The I SPY Challenge

I promised I SPY for this weeks blog.  I hope no one  got their hopes up too high.  This results from a certain aspect of Mexican life in which there is no problem throwing trash wherever it might land.  While there is an ongoing attempt to teach people not to litter, there hasn't been a lot of progress made.  The result: lots of trash, pretty much everywhere (and I do mean that quite literally).  It's sad really and it makes me appreciate just how clean roadsides, streets, and towns really are.  So anyway, I took this picture at the top, yes the top, of the mountain that we hiked last week with Christy Stoller.  After an hour and five minutes of grueling hiking, we reached the top and a beautiful view, that isn't to say there wasn't other stuff waiting for us...you guessed, trash.

So, here is your I SPY challenge:

Using the picture below, list as many items as you can.  (A helpful hint.  Clicking the picture will open it in a larger form.)

This picture really doesn't do justice to the amount of trash that you can actually find down here.  We may just have to continue doing I SPY challenges as we come across more trash.  Then you will really see the amount of trash that there sometimes is down here.

For those of you wondering about the hike.  This is about the only 'trail' that we are aware of in the area.  It actually gets you up pretty high and to a really beautiful view.  The hike is strenuous, but it is always well worth it when you reach the top and it is so beautiful and peaceful.  The mountain is called 'La Mula' and is next to the town Tecamatan.  It is about 25 minutes from Ixtlan.  If you are climbing at a normal pace it takes about 1.5 hours.  We did it a lot faster last Saturday, but the time at the top was, as usual, very relaxing. 

Here we are at the top.  The picture is looking out across the valley.  Ixtlan would be way off to the right so you can't see it here, but you get an idea of what the valley is like.  There is a river that runs through the valley and because of that, the farmers in the valley can double crop or raise strawberries (during the dry season).

Here is just a landscape view.  There is a large, 20 foot cross at the top of the mountain.  You can climb up the cross and get this view over the brush and trees.  It was a little hazy so it turned out to be Mexico's own version of the Smokey Mountains.  Farmers like to burn the dead crops off their fields after harvest down here so there is a lot of haze right now.  It made for a nice picture though.