Villahermosa Nature Walk (2)

 

Villahermosa Nature Walk (1)

 Just off the grounds of our hotel in Villahermosa, a city in Chiapas, a southern Mexican state bordering Guatemala.

Roots

 I think these are mangrove roots, in an unusual location along the walkway around the Villahermosa lagoon.

Villahermosa Lagoon Walkway Structures and Sculptures

                             

This Olmec head was a surprise. It's in a fenced-off area belonging to a museum, which unfortunately was closed during our visit. 

Villahermosa Lagoon Animals

The lagoon has a walkway, which attracts pedestrians who buy snacks from the vendors. The leftovers from the snacks attract coati-mundis. And the trees around the hotel attract howler monkeys. 

Villahermosa Lagoon Birds

The waters of the lagoon provided a fine environment for water birds, notably herons and anhingas, but with a couple of small hangers-on. Not to mention a couple of crocodiles.

 

Villahermosa Hotel Grounds

In late February we took the Road Scholar tour "Chiapas' Civilizations: An Archeological Dive in Southern Mexico." Lots of variety, and very photogenic. For the next several weeks I'll be posting photos from that trip, beginning with our first day, in Villahermosa at the Hotel Cencali, located on a picturesque lagoon. 

A couple of playful sculptures on the grounds of the hotel:

Views of the Steel Bridge

From Google: "The Steel Bridge is a through truss, double-deck vertical-lift bridge across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States, opened in 1912." Walking along the river, one gets a nice variety of views, including some from cherry-blossom time.

Tanner Springs Ducks

 Spring get-together of a pair of ducks in Tanner Springs Park in Portland's Pearl District.

Cherry Blossoms in Portland

Cherry blossom time in Portland's Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Top and bottom photos look eastward across the Willamette River.

 Along the Willamette River

B&W Variations

B&W variations in Lightroom can be a lot of fun. And there are zillions more.

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Mushrooms in Color and B&W

 

A one-click conversion in Lightroom.

Palenque Mayan Pyramid

 From UNESCO: "The archaeological site of Palenque in the state of Chiapas is one of the most outstanding Classic period sites of the Maya area, known for its exceptional and well conserved architectural and sculptural remains. The elegance and craftsmanship of the construction, as well as the lightness of the sculpted reliefs illustrating Mayan mythology, attest to the creative genius of this civilization." These ruins are in the Comalcalco Archaeological Zone.