User:Thelmadatter/Kolem Jaa'

Kolem Jaa’ is an eco-tourism and adventure resort located on the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental in the tropical rainforest of southern Tabasco, Mexico. The terrain has 27 hectares and is close to the Oxolotan River in the Tacotlapa region. Kolem Jaa’ began as a project of the “Vida y Desarrollo” (VIDE), a program with the objective of reforesting Tabasco with native plant species of the Tacotlapa ecosystem. The attractions of Kolem Jaa include walks through the rainforest, rappel, horse and mountain bike rides.

Kolem Jaa's area information
Kolem Jaa’ is located on the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental in the tropical rainforest of southern Tabasco, Mexico. It is an eco-tourism and adventure resort. This terrain has 27 hectares and is close to the Oxolotan River in the Tacotlapa region. Kolem Jaa’ means “the greatness of water” in the Chol language, due to its rivers, waterfalls, natural pools, caverns, as well as tall trees, mountains, flora and fauna at risk of extinction.

Kolem Jaa’ has been internationally promoted as a tourist location in order to obtain money and help the state of Tabasco to recover from the constant floods that occur from November to March with it.

Tourism
Kolem Jaa's attractions are mainly adventure activities and tours, for example, walks through the rainforest, rappelling, horse and mountain bike rides. The canopy tour is the most popular, which consists of jumping with body harnesses from eleven platforms on the crowns of trees which are 100 to 130 feet above the ground. Another tour is known as the Cave of the Blind Sardines. Local residents revere blind sardines during the Holy Week with dances dedicated to the Mayan rain god, Chac. The Commando Trail includes several challenges, such as canopy, rappelling a waterfall and walking on a bridge made of a single cable. There is also a butterfly farm only made with plants in form of a labyrinth.

There are certain other attracions associated with Kolem Jaa'. Nearby, the ex-governor’s house of Tabasco in Villa Luz has been turned into an ecological reserve with waterfalls, sulfurous waters and a museum. Other attractions around Kolem Jaa’ are Cocona’s Grotto, small towns with crafts and history, such as the church of Santiago Apóstol in Teapa.

VIDE project
Kolem Jaa’ originally was pastureland, maize and habanero chili fields. It started in 1997 with only 11 hectares of terrain. Today, 95% of Tabasco rainforest does not exist anymore, so, the “Vida y Desarrollo” (VIDE) project was proposed to help the environment and make money for ecological projects, turning the pasture and farm into an ecological tourist attraction. Within seven years, the place had cabins and their surroundings were reforested. VIDE also created an orchid botanical garden, a farm for white-tailed deer in danger of extinction and an area for bamboo production. Indigenous cultures still live in the region, such as Zoques, who worship nature and believed the caves were sacred. One of the princpal aims of this project is to show local residents how to make more money and improve their lives through tourism. VIDE also supports residents' economy by promoting their handmade wicker and other handcrafts.

Biodiversity
The biodiversity of Tacotlapa is very unusual, but the majority of its species are in Kolem Jaa'. There are about 300 varieties of mammals, reptiles and insects. In this area, there are frogs, macaws, toucans, river otters, peacocks, howler monkeys, caimans, iguanas and crocodiles. There are also more than 500 species of birds, 200 of which are endangered. Tacotlapa has also banana palms, coconuts and other tropical plants. About 500 plant species are in danger as well.