Happy New Years 2008-2009

My fun time is almost over here in Zipolite. A few more days and it's finally back to work which is really just more fun time in a new locale because the beaches of Huatulco are very pretty and my job is going to be a blast.

I have never seen the beach of Zipolite so crowded. I don't envy anyone in search of a room in this town. All of my favorite restaurants have been too crowded. Some were already booked for reservations two days in advance. Tonight should be especially problematic. It could be a night for tacos.

I don't go to Nice Place on the Beach every night, less so after the night I ended up closing the place and drinking mezcal on the beach until 5 AM. I didn't suffer horribly but felt dried out and indifferent all next day. These things happen drink by drink. I won't do that for at least another year.

Generally it's a surefire place to find instant camaraderie. The regulars are all very regular. Here are some of the usual suspects with the legendary Crazy Horse Invincible tending bar. Not a very threatening crowd at all. You can meet some fine people there.

The red eyes are all actual red eyes and not the fault of the camera flash.

That last one is of me (the guy with the goofy grin) and Jonathan from Quebec. I think that was taken early in the game of my all-nighter

The most interesting person I've met this spell in Zipolite has to be Graham from England. Graham is the kind of guy who highlights what a slacker I am by contrast. Having earned himself enough funds to last a while by working in Saudi Arabia, this guy is bicycling all the way through Central America to Panama. If anyone doubts he'll make it, understand that he began this trip in Alaska. Here he is, all packed to hit the road again. These pictures were taken over a week ago. God only knows how far he's travelled since then. Good luck Graham, wherever you are. Wishing you only adventures of the fun variety.


Okay. The sun has gone down on another beautiful day. Some fireworks have already begun. Time to find a vacant table for dinner somewhere. Soon it will be time for the annual pagan bonfire brooha down at the cove by Shambhala.

Happy New Year's to everybody.

Mission Complete

It took the entire bus ride from Xela to Panachel for the adrenaline and paranoia to settle down after the market incident. Beck wanted to step off the bus for a cigarette and asked me to watch his bags. I didn't take my eye off them for a second. People kept pouring on to the bus selling snacks. One boy set his load down on the empty seat beside Beck's bags and stood there causing a jam in the traffic flow while two others joined him, intentionally or not, obscuring my view to the best of their abilities. Already on red alert, I thought this might be a classic shoplifting ploy and I blatantly craned my head to peer through them until they left.

I felt the negativity finally lift when I caught my first peek of the lake. Things were looking up. Panajachel is no paradise but the lake is an impressive sight. Street hustlers hassle me for boat trips they're not connected to. They want to help with everything. Very friendly guys. If you're incapable of walking up to a hotel desk on your own and asking the price, they're happy to help. If you don't need them, they'll be glad to hook you up with weed, cocaine, prostitutes or all of the above.



I met a new friend, Carina, a brave young lady from Austria travelling on her own, within ten minutes of checking into my hotel. She had landed in Guatamela City and lost her camera in the hotel. I was off on a quest to find Becky's Bar and I invited her along.

It didn't take us long. We poked our heads in the door and there was Gary, late of Zipolite. What a welcome sight. He managed to cross the border from Mexico with virtually no hassles and things are looking up for him.


Lonny was there and I passed the big bottle of Mexican mezcal to its rightful owner. He seemed happy and shared a drink. It was too early for me and my stomach was empty but how could I refuse?
Lonny and I aren't really giants. Karen was sitting down when she took the shot.

We stayed there for a bit, trading stories. It felt like being back at the hostel in Xela, very relaxed. Eventually Carina and I headed down to the lake to find a restaurant for dinner. I think we were the only customers for about 7 restaurants. Hard to tell how long the slump had been going on so I didn't order chicken. We had a nice view of the lake with the lights from the other towns on the dark horizon. Then it was happy hour back in town where we ran into my travelling Irish friends again until a sleepy end to another big day.

Carina had already decided to visit the world's biggest Mayan market, Chichitenango, the next day. It didn't sound like anything I would want to do after the market in Xela but I didn't like the idea of her going alone so I invited myself along. Um, no regrets.

No rush

I'm on my way, getting closer to Guatemela. I could be there by now but I spent a night in Crucecita. Somehow all the details of getting dollars for the border crossing, dropping off some important documents at UMAR, not to mention actually leaving one of the world's most beautiful beaches, seemed so hectic I got myself a room for the night. No regrets. My bus leaves in an hour and I'll wake up at dawn at Tapachula.

I've had a whole day to play in the water at Santa Cruzy. The very nice people of The Tipsy Blowfish in downtown Crucecita baby-sat my luggage all afternoon after check-out time at the hotel so I didn't have to worry about a thing.

I'd like to recommend The Tipsy Blowfish to the world, a nice place to spend a balmy Huatulco evening after a hard day of hanging out at the beach. It's a mellow bar with good tunes that attracts an easygoing clientele. The laid back atmosphere is all thanks to Courtney, her dad Joe and their great staff. I appreciate the liquid soap in the bathroom, not something you can take for granted this far south.

This is Courtney and Joe in front of their bar. Joe has the beard.