Blogs from Zipolite, Oaxaca, Mexico, North America

I left Mexico City for the beach. I took a bus to Oaxaca City and enjoyed some early morning tropical feelings. The sounds of birds, thick vegetation and rolling hills. I moved to the second class bus terminal to find more local buses that would head to some of the less touristy beaches, for a more authentic beach experience. The morning coffee and toast was definetly second class, nothing annoys me more than cold toast and nescafe, especially nescafe in a coffee producing region. I made my way on to the bus, with no reclining chairs and a 1970s feeling to experience something that I had not run into for awhile. A pickpocket of considerable talent found his way into my pocket and removed my wallet in a very skilled bump in cramped conditions. He even ... read more

Oaxaca City Colonial Oaxaca (Wa-ha-ka) City, the capital of Oaxaca State is a very nice little place. Sun-drenched, a little dusty and very cozy, it had more tourists than we’d seen anywhere outside Mexico City since getting to Mexico. We quite enjoyed our hostel, which had an atmospheric central common room which was actually a covered courtyard that kept the sun out during the day, but still had a fresh air feel to it. It was fairly cheap, and it was nice to have a kitchen again after several weeks in hostels and hotels without one. We walked around town looking at their many churches and colonial buildings, went to the central market for food, and enjoyed a couple of cafés with free wifi. There isn’t really anything in particular to see in town, so we ... read more

Zipolite Christmas Playa Escondido started filling up with people on Sunday, December 21st. We left the next day and drove about an hour further down the Pacific Coast to Playa Zipolite. Zipolite was a much smaller beach town. We made arrangements to park our van in the parking lot of San Cristobal Posada and Restaurant. We had a shaded spot with full access to bathrooms and showers for roughly $15.00 per day. This was a nice, clean and welcoming establishment right on the beach and the main road of town. The water at Zipolite was more calm than at Escondido with waves that broke farther out from the shore and less chance for Leila to drown. We went for walks, did some reading and enjoyed the laidback atmosphere. For Christmas Eve dinner we shared a lobster ... read more

Took a trip out to some small coastal towns south of Puerto Escondido. Went exploring Zipolite, San Agustinillo, Mazunte, Playa Ventanilla, and La Copalita river. The beaches were very cool! Nothing but sun, babes, waves, and cheap Mexican beer. Playa in San Agustinillo was my favorite, but Mazunte is right behind it. Got to see some wild crocodiles and beautiful flowers and birds in a lagoon off Playa Ventanilla. Cool stuff. Also took a tour out to see hundreds of turtles come ashore and lay their eggs. That was awesome! Got to hold baby turtles and pet mama turtles. The pics do no justice. Being there and experiencing their natural instinct was indescribable. They only come to shore and lay their eggs during a certain period of the year, plus, the temperature and the time of ... read more

The Oaxaca festival lasted most of the time we were there, so we saw plenty of dancing, music and had a cheeky afternoon at the mezcal festival sampling all the flavours (literally all!). On Tuesday, Ricky and Samantha went on a day trip to swim in waterfalls at the top of a mountain, a mezcal factory, a big old tree and an indigenous village (Daniel had fallen victim to a combination of mexican food and water and had a day in bed but was fine the next day). On Wednesday we were picked up early and headed for the coast, stopping off on the way to go quad biking in cloud forest (properly in the clouds) which was incredible though Ricky crashed into a wall, and being the hardnut that he is got up a carried ... read more

The days have started to melt together in the beach paradise of Zipolite. Typical day starts early, we are staying at A NICE PLACE ON THE BEACH. It costs us 3 bucks each a night. Spend the day jumping in and out of pristine warm water with huge waves, huge surf, and a crazy dangerous undertow. The town itself is about one block long and the beach is lined with cheap cabanas full of travelers from all over the world. Americans are outnumbered savagely but we tend to be teh loudest ones in the bar. The sunsets are incredible and usually are met with a beach full of silent people appreicating the beauty of it all. The place grabs you in like some kind of drug and I had serious thoughts about ending my journey here ... read more