Aztek Trek Part 8 - Beached for Christmas

We usually like being away at this time of year to avoid Christmas… the pressure which builds up before the “big day” to “have a good time and make everything perfect”, to consume vast amounts of food and drink, tempers fraying while shoppers go crazy trying buy anything and everything at the last minute…. Although, as we had witnessed over the past few weeks, the Mexicans certainly celebrate this time of year, we didn’t expect to be stuck for an hour in the queue for the checkouts in the huge supermarket on our arrival in Puerto Escondido!

Made worse by the fact that I was still suffering from a touch of flu, we were at least relieved to find our sweet little apartment a few minutes’ walk from the bus station.  We were welcomed by our congenial hosts Vicky and Omar, who helped us with our heavy cases (why do we seem to accumulate so much on our travels??) up the two flights of stairs.  The bright apartment was surrounded on two sides by floor to ceiling doors which opened up to allow the breeze to blow through and offered a great view of the coast.  With a strategically placed hammock in the living area for Ian, and a super insulated, air-conditioned bedroom, this place was about as comfortable as we could get in the heat and humidity.

By all accounts, Puerto Escondido (Hidden Port!) had definitely been “found” and developed rapidly over the past decade, and seemed the worse for it, with rubbish strewn streets and traffic jamming the main road. It did, however, boast several beaches much famed for surfing and an abundance of wildlife spotting opportunities. Tempted out by our hosts’ recommendation for dinner, we almost walked past the wooden gate leading to “Pepe’s Taco Joint” and were a bit dubious as it looked like someone’s back yard along with roaming dogs and chickens.  Incongruously, there also seemed to be an elderly musician sitting on a stool in the corner playing jazz!  Pepe’s fish tacos came highly rated on the internet, and it was easy to see why, as they were delicious and the place soon filled with backpackers and other tourists.  It all made for a memorable first evening!

The weather and my cold took a turn for the worse over the next few days, and we only managed a walk along the rather stormy main beach and surf hub of Playa Zicatela on Christmas Eve.  Things went from bad to worse after we found that the restaurant we’d booked for Christmas Dinner was in fact closed on Christmas Day, and then I very kindly gave Ian my cough for Christmas (I’m generous like that!), so we spent most of the festive period convalescing in the apartment. 

We did book a day trip along the coast, and first stop was at the Eco-tourist community of La Ventanilla.  We took a boat trip through the mangrove fringed lagoon where we surprised to see dozens of crocodiles gliding through the water.  Disconcertingly, there were also lots of vultures (possibly waiting for the croc’s leftovers!).  We were assured that the huge reptiles had plenty of food and hadn’t been known to attack humans but it still felt a bit scary with one seeming to be making a beeline for our boat.  Still, drifting among the mangroves was a magical experience as it was teeming with wildlife including iguanas, turtles and migratory water birds.

We stopped off at the coastal town and former hippy hang-out of Mazunte where we were forced to sample more mezcal, locally produced coffee and chocolate and the ubiquitous mole (which we still hate!).  Next up was the nudist beach at Zipolite, where even with Ian’s bird-spotting binoculars, all we spied were a couple of tits and a few budgie (smugglers)!!

Aiming to visit all the walkable beaches in the area, we visited Playa Angelito and Manzanillo (the two most popular with the locals). The whole of Mexico seems to take the two weeks up to the 6^th January (Epithany) off, and it seemed as though the entire population were holidaying here.  There was hardly room to squeeze a flip flop between the four-man tents, beach chairs, towels and umbrellas, as we edged around the throng and found the last two seats at a seafront bar.  It made for a fascinating people-watching activity, and despite the numbers and the lack of space, we were struck by how civilised, and un-pretentious the Mexicans were.  No-one was taking selfies; the kids were all enjoying themselves and seemed exceptionally well-behaved, and even the oldies were being looked after.  Very different from most European resorts!

With Ian forced to go to the local doctors the next day (who charged the princely sum of £2.50 per consultation! – America take note!) he hoped that the prescribed anti-biotics would do their work.  So, I made the long trek to Playa Bacocho on my own that afternoon and was surprised to find a wide stretch of golden sand, backed by a couple of flashy beach clubs, but relatively few sunworshippers.  It was also home to a turtle sanctuary where, for a small donation, you could participate in releasing a baby turtle into the sea each evening.

I continued to the end of the beach and after clambering over some rocks, discovered yet another smaller beach, Playa Coral.  The only other access to this beach was via an abandoned hotel and water park, so this kept the numbers down, and I managed to find a nice spot to lay my towel and watch the sunset.

The following afternoon, with Ian still sick and one final beach left to tackle, I descended the 200 steps to Playa Corazillo and although quite busy, I squeezed my towel into a shady nook between two rocks where I could watch the waves roll in.  My research (always on the lookout for a good bar or veggie restaurant) led me to “Chill-A-Kill” a fab little place tucked away in a back street.  They had a happy hour, a good selection of vegetarian food and were playing really cool music.  It had a great vibe and Ian eventually joined me for what turned into a very “chilled” evening.

Up at dawn the next morning for an end of year treat as we set sail from the harbour on a whale-watching trip.  Hump-back whales make their annual migration from Alaska down the Pacific coast, to mate and give birth.  Although there seemed to be dozens of boats heading out to the breeding grounds, we were excited to be amongst the first to spot one of the huge mammals – and it looked like she had a calf with her!  It certainly was a sight to behold as they breached the water.  Further on, we spotted a pod of dolphins frolicking in the waves and on our return journey, another hump-back, and a huge sea turtle bobbing about in the water.  What a way to see the year out…

Tired from our early start, we had to set the alarm to watch the New Year’s fireworks from our rooftop balcony!

Next stop:  Counting the bays…