Getting Lost en Route to Piedra de Moros

 I have passed through Piedra de Moros a few times, always at the break of dawn en route to Santa Maria Huatulco for the annual caminata. But I'ver never stopped to visit the giant rock the town is known for.  Before letting sabbatical slip into endless days of bordeom, I decided it was time to scratch this  destination off my bucket list.

In the original plan I had two companions, one serving as a guide, but a communication hitch left me on my own.  At the time I thought the best move was to head to town on the bus and possibly meet them there.  I grabbed the bus to the highway exit and walked into town from there.

A taxi driver gave me good directions but I still missed the exit.  He said the first right but that looked like a private road so I kept on going.

And going. Deeper into the countryside. I walked almost an hour before asking directions.  There was no way it could be so far.  A taxi driver stopped and told me I need to head back the way I'd come.  He moved on.

On my way back.  The same taxi driver came back my way with passengers and stopped to give me a ride in the front, explaining he would drop me off at the exit I wanted.  He din't even charge me for the ride.  He just wanted to come to the rescue of someone on foot without a clue to where they were going.  

There was a little store by my exit, the same one I had already passed by. I was ready to head on down that road but the driver spoke to some people on the street and they called me back. They insisted I would need a guide.  For a small fee, a young guy walked me all the way.  They were right.  There was almost no chance I would have found the trailhead on my own.

But there I am on the top of the hill sized rock where I could see to the horizon in every direction.

There I am just to prove I'd made it.

2026 Went by In a Flash

 

2026 started off well.

              

Joe, my first guest ever from Canada arrived within a few days of New Year's.   We're just resting a bit after a swim at Chahue and a frisbee toss.

More swimming in the coral area of the mini beaches and then a steep climb up a trail where we passed the ruins of an old club from the early days of Huatulco. 

That is one big cactus.

We has so much fun.  We hit the waves at la Bocana, rented a scooter for a road trip, tossed a frisbee and reminisced about our younger days.

Joe was the ultimate guest, way beyond low maintenance.  He was a total asset, replenishing supplies and fixing things while I was away at work. He even repaired a broken light switch that I was afraid to touch.

Taco time after The Meeting Point.

Joe, Ulises and Fernando, my travelling companions this year for 

Aniversario de la Titulacion del Pueblo de Huatulco Caminata Tradicional 2026 .  There was some debate about whether or not to push on after reaching Piedra de Moros but here we are near the end of our journey.  We're tougher than we look.

Piedra de Moros, the halfway point of the big hike where everyone was treated royally with cafe olla, sweet bread and tamales to fortify for the rest of the journey.

Culture Week Christmas Parade UMAR 2025

Woohoo!  It's that time of year again.  This year things are just a bit different as our annual Christmas parade here at UMAR Huatulco shifts direction.  

This year our Christmas parade is the grand finale of Culture Week and we move in the opposite direction to previous years.  We start at Parque Rufino Tamayo downtown and make our merry way back to campus and hold student performances in our Multi Use auditorium/gym.

We have all the fun as before and everyone is ready for a long winter's nap in good time.

Some people got a little tired en route but our escort saved the day and they made it back to campus in style.

Good times

We're on the home stretch now.

Here we are, back at campus, our finish line.  We're all only slightly tired.  Thanks to everyone who participated in our new traditon.  Let's do it again next year!  Merry Christmas, everyone!