Well time goes on and life changes. You see last August I retired from work, or at least so they tell me. Personally it was more like just changing jobs from a qualified engineer to a very odd job man. It seemed if anything that I was working harder just in a different way. So as people kept saying how nice it must be to be able to do just what you wanted, I decided to do just that and in the spring of 2003 I set 2 months aside just for a real holiday. So when an American friend Bob Cashin invited me to spend so time with him in the spring, to attend the spring Fish Conventions like the NEC and the ALA, who could resist the temptation. Knowing Bob it would be a great chance to check out what the USA had to offer in the way of Fish, Wine and Food. As well getting a real flavour of the City of Erie on the Southern shores of the lake itself. Needless to say I had a fantastic time. But that’s another story, I only mentioned it, as I was to leave from there to fly down to Mexico at the end of the holiday. We would be going down for 16 days. I had arranged it with another American friend Jim Mathis so that we met up and boarded the same flight at Houston so that we would arrive down there together on the same flight. We were also supposed to be meeting up with two of our friends from FAITAG but alas one dropped out at the last moment. Well the day came and on Monday 28^th April at 3-0 am I left to take a coach down to Cleveland Hopkins Airport. The journey by coach just took about 2:5 hrs. In due course we took off on a Continental Flight to Mexico City via Houston. We were a little late leaving but still got to Houston right on time. We had just 30 min to go right across the airport to our connecting flight, fortunately they supplied an electric buggy to take us there, but the flight had still just finished boarding when we arrived. It was such a rush that I had no time to check my tickets. I was therefore angry when I got on board and found that the seats that I had reserved months before had been changed, so that Jim was at one end of the aircraft while I was struck right at the back. I began to see shades of last year’s shambles with Air France, and with such a rush I didn’t think that they could possibly have my luggage on board. I need not have worried though, as some how they had managed it although I have no idea how! And when we arrived in Mexico City at 14 -10 hrs there it was. This time it was my turn to walk straight though customs but I had to wait outside as Jim had got a red light and that meant a full search, but there were no problems. So we then went to the main Airport cafe to sit and wait for Omar and Jen Nightingale to turn up, Jen not being due until 19 – 30 hrs. Omar turned up about 16 – 00 hrs with his girl friend, meeting us at the café, while Hugo & Rogelio the other students came shortly after as promised. Jen arrived around 20-00hrs and we went in search of our hired 8 seater Chrysler Van, finally getting on the roads at about 22 – 30 hrs and arrived in our hotel in Morelia at 02 – 30 hrs next day.

In the morning Omar very kindly collected us from the Hotel at 08 – 00hrs to have breakfast with his family at their home before going on to the University at about 09 – 00hrs. After all the introductions were done, Omar and I sorted out the agenda for the day so that we could go purchase and collect all the various items that we were getting for the Lab this year. The most expensive being all the components to make up the Electro-fishing gear, plus of course the generator and transformer to run it and the safety equipment necessary to do the job, i.e. waders etc. It was Omar’s' idea to make the Electro gear this way as he had learnt how to do it while studying in Spain, and if we were to have purchased a custom-made one it would have cost about 5 times the price that ours did. But we had learnt its value while with Dr Lyons in

the year 2000. Another one of the larger items was a number of different sized nets as depicted above. While I was in the USA, I received a number of private donations. I added this to the fund to help buy a lot of the replacement items like 3 new custom-made hand nets. We had to get custom-made ones as anything else was wearing out far too quickly. Although we did donate one of these 3 sets of nets to Dr S Kazianis of the Texas Xiphophorus Stock Centre, who we met at this years ALA Convention, but that’s another story. We also purchased over 30 deluxe foam internal aqua filters, 2 boxes x12 x12oz bottles of Ammolock 2 and the same quantity of Stresscoat, two items that we have found essential, especially when out in the field. Also as we were going to be going from sea level to altitude and down to sea level again a number of times on this visit, it was necessary by the end of the trip to buy 16 Thermo containers. Apart from that we supplied some computer programs and some textbooks to assist the students in their studies. Then there were 3 boxes of plastic plants and a number of smaller items. Now as I said earlier, I retired in the past 12 months, so to celebrate this I personally met a lot of the expenses of the two students that we were taking with us as my contribution to conservation this year. I did this knowing that as I had retired I might not be in the position to do so in future years. Heck, I might not even be able to afford to go, but I don’t drink or smoke so that gives me a head start and hopefully I will be able to keep on going! Anyway back to the diary. Our party this year consisted of Jen Nightingale, FAITAG. & Jim Mathis, ALA. Omar and three students, Luis Humberto Escalera Vázquez, Hugo H Mesia and Rogelio Rosas Valdez and of course myself. Well after all the above had been introduced to the staff at Morelia we set about getting together all the above equipment etc. Jim went with Luis in the UNAM transport to buy the nets that are depicted above, While Jen and I went with Omar in our vehicle. We went to pick up and pay for all the bits of electrical gear and other small accessories so that we could get on the road the next day. Things went very well all day until just after we got back in the car after picking up the generator. I was driving and just as I pulled away from the shop, the Law flagged me down. You see I had forgotten to put my seat belt on. Well I thought that we were in for a bit more of the type of extortion that we had experienced in Mexico City in previous years. I could not have been more wrong. Omar dealt with it, and the officer could not have been more understanding, and after telling Omar to warn me for the future we were sent on our way. We eventually got back to the lab at 17 – 30hrs. We decided to take Jen and Jim to see some of the Aquarium Shops in town before going to dinner. I think that they where both surprised at the level of sophistication that they found in the shops.

Wed 30^th April.

We got to the Lab around 07 – 40hrs and after loading both vehicles we finally got on the road at 09 – 15hrs. First we went to Wal-Mart to get the provisions for the day plus a number of rolls of kitchen paper to filter the fishes water with. This done, we called into a Mexican takeaway for breakfast before heading out south west along route 14 towards Uruapan and from there on towards Los Reyes de Salgado. Just before we got to Los Reyes at about 13- 15hrs we stopped off at a site that we had visited on an earlier field trip. This was at La Cofradia where again we found Allotoca regalis. The Gh here was 6 the Kh 5 and the Ph 8. The air temp was 86’f and the water temp 68’f and was very fast flowing with very few water-plants. We sampled about 30 fish before leaving at 15 –15hrs.

We then drove on through Los Reyes and on to the Parque Ojo de Agua in Tocumbo the habitat for Chapalichthys pardalis. This is another of those stretches of water that the locals have developed into a recreational amenity. We arrived here at about 16 – 00hrs just to check out the site and sample a few fish, so we only stayed about an hour leaving just after five. The conditions that we found were Ph7.8 Gh 7 Kh 7 Air Temp 77’f Water temp 74’f and the fish were Chapalichthys pardalis, Goodea atripinnis and a Poeciliopsis sp. Next we drove along route 42 then took the first right towards Aquiles Serdan but halfway there we turned left on to a track that led to the San Juinizo Dam. We drove all the way down the track to the end by a couple of houses but found only one of the fish that we were looking for. That was Chapalichthys peraticus. So giving up we started back up the track, but when we spotted a number of local anglers fishing on the shore of the lake we decided to investigate. Now I don’t know about anywhere else in the world, but if that were England and we were out for a pleasant days fishing, and suddenly 7 or 8 strangers jumped into the water right where we were fishing then you most certainly would not be welcome. But these guys not only made us welcome, but also actually helped with the nets. This time we did find a few C peraticus plus a real large pair of Alloophorus robustus, Goodea atripinnis and the Poeciliopsis again. It was hard going to find the fish so it was gone 20 – 00 in failing light before we realised how late it was. This left us in an awkward position as we were out in the middle of nowhere far from any hotels. So do we go back to Los Reyes for the evening or do we try to make it to Tamazula across unfamiliar roads, as this was to be our next port of call. So we decided against losing time by going back and headed for Tamazula looking for the same hotel that we used on the 2000 trip. Anyway it was gone midnight before we got there and almost 03 – 00hrs before we got to bed. But Hugo and Rogelio would, most nights, be staying up almost all night in order to do the studies that they were with us to do. They were researching "Host parasite Coevolution, Systematics and Biogeography. This work is quickly spoilt if not done very soon after the demise of the fish. They were to document all the various types of parasites present in the various types of Goodied that we were to encounter on the trip. So they stayed up most nights to complete this and we carried all the necessary equipment, microscopes etc with us. By the time we got to the hotel though I had driven over 350 miles that day, much of it in the dark over narrow twisty and unfamiliar back roads, so I was ready for bed

Not surprisingly we were very late getting out of bed on Thursday and it was 12 – 30pm before we finally got back on the road. At least we did not have far to go and were soon on the banks of the Rio Tamazula just 4 miles from our hotel. The fish that we found were Allodontichthys Tamazula, Xenotoca eiseni, a shiner, Illyodon furcidens, Tilapia and a Poeciliopsis species. Ph 7.4. Gh 16. Kh 15. Air temp 78’. 5f Water temp 75’f. We left Tamazula on highway 110 then through Zapotiltic on Jal33 to Mex. 54 where we sampled the roadside ponds up to a distance of 45 miles past the City of Guzman. At that point we took the returno and came back sampling the other side to where a track on the left would take us to Lake Zapotlan, but all we had found in all this was carp, bass, Tilapia and Poeciliopsis infans. So next we drove back to the main road turned left and went to the other side of the lake. Here at last we found Xenotoca melanosoma but only one. By now it was getting dark again and so we drove the 5 miles into Guzman were we found a very good hotel at very good prices i.e. £10 single £17 double & £22 for a four-bed room. This was the Hotel Posada del Parque. What’s more that evening we were able to relax and enjoy a very pleasant evening meal with entertainment on the veranda of a second floor café overlooking the main City Square.

We left Guzman heading towards Mount COLIMA but we had gone 25 miles before we found that we should have been on the road to El Grullo, so we had to go almost all the way back and start out again on the right road. This route via Zapotitlan takes you right past the big Volcano and I would have loved to have taken some shots of it. Unfortunately though I was driving and because of our earlier detour we were running late, and this was another long leg of our trip right through the mountains all the way up to Autlan de Navarro. Once there we turned left towards the Pacific on route Mex. 80. After travelling between 35 and 40 miles we arrived at a point were a stream went under the main road. This was the "Puente el Manguito" a quite reasonable sized stream that seemed to be flowing right towards the top end of the Rio Purification. There was only very little amounts of aquatic plants in the open water, but the margins were over grown with rushes and trees which gave plenty of shelter. You could actually see a lot of fish from the bridge, as the water was quite shallow under it. In the end we found, Xenotaenia resolanae, Poecilia chica, Poeciliopsis turneri, and Tilapia. The water conditions were as follows. Ph 8. Kh 7. Gh 7. Air temp 100’f. Water temp 84’f. We left here continuing on along Mex. 80 until we finally turned off and headed for the village of Cuzalapa where we stopped on the Puente de la Rosa. It was a rock strewn shallow river very low on water. It is a good job that we had the Electro fishing gear though or it would have been much more difficult to get the fish out from amongst the rocks. As it was, this gear made a much easier job of it and did not harm the fish at all. Here we found Xenotaenia resolanae, Poecilia chica, Poeciliopsis baenschi and a Gobymorus species. The Ph 6.9. Gh 3. Kh 4. Air temp 79’f and water temp 76’f. This was at 8 –0pm in the evening, so we were in for yet another late night, as we did not get down to Barra de Navidad on the Pacific Coast until 10 – 30pm. After a long search we eventually found a reasonably priced hotel, it was the Casa de Huespedes Kukulcan. But it was still 2-0am before we had dinner and started to look after the fish, and tonight we had many more fish to take care of and we were even later getting to our beds, in fact it was already daylight.

Now bearing in mind that by this time I had driven around a 1000 miles in three days while sampling many sites along the way, and again had very little sleep. when Omar, Hugo and Rogelio said that they would like to go back to the last site for more material the rest of us were more than happy to wait around for them in this delightful spot, especially as when we had looked at the Poecilia chica in the light of day we had found that almost all we had were males. So Jen went snorkelling along the coast while Jim and I took a look around the town before coming back to get on with the bagging up of the previous days fish. Eventually the others returned and we set to and got the fish they brought bagged up, and by 7 – 0pm we were off down town to have dinner amongst all the out door café’s. Right across the street from the café where the others were waiting for their food, I spotted a Catholic priest setting up ready for an evening Mass. So as I have never managed to get to a mass in all the times that I had been in Mexico and as we had to wait for the food anyway, I decided to go over and join in. In fact the others had barely started their food when I got back. We had a very pleasant evening that day before returning to our hotel about 10 – 00pm. We then just bagged up the last few fish and sat around chatting until about midnight.

We got on the road a little earlier today, as we had the long drive right up the Pacific Highway all the way though to Compostela, but we wanted to stop off along the way to do some fishing. First on our way north we were looking for the El Tecuan Laguna. It is situated in the grounds of a run down hotel below a mango grove. On the shore on one side of the lagoon was a small coconut grove. But try as we did we could not find it again. And so we carried on up to Puerto Vallarta. Once there we had a short break as we had been on the road a long time. Also we were almost out of storage space for the fish so we needed to get even more Thermos and it took us a while to find some. Eventually we got away and headed north to yet another site that we had visited in the year 2000. Just after passing through the village of El Ranchito you will find the Cortboneras Agua Spa Caliente. We turned down the rough track and stopped to fish just a short way down the lane on the left where we found Poeciliopsis viriosa, Cichlasoma beani, Poecilia butleri, Gobymorus maculatus and Awaous banana. The water conditions here were Ph 6.5. Gh 5 Kh 6. The water temp, was 83’f while the Air temp was 80’f. This is because it is a hot water spring. Soon we were heading off again in the direction of Compostela. Just before we got there we skirted around the town on Route Mex. 200 stopping just past a bridge that went over the river (Rio Compostela). The river was almost dry with just a few odd pools dotted around where all the fish were gathered. Here we found Xenotoca eiseni, a Poecilia species, a Poeciliopsis species and Guppies. The water conditions were Ph 6.3. Kh 6. Gh 6. and again the water temp. was higher than the air temp. The water was76’f and the Air 74’f. It was already getting dark when we got there so we did not get many fish that night. We stayed in a nice little hotel right in the town square and ate at a cafe right across from the square. The rooms cost just £17 per night for a double room.

While coming back across the square in the morning after breakfast, guess who decided to take a nosedive into the pathing stones from the top of a flight of three stairs. Yep! You guessed it. Well I must admit that due to an accident a few years back, it has left me with problems walking and made me very clumsy at times. Anyway I was going to have to take some time out to go in the chemist near the hotel and get some plaster stitches and bandages then go doctor myself up, so the others went back to the bridge over the river for a couple of hours and caught us a few more fish while I sorted myself out! When they returned Omar offered to drive our vehicle, but I knew that with the slash on my knee alone, if I gave in and rested it, then I was going to have even more trouble so I insisted on driving that day too. Soon after they returned we were on our way towards Tepic. Just before getting there we turned off to a place called Pantanal where there is an old part of the Rio Grande. Personally I refer to it as the cows graveyard as the whole area was littered with the skeletons of dead cows that just seem to have been left where they had died, just like it was out of an old western movie. The water conditions here were. Ph 7.3 Gh 5. Kh 7. While the water temp was 78’f and the Air temp was 90’f. We found only Tilapia and a cultivated form of X maculatus plus a Cichlasoma species that could have been C.beani. So very soon we were heading for the Toll road to Guadalajara. We drove down it as far as Magdalena where we turned off to go in search of Allotoca maculata in the area of the Magdalena canal. Well it took quite a bit of time and a brush with a Mexican cattle round up, but eventually we did get a few. However it was not until a couple of days after we had got them back to the lab that we discovered that they were incubating a nasty little problem, that quickly led to the demise of most of them at the lab. At this site the water conditions were Ph 7. Gh 3. Kh 6 the air temp was 84’f. while the water was 68f. The fish found here were Allotoca maculata, Zoogoneticus quitzeoensis and Tilapia. But the A.maculatus were very hard to find. Again we fished until it was almost too dark so again we were heading for Tala in the dark getting there around 10 – 00pm. We stayed that night in the Hotel de la Paz in Tala. It was not bad and cost £23 for a double room. Again we had to work until the early hours of the morning to get all the fish cleaned and bagged up.

It was about midday again before we finally got on the road, but you can’t burn the candle at both ends all the time. Well Omar took off in the lead in their pick-up truck and I just tucked ours in behind them. Now we had said last night that we would be going back first thing in the morning to San Marcos. So as I knew that Omar knew the way very well I was not taking notice of any of the sign posts, at least not until we got to the main road junction just outside of Tala. Now we should have gone straight over, but Omar turned left. Well I was going to call him on our intercoms that we were carrying, but then we discovered that Omar forgot to give us one that morning, so I was going to flash him to stop but all in our vehicle thought that he had simply changed his mind and was going to Ameca today instead of tomorrow as we had arranged, so I let it go. However we were only a few miles from Ameca when we stopped for lunch and it was then that we discovered that for once Omar’s sense of direction had let him down. He spoke with some locals in the café who told him that there was a new short cut through the mountains on the road that led down beside the café and on up into the mountains, then they told him of some springs up that way as well. So of course we had to go and investigate. This site was situated on a small farm in the mountains up behind the village of San Antonio Matute. Well with the help of a number of locals along the way we eventually found it. Unfortunately though all it held was Guppy’s. However it was worthwhile for another reason, as it gave us a very good insight into how these mountain folk eked out a living in such an area. So I took many photos to help show this. However, if we had gone the correct way to San Marcos we should have been there by 13 – 00hrs. Instead we had a long hairy drive around narrow twisting mountain roads that seemed to go on forever, finally arriving at the site we wanted near San Marcos at 16 – 00hrs. By that time poor old Jim was sick from the motion of the car over those switchback roads. He soon recovered once we got to our destination. On arriving there though, we were very surprised to find that one of the watercourses was so dried out that it looked like a different place. Even the deep holes that had been the saviour in other dry years were just dried up dust bowls. All were completely dried up. We carried on about a hundred yards to where the main watercourse should have been, but this too was much drier than usual. Here the bank side grasses and reeds had covered the watercourse from one side of the river to the other. Underneath some of it though, there was still water and there were also some gaps in it where you could see the water, so it was here that our team started to search for fish. Now as I was unable to park along side where the team were fishing as it was too narrow and the banks were so steep, I decided to go on and investigate the other sites along this 3 mile stretch of road to Etzatlan as this could save us time later. Well as I was driving along and passed the Rancho San Isidro, I could see that at least that looked promising. But when I got down to the Guamuchil swimming pool, and looked across at the El Palo Verde I was surprised to see that it too was completely dried out from bank to bank. I had never seen this before, and it really gives me cause for concern about all the fish in this area. I drove back to the others to let them know what I had found. They had just about finished on that site and had found Xenotoca eiseni, Xenotoca melanosoma and an Allotoca species. The water conditions were as follows:-Ph 7.8. Gh 7. Kh 11 the air temp was 90’f and the water 68’f. So now we move our activities just down the road to the Rancho San Isidro where it was much easier to get at the water and hence the fish. All the water parameters were much the same here as for the last site and we found all the same fish here too. Now we had hoped to get to the Rio Teuchitlan tonight as this was to be the last day that Rogelio would be with us as he had to catch a bus back to his University that night. Unfortunately though due to our 4 hour detour we were never going to do justice to both sites if we did, and so we decided to stay on at the Rancho San Isidro until 19 –30hrs as that would bring us back into Tala just in time for Rogelio to be ready for his bus.

Today we drove through Ameca and straight on to the Rio de la Pola. Here we turned right just before the bridge and on up to the Puente Davalos in search of the Allodontichthys polylepis that we had found there in the year 2000. But alas, not only were there no fish, but there was not even any water there that we could find and we searched many other access points too. The whole place was very dry. Even in the main river there was very little water, but that was only in keeping with what we had found out yesterday in another part of this Ameca Basin. Anyway we made our way back to the main road and crossed over the bridge. Turning right we went down the other side of the Rio de la Pola. After passing a few houses we drove straight on down a rough track until we eventually came to a ford in the main river further up. Although there was a little water here, the only life we found were a few struggling Carp and water shrimps, nothing else. We returned towards Ameca to sample at the Rio Potrero Grande at a point were it is little more than a ripple habitat flowing out of the springs in the hills. This was another of those habitats were it would have been very difficult to find the fish without the use of the Electro fishing gear, even though the water levels here were almost as low as everywhere else in this basin. Well it worked well again, or at least until the transformer blew making it inoperable. Fortunately though this was one of the last sites where it would be needed, and once we got it back to the Lab it could be repaired. Now picture this. It was a very hot day and we were many miles out of town in the hills when all of a sudden we heard what sounded like the music of a Mr. Softy ice cream van. Then a few seconds later from around the corner on this mountain road came a very old 'Stop Me and Buy One' trike, like a time warp right out of the 1950’s. No electric fridge’s just a cabinet with cold insert plates which the operator would have to take out and re-freeze every night. And all the ice cream was home made not branded goods, but that never stopped our team falling on it like a load of vultures around a new carcass and I was surprised when at least Jim or Jen were not sick later, but they were not. Anyway, we had found the Allotoca goslinei that we were looking for as well as Illyodon ameca and a Cyprinodon species. The water temp here was 15c, while the air temp was 22c, the Ph 8-0 Gh 10. Kh 11.  Soon we were on our way to Teuchitlan and we arrived at the site about 17–30hrs and promptly started collecting material for Luis to begin the feasibility study into the possibility of re-introducing at least one of the lost species to this site. One of the first stages intended was to adjust pools back at the University to mimic as closely the condition found at Teuchitlan as possible. Then to introduce some of the current species of flora and fish from the site so that these could be more closely studied at the University. So that’s is the sort of material that we collected. There were no other significant changes in the conditions here since our last visit. We eventually got back to the bus stop at Tala just as Hugo’s coach pulled up, as he was to leave us that night. Then straight back to the hotel to get on with the bagging up as we were now two men less. However we got in some drinks and some food and had the job finished in time to get to bed at 02-30hrs.

We left at 10-30hrs heading for our last port of call on this field trip La Luz. However, we had hardly left the Autopista to go there when we were pulled up by a CIA roadblock manned by Mexican soldiers sporting heavy automatic weapons who were backing up the Federalises. At these times, it is always so much easier having the lads from Morelia along, so we had no problems and were quickly on our way again. La Luz, where just 6 months before Kees de Jong and his party had found Skiffia multipunctata. This in itself was not all that significant but what was, was a single female of this species he had found as she, unlike most other females of her species was totally coloured. The whole body being almost black turning to a dark greenish bronze on her back. Whilst from her throat through to her belly she was a lemony orange turning to gold in a vertical bar on her flanks. A very attractive morph and the first truly coloured female that I have ever seen. He also found a species of Lamprey that I had not seen before in Mexico. Two good reasons to go there, especially as it was more or less on our way home. When we arrived, there was the usual band of locals enjoying swimming and just laying around on the banks, but the site had not in anyway been developed as indeed we were to find not long after we arrived when a couple of Mexican Federalises turned up and challenged Omar and Luis as it seemed that the place was protected. I suspect that this was because these springs were where the water bowsers filled up to supply the locals, as there were a couple there while we were there. Now if anything, most of the Skiffia here were less spectacular than most other collections, where some of the males were quite gorgeous, but all we could find were some very unexciting ones, and there was no sign of the Lamprey’s. But we did find Alloophorus robustus, Zoogoneticus quitezensis, Goodied atripinnis and some feral green swords. Well that was the end of the road for this field trip but we still had a number of things to do before returning home. We arrived back at the Lab about 17-00hrs and set to preparing to put the fish away before going to the Hotel D’ Atilanos near the Cathedral in the centre of Morelia where we would be staying on and off for the next few days.

Most of today was spent sorting out what we had and putting the fish away properly. Then Jen took care of all the preserved specimens that she had been collecting and took fin clippings of a lot of the fish at the Lab. Jim and I took photo’s and got to know some of the new students there a little better, while we waited for Arcadio Valdes Gonzalez to arrive from his University near Monterrey for a meeting that I had set up between him and all at Morelia to see if he would like to join us in the "Ark Project". Now our original arrangements were that on the Saturday 10^th, Jen and I would drive with Arcadio to meet the owner of the Zoo at San Luis Potosi so that he could see what the HALCP was doing there. I also wanted him and Jen to meet Juan Miguel Artigas, Azas who is one of, if not the best Aquarist in Mexico, and who does a lot for the hobby world-wide. Jen and I would then drive with Arcadio up to Monterrey Saturday night and spend some of Sunday 11^th looking around to see what his University had to offer and just what it needed. Then he would have his driver drive us back to Morelia over night so that we could arrive back in the early hours of Monday the 12^th. After some sleep she would then drive our vehicle to Mexico City later on Monday, as Omar had to be back at his Studies, and she could spend a day or two with Dr Constantino Macias Garcia, a senior lecturer at UNAM University in Mexico City who has spent the past 10 years researching Goodeids in close conjunction with St Andrews University in Scotland. Jim and I would stay on at Morelia another day to make all our preparations and then catch the Express Air-conditioned coach down to Mexico City on the 13^th and book into a Hotel near the Airport for the last night, so on his way home I gave Luis the money to drop into the Coach station and get our tickets, which he did. However, once Arcadio had arrived, it materialised that Jen and I would have to take our own vehicle up to Monterrey if we were to go and visit Arcadio's set up there. The car and driver that he had organised from the University unfortunately had other commitments on the Sunday and therefore they would have to return to Monterrey early on the Saturday evening. This would mean an extra 24 hours of driving time for the two of us in what was already a very tight timescale. In addition to this Arcadio informed us that most of his fish system was only just being set up due to him having been away from the University for some time. It was agreed that with close collaboration between the institutions involved Arcadio would begin some captive breeding programmes and slowly build up a Fish Ark within Monterrey with more of an emphasis of Pupfish species that are endemic and endangered within the Northern areas of Mexico. Hopefully the next trip to Mexico could incorporate a visit to see his fish lab and once it was more established.

At San Luis Potosi Josep Villet the owner escorted myself, Jen , Arcadio and his driver, Miguel, around the Zoo and particularly around the National Freshwater Aquarium - a unit that he has built within the zoo exhibiting the endangered freshwater species from around the area. Josep is planning an expansion of this area. Arcadio and Jen discussed briefly the potential of having some standardised interpretation within the Aquarium highlighting the plight of many of the endemic species. Arcadio and driver headed back up to Monterrey early evening due to the long journey ahead of them whilst Josep Villet took myself and Jen out to dinner. We were joined by Juan Miguel Artigas and his wife, and we were able to discuss various aspects of goodeid husbandry, behaviour and population ranges. Myself and Jen took an overnight coach back to Morelia. Unfortunately due to a break down it took much longer and so we did not arrived into Morelia until around 7:30 on the morning of the 11^th May and I retired to my bed!

Later this morning Jen and Jim went to Patzcuaro so that they could have a look at the fish markets to inspect which fish species were regularly caught and marketed by the fishermen. On the way back Jen hit a pothole enroute into Morelia which meant that the tyre and axle needed repairing. Jen and Omar took the vehicle to the garage on Sunday evening to have it fixed but of course it was a bit late.

The local mechanics managed to fix the tyre very cheaply but due to a couple of bolts being cross threaded and the axle damaged, extra parts were required and so the car was not fixed by lunchtime Monday as promised. The vehicle would therefore not be ready until late Monday evening which was too late for Omar and Jen to wait for due to them having already arranged meetings in Mexico City at the University. This meant that Jen did not want to drive the vehicle back down to Mexico city (as she had previously agreed too). Therefore the vehicle would have to be returned to the hire car company in México City airport on Tuesday. Luis kindly offered to accompany Jim and I down to Mexico City and drive the vehicle for me so that Jim and I could have some sleep but unfortunately he was not insured to do so, and so the way our luck was running this would not be a good idea and so was turned down, but I agreed that he should accompany us so that he could navigate us through the city. Omar and Jen left for Mexico City at lunchtime so that they could make their appointments. The rest of the afternoon was spent getting the repairs to the vehicle. These repairs were not completed until very late in the evening after which we went for our last meal in Morelia for this trip. All this made us much later than intended to go to the Lab, so much so that we did not finish until almost dawn on Tuesday. I realised if I went to get some sleep then I would never get up in time to get to Mexico City. So Jim and I decided that it would be best to go and have some breakfast and many cups of black coffee, before going and collecting Luis and getting on the road. On arriving at Mexico City we headed to UNAM University where we said farewell to Luis who had to leave to return back to Morelia. Unfortunately this turned out to be the hottest day that the City had experienced in a hundred and twenty years of record keeping, but all we could do was sit and wait for Omar and Jen and then headed to the airport where Jim and I. went straight to the Airporto Hotel arriving at about 20-00 hrs and it was not long before I hit the sack.

We flew out to the USA the following morning

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