Santiago Tuxtla and Tres Zapotes

We left around 10 AM to head to Santiago Tuxtla and then Tres Zapotes, an Olmec ruin.

We parked in the town square at Santiago, and were impressed with the cleanliness of the town. The largest Olmec head ever found is in the town square, 10 feet high (3m), and had the eyes shut. Each Olmec head is different, perhaps because they are portraits of individual leaders. The museum is of modest size, but has many carved stones from area ruins, smaller artifacts, and perhaps the smallest Olmec head, 5 feet high (1.5m). It also has some colonial artifacts, such as inlaid desks and suits of armor. A pleasant stop.

We had lunch at the big hotel on the square, and then asked directions to Tres Zapotes ruin. A taxi driver happened to be going that way, and agreed to lead us there. This greatly simplified getting to Tres Zapotes, as the route is not signed.

The museum had been renovated in 2006, and was well signed, in Spanish, explaining the many artifacts and carved stones found at the site. The centerpiece of the museum is another giant Olmec head. We liked the museum. The small dirt mounds in back of the museum were unsigned, and no guidebook or human guide was available, so not worth much time. The museum is not heavily visited, with 10 to 100 visitors per day.

We did a little birding across the street from the Museum, and identified a yellow winged tanager. We also saw some kind of bright yellow oriole; but there are several orioles that have a similar appearance.

On the way home we stopped in Santiago Tuxtla for a little shopping at the market, and bought some beautiful vegetables.

On Tuesday we will go to the Biosphere lodge in Dos Amates, and go on a birdwatching tour with Felix Aguilar, an ornithologist. 300 pesos per person for 3 hours of birdwatching. We are looking forward to it, as there are so many birds here that we have never seen before.