Like I said in a previous post, I've collected a lot photos of unforgettable moments during my trip around “Americas”.
It's through these series of photo that I want to relive in me a memory that give me a lot to think about. Now, in Steemit I want to share it with all of you.
Chiapas, region in south Mexico is full of a wonderful nature.
Chiapas del Corzo is a place located close to the “boat station”, from where you can go to navigate in the Cañon del Sumidero, that flows in the Mexican Golf.
The captain of the boat is at the same time the tour guide, who is gonna tell us the history and the curiosities concerning this sensational place. So, a few miles from the “boat station” we cross the entrance line of Sumidero National Park, rich in flora and fauna.
In the exact moment our captain commented us about the possibility to see crocodiles, we just see them, in the river bank, soaking up the sun and taking a bath.
So Beautiful!!!
It didn't take long to tell how many birds were flying from one side of the river to the other, over our heads. We kept going north a few miles and get overwhelmed in front of the beautiful landscape. The Sumidero Canyon has an impressive rocky walls, they rise up on both sides of the river for more then 1000m.
The vegetation is dense and the eyes cant' stop reaping the details.
We couldn't miss a close encounter with the wild animals, so the guide drive us to the river bank. Lucky for us, was not about seeing crocodiles closer but, a spider monkey.
Everybody started taking photos, whistling and, trying to call the attention of the primates. Those didn't pay so much attention to us but, yes they do to the guide: he is about to throw an apple. The apple fell in the river bank and it was about to be taken away by the water, so finally the monkey got down from the tree and, a bit scared of the people presence, went to get his gift.
In front of this scene my attention is not directed to the monkey ability to move it self between the branches hanging by the tale but to the trash. Trash inside of a natural reserve? Yes there is!
Then I ask to my self: how men can contaminate so much?
THE TRACES OF HUMAN BEINGS ARE MOVING, LIKE THE TRASH THAT RUNS ON THE RIVER AND ARRIVES TO BE DEPOSITED IN THIS BEAUTIFUL NATURAL PLACES.
We kept navigating north until we arrived in a dreadful contaminated area. The river was completely covered by a layer of trash and, the boat could hardly brake through. The guide commented us that everyday a specialize team work to recollect the trash floating on the water and the one that is deposited on the river bank.
With a sad and at the same time hungry voice, the guide said that even if this work is done everyday is not enough to dispose of all the garbage that runs trough the river. It is a lot and every day is more. The pictures talk by them selves.
Contamination affect all the ecosystem of this wonderful natural park. Seeing all this trash together with the beauty of the nature was in a certain way shocking!!! I don't know how to explain my frustration in front of that, the guilt I felt....
I was instantly thinking that helping to recollect the garbage founded in the river could be a good activity to include in the tour. I was already imagining all the tourist, instead of the selfie stick, holding a stick to grab things to help cleaning the river.
The tour kept going, leaving the garbage island behind us.
We arrived to the beautiful “Christmas tree”, the point where a part of the rocky wall is completely covered by vegetation. That is possible because there are little waterfalls running on the wall allowing to keep the humidity constant.
We got closer, the water that run down on the wall ended in a thin rain that arrive to us and give a bit of freshness. Beautiful sensation...Everyone enjoyed looking at the rainbow born through the water and light above our heads. Being in the canyon between this colossal walls was an unforgettable experience.
We kept moving north until we arrived to the last stop, the hydroelectric dam, one of the 10 biggest dams in the world. During all the way back to the station, my eyes couldn't stop admiring the beauty of nature and, at the same time, I couldn't stop reflecting about the high level of contamination present there and, how this “corner” of the world, just another one, become a garbage bin.
Among all the things traveling can give to you, I believe that becoming more sensible is one of those things. Obviously depend who you are but, in general the traveler develops a sensibility during his traveling. In this last year I became a truthful lover of nature and more interested about it and its conservation. Respect for nature is a value that a lot of times doesn't pass from father to son.
Basically the lack of information and education, about consumism and garbage production what it create the biggest environmental impact. Please think about that.
Thanks for reading my post. I hope you enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to read what to think about this!