Urban Fungi

Saw my neighbour Dave this morning, picking up something in his front yard. Told him I hoped it wasn't turds from my dog, he said it was toad stools (what toads sit on or turds of toads???) of some sort. Took a look, definitely something from the bolete family. Made Dave fish the ones he had picked earlier out of his garbage can, and headed home to look them up. More likely than not they are Boletinellus merulioides (also Gyrodon merulioides) Besides the description and the photo, it grows under ash trees. That's where it grew. Unfortunately not the best food mushroom but never the less edible. I will cook it with garlic. What I should really do is to grab my air rifle and get a couple of the young rabbits in my back yard and make a Hasenpfeffer mit Pilzen! That's what I would really call living off the land, especially if I prepare a little tomato salad as a side.

Update Aug 3, 2009: I did just finish my meal of Boletinellus. I have to agree with Roger Phillips' description: edible, but not very good. An aftertaste of mold that belies the nice aroma I smelled while cooking. Glad I did not spoil my Hasenpfeffer with these mushrooms.

Sian Kaan Biosphere Day Trip

Our ride was there at 7:50 sharp, with Antonio our guide from Sian Ka'an Community Tours for the day and the driver. Loaded three sleepy boys, Lynn, myself and snorkling gear. Then off to Tulum for financials and to pick up two other clients, a German couple from Garmisch. A quick Chili Relenos taco from a roadside stand and then off to start the activities of the day. We started at the Muyil archeological site. Hot and stuffy in the jungle, just off Mex 307, a few miles south of Tulum. Saw a trogon but not much other wildlife, probably too hot already. The Muyil ruins are nice and almost deserted. Antonio, a local Mayan did a great job mixing natural and local history. Brought the perspective of the natives, too, who have a hard time eking out a living in spite of all the tourist development. Shared a lot of stories about his dad and from the time prior to the road passing by Muyil. He pointed out some poisonous and medicinal plants, most notably the chechen tree (also black poisonwood. looks like it is a good furniture wood, which Antonio mentioned too.) and was quite knowledgeable about the local fauna in general and bird life specifically.

Some landmarks we visited can be found here. We took a boardwalk trail from the archeological site to a lagoon, stopping on the way to climb a rickety looking fire tower. After a snack, we boarded a motor boat and headed across Laguna Muyil for a canal dug by the Mayans which we took to cross to Laguna Chunyaxche. From here we haded to the river outlet towards Laguna Boc Paila and stopped at a Mayan ruin, a customs post or toll house, according to Antonio. We changed in to swim gear and floated down the river. I have to say that I am not a big fan of floating inactively like that, but the mangrove thickets on the side gave some interesting observations, primarily various epiphytic plants. The boys moved ahead, like a bunch of otters, making sure that we would not see too much bird life.

After about a couple of kilometers we boarded the boat again and headed back to Laguna Muyil for a nice sit-down lunch of tamales, tacos and empanadas. There was a film crew working on a promotional video to advertse tours. The actors, all employees at hotels in the Playa del Carmen area somehow did not seem real.

On the way back to Akumal, we stopped at Cenote Escondido, a beautiful swimming hole with a nice cliff to jump from. Quite a variety of fish, too, and a big iguana in a tree.

A few hundred meters before arriving back ome I noticed some people looking and pointing intently at something at the roadside. There was an aguti, a rodent that takes the place of a rabbit or hare in Central and South America.