Photos from Bananas Zicatelo, Mexico

Carolyn at Bananas

Pat and Tom at Bananas

We are Back!

I'm back! We have had lots of trouble with our wifi at our condo. I hope it's fixed for now anyway. I'll try to get an entry in before anything happens.
It's been a week since we crossed the river in the canoe. In that time we had almost 3 days of wind that reminded me why maybe it wasn't a good idea to live outside under the palapa! Many loose pieces of the palapa fell down on the balcony. It was difficult to cook on the stove and impossible to eat at the table. We managed anyway but are happy that the weather has gone back to perfect. We went into town a few times and it was much calmer away from the water.
We went out to eat with a large group of 18 at Fresh restaurant in Zicatela. There was a three piece band there that was excellent, Los Amigos. Good voices and they sang our generations songs. We would like to go back to see them again. It's so pleasant to sit at the beach to eat dinner.
My sister Pat arrived on Thursday and we are having a wonderful time together. We have been spotting lots of whales and dolphins. I've been taking spanish lessons twice a week. Aquafit also twice a week and Tom even joined in today! Lots of fun with a wonderful group of friendly people. We have a weekly "market" just a short walk away where a truck from the neighboring town of Chila comes and sets up and we enjoy great produce and great prices.Delicious!! We make fruit smoothies, great salads and eat fresh fruit-mangoes, grapefruit, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, bananas, oranges, avocados... I could go on and on. The freshest vegetables too!
We went our for pizza last night and enjoyed ourselves at Bananas in Zicatela. We are getting used to the drive into Puerto Escondido. I hope we have another turtle release when Pat is here. We will be going to the Laguna this week but haven't book yet.
We have made friends with Gary, the artist from NYC. And yesterday we had a tour of his fantastic house. It is so well done and shows a wonderful artistic/architectural flair- Colorful with beautiful tropical wood finishes. It's built around a courtyard pool. I love it!

More Photos

Second Trip

Relaxing under the Palapa

Our Boatman

Yummy Grasses to Eat

My Lunch

The Kitchen

Photos of the Adventure

Packing up Our Gear for the Ride

Safely on Board

See the Cow?

The Village

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Adventures

Yesterday we went on an excursion with some new friends. Bob, who is building a beautiful house here, drove the six of us to a beach he had heard about. We headed off having packed up chairs coolers, umbrella etc. for our adventure. We passed by several small towns and eventually saw the sign for Puerto Suelo. It pointed to a road that was very rough and narrow, passing through mango fields and cattle pastures. When we arrived at the end of the road we were at a river that appeared to connect the ocean to the large Manialtepec Laguna that we knew was to the left of us. We looked for a path or way to cross the river. On the other side of the river we could see several huts but no one was visible. Carey whistled her loud whistle but no one appeared. John the lifeguard at our resort had told us about this beach but neglected to tell us about the river. We assumed we were in the wrong place or missed a turn and headed back the way we came. About halfway a truck was coming in the other direction and we pulled over and stopped to make room. The truck stopped and we asked the men how to get to the playa. They motioned that we should honk our car horn. Ok then! We headed back to the river and honked. Sure enough people appeared on the banks, a boatman with a canoe came across and loaded our stuff and took us across in two trips. He showed us to the beach as we walked through the tiny village. We were able to sit at a table on plastic chairs under a wide palapa. It was a restaurant and had a bathroom of sorts including toilet paper! I never travel without toilet paper. We didn't need our chairs, snorkling equipment, or umbrella. We could have purchased beer or soft drinks but we had our coolers. A pleasant women came to ask us if we wanted food and pointed to the sun to indicate when we would like to eat- now, noon, afternoon. We chose noon. "What's on the menu?", we asked. Camerones and quesidillas were the only words we caught but it turns out that was the menu including rice and hot sauces. We headed to the ocean for a swim and  were tossed and turned as we got in and out. But beyond the crashing waves it was so nice. The temperature must be 82-83F. We went back to the shaded area and enjoyed our drinks and spent a few hours there. We walked past the primitive open kitchen and toward the shore a little farther toward the lagoon. It was filled with birds and the water was clear. We were told we could swim there if we wanted. We went back to our table and lunch was served. Shrimp and rice and corn tortillas with a bit of cheese in them. The shrimp would have been caught in the morning. They were overcooked and hard to peel. I wished they were headless but in the end they were tasty and the rice was good. I didn't add spicy sauce. We stayed another hour or so and paid our bill which included the boat ride. $200 pesos or about $13 cdn per couple. We headed back with all our unused gear and were canoed back to the car. We didn't see any other villagers. I read later that five families live there and the village includes a school for the six children who live there. I wonder if they are hiring a non spanish speaking teacher-I might apply.
We returned to our condo late afternoon and after taking a shower to remove all the sand trapped in my bathing suit I went for a swim in the pool and met some more new friends! One is an artist from NYC who has built a house here. He has invited me to come and paint when his studio is set up. Quite a nice day.

Sea Turtle Release

Today was the second sea turtle release since we arrived. The hatchlings were 30 minutes old and had to be in the ocean within an hour. It's exciting as you release them and cheer them on. Some of them have their act together right away and hustle to the sea. Others stay still or go in the wrong direction but in the end they all end up being taken on waves into the sea to start their lives. The males never return to land and the females come on land to lay their eggs. The people who release them harvest the eggs from the beach at night and incubate them until they hatch. Then the release begins. It doesn't seem to be anything exciting but it takes on a life and death quality as you watch them scurry to the sea and then wonder what will happen to them.

Ready Set Go

30 Minutes Old

Marching to the Sea

Lazy Days

We are having perfect weather here in Puerto Escondido. Usually a breeze and shade keeps us very comfortable and insect free. We have seen

Another beautiful sunset

Dinner at Pascales with New Friends

Fishing in a Small Pond 

Fishing in the Ocean in Puerto Escondido

humpback whales.  There are dolphins but I haven't seen them yet. We have been to town several times so far. Out for dinner at Pascales and we enjoyed shrimp and Dorado fish dishes. Excellent! They close off the road to traffic and it is filled with stalls selling trinkets. It was a fun evening with several people we met here. I don't have many good photos but I'll post the ones I have. Our Internet here is spotty but I will try to keep the blog going.

Our First Days Living the Life

View From Our Condo

Sunset From Our Balcony

Tom Enjoying Dinner in our Dining Room

Roasted Chickens - Delicious

Our Condo in Puerto Escondido

We were so happy to finally arrive at our condo near Puerto Escondido. It was very hot (more than 32C) around noon time. The staff greeted us warmly with a cold drink and a cool cloth. They took care of the luggage and we had a brief tour of the place. We were brought to our condo and were so pleased with the view and the layout. Everything is outside except the bedroom and bath. A very high palapa shields us from the elements while we hang out in our living room, dining room and kitchen. This is truly high end camping.The weather is perfect so far and we are enjoying ourselves very much. Yesterday we took part in a turtle release on the beach. Unfortunately we didn't have our cameras or phones with us. It was really fun to watch the baby turtles only 40 mins old scampering toward the sea and being swept out on the waves. The next time it happens I'll be sure to have a camera with me.

We had not stopped to do any grocery shopping but arranged for dinner to be served to us on our balcony. Such a beautiful view of the ocean and sunsets every night. We had spent the afternoon getting organized but abandoned that daunting task in favour of a swim in the pool and a dip in the ocean. (28C). It was heaven after such a long car trip. 

Today we went to the mercado for fruits and vegetables, a store that sells roasted chicken, a butcher shop and then to the supermercado (very much like a Walmart) for everything else we thought we needed. We then went down to the pool to cool off and meet some people we had seen yesterday. Most of them are Canadian - some from Kitchener in fact. It is a lovely place and we have met very welcoming people. And we've been given a lot of good tips and suggestions for making our stay enjoyable. 

I made dinner tonight as I watched the sunset from the kitchen. It turned out really well-yes I was surprised! We are now relaxing on our sofa and enjoying the breeze and the sound of the surf. I can see Venus from where I'm typing and Mars as well. I really like this outdoor living. I will send photos along but I must admit I haven't taken many pictures yet. I do have 3 months though.

On Our Way to Pinotepa National

Brush Fire Near Pinotepa National

From the Car-Pretty Good Road

Sleepy Little Town Along the Way

Our Hotel in Pinotepa- 22USD

A Better Day

Today we started out early, right after breakfast, but made a stop at Walmart to pick up a few things for our condo. Then we found our way out of Cuernavaca. I wish we had time to see the town because everyone says its beautiful. But we had a schedule to keep.We were driving south close to Acapulco and then swung west to get on the road toward Puerto Escondido our destination in the end. Hwy 200 goes through small towns, open areas, climbs up and down mountains and zigzags its way west. Even though we were close to the Pacific Ocean we never even got a glimpse.  That will have to wait until tomorrow. The scenery changed dramatically over today's trip. A few photos will follow.
The Mexicans have a good way to slow down traffic. Topes are bumps that go cross the whole road. They force you to come almost to a stop or you will do damage to your car. On the other hand it seriously slows down the whole trip. It  took us 7 hrs to drive to Pinotepa National where we are spending the night. Our hotel is Casavegas and it's quite nice. It is a bargain at $450 pesos including breakfast and parking. It even has a pool and good wifi- what more could you ask for?
The only problem we ran into on the way was an extensive brush fire that was almost out of control. There was a water truck pumping water and we were all escorted safely down the mountain by a police car. We really didn't lose much time. The smoke from it hung in the air but it was fine as we drove away from the fires.
Here are a few observations we have had of Mexico while driving on highways going south through the centre of the country and then southwest to the coast:
It's a very long drive. Very stressful most of the time. Drivers are skilled but come very close and take too many chances. People are nice and very helpful. Some police in Mexico City are brazenly corrupt. Some highways are excellent while others are in disrepair. On average they are pretty good. Signage lets you down. Perhaps a GPS would solve that problem. On busy divided four lane highways animals graze along the shoulders quite unconcerned with traffic. We did see one dead cow on the side of the highway but luckily we didn't see how it happened. Cows, horses, goats, sheep, dogs, chickens and pigs are within sight along the roads and often crossing on the smaller highways. There is a lot of poverty, The US and Canadian dollars go a long way. Service stations are full service like the old days and it's good to tip the attendant. There are protests, and some violence because the government raised gasoline prices 20% recently. We didn't see any of that and had no problem getting gasoline even though shortages were reported.
I'm sure to add to that list later. But I'm getting tired now and will be glad to spend our last day on the road. We are looking forward to being settled in at our condo overlooking the Pacific!

Photos while driving near Monterrey

Interesting cactus shapes

Mountains in the distance

Driving Down the Road

What a day!

I dashed off the last post but will go back and add some detail and a picture or two. I wanted everyone to know that we are safe and sound and not running into problems with gas shortages or protests. Having said that, today was a harrowing day. We were never in danger but it was scary nevertheless.
Tom has been doing all the driving and I navigate using a variety of materials-triptik, google maps, regular maps. None of these sources match the actual real world and today was the worst example of bad navigating.
It started out very well. We had stayed at a really nice hotel right on our route so leaving this morning was a breeze. Everything worked out perfectly until we hit Mexico City area. We were doing fine. Although it was busy, traffic was moving. We were travelling along with the traffic but all of a sudden a policeman pulled us over. We assumed we were speeding along with everyone else and just were the unlucky ones with Ontario plates. We complied not knowing what to expect. The officer was pleasant enough and I really thought he would just let us go on our way. He played his cards very well and had Tom talk to someone on his cell that spoke English. What a ruse! But even though we knew it we had no idea what would happen. Here's the charge. (Remember this is Mexico City, one of the most polluted cities in the world. ) Our car is polluting the air and they know this because of our license plate. We were of course protesting but not aggressively. They said they would impound the car and we would have to pay a fee. After protesting and going back and forth he let us know all would be forgiven if we gave him 1000 pesos. We gave him 500 and were free to go.
Then we got lost and all turned around and our maps were not helping. After driving about an hour trying to get back to the right turn off that would take us out of Mexico City and on our way to Cuernavaca we spotted the right way only to be blocked by another policeman who would not let us proceed. He literally was blocking our car. We knew we had not done anything wrong but were pulled over anyway. It was a similar shakedown but this time we fought back and didn't comply and drove away. That's what we should have done the first time. Or better yet not have stopped at all. All the delay and confusion led us to finally reach a hotel at about 5:45. This hotel is called Puerta Paraiso. It's nice and has a lovely pool but not our favorite.
We have settled in and are trying to relax and forget the two police encounters. Obviously the Mexico police aren't interested in welcoming tourists. Everyone else that we have met has been friendly helpful and so welcoming to us. We are hoping this only happens in Mexico City and that we aren't hassled by the police after today. We will try to avoid Mexico City on our return trip!

Crossing into Mexico

January 5th was the big day to cross the border into Mexico. We have until January 9th to get to our condo in Puerto Escondido. We left San Antonio and drove to Laredo. After a few GPS mishaps we crossed the border with the intention of getting our vehicle permit and tourist visas. In the end it turned out ok but it was stressful. There were no lines and we had all our documents in order but it was still stressful. We decided to continue on and drive to Monterrey to get a jump on our trip. We don't have a chip for Mexico in our car's navigation system (that's another story) so it was back to maps and Trip-Tiks. Wow have we become dependent on the GPS! When we arrived in Monterrey we decided to get off the highway and find a hotel. We asked a local fellow if he could suggest a place. He suggested we follow him and he would show us the hotel area that was pretty far away. Unfortunately it was rush hour and traffic was bad. Tom did a great job of keeping up and avoiding collisions. The fellow went out of his way to direct us to a Holiday Inn. We tried to thank him by giving him 20 pesos but he refused and was happy to help us out. We checked in and then had dinner at the hotel. I wasn't expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the meal- white fish cooked with vegetables in an aluminum foil packet. It was served with rice and grilled vegetables cooked just right. We chatted with a fellow who lived in Mexico City and was in Monterrey on business. He was very friendly and shared a lot of interesting stories. It turned out to be a good ending to a long day.
We plotted out our drive for the next day and was able to use the business center at the hotel to print our google map directions to San Luis Potosi. Actual signs and those on Google maps don't always agree. So again we made a few wrong decisions but in the end we arrived at our destination by about 4:30. We had stopped at a tourist center along the way and they suggested we stay at another Holiday Inn. This one is beautiful - very modern and comfortable . It has a pool as well and we went for a very relaxing swim before we had dinner. It was great! We went to dinner at the restaurant next door as this Holiday Inn didn't have a restaurant. And again we were pleasantly surprised with our meals.

Riverwalk and The Alamo

The Alamo

Old Live Oak at the Alamo

Riverwalk 

Dining at The Riverwalk

Riverwalk at Night

Beth Wants to Move to Canada

Moving on to San Antonio

On January 3rd we set out for San Antonio. This was the first time since leaving my brother's house that we did not stay with ATC members. We stayed at a Best Western within walking distance of the Riverwalk and the Alamo. Reasonable price, comfortable room, parking and a pretty good breakfast made our stay a good one. The first day was sunny and warm. We walked through the extensive paths in the Riverwalk and then visited the Alamo. What a wonderful city center! San Antonio has some beautiful architecture. I had been here in 1960 and am amazed at the development of the Riverwalk. In 1960 it was a walk along the river. Now it is a fashionable area of restaurants, shops, and even an outdoor theatre. Hotels back on to the river and tour boats go up and down the river at a steady rate. I remember that I could see the Alamo across the river then but now that view is mostly blocked by hotels and tall buildings. It's a really lovely focal point for the city and we enjoyed strolling along it for two days. It has twinkling lights all around at night that make it a magical place. Last night we had a very disappointing dinner at a restaurant along the river so tonight we went away from the tourist area and found a good local pizza place called Rio Gelato. We really enjoyed sharing a pizza and having a conversation with the owner and two patrons. They were locals and wanted to hear about Canada. The owner is considering moving to Canada because of the election result. Earlier we met a tour boat the operator that wants to move to Canada too. Her own business is online: handmadebybeth.com.
The Alamo museum was fascinating. The history is complicated. The displays, films and speakers did an excellent job explaining it. The grounds are well maintained and the buildings are carefully restored.
We have been so impressed with the easy, friendly manner of the people here and everywhere we have been in the South. For example, strangers engage us regularly with small talk, smiles, and favours. A bus driver stopped and gave us a free ride uptown just to be friendly. People often introduce themselves and want to know where we are from and want to know about Canada. Others are helpful with information and will go out of their way to give us directions and advice. It's a wonderful spirit!

Johnson Space Center

Shuttle or Orbiter

Old Mission Control

Saturn V 

Canadarm in the Orbiter

Our Guide Bill - Retired Engineer at NASA

Houston Visit

On new year's day we headed to Houston. We were again very fortunate to be able to stay with another ATC family. They invited us to come for dinner- a traditional southern new year's meal. Ham, black eyed peas, cornbread and cabbage. Maureen and Jim welcomed us into their home and we enjoyed  this delicious traditional new year's day meal together. I will be making this when I get home. They suggested we visit the Johnson Space Center  which was just a few minutes from their home. We hadn't realized how close it was when we called them. What a wonderful place to visit! We spent many hours there on Jan. 2nd and could have easily spent another day. We went out to dinner at a true Texas BBQ place called Rudy's. We enjoyed the food and the company. Thanks, Maureen and Jim for introducing us to Texas BBQ.
We had some great conversations and ended up staying up late. We have been so impressed with our ATC members who have opened their doors and shown us warmth and generosity as we travel. Maureen and Jim could not have been more hospitable. They fed us delicious meals, drove us to and from the Space Center, took us out for breakfast and did everything they could to make us comfortable. They even sent us off with a container full of Jim's "world famous" pralines and brownies!

Our Beautiful Home in NOLA

Thanks, Jo!!

After the Parade

Carolyn having enjoyed beignets

Tom showing off his bling

Famous Spot in New Orleans

New Orleans Photos

famous street

typical balcony

trolley cars

Sugar Bowl Parade

then the rains came