Safe day hikes: Enjoying Mother Nature on her terms 
By Michael Austin October 10, 2008 San Miguel de Allende
(Part 1; part 2 in Atención Oct 17)

For many visitors to San Miguel, the unique terrain, temperate climate and open vistas can be a strong draw for outdoor activities. A few weeks of hiking cobblestone streets can give you a sense of confidence that makes you want to test your mettle on some tougher terrain outside the safety of the city.

 The San Miguel area is the perfect place to do some day hikes and long walks. There are lots of local guides and guiding companies prepared to assist you; however, even the best professional guides can have off days, experience equipment malfunctions and make poor decisions. Mother Nature can provide the ultimate multi-sensory experience but can be the toughest taskmaster in even the kindest of climes. Before you head out, do your homework to ensure that your experience is enjoyable, even if the going gets tough.


Before you go

Before you go anywhere for a hike, have a general idea of where you will be and what else is in the area. Get a map and take a few minutes to study it the night before.

By study, I mean identify large landmarks that you will be able to see while hiking: rivers, lakes, mountain ranges and roads. Choose a road, a town or a service facility that you are confident you could reach that would provide an overnight haven. Decide on a safety bearing, a direction that you can travel that will take you to safety should you get into trouble and need to get out on your own. The safety bearing is a general direction of travel. You don’t need to be an orienteering expert to follow it. Get a compass or a GPS and learn how to walk a bearing. This isn’t difficult to learn. Twenty minutes of practice could save you hours of discomfort in an unfavorable, stressful situation. Practice before you need to use these skills. 

If you are going into an unknown area be sure to establish a turn-around time and stick to it. Underestimating travel time is a common cause of spending a cold night under a rock.

Pay attention to avoid getting lost 

Paying attention to your route and landmarks can be very difficult, especially if you are with new people and everyone is playing getting-to-know-you at the start. Train yourself to look behind frequently.

Your return route will look considerably different from the route you hike up on. For confirmed urbanites, which includes most of us, our landmarks are street signs and addresses. Mother Nature has streets and addresses, too; you just have to learn to read her language. Make note of game trails, unusual trees, rock formations and geographical features. These features will be your “bread-crumb trail” for the trip home. Get used to using more than just your eyes to orient yourself. If the sun is in your face on the half-day hike up, it will be at your back on the return trip. Make yourself aware of the wind direction. Make note of wind direction changes during your hike. If you notice any significant scents or features along the route, file all these in your memory. If you are uncertain of your memory, take d
igital photos or use a small pocket notebook to record features along the way.

Another valuable wilderness skill is the ability to orient yourself consistently to north. Periodically determine what you think is a north bearing, and then check your compass for confirmation.

If you can do this naturally, this skill will go a long way toward making your outdoor experiences more enjoyable. If you are not a natural with directions, this skill can be improved by practicing this technique while walking the dog or jogging in the park. Automatic self-orientation can also come in very handy in large, confusing urban areas such as Mexico City barrios or the Tokyo subway.

Michael Austin and his wife were ditched by their guide while trekking the jungles of Thailand. They hacked their way to safety using a multi–tool and common sense.

Travel News You Can Use
By Judy Newell

Mexico Travel News

Mexican Tourism Board celebrates with the New York Yankees

The Mexico Tourism Board celebrated Mexico’s Independence at Yankee Stadium on September 17. Prior to the Yankees taking on the Chicago White Sox, Rubén Beltrán Guerrero, Mexico’s Consul General to New York, joined Mariana Pedrero, director of the Mexico Tourism Board’s New York office, to initiate the game with an acknowledgement ceremony.

Alfredo Aceves, who joined the Yankees this past August after playing in Mexico’s League, also joined them on the field and the MTB gave away more than 20,000 T-shirts in commemoration of their work with the New York team, which recently played its last season at Yankee Stadium.

“It’s important for Mexico to promote itself at Yankee Stadium because it is a staple of New York City and players such as Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter are some of the most loved athletes in the city,” said Pedrero.

The board’s campaign at Yankee Stadium includes brand display behind home plate during the bottom of the third inning at home games and one on the bleachers that remained until the closing of the stadium at the end of the season.

The board started the “Let’s go to Mexico” Sweepstakes on the fans’ forum of www.yankees.com. On the Yankee website, click on the Mexico banner for sweepstakes entry information. Fans have until October 13, 2008, to enter for a chance to win a trip to Puerto Vallarta.

Guanajuato seeks more tourists 

Although San Miguel and Guanajuato both rank high as non-beach travel destinations, the State of Guanajuato wants even more visitors. The goal is to make tourism the second-most important economic activity in the state. It now ranks fifth. To accomplish this goal, the state has announced a program to improve highways and actively seek more investment in tourism projects, especially in less-developed areas.

The León International Airport is connected to several US cities. Next month, the Cervantino Festival, a major cultural event, will be held again in Guanajuato, where many of the narrow streets and little plazas are said to resemble those in medieval Spain.

Monarch reserve threatened 

Illegal lumbering is threatening one of Mexico’s most noted ecological sites, the Monarch Butterfly Reserve. Each winter, millions of monarch butterflies flutter in, descendants of vanished generations that fluttered off the year before. The monarchs travel all the way to Canada and then return in what is regarded as one of nature’s miracles.

The winter hideaway in Michoacán, northwest of Mexico City, was discovered rather recently and has become a tourist attraction. Dirt roads were opened to provide access, but the roads have also opened the forests to illegal logging by cash-strapped peasant farmers. According to a recent report in the newspaper Reforma, efforts to halt this logging have not been very successful.

Government agencies responded that their efforts will be increased, but added that this illegal logging occurs in less than eight percent of the total Monarch Reserve. Only a few months ago, UNESCO designated the Monarch Reserve a World Heritage site.

Tougher tourism law proposed 

Congress, which has returned to session, will be studying a proposed law that would considerably strengthen the Tourism Ministry. Under its provisions, the ministry would enforce environmental and infrastructure regulations; participate in the planning of new airports, seaports and highways; as well as determine rules regarding the issuing of visas.

At the moment, the Foreign Ministry determines which countries’ citizens require visas and the Home Ministry who can actually enter the country; federal, state and local governments supervise environmental and infrastructure rules affecting tourism.

Club Med changes strategy 

Club Med has announced plans to invest US$50 million in its two remaining Mexico properties, Cancún and Ixtapa. The France-based chain, which pioneered the all-inclusive concept, has shed most of its Mexican properties, including Huatulco, Sonora Beach (near Guaymas) and Playa Blanca (between Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta). The goal now is to increase the Mexico market and also to encourage Mexicans to vacation at Club Med villages outside of Mexico.



International News

US promotes Global Entry program for frequent travelers

The US Customs and Border Protection agency is working to increase awareness of a new “trusted traveler” pilot program, Global Entry. The program allows expedited clearance of pre-approved, low-risk frequent international travelers (US citizens and lawful permanent residents).

It will be applicable in the following airports: Dulles (Washington, DC), JFK (New York City), George Bush Intercontinental (Houston), LAX (Los Angeles), Hartsfield-Jackson (Atlanta), O’Hare (Chicago) and Miami International. Global Entry allows applicants to complete a single application and pay one fee. For more information, visit www.globalentry.gov. 

Hilton welcomes new ski resort in Japan

When planning a winter ski vacation, most travelers think of Colorado, Switzerland or Chile. But now there’s a new destination. Hilton Hotels recently celebrated the opening of the 506-room Hilton Niseko Village, a new mountain ski resort on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The ski-in, ski-out property offers seven restaurants and bars, a large spa, two 18-hole golf courses, 61 ski runs and 38 lifts and gondolas. 

Cotswolds offers golfing

Three golf courses in the Cotswolds have recently launched a joint initiative aimed at enabling visitors to play-and-stay along the length of the Cotswolds. The golf clubs, in Broadway, Chipping Sodbury and Minchinhampton, are now working in conjunction with a number of local hotels to provide golf breaks to people visiting this corner of England.

US State Department issues warning on Colombia

The State Department issued a travel warning for Colombia, reminding American citizens of ongoing concerns. While security in Colombia has improved significantly in recent years, violence by narco-terrorist groups and other criminal elements continues to affect some rural areas and cities. The level of violence in Buenaventura remains high.

Terrorist groups such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN) and other criminal organizations continue to kidnap and hold civilians for ransom or as political bargaining chips. On July 2, the government of Colombia rescued 15 hostages, including three Americans, who had been held for more than five years.

It is US policy not to make concessions to or strike deals with kidnappers. Consequently, the US government’s ability to assist kidnapping victims is limited. US government officials and their families in Colombia are permitted to travel in the country only by air. They cannot use inter- or intra-city bus transportation, or travel by road outside urban areas at night. All Americans in Colombia are urged to follow these precautions.



Airline News

United doubles fee to US$50 for checking second bag

United Airlines is increasing the service fee to check a second bag on a domestic flight from US$25 to $50 one-way. These changes apply to customers who purchase a ticket on or after September 16 for travel within the US and to or from Canada, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands on or after November 10. The service fee does not apply to customers who are flying in United First or United Business, have Premier status with United or Star Alliance, or active duty military personnel traveling on orders.

Customers may continue to carry on one bag and one personal item such as a purse, briefcase or laptop computer to fit under the seat or in an overhead bin. For itineraries that include international flights (except Canada), checking a first and second bag will continue to be free. 

Sources: Mexican Tourism News, Travel Agent Daily, Travel Pulse, Modern Agent

Judy Newell, a writer and travel industry executive, heads the custom tour company Perfect Journeys that specializes in luxury and adventure travel. Contact her with comments or suggestions at JudyNewell_03@msn.com  or go to her website www.PerfectJourneys.net. 
 

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