Stops on way home

Stops

Started from Zicatella motel "Puerto del Sol"

Pemex 1.5 hrs west of Mexico City

Pemex near Culiaca

Pemex at Nogales 

Pheonix by motel in truck parking lot 

Casino parking lot in little town of Wells, Nevada

Home at 1:00am

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Home

After hearing about Terry's passing, we decided to curtail the holiday and head home. 

From Puerto Escondido, we put in 5 long driving days and ended up home at 1:00am Saturday 

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March 3. Another $50 day!

You have got to love vacationing in this country, with the warmth, beaches, nice people, reasonably priced hotels and interesting shopping--at less than $50 per day in certain spots.

Today we were actually well under that figure. Our hotel, across the road from the beach is great with its pool and fruit and smoothy bar. This is what we see across the road each day.

This morning I went for a walk in the beach to where the fishermen congregate. For $5.00 I had a nice tuna that would be enough for 3 large meals! We have a very nice outdoor kitchen here and Ade put together a wonderful meal.

On our beach walk today we went beyond the sand to a rock cliff formation that the city had cut out an ocean side walkway within the rock face. It is a camera-person's dream with the emerald water and surf pounding below your feet.

Toward the end of the 3 km walk it got pretty warm so we started walking back on the roads, taking shelter at times under the many shade awnings of retail shops--Ade lucked out and bought a nice pair of shorts. We eventually flagged down a taxi for the approximately 5 km ride home. Interesting that every cab fare here and in Huatulco has cost us $1.50 - $1.75 -- pretty good deal.



From there to lunch, then the pool and finally a 5:45 sunset. It gets dark quick here but that is good because it keeps the temperature down a bit.

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March 2. Puerto Escondido

Yesterday afternoon we made the short trip from Ventanilla to Puerto Escondido ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Escondido,_Oaxaca )  and were fortunate enough to secure a room right on the beach, in the same hotel we were at 9 years ago. 

Wikipedia has the town with a population of 45,000 in 2013. It is certainly bigger than that now. 

The town has grown as a major tourist location so fast since we were last here that it is a bit disappointing. The demographic has aged considerably from the young adventure and sports minded traveller. Now it is the "white haired" generation (like me😃) who make up a good percentage of the tourists. Also the town has cleaned and tile-paved many streets to improve its image for the bigger spending middle class. Both Ade and I think it has lost some of its original hippy character but it definitely is a beautiful spot. 

We spent the evening at a "grey bar" on the beach listening to live music from the '80's. With the surf cash behind the band and a "U" shaped 1/8 th moon in the sky it was a treat. It was interesting that the bar owner and all the "grey hairs" were Canadian. We seem to be taking over southern Mexico.  

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March 1. Goodbye Zipolite

Any place that boasts sunny weather, surf, a sandy beach with palapa restaurants,  a small downtown street lined with unique shops and restaurants has to have a charm all its own. Spice it up with an attractive twenty-something woman, clothed with only an acoustic guitar singing folk songs on the beach to a small crowd of enthusiastic guys and women;  you have Zipolite!

Time to continue north if we hope to make it home by April 11--the last day for our medical plan!!

Before Puerto Escondido we stopped at Ventanilla  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Ventanilla,_Oaxaca

for a swamp jungle tour. It was a delight. Behind the ocean sandbar was a decent size lake and swampy area with a dry land island in the middle. The tour guide took us out in the lake in a large row boat he paddled. The area was quiet beyond belief with jungle vegetation and mangrove trees lining much of the island. 

We saw a number of crocodiles en route and eventually docked on the shores of the island.  Large and small crocs, monkies, deer, iguana, and many birds made the island home along with some "captives" used in the breeding programs. Termites nests the size of stacked old tires were also common. They helped clean up dead wood in the forests. 

Mexico has come a long way in now valuing its natural beauty with parks that highlight the counties natural beauty. They realize how people from around the world will come and spend money to enjoy these wonders. Many people will come to this park tomorrow to supervise and assist baby leatherback turtles on their treacherous walk across the expansive sandy beach in their way to the ocean. This program prevents the predators in the area from having  an easy "snack", and has helped take this spicies from the the verge of extinction 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazunte

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Feb 28. The Zipolite paradox

From Huatulco where the tourist population is reputed to be 80% Mexican to Zipolite where over half the toursits are "whities" like us--what a difference. 

In Huatulco, The Mexicans are so friendly with "hola" , smiles and waves coming from most of them to Zipolite where it is rare to get any sort of smile or eye contact from the Canadians, Europeans or Americans. It is obviously a cultural thing, but the Mexicans make you feel much more at ease in a matter of minutes if you are able to overcome the language predicament. Even with the language block, Mexicans make every effort to try to help you. My Google translator app has helped us immensely-- to the point where my Spanish has started to evolve in my own unique way!

Sunrise this morning was spectacular, as usual. 

We decided to extend our stay here another day--our camp spot, restaurant, sand and water was too nice to hurry ourselves. 

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Feb 27. Hello Zipolite

Since the late 1960's this village has been a haven (heaven?) for "back to the landers", draft diggers and just plain old hippies.  The mile stretch of golden sand is also a retreat for surfers and nudists!  

During my previous 2 visits of 9 and 14 years  ago, it still retained the flavour of its roots. However popularity and legend have resulted in significant development and changes. There are many more small hotels with more guests. The roads are now paved, and most of the hippies have been replaced by Yuppies or old timers trying to regain their youth--I guess like us!😃😃. 

One place that has not changed is located at the north/west end of the beach. Since 1972 it has operated under the name Shambala. This place is a timewarp for want-to-be hippies, Music, meditation, probably some drugs, and free love. It is one of the few places in this town that has not changed much in over 40 years. 

We got lucky and we're able to stay in the same hotel as we did years ago. It is great. We just set up the van in the parking lo under a shade tree about 20 meters from the beach and a table with a shady palapa over it. 

Fabulous waves, a few surfers, good sandy beach to paddle in and walk, plus a few nude bodies to spice up the view make Zipolite an interesting stay. 

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