exposure
February 1996

Happy Birthday! Planeta begins its third year of publication with this
issue and second full year on the World Wide Web.

Planeta is a quarterly journal available both in print and electronic
versions. It is aimed at conscientious travelers who are interested in
Latin America. Stories feature travel and environmental information
(sometimes intersecting in the field called "ecotourism."

Contributions are extremely helpful! This is a public site that depends
on your financial support. A suggested contribution is $25 or $10, and
you will receive a subscription to the quarterly print version. Back
issues are available for $15 per volume (four issues). Businesses and
foundations should consider sponsoring these pages; consult the rate
card.

Send checks or money orders to:

Ron Mader, Publisher
12345 SW 18th Street #417
Miami, FL 33175
Email: [e-mail]

Index: February 1996

The February issue debuts at Ron's new home in Miami, Florida.
Think mangroves and palm trees and sea breezes. That said, this
issue looks at ecotourism from the ground or river up with stories
from Mexico and Ecuador.

In light of the upcoming conference on Ecotourism and Conservation
in Central America, I'd like to request Central America-specific
materials for the next issue. Please take the time to peruse this
journal and if you can, answer the Question of the Issue:

   * Central America is touting tourism as a sustainable
economic strategy.   In terms of environmental protection,
what are the needs? What *isn't* needed?

Features

   * Ecotourism and Coffee fields in Oaxaca
   * Chihuahua's Ecological Haven (Cyrus Reed)
   * Ecuador's Maquipucuna Reserve
   * Adventure in Chirije, Ecuador
   * Discovering Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands
   * Honduras: Diving and SOS
   * Guatemala: Scarlet Macaw Ecotourism Trail - CI

Editorial: Bridges and Borders

   * Down the River

Recipes

   * La Olla Latinoamericana: Cocada

Reviews
   * Defending the Land of the Jaguar: Natural History of Mexico
   * Traveller's Literary Companion, Mexico's Copper Canyon, Under
Northern Eyes, Advancing the Miami Process and Nobody, Nothing

Resources

   * Resources: Magazines, Maps and other Goodies
   * Travel Calendar

The web site (http://www.planeta.com/mader) includes an updated
list of Spanish Language Schools, Talking Planet Tapes, Travel
Resources - providers, books and maps, country contacts and more.
Advertising on the web is available.

Featured Sites on the Net include:

   * Coastal Zone Management Course
   * Enlace Economico (Costa Rica)
   * Green Arrow Guide
   * MAB Biospheres in Honduras
   * Eco Travel in the Dominican Republic
   * Galapagos Coalition
   * Chile's Rivers - American Whitewater Association


Bridges and Borders: Down the River
by Ron Mader

    Xalapa, Veracruz - The Mexican guidebooks don't mention
white-water rafting. Xalapa is the university town, the coffee town,
the museum town. But adventure tourism? Well, it's time to rewrite
the books.
    October 1995. I fly into Mexico City for an environmental
business conference and snag some time to get away outside of The
City. Francisco Madrid of Mexico's Tourism Secretariat (SECTUR)
invites me to explore some of Mexico's nascent ecotourism projects.
I'm glad I agreed.
    Tom Buckley, a friend and sports editor for the Mexico City
News joins me for the outing. He's never been on a river, and I'm
not sure if can swim.
    We pay for the inexpensive, first-class (better movies and free
Cokes) bus ride from Mexico City to Xalapa. At the state tourism
office, Luis Rios and Roxanne Arredondo makes arrangements for
our first night's lodging at the enchanting Posada Coatepec, 15km
south of town. We are greeted by the jovial owner, Don Justo
Fernandez, horse breeder and hotelier. He treats us to a gourmet
dinner and later gives us a tour of the ever-expanding Posada.
    The next day his son Justo IV offers us a tour of the Ecologico, a
private natural reserve on the outskirts of the extinct El Cofin
volcano. It's a beautiful drive through the fields. The rain lightly
falls, in what the younger Justo tells us is traditionally called "chipi
chipi" rain - a steady, light rainfall that's perfect for the coffee crops.
The problem is that the rainfall is diminishing as regional
deforestation rockets upward.
    Ecologico  is one of many such private ventures that are
located on the outskirts of national parks and reserves. It's one way to
extend protection of the ecosystem. This project is geared more as an
unusual animal park - with yaks, bison and zebras - chewing grass in
the white mist.
    That afternoon we lunch with Justo and the white water rafters
from the Mexico Verde company. This is a lively group of nature
enthusiasts, wearing company tennis shirts and shorts. They drive us
to the town of Juantepec where Mexico Verde has established a camp
ground and invests heavily in the city. We are visiting before the
weekend rush. A Salinas mask dangles from the campground bar.
The evenings must be filled with music, liquor and political
vaudeville. I'm disappointed we're here for such a short time.
    That night the Mexico Verde drops us off at Xalapa's Fiesta Inn,
a hotel with wall-to-wall carpet and a fine restaurant, but little of the
Posada's native charm. Tom and I enjoy the "Hora Feliz" and a fine
dinner before turning in for what will turn out to be an exciting day.
    Veraventuras treats us to a day outing on the Rio Antigua. It
takes almost two hours to drive to the launch site, and we pass
through numerous climatic zones. Veracruz seems to have a little bit
of everyplace in the world within its boundaries.
    The best way to see the Filobobos archaeological site is via the
river. We don lifejackets and pick up the oars. The water seems ice-
cold, but it's clean and invigorating. The river has a Class 1-3 rating,
whichprovides some excitement, but nothing too scary.
    We visit El Cuahilote and Vega de la Peûa sites, each complete
with stone carvings, ball courts and pyramids. These sites were
recently discovered and still are mostly covered with soil, moss and
trees. El Cuahilote boasts a natural spring underneath one of its
pyramids. Water has always been important in this area.
    The raft trip is exhilarating, despite the guide's notice that the
river is rather low and therefore slow. Still, seeing the forests and
orchards and cattle pasture from the river makes for a wonderful trip.
Two years ago when I visited Xalapa, I heard rumors of river trips,
but there was at most one company that functioned part of the time
here. Now there are five companies, each pulling Veracruzanos,
Chilangos from D.F. and foreigners from abroad into this marvelous
world.
    Of course, the trip doesn't end perfectly. Tom stumbles on his
way out of the raft and pulls a muscle that basically incapacitates him
for a month. Such is the real-life, real-time danger of adventure
travel. The real world doesn't have amusement park restraints.
    By the time we return to Mexico City, we're both mentally and
physically refreshed. I've seen something in Mexico I've witnessed in
the United States and Costa Rica and Ecuador, but rarely in Mexico -
that the outdoors can offer both a beautiful aesthetic experience as
well as a form of economic livelihood. This trip is just beginning.

Contacts: Mexico Verde, Jose Maria Vigil No. 2406, Col. Italia
Providencia, 44620 Guadalajara, Jalisco; Phone: (52) (3) 641-5598; Fax:
(52) (3) 641-1005.

Veraventuras , Santos Degollado No. 81, Int. 8, 91000 Xalapa,
Veracruz; Phone: (52) (28) 18-9579; (52) (28) 18-9779; Fax: (52) (28) 18-
9680.


Rarumari Resort Builds Ecotourism From the Ground Up
by Cyrus Reed ([e-mail])

    Just north of Creel, Chihuahua, at the mouth of Copper
Canyon, lies an ecotourism "complex" called Arareko. The 400
indiginous families living in the ejido (communal farming
community) of San Ignacio de Arareko are the owners.
    Known in Spanish by the name Tarahumara and as the
Rarumari in their own language, the indiginous community has
slowly expanded the facilities over the last few years.
    For those of us lucky enough to know of its existence, Arereko
offers pictaresque vistas and cabins, mountain biking, hiking,
horseback riding and even boating in Lake Arareko, and a unique
perspective on local Indiginous culture.
    Of equal importance, the complex gives the community an
alternative development strategy to farming or working down the
road in Creel, where most of the stores and hotels are not in
indiginous hands.
    Enough bantering. This is about fun in the Tarahumara
Mountain sun. Over the four-day Thanksgiving week-end, my wife
and I spent three nights in the "Batosarachi" cabins about 10 kms.
north of Creel on the road to Guachochi.
    The pine wood cabins - there are about 20  rooms in all as well
as a kitchen and eating hall which can be rented out by larger groups -
cost 35 Nuevo Pesos ($5) per person per night, and provide an electric
heater, wool blankets, a shower with hot and cold water and the the
caretakers' company.     Doûa Natalia is la jefa, and we spent
several nights by her wood-burning stove heating up our meals or
purchasing her home-made tortilla and bean burritos. It is a cosy
existence among the mountain pines and the occassional cry of an
eagle or owl overhead.
    Back toward Creel, a more luxurious alternative is the
Segorachi Cabin, which overlooks Lake Arareko and has ameneties
such as a fireplace. The nearby "House of the Women" sells local arts
and crafts next to the lake, while further down, near "Elephant Rock,"
is the entrance to the lake proper with boats and horses for rent.
    You can not see Copper Canyon itself from here, although it's
just a few hours drive toward Bato Pila. But there's plenty of excellent
canyon and mountain climbing.
    Just beyond the lake are the Bisabirachi Rocks, also known as
the "Nuns," gigantic limestone rocks which tower 100s of feet above
the valley and farmhouses below. Within the farming community
itself are other rock formations, such as the "Valley of Mushrooms,"
gigantic boulders which look like ..... you get the picture.
    You can also travel with an indiginous guide deep into the
mountain range by foot, bike or horse. One recommended trip is on
dirt roads (by horseback) 15 kilometers to the top of a gigantic
spectacular canyon.
    From there, a four kilometer hike takes you down to both the
Rekowata Hot Springs and to a beautiful mountain stream. It's a long
journey, but well worth the effort. There's also the Rukirasco
Waterfalls, also accesible by dirt road.
    The state government offered to pave the roads in San Ignacio
and the surrounding natural areas to make them drivable, but the
community vetoed the measure. They felt this "progress" would lead
to overdevelopment and cut them -- and their guided tours -- out of
the picture.
    The indiginous community has been fortunate to be assisted by
a local non-profit group called Alternative Training and Community
Development (ALCADECO). Led by Laura Frade Rubio and Dr. Juan
Carlos Perez Castro, both transplants from Mexico City, ALCADECO
has helped support the indiginous community on its road to self-
reliance.
    Originally supported by the Catholic Church, ALCADECO
today depends upon small grants and individual donations (hint,
hint!). When visiting this area, support the local population and
their efforts in providing sustainable tourism.

The Arareko complex office can be reached at (011-52-145) 60126.
Laura or Juan Carlos at ALCADECO (Alternativas de Capacitaciùn y
Desarollo Comunitario) can be reached in Creel at (011 -52 -145) 60078.

The author is a free-lance journalist and U.S.-Mexico border catalyst.
He lives in El Paso, Texas when not visiting Austin. He can be
reached via email at [e-mail].


Insert: Mexican Meandering's current issue features an article on the
Chihuahua al Pacifico route of the Ferrocarriles Naciones de Mexico.
The route passes through Copper Canyon Country. To order a copy or
request information, email [e-mail]


Ecotourism and coffee in the shade
by James Kitts ([e-mail])

    Coffee grower Alberto Perez Mariscal is my host and guide on a
trip to the coffee plantations along the west slopes of the Sierra Madre
del Sur.
    During this drive from Oaxaca we discuss the politics,
economics and sociology associated with the coffee industry in the
state of Oaxaca. The growers are working toward having their
plantations declared part of Mexico's ecological reserves. This would
preserve the jungle which provides valuable natural resources, the
right conditions for raising coffee, and an ecotourism attraction.
    As we crest the mountains and start down toward the Pacific,
the cool dry air warms and becomes noticeably more humid. We turn
on to an unmarked, narrow, gravel road.
    Small puddles form in the tire ruts. In the quiet of the jungle
we hear birds calling, water rushing downhill, and, occasionally, the
sounds of human presence - children laughing, rosters crowing,
donkeys braying. Still, we can't see them through the dense
understory.
    The jungle parts at Plume Hedalgo, a community of about 4000
people perched, literally, on the razor edge of a mountain ridge.
Wispy clouds are all around and below us.
    To the west lies the Pacific Ocean and to the southwest, the
Gulf of Tehuantepce. Behind that hill on the left is Santa Cruz
Huatulco one of Mexico's newest costal resort areas.
    As we walk the cobble stone main street, the only street in
Plume Hedalgo, I am aware of the relationship of the people to
nature. Two hundred meters in any direction looms dense jungle.
    In the village people interact as they do in any small town -
seemingly unaware of the isolation and the breath-taking beauty of
the setting.  A slight breeze carries the smell of fresh coffee beans,
stacked in bags at the buyers shed. But where are the plantations?
    It's nearly impossible to distinguish the boundary between
natural jungle vegetation and the plantations. Here coffee is a shade
crop grown as the understory in this mountain jungle.
    Preservation of traditional coffee culture techniques is a
primary concern for the growers and their workers. They do not clear-
cut, or use commercial pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or harvesting
machines.
    Hand labor is essential for carefully removing competing
shrubs, planting new coffee bushes, pruning the coffee and the shade
trees, and for harvesting. Topography is too steep for machinery.
Coffee growing here is expensive. However, this careful hand
culturing leaves the land in tact. There is little visible erosion. From a
distance of 30 meters, it looks like untouched jungle.
    The coffee growers consider themselves benefactors of the local
peoples. They provide significant employment for many villagers
including some of the women and children.
    The workers benefit by remaining with their families and
living close to their work, by having guaranteed employment, and by
the possibility of becoming plantation owners themselves.
Sometimes the workers are paid with coffee plants or land rather
than, or in addition to, money. Ecotourism would contribute to the
village economies.
    With close proximity to the costal tourist areas of Huatulco,
Puerto Angle and Puerto Escondito, single day and overnight trips to
this coffee growing area are possible. Spectacular views, colorful
butterflies, exotic birds and plants, and gracious and friendly people
are here in the jungle villages and coffee plantations.
    Eventually populations of native mammals such as deer and
river otter will be reestablished here too. Protective breedings of these
animals is envisioned as one of the short-term goals. Nature tours,
plantation tours, sustainable agriculture workshops are the visions of
Alberto and his fellow coffee growers. Achieving this will require
careful planning, financing, and development.

If you have expertise in ecotourism and are interested in assisting,
please contact:

    Alberto Perez Mariscal, Technical Secretary
    Union Estatal de Productores de Cafe
    Posada la Casa de la Tia
    Cinco de Mayo 108, Centro
    Oaxaca 68000 Oaxaca
    Mexico

    The author is a wildlife biologist working for the Minnesota
Extension Service at the University of Minnesota and can be
contacted via email at [e-mail] or via fax at (612)
625-5299.


Spotlight on Ecuador: Adventure in Chirije
By Patricio Tamariz ([e-mail])

    Did you know that Ecuador's early coastal peoples were
important for the development of the famous cultures in Central
America and Peru? The Bahia Culture - known as the "Phoenicians
of the Americas" - set up important trade routes and were responsible
for transfer of ideas and technologies that helped the complex social
organizations of the neighboring countries to succeed.
    Sailors and merchant traders in search of the sacred Spondylus
and mother of pearl shell arrived at this site aboard balsa wood
sailing vessels. These seafaring merchants traded skillfully crafted
ornaments or whole shells as far north as Mexico and as far south to
Chile, for gold, copper and other previous items.
    We are truly interested in making Bahia de Carçquez known to
the
travel world - especially the archaeological site of Chirije. It would be
great for students interested in ecology and archaeology to visit this
site and for volunteer groups like Earthwatch to assist in the funding
of future investigations of this site.
    The following are some tours that visitors interested in the
local environment can enjoy:

Estuary Exploration (four hours)

    Bahia de Carçquez boasts an ancient and rich cultural history.
Situate d on a peninsula surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, and the bay
of "Los Caras," Bahia de Carçquez lies in one of the most scenic areas
in coastal Ecuador.
    Visit the "Isla de los Pajaros," an island inhabited by a variety
of bird species, such as the Frigate, Egret and Pelican. Navigate
through groups of mangroves and observe the unusual natural
formation of islands, such as the "Isla Corazùn." This island is a
naturally formed in shape of a heart. It served as a place of local
worship according to sixteenth century Spanish chronicles.

Shrimp Farms and Bay Trip (four hours)

    In the past, the easily accessible location of Bahia de Carçquez
has facilitated the commercialization of products from this region.
Currently, shrimp farming offers economic benefits to this city and to
the country. Ecuador is now among the three leading shrimp
exporting nations in the world. Visit a shrimp farm and learn from
the pioneers of shrimp farming about a particular method of
production native to this region.
    En route to the shrimp ponds, navigate the estuary in private
touring boats and discover a unique mangrove ecosystem. Visit the
"Isla de los Pajaros," a small island inhabited by an array of bird
species and "Isla Corazùn."
    Tour the area and learn about current aquatic techniques and
the commercialization of this product. Of course, we invite you to
sample the traditional fresh shrimp dish, "Cebiche."

Montecristi (complete day)

    Internationally recognized, but mislabeled, "Panama Hats"
originated during colonial times in Indian villages such as
Montecristi and Jipijapa. Using ancient Indian techniques, villagers
produced this high quality hat, much appreciated for its style and
texture. The same weaving techniques are still used to produce the
world-renowned hats.
    Just fifteen minutes from Montecristi lies another artesian
town known as La Pila. La Pila is regionally known for its
indistinguishable replicas of pre-Columbian ceramics. Choose from
an array of ceramics that represent various coastal civilizations, some
dating back 3000 years.

The Equator and the Beaches of Don Juan (complete day)

    Scientific investigations in the field of astronomy gained
validity in Ecuador during the eighteenth century. In 1735, under the
auspices of the Scientific Academy of Paris, a group of astronomers
and scientists reached the coast of Ecuador with the intention of
measuring the exact location of the equator.
    The mission was led by French astronomer, Charles Marie de
la Condamine, who in that same year, discovered the equatorial line
here at Punta Palmar, dividing the earth into the Northern
Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
    Located just two hours north of Bahia, visit the equatorial
monument and its surrounding unspoiled beaches. The spectacular
topography of lush forests, mountain ranges and the white-sand
beaches of Don Juan make this a magnificent trip.

The author is manager of Bahia Dolphin Tours. He can be contacted
via email at [e-mail]


Ecuador's Maquipucuna Reserve
by Fernando Justicia ([e-mail])

    The Maquipucuna Reserve is a 4500-hectare, privately owned
and managed nature reserve surrounded by 14000 hectares of
"protected forest." Eighty percent of Maquipucuna consists of steeply-
sloped, undisturbed cloud forest. Covering four different life zones
ranging from 1200 to 2800 meters above sea level, the Reserve houses
a tremendous diversity of flora and fauna. In fact, it is located next to
the Choco bioregion of northwestern Ecuador, which is one of only
ten "biodiversity hotspots" in the world.
    Tropical Andean cloud forests such as Maquipucuna are
incredibly rich in epiphytes such as orchids, ferns bromeliads, and
Araceae (a family of ornamental plants with large heart shaped
leaves). The diversity of plant rivals that of lowland tropical forests
and is a result of the humid conditions due to the nearly constant
mists at high altitudes. More than 1000 species of plants have already
been identified, and further studies will at least double this number.
    Faunal diversity is equally high, and includes many
endangered species as well as endemics (found here and nowhere
else). More than 300 species of birds have been identified,
representing over one third of the number of bird species in all of
North America. In terms of mammals, there are at least 45 known
species including pumas, ocelots, spectacled bear, bats, agoutis,
peccaries, tapir and deer. Butterflies and other invertebrates are also
spectacular in number and variety.
    Archeological studies indicate that the area in and around
Maquipucuna was home to pre-incan peoples known as Yumbos. To
this day, one can still find ceramics, burial sites and buried pathways
used as they traveled between the highlands and the coast. Modern
day residents of the area are farmers, dedicating themselves to raising
cattle and producing sugar cane and its derivatives.

Facilities

    The Thomas H. Davis Ecotourist center is designed and
constructed to fit into the context of the natural environment.
Because of the constant warm temperature (average year round is 18
Celsius or 65 Farenheit), the structure is open, with views of local
flora and sounds of birds and the free-flowing river. It houses
comfortable accomodation for up to 22 people, with dining and
living/meeting areas, bathrooms and hot showers.
    In addition, there is a separate research station (complete with
laboratory space) for visiting scientists. Meals are provided for all and
are based on the use of local produce and regional and national
specialties.

Access

    The entrance to the Reserve is a two hour drive from Quito,
and is accessed first along a newly-paved road from Calacali (the town
of the middle of the world monument) towards the town of
Nanegalito, and then unpaved road to the north. Four wheel drive
vehicles are recomended.

Administration

    The Maquipucuna Reserve was established by The
Maquipucuna Foundation, founded in 1988 as a non-profit
organization dedicated to theconservation of Ecuador's biodiversity
and the sustainable use of natural resources. The foundation
promotes the participation of local communities in its programs.

For more information contact:

Fundaciùn Maquipucuna
P.O. Box 17-12-167
Baquerizo #238-y-Tamayo
Quito/Ecuador
Email: [e-mail]


Discovering Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands
reviewed by Ron Mader

Pablo Corral and Loup Langton, Editorial Directors
Discovering Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, (Quito: Grupo
Imprenta
Mariscal, 1994)

When thirty-four photographers from eleven countries went to
Ecuador to document the country for this book, they brought a cross-
cultural understanding to the realm of coffee table books, which seem
to be either tourist brochures or single-issue photojournalism essays.

Instead this book relays a country and people like nothing I've seen
before. The photographers snapped approximately 66,000 photographs
in one week. Almost 200 are included in this book.

Photos are arranged by geographic region - La Sierra, El Oriente, Islas
Galapagos and La Costa.

Copies are available from the University of Missouri School of
Journalism for $43.95, including postage and handling (within the
United States.) Send a check or inquiry to Discovering Ecuador, c/o
Loup Langton, University of Missouri School of Journalism, 109 Lee
Hills Hall, Columbia, MO 65203; Email:
[e-mail]


Honduran Diving and SOS
Jorge Giraldez-Benard de Granada, Nicaragua


Last July, 1995 an SOS Expedition Team landed in the Honduran
Miskito Coast to deliver emergency Medical equipment and to
provide training. Join our project or support us with with cash and or
equipment donations. Be a part of our expedition. We are working on
finishing Honduras and start work on the Nicaragua project.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paralyzed, stunned and afraid, he had laid aboard the ship off the
coast of Mosquitia for five miserable days in August of '93, without
medical attention. I asked him, "WHY? with truth in his eyes, Garcia
told me how he had stood up to lobster boat captains in the past;
rallying the divers to strike, demanding and winning early chamber
treatment for divers paralyzed by the "Bends".

Cruelly, when he was the victim, he saw that his shipmates feared
the captain; so they continue to dive until the ship's quota of lobster
was filled. Too late for a recompression chamber to revive his dead
legs. He stared past me into empty space, eyes misting over, chin
high. I turned my camera from him, out of respect. Here was epic
maritime exploitation, unsurpassed through history.

As this weight fell upon me, I realized that if this brutality went on
unchallenged, my view of humanity would sink. In early March,
1995. an SOS emergency medical expedition consisting of Miskito
Indian divers, 14 yr. old Caleb Windship Izdepski and his dad,Bob
Izdepski, (Publisher of Universal Diver Magazine), manually cast
overboard, floated , then dragged a 4000 lb. recompression chamber 12
miles to the Moravian Mission Clinic in Kalquira, on the Miskito
Coast of Honduras. Motivation came from the news that one third of
the 120 divers living there have been paralyzed by the "bends" (we
have video).

Recently, as new diving technologies have impacted uneducated
coastal indigenous people the world over, tens of thousands of men
and boys have been killed or paralyzed in diving fisheries. The social
and economic consequences are staggering. In June of '94, Robert
Izdepski addressed the international meeting of the Undersea and
Hyperbaric Medical Society and showed the SOS video(courtesy of
Jorge Torrez, winner of the World Press International award for
photographic arts) to a shocked audience that showed it's support
with honors and by a special Society donation.

Sub Ocean safety, has produced simple solutions to these
environmental/social problems, solutions not only feasible, but
which made economic fishing sense to the Honduran lobster fleet; a
fleet that now supports SOS. The Honduran experience has uniquely
prepared SOS to bring emergency medical aid, commercial diving
education, and sustainable fisheries planning to the rest of the world.
To ignore the critical significance of diving fisheries to the world's
diving infrastructure, is to be blind to an encroaching threat; human
rights and morality aside.

The idea that "They are only Indians without money who don't live
near us", deserves no comment. Our world is not compartmentalized
and that "Indians" may well be your next dive guide/instructor.
Unsafe diving is a contagious environmental disease, curable only
with a holistic and unprejudiced approach.

Join with our expeditions, help us to where we cannot go, contribute
to our plans, share the risks and breathe the rewards. SOS can win
battles; help us win the war. We value individual support and offer
membership for $25, video for $50. Corporate support is needed and
we offer publicity in return. You might feel better about life. Help us
get this message out to the concerned. Please contact us with your
support. and PLEASE POST WHERE APPROPRIATE

Jorge Giraldez-Benard de Granada, Nicaragua
Email: [e-mail]

Guatemala's Scarlet Macaw Ecotourism Trail
Conservation International
February 1996

    Flores, Guatemala -- Conservation International (CI),
CI/ProPeten and Guatemalan communities of Centro Campesino and
El Cruce a Dos Aguadas will welcome the first group of ecotourists to
hike the Scarlet Macaw Trail this spring. The launching of
ecotourism along the trail promises to help curb the destruction of
rain forests within the Maya Biosphere Reserve, thus protecting
critical habitat for the endangered Scarlet Macaw and increasing visits
to the El Peru archaeological site.
    Located within the Maya Biosphere Reserve, a 4 million acre
protected area established in northern Guatemala in 1990, the site
provides breeding grounds for the Scarlet Macaw. As an ecotourism
attraction, the endangered birds will not only be properly observed by
tourists, but the presence of tourists in nesting areas makes it much
more difficult for poachers to steal birds. Visitor presence will also
deter the common practice of looting at the El Peru archeolgical site
and agricultural encroachment into the Reserve.
    As one community guide, Fidelino Diaz of Centro Campesino,
puts it, "It is very difficult to protect the forest here because we have
so many people moving into the area and clearing the land for farms,
and the loggers keep cutting the trees to use in construction. But with
this type of tourism, we are trying to protect some of the natural
richness of the area for all to appreciate."
    With the support and participation of the local communities,
CI/ProPeten has been developing infrastructure for increasing
tourism in the rainforest surrounding the El Peru archaeological site.
The Scarlet Macaw Trail Tour is a five-day, ecologically-sensitive
excursion, led and managed by inhabitants of the Centro Campesino
and El Cruce a Dos Aguadas communities. Local guides interpret the
natural attractions and culture, and provide local cuisine in rustic,
low impact campsites.
     "In the community, between 30 and 40 families are benefitting
from tourism through the many services that are being provided. I
believe that we will improve economically and socially through
tourism," says Luis Espino Esquivel, President of the Toursim
Committee in Centro Campesino.
    The Scarlet Macaw Trail offers adventurous travelers many
activities and attractions: immersion into the culture of typical Peten
communities, observing rare wildlife, visiting a breeding site of the
endangered scarlet macaw, trekking through various ecosystems,
including the rich forests of the Laguna del Tigre National Park,
exploring the little known Maya ruins of El Peru, and boating down
the luch waterways of the San Pedro River. But more importantly,
the Scarlet Macaw Trail allows visitors to participate in local
conservation efforts.
    Michael Saxton of Boyd Travelers Inc., an ecotour company
based in Illinois, sums up the attractions: "If you like ecology and care
about the environment, the Scarlet Macaw Trail will satisfy you on
every level. Your dollars go directly towards the preservation of the
region. You'll meet the people who live there, discover Maya history,
learn about sustainable development -- and if you're lucky -- spend
the night with the howler monkeys or wake to the squawks of
endangered macaws."

For information on this project, contact Jill McLaughlin at
[e-mail]


La Olla Latinoamericana: Cocada
by Melissa Biggs

    Who likes to remember their kitchen failures? A kitchen
disaster - the roast that catches on fire in the oven, the cake made
with two cups of salt instead of two cups of sugar - can gain the status
of legend, improving with the telling and retelling. But a mere
failure remains somehow unmentionable. What's legendary about
puddings that won't set, a stew that isn't quite right, or scorched rice?
    One of my messier failures came about when I tried to make a
surprise treat for a friend's wedding. I convinced myself I could make
dulces de lima, candied limes filled with coconut cream. I used the
recipe in Patricia Quintana's lovely Mexico's Feasts of Life.
    I hollowed out twenty-four limes, boiled them, and soaked
them in a concoction of ash and water for three days (yes, that was a
part of the recipe). Then I boiled them again in a colored sugar syrup.
The end result resembled something you find in a forgotten
container in the refrigerator: green, grey, and mushy!
    I should have stayed with something simple, like this recipe
for cocada, a baked coconut custard. This recipe comes from a Mexican
dessert cookbook, Reposteria Mexicana, one of a series called "El arte
de la buena cocina," published by Promexa. An identical recipe
appears in Guadalupe Rivera's Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and
Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo.

4 cups milk
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 coconut, peeled and grated (do not use packaged grated coconut)
6 egg yolks, beaten

    Preheat the oven to 350. Boil the milk and sugar until it
thickens. Stir in the grated coconut. Turn down the heat and simmer
the mixture for thirty minutes. Remove from heat, and slowly whisk
in the beaten egg yolks.
    The mixture should be the consistency of pudding. Pour into
an ovenproof glass or ceramic dish, and bake until the top is pale
gold. Choosing and cracking a fresh coconut: Fresh coconuts should
give a satisfying slosh when shaken--this means they are full of
coconut water (not the same thing as coconut milk!).
    At home, use an ice pick or screwdriver to poke out two of the
coconut's eyes. Strain the coconut water through a sieve and into a
container. Save it in the refrigerator for another recipe.
    Bake the coconut in a 400 oven for ten to fifteen minutes.
Wrap the baked coconut in a towel, and tap it with a hammer all
over. This loosens the meat from the shell. Use a vegetable peeler to
scrape off the brown skin before grating the meat.

    Contact the author via email at [e-mail]


Book Reviews:

Defending the Jaguar:
A History of Conservation in Mexico
by Lane Simonian (University of Texas Press, 1995, $40 cloth; $19.95
paperback, PO Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819; Phone: [phone])

    Kudos to author Lane Simonian for producing the definitive
English-language account of Mexican environmental history.
Defending the Land of the Jaguar traces the history of conservation
and environmentalism in Mexico from the pre-Conquest era to
roughly 1992 and the NAFTA debates.
    I read this book with some trepidation, since it's a subject so
close to my heart, having covered interior and border environmental
issues for the past few years. Conveniently, the book ends just at the
time that I entered Mexico. In some ways I wish I had had this book,
but I guess I was lucky to be able to explore some of these topics on my
own.
    Do I recommend this book? Definitely. This is a must read for
anyone interested in Latin American environmental issues.

The pre-Conquest Indians of Mexico were, with qualifications, the
region's first conservationists. In some instances, they carefully
managed the natural world in a conscious attempt to impede
environmental degradation... Yet at the same time, the ancient
peoples of Mexico often held religious belief and engaged in
agricultural practices that resulted in the exploitation of the
environment. (p. 2)

By the time of Columbus' voyages to the New World, the Spanish
monarchy had begun to take steps to confront regional shortages of
wood. The Spanish crown promulgated conservation laws for their
colonies as well. (p. 29)

Early in the seventeenth century, the cosmographer Henrico
Martinez issued one of the most dire warnings. According to
Martinez, soils eroded from mountainous plots were filling in the
lakes of the region. Since the amount of rainfall remained constant,
the water had nowhere to go but over the rim of the lakes,
inundating the city. (p.29)

Quevedo cited Humboldt's observation that deforestation of the
mountains around Mexico City was responsible for the inundations
that the city suffered... He was also influenced by the Spanish
chronicler Juan de Torquemada, who thought that a reduction in the
size o the valley's lacustrine zone would produce a higher incidence
of disease because of swirling dust and bad vapors (which he argued
were diluted by the humid air coming from the lakes). (p. 69)

Unlike Canada and the United States, where rain fell on a fairly
regular basis, Mexico experienced long dry spells punctuated by brief
periods of heavy rains and so was highly susceptible to both droughts
and flooding. Forests were a safeguard against both of these disasters.
(p. 77)

By his own admission, Cardenas had been inattentive to
environmental issues while governor of his native state of
Michoacan (1928-1934). Because of his neglect, many of Michoacan's
beautiful forests had been denuded and once large springs had dried
up. (p. 86)

At the First World Conference on National Parks held in Seattle in
1962, Beltrçn suggested that the conflict between preservation and use
could be avoided through a zoning system... A decade later, zoning
had become the dominate approach to wilderness protection in the
Third World. (p. 139)
Reflecting on his own state of Michoacan, Homero Aridjis had said,
"I've noticed that animals that used to live in the mountains are no
longer there. Our mountains and forests are becoming silent. Our
rivers and lakes are drying up." (p. 212)

Alfonso Cipres Villarreal, the head of MEM, contended the
government feared "a real movement" and therefore attempted to
divide and co-opt environmental groups. The ruling elite did incite
rivalries between ecological associations by periodically restricting
participation and consultation on environmental programs to groups
most supportive of its actions. (p. 215)


The following are reviews offer a mixed bag of literary treats. There is
nothing that connecting the following tomes, except the idea that if
they are of interest, you should read them!

Jason Wilson, editor
Traveller's Literary Companion: South and Central America,
including Mexico, (Chicago: Passport Books, 1995, $17.95)

    Anyone book lover traveling in Latin America should carry a
copy of this compilation of stories and poems. Each country receives a
lively description as well as an index of native and foreign authors
who wrote about local life.
    Wilson provides bibliographic details about the authors whose
names are or should be familiar - Isabel Allende, Paul Bowles,
Ernesto Cardenal, Bruce Chatwin, Ariel Dorfman, Graham Greene,
W.H. Hudson, Jorge Ibargƒengoitia, Pablo Neruda and Kurt
Vonnegut. That should indicate my current literary favoritism - but
there are hundreds of additional authors listed in this book.
    The Traveller's Companion is akin to walking into a beautiful
old bookstore with plenty of time and plenty of money to dive into
the words of places that despite the distance remain close at heart.
Kudos to Wilson for giving us such a treat:
    "The overlap between fiction - a report on a strange and distant
land - and travel books is enormous, for both fiction and travel books
can be read as chronicles, a term that Garcia Marquez from Colombia
and Roy Heath from Guyana have used to define their purpose and
work." (Introduction)
    "HUDSON, W.H. (1841-1922)
    In 1904 Hudson wrote the best-selling Green Mansions: A
Romance of the Tropical Forest, which, added to his Civil List
pension, finally assured financial security. The romance concerns
Abel Guevez de Argensola, from Caracas, who has to flee as a failed
conspirator. He travels down the Orinoco to Angostura (now Ciudad
Bolivar) and decides to hide himself in the 'almost unexplored'
regions of Guyana. In Manapuri he falls ill and recuperates with the
Maquiritari tribe near the Queneveto mountains. Wandering the
jungles he becomes aware of 'a sacred innocence and spirituality in
nature' and decides to stay with the Indians..." (pp. 196-197 - for the
rest of the story, read the book!)

Richard D. Fisher
Mexico's Copper Canyon (Tucson: Sunracer Publications, PO Box
86492, Tucson, Arizona 85754, 1995, $15.95)

    Fisher previously produced the wonderful National Parks of
Northern Mexico. This guidebook focuses exclusively on the ever
popular Copper Canyon and Sierra Tarahumara. The book is graced
with photos of this region and its peoples.
    Its large size may confine it to the library or coffee table. But it
still is a useful guide when deciding how to explore this region. With
the decision of the Mexican government to promote tourism in this
region, I'm all the more curious to find out what are the
environmental issues in this area and how tourism is impacting local
lives.
    "Many feel that the national park model developed in the
United States would deprive the Tarahumara of their land and
resources. Actually, the Tarahumara's traditional lifestyle is centered
around resource conservation. They have consistently resisted and
protested deforestation."
    "Backpacking Destinations: Hike #4 - Batopilas to Sateveo,
rated 'C'... Be advised that the floor of the canyon can be very hot, so I
often leave Batopilas before sunrise and return at dusk. I spend most
of the day in the church or swimming and resting down by the river
to keep cool. The best months are late November through February."

Mark T.  Berger
Under Northern Eyes: Latin American Studies and U.S. Hegemony in
the Americas 1989-1990 (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995,
$35)

    North American scholarship, the author asserts, has tended to
support U.S. policy toward Latin America since the end of the
nineteenth century. While it would be pleasant to think of
universities and foundations as independent think-tanks, they are
indeed caught up with current policies.
    Berger has written an impressive, scholarly tome that criticizes
academic pandering to government dollars and seems to go out of his
way to document every other word in the book (more than half of the
560 pages are notes). For anyone involved in Latin American Studies,
this is a valuable book. For those seeking answers about the role of
academia, research centers and foundations, the book provides
intellectual grist but few answers.
    "An emphasis on the imperial state, the linkages between
politico-strategic and economic factors and the internalization (or
globalization) of class structure in the Americas can be meshed with
the conception of US hegemony in international affairs, first
articulated by Robert Cox, and later taken up by Stephen Gill. Cox and
Gill emphasize that US hegemony does not simply flow from
Washington's ability to manage global politics and the world
economy, but is based on a notion of an international 'civil society,'
which is articulated by the hegemonic power in the context of an
international economic order based on linkages between social classes
across national boundaries." (p. 7)

Robin Rosenberg and Steve Stein, editors
Advancing the Miami Process: Civil Society and the Summit of the
Americas
(Miami: North-South Center Press, University of Miami, 1996; 305-
284-4514)

    Providing the official 1994 Summit of the Americas
documents, intergovernmental publications, NGO proposals and
various items of Summit correspondence, this book is an
extraordinary compilation of materials in a single volume.
    The North South Center functions as a federally-funded think-
tank and was strategically positioned during the 1994 Summit. But
rather than seeing the event as history, the editors indicate "there is
much work to be done" and promote this work as a testament to the
first stage of hemispheric integration.

Elena Poniatowska
Nothing, Nobody: The Voices of the Mexico City Earthquake,
(Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1995, $18.95 paperback)

    Just a little over ten years ago, Mexico City suffered a terrible
catastrophe. A series of earthquakes on September 19, 1985 caused the
death of thousands of people and immense damage, much of which
can still be witnessed today. This book recounts the stories of the
survivors, using their testimonies as well as the descriptions of
journalist Poniatowska.
    The combination of natural disaster and government inaction
led to a newfound self-sufficiency in Mexico. But this is not a book
about the 1990s but the fateful day that disrupted so many lives. It is
as descriptive as any novel and as emotional as any poem. Nothing,
Nobody fills the reader with a sadness and a longing that cannot be
ignored long after the book is closed.

Resources

Travel Info Exchange BBS & Web

    The Travel Info Exchange BBS is available with FirstClass
software in Concord, Massachusetts at 508-287-0660. The new web
page is accessible via http://www.infoexchange.com/biz/travelinfo

Ecotourism Proposal

    The Andean Center for Latin American Studies (ACLAS) has
published a very interesting booklet on ecotourism titled "La Ecologia
en el turismo...Una Propuesta Ecoturistica" (Ecology in Turism...An
Ecoturistic Proposal). For information, contact Fernando Mino-
Garces, ACLAS, P.O. Box 17-11-6203, Quito, Ecuador; Phone/Fax: (593
2) 258-441; Email: [e-mail]

Media Resource

GW Associates Public Interest media offer the Living media tape,
designed for organizations which send delegations to the Third
World and will educate North Americans. The tape is designed to
give these travelers the skills and confidence to use the media to
share that experience. More than 2,000 tapes have been sold and the
materials can be customized. A progressive media bargain! Tapes are
$9.999 plus $1.50 postage and handling. Make checks payable to GW
Associates and mail them to 702 South Beech, Syracuse, New York
13210; Phone: [phone]; Email: [e-mail]

Internet's Tropical Market

Good Green Fun is exactly that. Browse the tropical market on the
Internet (http://www.gate.net/good-green-fun) or order the catalog!
Selections include tropical natural history books, tropical treats, maps,
exceptional software and exotic tropical plants. This is one of my
favorite ventures! Check it out! Email: [e-mail]; Phone: 800-684-
882 or write to PO Box 27, Miami, FL 33257-0027.

Travel Gear

    Walkabout Travel Gear has a new email
([e-mail]) and a web site that is being "tweaked."
Check it out for your travel needs. Web:
http://www.xmission.com/~walkgear/walk.htm

Maps: Honduras

    Canada's World of Maps (http://www.magi.com/~maps/) has
a new map of Honduras published by ITMB of Vancouver "hot off
the printing press." It is scale 1:750,000 full colour with a detailed
index printed on the reverse of all the communities that appear on
the map. "Elevations are clearly shown with hypsometric tints of
colour." There is an index city map of Tegucigalpa and Comayaguela
as well as plan of Copan. All of the Wildlife Refuges, Biological
Reserves, Marine Parks, National Parks are clearly shown.
    The map is US$ 7.95 and a few dollars extra for
postage/handling. For info, contact Brad Green, World of Maps, 118
Holland Ave. Ottawa,ON, Canada, K1Y 0X6 ; Phone: [phone]
Fax [phone]; Email: [e-mail]

Cordillera Real of Bolivia

Liam P. O'Brien has every reason to be proud. He's just published a
wonderful map of the Cordillera Real of Bolivia. This is a full color,
shaded relief topographic map that measures 23" by 44". The map
costs $7.50 with $4 shipping charge to the U.S. Ask about discounts for
larger shipments and overseas shipments. Make checks out to Liam
O'Brien and send them in care of the American Embassy, Unite 3919,
APO AA 34032. Phone: [phone])

Travel Advisories

"Sound advice for safe travel" is the motto of the Latin American
Travel Advisor, a 16-page monthly newsletter tracking safety issues,
economic hardship and an array of tourism issues. A one-year
subscription is $39. Send a check or inquiry to PO Box 17-17-908,
Quito, Ecuador; Email: [e-mail]

Employment

    International Career Employment Opportunities is published
bi-weekly. Subscriptions are $29 for two months, $229 for one year
(hope you get a job as quickly as possible!). There are no fees to
employers for listing job openings. Contact the magazine at Rt. 2, Box
305, Stanardsville, VA 22973, Phone: [phone]; Email:
[e-mail].


Environment

UNEP

    The United Nation's Environment Programme (UNEP) has
published the May-September issue of Environmental Training. This
is an incredible resource, documenting the activities of the
government, non-governmental organization and university
programs in Latin America. A special feature documents linkage of
sciences and environmental education in Venezuela.
    The issue also reviews books, including Desarrollo Sostenible:
Retos y Prioridades, edited by Eugenia Olguin, and various
newsletters, such as Caribbean Conservation News (U.S.),
UNR/Ambiental (Argentina), Agrisost (Cuba) and Sihnal (Mexico).
    For info, contact Enrique Leff, UNEP, Regional Office for Latin
America and the Caribbean, Boulevard de los Virreyes No. 155, Col.
Lomas de Virreyes, 11000 Mexico, DF, Mexico. Email:
[e-mail] or [e-mail]

Community Forestry

    Wisconsin's Land Tenure Center has released "Case Studies of
Community-Based Forestry Enterprises in the Americas." Essays
address Peru's Yanesha Forestry Cooperative, Bolivia's proposal for
forest management in multi-ethnic territory of Beni and a forestry
project of the indigenous Chiquitano communities, and Mexico's
forestry producers of Quintana Roo, forestry communities in Oaxaca
and the forest enterprise of Nuevo San Juan Parangaricutiro,
Michoacan.
    This publication costs $10. Send a check to LTC Publications,
1357 University Ave., Madison WI. 53715

Mangroves

    Mangrove Resource Center has established a new office in
Seattle, Washington. Address: 4649 Sunnyside Ave. North #321,
Seattle, WA 98103; Phone: [phone]; Email [e-mail]
or [e-mail].
    The Winter issue of their newsletter features a report on an
ecological reserve in Ecuador, "most of which is 'exempt' from more
stringent ecological prohibitions." Copies of the report summaries
and commentaries are available from MAP's Kate Cissna - email:
[e-mail]

Environmental Law

    The Mesoamerican Environmenal Law Program has released
its August 1995-January 1996 newsletter. The issue has news from
Mexico and Central American countries, a publications list and
updates on the Maya Forest Conservation Assessment, Mayafor
Studies, Trinational Gulf of Honduras and Rio San Juan Boundary
Water Initiative. Email: [e-mail]

Documentation

Austin's Documentation Exchange provides numerous publications
and resources relating to Latin America, including the Third World
Resource Directory and the Central America and Mexico Newspaks.
Subscriptions are $42 per year for either Newspak. Request info and a
catalog from the Documentation Exchange, PO Box 2327, Austin, TX
78768; Phone: [phone].

Mexico & The Border

El Norte: Internet Site

    Internet Users - El Norte regularly features environmental
news; now each day's section of Ecologia is found online. The
coverage here is amazing and should be a model for U.S. journalism,
particularly for the Texas capitol's daily newspaper!!! Web address -
http://www.infosel.com.mx/elnorte/

Mining in Mexico

    The Border Ecology Project (PO Drawer CP, Bisbee, AZ 85603)
has released an in-depth report "Environmental/Social Impacts of
Multinational Mining Investment in Sonora, Mexico" Email:
[e-mail]

Border GIS and Health Issues

    Deborah Salazar of the University of Texas' Bureau of
Economic Geology (University Station, Box X, Austin, TX 78713-7508)
has written on using the Internet and Geographic Information
System (GIS) Technology to Bridge the U.S.-Mexico Information
Frontier. This is a well-researched analysis of communications issues
along and across the border, with a special focus on health care.
Email: *

Waste Management

    The National Law Center and the Legal Center for Inter-
American Trade and Commerce hosted the plenary session for the
Committee for Responsible Hazardous Waste Management in North
America. Details? Email: [e-mail]


THE SECOND ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON
ECOTOURISM AND CONSERVATION
LA CEIBA, HONDURAS
APRIL 17-19, 1996

The Honduras Information Network Inc. along with Continental
Airlines and Eco-Escuela Spanish language school invite you to
attend this exciting and informative conference. Both national and
international speakers will address the combined issues of eco-
tourism and conservation in the beautiful city of La Ceiba, Honduras.

All companies and environmental groups involved to promoting
tourism and conservation in Central America should plan on being
part of this once a year special event.  The conference will offer an
outstanding opportunity to network and receive valuable
information on marketing your tourism program, protection for
future business.

Continental Airlines, the Official Airline of the conference is offering
GREATLY reduced airfares for delegates from North America who
attend this informative conference.

SCHOLARSHIPS: Honduran students working in the field of
conservation are invited to apply for a scholarships, provided by
Honduras Information Network.

TO REGISTER: In Honduras, contact Yvette Pearson fax# [phone]-
0700, or write PO 797, La Ceiba, Honduras, Central America; Internet
web address is
http://www.planeta.com/mader/ecoescuela/tour.html.

In the USA, contact Bahia Tours in Miami at 305-666-1997 or via
email: [e-mail]

World Congress

    The 1996 World Congress on Adventure Travel and
Ecotourism will be held in Chile's beautiful lake country resort city,
Puerto Varas, at the beginning of the Southern Hemisphere's
summer from November 20 through 24, 1996. The Adventure Travel
Society (ATS) will sponsor the congress, its sixth global forum.
Sernatur, the National Tourism Board of Chile will be the official
host for this year's event.
    There will be more than 80 premier adventure travel operators
from Chile, South America and around the world showcasing their
trips to wholesalers, national and regional tourism boards and travel
agents from over 45 countries.
    In addition to the Trade Expo, the congress will feature well-
known tourism related experts who will address problem solving in
the areas of finance, conservation, environment and economic
development.  The congress will also hold highly informational
workshops on how to sell adventure travel; work with indigenous
cultures and their businesses; and establish and protect parks and
wilderness areas.
    The congress annually attracts representatives from Ministries
of Tourism, CEO's of major travel related corporations, natural
resource planners, tour operators, conservation organizations,
indigenous groups and outdoor and travel writers. Participants will
hear keynote speakers from the World Tourism Organization, World
Travel and Tourism Council, International Development Bank and
United Nations Environmental Program.
    As the host country, Chile is making every effort to ensure a
memorable visit for delegates.  Providing special transportation
arrangements are Lan Chile and Ladeco, the two Chilean national
airlines.  Upon registration, delegates qualify for up to 50 per cent
discounts from the U.S. gateway cities of Miami, Los Angeles and
New York. Select international cities are also included.
     The premier adventure tour operator for the Southern Cone
of South America, ACE Turismo will handle the pre and post
adventure travel arrangements and itineraries.
    ATS has a special early bird registration of $290 and is available
to delegates worldwide until March 15, 1996. For more information
on the 1996 World Congress on Adventure Travel and Ecotourism,
the Adventure Travel Society can be reached by phone [phone],
fax [phone] or E-mail:  [e-mail].
    Founded in 1990, the Adventure Travel Society is a
professional corporation that provides ecotourism consulting and
marketing seminars in addition to producing the World Congress.

Chile Cruises

    VICTORY Cruises, the southernmost cruise agency in the
world, invites you to come aboard and live the adventures we offer
sailing the Beagle Channel and  to the Darwin Cordillera glaciers and
fjords in this crazy geography that time and nature have made at the
"confines of the earth".
    The cost of the trip is 200 American dollars/day per passenger,
all provisions are included. To make reservations, 50% of the cost
must be paid at least 60 days prior to the Cruise. Balance paid on
embarkation. Email: [e-mail]

Belize

Far Horizons presents a journey to the ceremonial underworld of
Belize. Join Barbara MacLeod, Mayan epigrapher and leading
authority on cave archaeology. The trip costs $2495. Call Far Horizons
at 1-800-552-4575 or email: [e-mail].


Diving

    Agencia de Viajes Escenarios Tropicales is a Costa Rican based
travel
agency specializing in Scuba Diving packages.  The agency has been in
operation for five years.  "Over the years, we have seen Costa
Rica grow as a popular dive destination and with this our concern for
protecting the underwater world from any harm," says Carlos Picado,
the agency's president.
    The web site
http://www.centralamerica.com/cr/scuba/escenar.htm has
information on diving and Costa Rica. Or contact: Agencia de Viajes
Escenarios Tropicales  S.A.; Phone: [phone]; Fax:
506-234-1554; Email: [e-mail]

Coastal Zone Workshop

    The non-profit Mote Marine Laboratory will offer a coastal
zone management workshop in Brasil later this year (tentitively in
late September). The Brazilian NGO CEAMADE/FAGRAM is looking
for additional students who are interested in this topic. The course
will be taught by John R. Clark who has authored numerous books,
including the Coastal Zone Management Handbook.
    Details on this course are available through MML's web page
http://www.marinelab.sarasota.fl.us/~marshall/fkmrc2.html. For
further information, contact Michael Marshall, Mote Marine
Laboratory, Tropical Marine Ecology Program, 1600 Thompson
Parkway, Sarasota, Florida 34236; Email:
[e-mail]