The Mariposario Guembe
Today I went on one of the most expensive outings since I
moved to Santa Cruz, the Mariposario Guembe.
I have had several people tell me that I have got to go there. When I asked the price I was told about 60
Bs. or a little less than $10. Well,
that was not quite the case.
The resort is across the River Pirai. There is only one bridge across the river and
it was recently built. In the 80s I crossed
it on foot and in Toyota Land Cruisers.
But Santa Cruz has changed. The
bridge that crosses the river leads to a new suburb, growing rapidly, Urubo. From what I have seen, it is a town of gated
communities and resorts.
The taxi ride to the resort averaged 60 Bs, about $9. The entrance fee was a shocking 150 Bs, or
$20. I guess that is cheap compared to
the States, but I haven’t paid that much my entire time here. Lunch was going to be 200 Bs. so I decided
not to eat there.
The resort has shops, hotel rooms, a conference center,
swimming pools, a fancy restaurant, and lots of greenery.
At the Isla de Monos, Monkey Island, I saw at least a dozen
monkeys, not to mention I saw one free in the park and two sloths. I don’t have a really good picture of the
monkeys, but some good ones of the turtles in the lake surrounding the island.
The resort is famous for the mariposario, or butterfly
garden. And yes, the butterflies were
gorgeous, but the blue ones wouldn’t sit still.
They also have a breeding center that you can view. No offense, but the one at the Dallas Fair
Grounds is a bit better.
What blew me away was the aviary. I walk in and two macaws are above my head
and one kept saying, “hola!” This place
was huge. I lost count of how many
macaws were there, but I would suspect 35 or 40. At least two gorgeous peacocks were showing
off and half a dozen toucans. They don’t
move when you get inches from them! This
toucan allowed my phone in his face, as did most of the macaws. There are other birds in there, but it is so
big they could hide. This is also where
I saw the sloths; both were on the outside climbing the fence.
And lastly, there is an orquideario, or orchid garden. Experiencing the smell was amazing. You can see a few of the gorgeous
flowers.
I will go back one day, but next time I will be prepared for
the cost.
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