For those of you who love gardens and flowers here is a tour for you!
Join us on a very special tour to the Mexican garden State of Veracruz.
Enjoy 9 glorious days of gardens, culture and self care. Vistas Veracruz is offering two trips to Veracruz from October 6 through October 14 and October 20 through October 28, 2007.
Lending a horticulturist perspective is Holly Kennel, Seattle, recently retired from the WSU Extension horticulture faculty after 25 years. She continues to teach Master Gardeners classes throughout Western Washington. Holly grows orchids and other tropical plants in her home and enjoys visiting places where they thrive in gardens
This region of Mexico has abundant natural resources and we will spend a week exploring its beautiful flora and fauna and learning about its history and people.
The tour itinerary includes:
Day 1: Late arrival the port city of Veracruz.
Day 2: Morning tour of Veracruz, then arrival at El Retoño Eco Lodge in Coatepec your home for the week.
Day 3: Tour of the Jardin Botanico Clavijero (Clavijero Botanical Garden). This 20-acre garden has more than 6,000 examples of 700 regional plant species. In addition, research and wildlife conservation programs are carried out here.
After the siesta hour we will visit El Trianon,a working coffee plantation and museum, to learn about the whole process that goes into the delivery of your morning cup of java!
Day 4: Visit to the quaint town of Xico and its famous waterfalls, Casada de Texolo. The area is surrounded by trailing flowers, coffee plantations, orchid gardens and dense vegetation.
Day 5: After a leisurely breakfast we will go into Coatepec to spend the morning with Raquel Torres, a well known food anthropologist, restaurateur, and chef. Chef Torres is also the author of several cookbooks. She will give us a lecture and demonstration on edible plants followed by lunch at her restaurant
Day 6: Day spent at El Retoño. We will have guest speakers on birds in the area, medicinal plants and their uses, cultivation techniques of orchids.
Day: 7 Visit to the gem of Jalapa, the Anthropology Museum. It houses a treasure trove of artifacts from three pre-Hispanic cultures of Veracruz: Huasteca, Totonac and Olmec. You will see the magnificent huge stone heads carved by the Olmecs, cremation urns in the shape of bats and monkeys, lovely Totonac murals, and whimsical ceramic toys. The museum itself is an architectural beauty.
From the museum we will head out to El Lencero, the ex-hacienda of Santa Ana, the Mexican general who was President of Mexico several times. The home is now a fine museum filled with period pieces and the grounds surrounding several lakes are carefully tended and filled with flowers and shade trees.
Day 8: Free day: you decide how you would like to spend it.
Day 9: Airport transportation to Veracruz for flight home.
Tour cost: $950 limited to 14 persons
Includes: Welcome and farewell dinners, room (double occupancy), meals as noted, ground transportation, tour guides, activities as described, transportation to and from Veracruz airport to El Retoño Eco Lodge.
For more information: www.vistasveracruz.com