A month or so back we did a story on bike riding back into the valley behind Sayulita (http://www.sayulitabeach.com/archives/featured_article/back-in-the-valley). At the end of the ride, as noted in the story, we came upon a fence with a “no trespassing” sign which we chose to obey.
At the time I slightly regretted that we did not ignore the sign and continue on, for I could see that the valley beyond the fence was enchanting, a river flowing through fields and orchards flanked by verdant, jungle-draped hills. But now I’m glad we waited–until this week, when we returned to the valley in the company of Felipe Hernandez Estrada, known around Sayulita by the name Chilly. As in Chilly Willy’s restaurant. Felipe is a local man, born and raised in Sayulita; his family runs the restaurant located by the river on Avenida Palmar at the corner of Pelicanos. His two sons Adrian and Felipe are Sayulita surfers of renown. Felipe Senior is a big wave surfer as well as a restaurateur—and, more to our point here, he is also an eco-tour guide, who will take visitors on hikes into various jungles and valleys and mountains in the area, which he knows as well as anyone in Sayulita.
Along with a couple of compadres Donna and I and Felipe recently returned to that “No Trespassing” sign at the back end of the valley road in our car (muddy road, hot, moist air, and possible rain kept us off bikes and in the car) and then parked and walked from there, through the open gate and down the dirt road just a few hundred yards, to where Felipe revealed to us what is surely one of the most amazing trees I have ever seen outside of the sequoias and redwoods of California. This is a higuera, a fig tree, and Felipe estimates it to be at least 500 years old. As you can see, it is probably 40 feet in diameter, depending on where you measure, with a circumference practically impossible to calculate due to the myriad interwoven trunks. Though not as massive as that “home” tree in the film Avatar, it did remind me a little of that cinematic fantasy plant. There is the same awesome (forgive me the use of the overused “a” word– here it is actually appropriate) scale, and the same quality of spiritual presence, evoked, I believe, by the vastness of the overarching branches, and the knowledge of the tree’s age, and from the light filtering down through the hundreds of branches and thousands of leaves. This spiritual feeling is also aroused by the countless birds moving through the higher reaches of the tree, reawakening in those of us watching from below a sense of the interconnectedness of all living things. This is a 500- year old world unto itself. A silent wizard with roots in the ground. By all means, get back into the valley and have a look.
Felipe also showed us some fairly amazing plants and animals along the way. Wildly painted spiders in their webs; flowers known for their magical, medicinal, or spiritual qualities; a plant that reacted by curling up its tiny fronds when you touched them. We walked along the riverbank, and Felipe described the different kinds of river shrimp, fish, and langostines he and his friends used to catch in Sayulita days gone by. He said that if you continued upstream from the tree, walking at a normal pace, you would reach San Ignacio in about 20 minutes. This sounds like a great walk, or an unforgettably beautiful bike ride, once the road dries out and the rainy season torrent of the river calms down a little.
Felipe offers to take people back in the valley, and also on other hikes. He has one route from Patzcuaro Beach up to the top of Monkey Mountain, (so called because not so long ago, monkeys did live there) with a visit to ancient petroglyphs along the way. There is another hike on the east side of Highway 200 in the hills just east of Sayulita, which is focused on bird watching.
If you want to see something of this region that is off the map and off the beach, Felipe is a great guide and an under-appreciated Sayulita treasure. His English is fine, but if you speak Spanish well you’ll probably discover a whole lot more. You can reach him by cell at 322-127-2438, or just stop by Chilly Willy’s restaurant, corner of Pelicanos and Palmar, and if he isn’t there, relax, have a ceviche tostada—they serve great ones–and his family will call him. When he shows up, take a hike. You’ll discover a different version of Nayarit. The hikes range in price from $20 to $60 a head, in time from 1 and a half to 4 hours, and Felipe can take up to 8 people at a time. Kids are welcome.
