Everyone at UMAR enjoyed a 3 day weekend at the end of last October. You can pack a lot of fun into three days. Everyone had fun stories to share when they returned. This is mine.
Typically I don't accomplish much on Saturday. I putter around the apartment, drink tons of coffee, add something to this blog, read comics, do laundry and the day just disappears. I might not have stepped out for an adventure if I hadn't blown all the power in my apartment when I hit the bathroom light switch.
I've no idea why this hadn't happened sooner.
I couldn't fix it. The wiring is too scary. The administrator was away for the weekend as well so I left a note in my very best Spanish with illustrations to fill in the gaps of vocabulary and grammar.
That was enough to put me in motion. Sunday morning, given the choice of hanging out with no fan or cold beverages, I hit the road on the Italika to Puerto Escondido, a place I haven't seen since 2003. Great ride under the big sky. The only hairy time I had was when a big transport came barrelling down behind on a a sharp steep curvaceous hill. I didn't have an inch of roadside to pull over and he couldn't have stopped if he'd wanted to so I sped off ahead, taking the turns much faster than I thought possible.
It's about a 3 hour drive total. Once you pass Pochutla, the road straightens out, drivers have more visibility and there is a lot less speeding. As you get closer, you see the construction underway for a double split highway and by the time you hit the beach town, some of it is already complete. It's about a tank of gas one way. I filled up by the airport, drove all the way to the beach town, navigated my way around unfamiliar streets and by the time I filled up again, I still had a 1/4 tank.
The town has certainly grown since I was there last. From a distance, it looks like a metropolis.
I found a good restaurant that I remembered, Cafecitos, ordered my breakfast and a blast from the past stepped off the street. It was Fernando from Miahuatlan, a former UNSIS student, now working with banks on the sunny coast. Fernando had already finished the English programme when I first met him so he was never my student but he was the first student I met in that town as his father runs the Benito Juarez restaurant downtown, where I had my first Miahuatlan coffee and, as the English speaking member of the family, he came out to take my order.
Fernando made my day easy. When I asked if he knew of an affordable hotel, he did. Just down the street a few doors is Papaya Surf. Nice accomodations for 200 pesos. You won't get a deal like that in Huatulco.
Neither of us suffered from plans or commitments so we took a crocodile tour from a town on the outskirts. Laguna del Nar We rode the scooter into town and Fernanado made the arrangement with a guide who took us in a truck. Look up "lagunas" and "crocodiles" on tomzap and there are a few. I suspect this one wasn't mentioned. It just seemed a tad off the beaten track.
Our guides couldn't get the rusty gate lock open so we just crawled under the fence and walked through the coconut garden.
The wharf didn't inspire any confidence but I took a walk on it anyways because I can be stupid. Falling through means more trouble than getting wet. Crocodiles will devour you in big chunks while you scream in pain.
Fernando had taken this tour before and seen plenty of crocs. One had swum right up to the boat and swept underneath. Nothing as dramatic as that happened this time but we saw plenty of them from a safe distance. They could have been swarming under our little boat for all we knew. Everything stays well hidden in that murky water. It makes it so much easier for the crocodiles to sneak up on resting pelicans. Once in a while we'd hear a big commotion from the shoreline trees and birds would take off in a hurry.
Our guides took us to the nearby beach afterwards. The laguna is only separated from the Pacific Ocean by a thin patch of jungle. The water is brown from the water pouring in from the nearby river. Lots of locals use the place for fishing.
I believe turtles were hatching in this protected enclosure.
Great tour. The man to look for is named Adolpho. He's the guy on my right with the hat. I forget his friend's name.
Fernando and I split up after the big adventure. The day was youngish so I went for a splash at Playa Carrizalillo on the opposite end of town from Zicatela. It has been such a long time. It took a while to find it but I knew I was finally on the right track when I saw the Shalom Hostel where I remembered it. The painted surfboard pointing to the parking lot didn't hurt either.
Excellent beach for swimming.
I love the dramatic concrete staircase.
The sun was going down and the swimmers were silhouetted against the waves so I assumed the two happy youngsters waving from the water were directing their attention to somebody else but they stepped into focus and, holy smokes, it was two of my students. Sometimes Oaxaca feels like a small place but it isn't. It's big and wonderful with tons of cool stuff to see.
