Reserva de la Biósfera Santuario Mariposa Monarca

You come to a sleepy town of Aporo, west side of the butterfly Mountain. On the way to Aporo you expect to see heavy duty trucks with minarels - red color - may be Iron Ore . From Aporo you will see one sign with picture of butterfly to go to the mountain - keeping the town market and the big church on your left. No name of the road on the ground or on Google map. Roads are so small and very little used you may feel that you are at the wrong place. My mind was already expecting to se some butterflies -- wandering to or away from the mountain but nothing except the picture. Keep going east - you will come to a T-juction. You will see lots of pictures telling you to go left as well as to the right. I thougt there are different spots - take a random choice - my wife helped by telling me to go right . This road has a name on Google map - San Filipe Alzati. Road goes trough lots of turns and up and up - dark even during the day. Few no business hotels and a state park toll - 50 peso - only for out siders. My wife felt they are unauthorized - I was not sure - I told her to pay. You do not want to get into conflict with 5/6 man in a remote jungle ! Kept going - came out of the forest to a little settlement or you can call a mountain town. What happened to the butterflies ??? We did not see any. When we ask any one - they say " you will see butterflies, they are there, just keep going. Now people are telling us to drive up again - kind of out of the mountain -- suddenly a big parking lot on our right with many stores. We got swampt by people not butterflies, not the live ones. 50% of those selling plastic butterflies made in China.Rest are with manu to sell food, horse ride etc. Mothers with groups of kidds with colorful dresses selling butterfly songs too. I was so tired and frustrated that no one ( I did meat many Mexicans who told me that they came ) told me any clue about what I was going through and bigger surprises still waiting. I got out of the car - streched - pushed everyone with no care. It was already over 5 hrs of driving for me from San Miguel. Went to an office looked like an authorized establishment. They allready took off a ticket and asking for money and telling me I must start claiming becasuse day light is about to end. Well , I did turn them down by saying I am here to get some information - not to climb a mountain by foot .I am 61 year old -- did not do mountain climbing for some time - I am not sure if my heart can take a 3000 ft climb -- that is where butterflies are -- at an altitude of about 8,000 ft. I returned with a kind of experience with out seeing the butterflies. I hope this can give you heads up - at least know before you go. Get there early morning, at least before noon. You can have horse take you up for pay but you must be a good rider, have a good luck to get an well trained horse. There are risk of falling off or horse ejecting you off.