Acapulco to Zihuatanejo Mexico
December 29, 2009

Lunch on a cliff
Coastline along the way
Rocky coastline
Beach in front of the campsite
Boardwalk over the alligators to the beach

Today was one of those great days when traveling that you just want to save in your memory book. We left Acapulco and took Mex 200 north along the coast route to our next destination.
The route was lined with coconut palms and plantations and the first ½ of the journey we did have quite a lot of road construction but no mountains so that the driving was easy. Then the second half was like the northern California coast or Oregon Coast. Long sandy beaches were seen from on top of cliffs as you drove along a two lane winding road and then dropped down to sea level.
Along the way we stopped and bought two hammocks for the home in Mexico which should make enjoying the beach so much better. I had been looking for one since Guatemala but these were a must buy.
Then a luncheon atop a cliff side restaurant with banana leaf steamed fish for Bev and a steak for me with the best warm thick tortillas that we have had. Then onto Zihuatanejo and our campsite. The town is a tourist mecca with Ixtapa right next to it.
No day would go by without getting lost and this on was no exception. We wound up down a very narrow street with a dead end and no way out but to back up a block with the RV. Then going down the street to the RV park having to back up again because we could not fit under the archway over the road going to the park so that we had to go the wrong way down one street so that we could fit in. Ah well that is becoming the norm for us so it does not seem quite so different now.
The RV park is behind a restaurant with full hookups and the beach is right in front of us. This is by far the most touristy area we have visited so far and the beach is packed with people. We are more familiar with beaches that are deserted and being the only tourists in the whole town. Well this was quite a change.
Right next to the RV park is a river that does not go quite to the ocean and is fenced for good reason. Alligators are in the river and we watched them while having dinner at the restaurant. Makes for a great way to end the day while watching the light of the day fad away to nightfall.
Tomorrow we will try to get ½ the way to Manzanillo as this is 260 miles and a bit too much to drive in one day.

Acapulco
December 28, 2009

Sunset in Acapulco
Campsite at sunset
Beach at Alcapulco
Pallapa lunch

Today was just a day at the beach in Acapulco. No sightseeing, no traveling, no tourist things to do. Just relax, relax, relax.
We walked on the beach, read under the palapa, and sat in our pool by the RV. They have a large central pool here in the park but we were content to just sit by the little pool that was next to our RV.
I did venture out some to talk to some of the other residents of the park. We are the only US license plate in the whole RV park and there must be at least 30 rigs here. All of the other RVs are from Canada with the exception of two from Mexico. Fully over half of the RVs from Canada are from Quebec and one from Ontario and all the rest from British Columbia. It really is a shame that more people from the US do not come down here.
I was told that the RV park just down the road from us was almost totally Quebec. Now those people really have a long way to travel to get here. Most people seem to be seasonal and come for about 5 months and then go back so they can keep their medical insurance.
Well I took some sunset pictures so that you all can see what it is like here and tomorrow it is off to Zihuatanejo. This is the small Mexican town near Ixtapa. So hopefully we will have fast enough internet there that I can post the blogs. Here they have internet but it is painfully slow.

Cuernavaca to Acapulco
December 27, 2009

Canyon
Bridge
Campsite
More roads

We left our lovely Pemex station this morning and headed towards the city of Acapulco. Most of you know this as the city of the cliff divers and the horses on the beach. Well we will probably not see the cliff divers as they are in the city proper beaches an I have seen one too many inner cities for now and have no intention of driving back into Acapulco.
It was 150 miles of mountains and although the roads were very good it was still 150 miles of mountains. After this trip I will be glad, more than glad to just drive on flat endless desert without a view of a mountain for a very long time. One or tow mountains are fine but endlessly as we have had on this trip are just tooooooooooo much.
It is breathtaking though all of the scenery and I do appreciate looking down on endless landscapes that look like the Grand Canyon.
After arriving in the outskirts of Acapulco you must go thru one more tunnel before entering the city. Now this tunnel is about 1Km or more long and in an RV I was glad there was not much traffic today.
We were looking for Av Adolfo Ruiz Cortines to make a right hand turn in the city to take us out to the campground. Now this is simple enough when you see the sign just turn right. Except that this is the second time we have seen the sign for a street but the sign means that you turn in one more block not where the sign is posted. So needless to say I was lost again and this was after asking for directions for three or four times. Finally, after asking again a kindly man said to follow him and after navigating streets that were barely one lane wide, and making turns that you had to back up and take a second shot at, and then narrowly not going down a street with a street market on it we were again on the right street and headed in the right direction.
One more turn after a few miles and we were on our way to Cadiz pie de la Cuesta. After driving for so long (it was now 12:30 PM) we were in a very tourist area on a two lane road lined with restaurants and small hotels so it was time for lunch. We stopped at a small restaurant which had a pallapa out on the beach and had there Red Snapper (which was a whole fish, wrapped and steamed in a banana leaf), rice, guacamole, french fries, salad and tortillas for about $7.00. This was a dinner that was enough for both of us.
Afterwards it was time to find our campgrounds which turned out to be quite easy this time. After all it even had a sign that said it was a campground, so how could we miss it.
It turns out that this may be one of the best we have stayed at so far. We have a beachfront campsite with its own pallapa, table, and pool. That’s right there is a small pool for each campsite as well as a large common pool.
Life just does not seem to get better than this but in two days it is time to move north again to the Zihuatanejo area. I understand that we should expect major road construction and slow driving on this next stretch. Not that we have not experienced that before. After all who else can say that they forded a river on their camping adventure in and RV.

Oaxaca to Cuernavaca
December 26, 2009

Down the mountain
Snow on the mountain
Active volcano
More mountain roads

We woke early this morning and got the rig ready to travel and by about 8:00 AM we were on the road to Cuernavaca. I wanted to leave Oaxaca early as we had to pass around most of the city to get to the cuota road to Puebla. Fortunately, on the periferico (ring road) the traffic was very light and we did not loose our way and were out of the city in what I thought was really good time. Next onto the toll road Hwy 135 going towards Puebla. Now this started as a 4 lane road but quickly became a Mexican 3 lane. This is a normal driving lane with a wide shoulder for traffic to pull over onto when others wish to pass.
You must remember that Oaxaca is at 5,200 feet altitude and Mexico City which is the direction we were headed is at over 7,000 feet altitude. In between however the altitude goes to about 9,800 feet and then down again. So there was lots of mountain climbing to be done today. Fortunately today the road was good and there was no 25 mph driving around sharp curves all day long. Still it made for a very long day and a tiring one.
That was my fault as I wanted to be beyond the traffic going back to Mexico City on Sunday. So rather than pull into Pueblo for the night we continued on to Cuernavaca.
So first it was onto Hwy 150 towards Puebla and then trying to get onto the Periferico in Puebla which we totally missed and went clear around the city finally winding up on the Hwy to Atlixco. From there a jog over to Cualtla on Hwy 180 and there is where it got interesting.
The turnoff for Yautepec was nicely signed and I took it but it was not the highway but a road into the small puebla itself. So we found ourselves again on a small narrow road without directions and then behind a funeral of people on foot. Needless to say this was frustrating and nerves were getting raw. Finally after three or four stops for directions a man said to follow him and he would take us to the road to Cuenavaca. We followed over again narrow streets with topes every 100 feet or so until sure enough we finally made it to the road to Cuernavaca.
Now our campground was supposed to be near the Airport which was west and south of Cuernavaca but even with the directions from the guidebook we could not find it. So we backtracked to the autopista to Acapulco and then finally found a Pemex station (our home away from home) to spend the night at.
The guard came out after we had parked and said that it was ok to spend the night and that this was a safe place to stay and that we would be ok here. So here we are after 10 hours of driving and we are really exhausted.
So bye for now and tomorrow we should be somewhere north of Acapulco for the next few days.

Christmas Day
Oaxaca, Mexico

Campsite
Setting up for Christmas dinner
Or Derves being served

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Today we did not travel at all but just relaxed. It was nice to do no sightseeing or traveling for a day. We did however, have tgo get ready for our Christmas dinner. LeAnn and Jay had invited us over for a festive dinner and all of the others in the park. They were all Canadians in the park and from Quebec to British Columbia. In all we had about 17 people for dinner including three of the staff from the park.
Well we had our turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, vegetables, and Bev made guacamole for an appetizer. We had cabbage rolls, and for dessert there was a German cake, or pecan pie, or chocolate covered fruit, and ice cream.
We had a nice little campfire at night and sat around and talked about all sorts of adventures.
We will be sorry to leave here in the morning but the decision to go to Cuernavaca and then south to Acapulco instead of the difficult roads directly to the coast has been made. Next it was decided that it would be better to leave on Saturday rather than our scheduled Sunday because of the holiday traffic which would be coming back from spending the long weekend with their families.
So there you have it. I hope that Santa was good to all of you.

Oaxaca Central City
December 24, 2009

Portico
Lunch
Weaver's loom
Weaver
Library

Today was a relaxing day and not as much sightseeing. First off was a trip downtown to see the home of Benito Juarez. He was considered similar to the Abraham Lincoln of Mexico. Although born a poor Indian he was eventually educated as a lawyer and eventually became president of Mexico. A firm believer in the rights of the individual and the separation of church and state he was often at odds with the powerful in Mexican society. He was exiled for part of his life because of his beliefs and even his government had to move from city to city because of their causes.
Next was a visit to the Museum of Graphic arts which was mostly a library of all of the books on art and graphic arts. Really not very interesting but the architecture of the building was great.
Then we visited the public library which was housed in an old casa and the courtyards were just really splendid. Off of the courtyards there were rooms which held the library and it would have been just a great place to read and enjoy yourself.
We stopped and peered into several churches along the way. It seems that almost every other block houses a giant church. The gold leaf and the exquisite murals and ceilings just awe you each time that you see another one. Still the most impressive so far was the Dominican Church.
Last stop was the Mercado of the Artisans where the weavers were. There we bought three rugs which all have natural dyes and we could not resist (I could not resist, Bev has great resistance). Then it was onto the Zocalo to have lunch before coming back to the RV park. I had eggs Oaxaca style which means with a white cheese and in a red tomato sauce and then bread and tortillas on the side. Bev had a fruit salad plate with pineapple, melon, watermelon, mango and banana. We ate in the portico again and watched the pedestrian traffic in the park.
I tried to start the generator again but I am afraid that it is a lost cause until we get back to the US and I can have someone look at it. It appears that it is the ignition switch or the ignition module that is the problem and for that they will not have the parts here. So no generator unfortunately while we are boon docking and that means no A/C, or microwave, or hair dryer. Ah well, hopefully we will be in campgrounds most of the time from here on in.
Tonight was a really great dinner at a local restaurant. They surely know how to cook beefsteak here and the filletes are just great. Strips of beef sort of barbequed, with a tortilla and cheese wrap covered in mole sauce on the side, and some sort of white sauce and cheese and vegetables and pasta, and then refried black beans. Ah, eating has been good here in Oaxaca.
We were going to take Hwy 175 to the coast from here but after hearing all of the stories about that road we will be going Hwy 135 to Pueblo and then another toll road to Acapulco and then along the coast to Kino Bay. So Sunday we will leave here and head North once again.
For tomorrow it is Christmas dinner with others in the park and call the kids at home to see how they are and just sit around.
Well that tells you all that we have to say for now so Merry Christmas Eve to you all.

Festival of the Radish
December 23, 2009

Angels of radish
Dolls of radish
Horses of radish
Nativity scene
People in the Zocalo

Tonight we went to the Zocalo (main plaza ) and went to see the Festival of the Radish. This is a major fiesta here and it seems that the whole town turns out to view the radishes that are carved and put onto display. First off remember that this square covers a whole city block and all around the outside of the square there are tables set up in a perimeter.
On each table about 6 feet long is a display by one group or another from around the state that are competing for the best prize to be given out.
There is a raised walkway set up in front of the exhibits and even though we got there early at 5:00 pm we would have been 20-30 minutes just to get into line to go on the raised walkway. So we elected to go outside the walkway and still were able to see all of the exhibits.
Some of the sections of exhibits were of only the stocks of the radishes made into figurines and complete elaborate scenes with nativity scenes being them most popular.
There was a section of large carved radishes and these were maybe 6-9” or longer in size. Then there was an area of what seemed to be radish flowers arranged into again depicted scenes. Well again I hope that you will see some of it in the pictures.
Next it was time for dinner at a sidewalk restaurant. Bev had the triple tostadas, which was three kinds of tostados (beef, turkey, ham and a vegetarian). I had a grilled steak with mole, guacamole, cactus with cheese and a creamed tortellini with cheese and some sort of vegetable. Really great eating here.
By now the plaza had completely filled with people and you literally could not walk around so it was time to find a taxi and head for home.

Santa Maria Atzompa
December 23, 2009

Local artisan
Kiln and cows in the backyard
Pottery
Plates

After leaving the ruins at Monte Alban we took a taxi to the small puebla of Santa Maria Atzompa where they make pottery. This is a unique pottery with either a green glaze and also some that is the reddish unglazed pottery but is decorated with all kinds of small flowers and other things.
The pottery artisans are mostly home affairs and you just walk along the street and knock on doors and they let you into their studios (really the back yards and a room for showing you things. Each home or artisan seems to specialize in doing something just a little different and it is quite interesting to just walk along and browse. Still we came away with more than we needed to carry with us and some that we left behind because there just was no room.
The ride to the center of Oaxaca from here was in a collective taxi. That’s one where you share the taxi with others and there were 5 of us plus the driver in a small car going over some really interesting roads to get to Oaxaca Central. After that a taxi ride to Colonia Reforma and we were home. It never ceases to surprise me that a taxi driver can find our place without a map or me giving directions but just the address. They all seem to know where to go without fail.

Monte Alban
December 23, 2009

Astrology building
Pregant Woman
Callendar
Site views
Site views


The morning started early for us and Bev did not want to get out of bed but I reminded her that we had agreed to get up early to go see the ruins. We were not to sure that this would be a great site after what we had already seen but we would go and spend the morning. Well what a pleasant surprise.
The museum on site was really quite good and the displays were in English and Spanish as well as an Indian dialect. Then we got a guide who was a native and spoke excellent English and he was 75 years old and climbing these ruins every day. This is a pre Mayan, pre Aztec ruin and has 4 different sets of ruins one on top of the other. It is superbly preserved because it was abandoned before the Spanish came and therefore they did not know it was there so it was not destroyed as many of the sites were.
It was an extensive site laid out facing true north - south in alignment.
Remember that this was an agrarian society and therefore astrological knowledge was of prime importance to them. Their calendar was based on the seasons and extremely accurate.
They had an observatory at the site aligned so that the winter and summer solstice could be recorded. A ball field where a kind of Olympics was held every 52 years. And many pyramids and temples and plazas. Remember that the common people did not live here only the very elite.
Their culture was quite advanced in medicine and performed surgery on the skull, caesarian sections for birth and also abdominal surgery. Their language was written but on stone tablets which have yet to be translated. All this about 2000 BC.
The last culture to inhabit this site was about 500 AD and then it was abandoned for some reason.
It is hard to visualize the entire complex was once covered with plaster and no grass grew here. AH well I know that these photos do not do it justice but I hope that you can see some of the magnificence that we saw here.

The Dominican Convent and Museum
December 22, 2009

Church interior
Patio
Portico
Library with volumes to 1500
Scale model of the convent

Well this was probably the best example of colonial architecture that we have seen on our trip. The church and convent grounds could easily have covered 4 city blocks. And it is right in the center of the city. There were multiple courtyards and gardens and everything was in huge green stone.
The church and many of the ceilings of the convent were gold leaf statuary and paintings. Really awesome to look up and visualize the work that it took to create this wonder.
The rooms of the convent or part of the convent were converted to a museum showing the history of the area.
The Inca and Mayan jewelry was just amazing to see. Silver and gold necklaces that were done in incredible detail considering what they used for tools. There were turquoise necklaces and turquoise headpieces and pottery with detail that made it most unique.
We spent several hours in this museum and did not do it justice. Even the arched porticos surrounding the courtyards were painted with murals or had bricked ceilings. Just amazing to walk thru it.
Well I hope that the pictures that are limited I realize will show you some of its glory.

Oaxaca Exploration
December 22, 2009

Governor's courtyard
Church
Tacos at night
Governor's Courtyard 2
Wedding
Dancer

Today we played tourists and explored the central area of Oaxaca. What a great day. First a taxi ride to the Central Zocalo (the central park of the city) after dropping off the laundry at the lavenderia. The Zocala was all decorated out for Christmas with poinsettias everywhere. They were also getting ready for the Night of the Radish which will be tomorrow and we will go down there for that.
First was a visit to the main cathedral which always is on one side of the park. A magnificent structure made with the green stone that is common to this area. Then a trip down the street to the artisans Mercado which occupied a block in what was once part of a church I think. Lots of stalls and other things to see.
Today was Tuesday which is market day in Oaxaca so there were lots of stalls on certain streets where the street is closed to traffic and vendors have a real swap meet with everything from arts and crafts to meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. All lining the sidewalk and spilling into the street. So we walked down one street of those and back to the Zocalo to have something to eat at one of the outdoor restaurants. A local dish made of a giant tortilla with meat, mole, tomatoes and other stuff served open faced. Really a great lunch.
Then it was onto the former Governor’s Palace which is now a museum for the state to show off its history and the products that are made there and the peoples that inhabit it. These palaces were huge two story affairs with lots of arches and courtyards in the center of the building with the government offices housed here. Again this was also a structure located on one side of the Zocalo. Really incredible architecture to these buildings and the murals in them were impressive also.
Then it was time to go over to the Ex Dominican Convent ( I think the Convent of Santa Catalina). We arrived just as a wedding was coming out of the church just as we got there and they had costumed dancers, a mariachi band and large costumed people on stilts to greet the wedding party. They even had girls giving out mescal to the people outside the church to toast the wedding party and yes I did wish them the best. Quite an affair with the bride, groom, and all of the families gathered outside the front of the church in the plaza.
We then went into the former convent which is now a museum but I will do a separate blog on that alone.
After visiting the convent which I must say was huge and spectacular we had an iced café frappachino at an Italian coffee shop on the plaza. Then a walk down the street to visit another street fair where Bev could not resist some extra things that we will need to find room for in the RV.
Then a taxi ride home. I did not want to take little TT out today not knowing the traffic and where we were going. Good thing as the streets are all cobblestone here and that would have made it difficult to drive. Then it was tacos at the street market just next to the RV park. Great tacos at a great price too. Five tacos and all of the extra stuff for about $3.50. Then pick up the laundry and come back to the RV and put everything away. Next I will try to go to the coffee shop next to the Sorriana Store (al large supermarket) and try to get these emails out.
Tomorrow we will visit the ruins here and then go to the festival at night.