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Published: March 16th 2007
Anyone familiar with the above quote made famous by the spectacular movie The Shawshank Redemption will know where I am. The quaint town of Zihuatanejo sits on the southern Pacific coast of Mexico just north of Acapulco. It's everything I thought it would be, and more. Just a three hour flight from L.A. it's the perfect location for a short getaway.
Gregg and Angela run Angela´s Hotel & Hostel, rated "Hard To Beat" in 2004 and 2006´s Lonely Planet. I called before leaving (011-52-755-112-2191) and Gregg´s warm and friendly personality sealed the deal. (Loads and weather altered original plans and I lost two days in the process, cutting the trip to just 4 days.)
In the heart of Zihua and close to everything important to me (banks, beach, restaurants) Angelas Hostel is clean, charming, comfortable, fun, safe and most important, AFFORDABLE! Dorms start at 90 pesos and private rooms start at 250 pesos.
If you ever want to go.... you can avoid the expensive $25 to $35 airport cab fare into the city and instead take the locals only transportation for less than $1. A white van with a maroon stripe picks up airport employees across the street from the airport next to the bluff with the large white UMO sign painted on it. Its easy to find and if you avoid the airport taxi personnel you will be better off. They want all gringos to pay their expensive 15 minute ride into the city. The white van with the maroon stripe will drop you off in the city near the central market and from there you can walk toward the SANTORINI Bank and then turn right and the second block on the right is Angelas Hostel. Very easy to find!
Cool ocean breezes blow over the town and it never feels more than 85 degrees here. Numerous sandy beaches are a short walk from town and there are many places to find shade from the searing heat of the midday sun! Just a few minutes in the sun without sunscreen might be just enough to ruin a vacation so I would suggest caution. My new friend Leigh from Canada learned the hard way and is paying the price tonight! Once outside of Zihuatanejo bay empty stretches of sandy beach run as far as the eye can see. Unlike nearby Ixtapa, prices here are low. A cheap breakfast can be as low as 150 pesos and lunch and dinner just a bit more than that if you add meat. On the pricey side dinner starts around 1500 pesos (just a little less than $15) for fresh caught lobster.
Internet is hard to find here and can be slow, but worth it if for no other reason than to update my dad! This most likely will be the only blog I send, but will update and add photos when I get home.
The hostel atmosphere is really fun with 7 countries represented. Three Canadians and I went to the beach today and when we returned there were a whole new group of guests from new countries!
Don Bebe is well past 80, though just how far nobody knows. He arrives every night close to 8 p.m. and stays all night letting guests in the hostel's locked gates. He speaks no English and it looks like his only job is to open the gate when the buzzer rings. He does not know what to do with a ringing telephone. I watched with fascination as the phone rang and he remained seated. A few more rings and he slowly got up out of his chair and walked, even more slowly, over to the ringing telephone, now on its 10th ring. He stood looking down at the ringing telephone until it stopped, at which point he slowly returned to his seat. I´m told the hostel has only been in its new location for just over two weeks and Don Bebe came with the building. I hope to get a photo of him before I leave in a few days.
Will update this info and add the fabulous photos when I get home. Found GREAT coffee beans for just over $3 per pound! Am stocking up and this time might NOT share with my precious GirlyWhirly and her equally precious brother, Snuggle! Sorry kids! Already have a terrific tan and in only a short time, though I suspect most of it´s just adding to what I got several weeks ago in Nicaragua. Have made quite a few new friends, including a guy, Richard from Montreal who designs the software for the simulators for our CRJ airplanes! Small world, it is!
Love and miss you all!
Fweetysing
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Bear
non-member comment
Great
Great meeting you at Angela's Here's my story about the hostel, http://www.bearspage.info/h/tra/me/i/zi/hot.html#top0 .