Monday, January 16, 2012
Zipolite
Zipolite
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Playa Zipolite is a beach community located in San Pedro Pochutla municipality on the southern coast of Oaxaca state in Mexico. It is located between Huatulco and Puerto Escondido and is part of the “Riviera Oaxaqueña” area. Zipolite is best known as being one of Mexico’s very few nude beaches and for retaining much of the hippie culture that made it notable in the 1960s and 1970s. The name Zipolite, sometimes spelled Sipolite or Cipolite probably comes from the Nahuatl wordsipolitlan or zipotli, meaning "bumpy place" or "place of continuous bumps or hills". However, some claim the name means “beach of the dead” in either Nahuatl or Zapotec because of dangerous underwater currents just offshore. The beach is currently popular with foreign tourists, especially backpackers, who stay in one of the many rustic cabins or camping spaces that line the beach.
Archeological finds at the east end of the beach shows that the area has a long history, but for the first half of the 20th century only one family lived here. In the 1960s and 1970s, counterculture hippies began to congregate here in part due to the beach’s isolated nature. At the time, there was little law enforcement, and drug use became common. In the 70s and 80s the beach gained a reputation in Mexico and among foreign travelers as a free-love paradise.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Zipolite was hard hit by two hurricanes and a fire. The first hurricane was Hurricane Pauline on 7 October 1997, a category four storm which destroyed nearly everything in town with strong flooding, leaving it -along withMazunte and Puerto Ángel- cut off from the mainland, but there were no deaths. Next was Hurricane Rick on 9 November 1997. While not as strong as Pauline, the storm damaged roads and other infrastructure that was only partially rebuilt after Pauline. The last disaster to cause major damage was a fire that broke out on 21 February 2001, burning many of the wood and palm-thatched structures that were on the beach.
Since its beginnings in the 1960s, Zipolite has evolved from handful of beachfront cabanas and palm-thatched palapas to concrete, but still basic, hotels and other structures with a few more amenities. Behind the line of beachfront construction is now an area called Colonia Roca Blanca with a street known informally as the Adoquin which has become the town center. Recently, the municipality has added tourist information services and police patrols on the beach both day and night during the busy season.
The community known as Zipolite consists of a stretch of beach with a street that parallels it. It has one named neighborhood, Roca Blanca, situated at the western end where most of the hotels and restaurants are located. Roca Blanca is a recent creation and is named for the island or large rock just off the shore, which is white due to bird guano. The main drag is the only paved street within the community, it is officially called the “Paisan” but locals call it the Adoquin. Further behind the beach and Adoquin is a larger road that connects Zipolite with other local communities such as San Agustinillo and Puerto Angel.
There are no building codes enforced here, so constructions vary as to materials and quality. There are no banking services here. The closest automated teller machines (ATMs) are in Puerto Angel and the closest bank branches are in Pochutla. There is no currency exchange either, but many places take U.S. dollars. Almost all the establishments that face the beach have palapa sheltered restaurants and bars in front and lodging in the back. These lodgings can vary from wood huts, to simple concrete structures and often include hammocks and places to pitch tents. Most baths are shared. There is no high-rise development here and almost none of the lodgings offer air conditioning or hot water.
Zipolite also has a variety of restaurants from the standard Mexican to international cuisine and vegetarian choices. Many of the local restaurants are owned by expatriate Italians and serves pasta dishes as well as pizza. One restaurant servescrepes because of its French expatriate owner. Nightlife in Zipolite is subdued. Many of the beachfront hotels have their own small bars. and there are a number of small nightclubs such as Zipolipas and La Puesta.
Zipolite still attracts those drawn to the hippie lifestyle. Today, music from artists such as The Doors, Bob Marley,Santana and others from that time can still be heard. Attitudes about drug use, in particular marijuana, are also typically relaxed.
The police station is largely unmanned, but extra efforts for security are implemented during busy seasons such as Christmas and Easter week, supplementing the normal local auxiliary police with regular patrolmen from San Pedro Pochutla. Other efforts include checking for intoxicated drivers and boaters in Zipolite and other area beaches.
Zipolite can be reached by flying into Huatulco or Puerto Escondido and traveling on coastal highway 200. It can also be reached by road from Oaxaca City via Highway 175, which is a narrow, very winding road that takes six or seven hours to traverse. This highway ends at Puerto Angel and there are taxis that travel between this port and Zipolite.
Piña Palmera is a rehabilitation and educational center for disabled children and adults, from rural communities in Oaxaca state, the majority of which are indigenous people. It is a private charity which has existed since the 1980s, and the charity has enrolled over five thousand people in one or more of its programs. Most of its staff is volunteer. The endeavor is supported by a Swedish charity and it not affiliated with any political or religious group. Currently, about 350 people are in their programs.
Zipolite is a nearly pristine beach about forty meters wide and two km long, with medium grain gold colored sand. The water is clear with tones of blue and green. This was one of the beaches featured in the Mexican blockbuster movie “Y tu mamá también.” It stretches from a small isolate cove called Playa del Amor on the east side to the new age Shambala retreat on the west end which is partially sheltered by rocks. Behind this is, sea cliffs rise. The beach is lined by palm trees and rustic cabins, hotel rooms and hammocks with a few more sophisticated lodgings on the west end.
This beach is part of the Riviera Oaxaqueño, which includes the nearby beaches of Puerto Angel and San Agustinillo. This beach is favored by foreign tourists, most of whom are backpackers and by the Mexican middle class, especially during Holy Week vacation in Mexico. The beach’s appeal stems from being one of very few beaches in which nudity is tolerated, however it is mostly practiced on the sheltered far east Playa del Amor and the far west end.
Swimming is practiced here but caution is strongly advised. Waves are strong in the afternoon, which is good for surfing and undertow is always strong. The ocean just offshore has strong currents that flow in circular patterns, some of which push swimmers toward shore and some which can pull swimmers out to sea. These currents are strong but not very wide. Swimmers have regularly drowned, prompting the creation of a volunteer lifeguard team and a flag system to indicate where and when it is safest to swim. The lifeguard team was founded in 1995 and trained by local charity Piña Palmera and U.S. citizen Joaquin Venado. In 1996, drownings at this beach were cut in half. The lifeguard service currently has ten lifeguards, an ATV, a jet ski, radios and other equipment provided by the state government. From 2007 to 2009, there have been no drowning deaths at Zipolite, a record, but there have been 180 registered rescues.
History
Archeological finds at the east end of the beach shows that the area has a long history, but for the first half of the 20th century only one family lived here. In the 1960s and 1970s, counterculture hippies began to congregate here in part due to the beach’s isolated nature. At the time, there was little law enforcement, and drug use became common. In the 70s and 80s the beach gained a reputation in Mexico and among foreign travelers as a free-love paradise.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Zipolite was hard hit by two hurricanes and a fire. The first hurricane was Hurricane Pauline on 7 October 1997, a category four storm which destroyed nearly everything in town with strong flooding, leaving it -along withMazunte and Puerto Ángel- cut off from the mainland, but there were no deaths. Next was Hurricane Rick on 9 November 1997. While not as strong as Pauline, the storm damaged roads and other infrastructure that was only partially rebuilt after Pauline. The last disaster to cause major damage was a fire that broke out on 21 February 2001, burning many of the wood and palm-thatched structures that were on the beach.
Since its beginnings in the 1960s, Zipolite has evolved from handful of beachfront cabanas and palm-thatched palapas to concrete, but still basic, hotels and other structures with a few more amenities. Behind the line of beachfront construction is now an area called Colonia Roca Blanca with a street known informally as the Adoquin which has become the town center. Recently, the municipality has added tourist information services and police patrols on the beach both day and night during the busy season.
The community
The community known as Zipolite consists of a stretch of beach with a street that parallels it. It has one named neighborhood, Roca Blanca, situated at the western end where most of the hotels and restaurants are located. Roca Blanca is a recent creation and is named for the island or large rock just off the shore, which is white due to bird guano. The main drag is the only paved street within the community, it is officially called the “Paisan” but locals call it the Adoquin. Further behind the beach and Adoquin is a larger road that connects Zipolite with other local communities such as San Agustinillo and Puerto Angel.
There are no building codes enforced here, so constructions vary as to materials and quality. There are no banking services here. The closest automated teller machines (ATMs) are in Puerto Angel and the closest bank branches are in Pochutla. There is no currency exchange either, but many places take U.S. dollars. Almost all the establishments that face the beach have palapa sheltered restaurants and bars in front and lodging in the back. These lodgings can vary from wood huts, to simple concrete structures and often include hammocks and places to pitch tents. Most baths are shared. There is no high-rise development here and almost none of the lodgings offer air conditioning or hot water.
Zipolite also has a variety of restaurants from the standard Mexican to international cuisine and vegetarian choices. Many of the local restaurants are owned by expatriate Italians and serves pasta dishes as well as pizza. One restaurant servescrepes because of its French expatriate owner. Nightlife in Zipolite is subdued. Many of the beachfront hotels have their own small bars. and there are a number of small nightclubs such as Zipolipas and La Puesta.
Zipolite still attracts those drawn to the hippie lifestyle. Today, music from artists such as The Doors, Bob Marley,Santana and others from that time can still be heard. Attitudes about drug use, in particular marijuana, are also typically relaxed.
The police station is largely unmanned, but extra efforts for security are implemented during busy seasons such as Christmas and Easter week, supplementing the normal local auxiliary police with regular patrolmen from San Pedro Pochutla. Other efforts include checking for intoxicated drivers and boaters in Zipolite and other area beaches.
Zipolite can be reached by flying into Huatulco or Puerto Escondido and traveling on coastal highway 200. It can also be reached by road from Oaxaca City via Highway 175, which is a narrow, very winding road that takes six or seven hours to traverse. This highway ends at Puerto Angel and there are taxis that travel between this port and Zipolite.
Piña Palmera
Piña Palmera is a rehabilitation and educational center for disabled children and adults, from rural communities in Oaxaca state, the majority of which are indigenous people. It is a private charity which has existed since the 1980s, and the charity has enrolled over five thousand people in one or more of its programs. Most of its staff is volunteer. The endeavor is supported by a Swedish charity and it not affiliated with any political or religious group. Currently, about 350 people are in their programs.
The beach
Zipolite is a nearly pristine beach about forty meters wide and two km long, with medium grain gold colored sand. The water is clear with tones of blue and green. This was one of the beaches featured in the Mexican blockbuster movie “Y tu mamá también.” It stretches from a small isolate cove called Playa del Amor on the east side to the new age Shambala retreat on the west end which is partially sheltered by rocks. Behind this is, sea cliffs rise. The beach is lined by palm trees and rustic cabins, hotel rooms and hammocks with a few more sophisticated lodgings on the west end.
This beach is part of the Riviera Oaxaqueño, which includes the nearby beaches of Puerto Angel and San Agustinillo. This beach is favored by foreign tourists, most of whom are backpackers and by the Mexican middle class, especially during Holy Week vacation in Mexico. The beach’s appeal stems from being one of very few beaches in which nudity is tolerated, however it is mostly practiced on the sheltered far east Playa del Amor and the far west end.
Swimming is practiced here but caution is strongly advised. Waves are strong in the afternoon, which is good for surfing and undertow is always strong. The ocean just offshore has strong currents that flow in circular patterns, some of which push swimmers toward shore and some which can pull swimmers out to sea. These currents are strong but not very wide. Swimmers have regularly drowned, prompting the creation of a volunteer lifeguard team and a flag system to indicate where and when it is safest to swim. The lifeguard team was founded in 1995 and trained by local charity Piña Palmera and U.S. citizen Joaquin Venado. In 1996, drownings at this beach were cut in half. The lifeguard service currently has ten lifeguards, an ATV, a jet ski, radios and other equipment provided by the state government. From 2007 to 2009, there have been no drowning deaths at Zipolite, a record, but there have been 180 registered rescues.
Lynyrd Skynyrd FreeBird [HQ] (LIVE) 1977
Uploaded by TheGoodOldRock on Dec 23, 2010
- July 4'th 1977, Oakland, great quality.
"Free Bird" (also spelled "Freebird") is a song by the American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was first featured on the band's debut album (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) in 1973, and has been included on subsequent albums released by the band.
Released as a single in November 1974, "Free Bird" became the band's second Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1975, where it peaked at No. 19. A live version of the song also reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1977, peaking at No. 38. Free Bird also achieved the No. 3 spot on Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos.
It is used as a finale by Lynyrd Skynyrd during their live performances, and is their longest song, often going well over 14 minutes when played live.
The lyrical portion of the song was written early in the group's history. Roadie Billy Powell was discovered as a keyboardist for the band when he played the intro piece to "Free Bird" at a high school prom. Lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant noted his talent and invited him to join.
Allen Collins's then-girlfriend, Kathy, whom he later married, asked him, "If I leave here tomorrow would you still remember me?" Collins jotted the question down and it eventually became the opening line of "Free Bird".
Gary Rossington played a Gibson SG and used a glass Coricidin bottle for a slide on this song to emulate one of his heroes, Duane Allman. This was the only song he used a guitar other than a Les Paul on. He also stuck a nail like piece of metal under the strings near the nut to raise the action of the guitar when playing slide. The guitar's B string was tuned down to a G during this song. Rossington currently uses two G strings tuned to G instead of tuning down a B string.
"Free Bird" (also spelled "Freebird") is a song by the American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was first featured on the band's debut album (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) in 1973, and has been included on subsequent albums released by the band.
Released as a single in November 1974, "Free Bird" became the band's second Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1975, where it peaked at No. 19. A live version of the song also reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1977, peaking at No. 38. Free Bird also achieved the No. 3 spot on Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos.
It is used as a finale by Lynyrd Skynyrd during their live performances, and is their longest song, often going well over 14 minutes when played live.
The lyrical portion of the song was written early in the group's history. Roadie Billy Powell was discovered as a keyboardist for the band when he played the intro piece to "Free Bird" at a high school prom. Lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant noted his talent and invited him to join.
Allen Collins's then-girlfriend, Kathy, whom he later married, asked him, "If I leave here tomorrow would you still remember me?" Collins jotted the question down and it eventually became the opening line of "Free Bird".
Gary Rossington played a Gibson SG and used a glass Coricidin bottle for a slide on this song to emulate one of his heroes, Duane Allman. This was the only song he used a guitar other than a Les Paul on. He also stuck a nail like piece of metal under the strings near the nut to raise the action of the guitar when playing slide. The guitar's B string was tuned down to a G during this song. Rossington currently uses two G strings tuned to G instead of tuning down a B string.
Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven Live (HD)
Uploaded by YeOldeRock on Aug 7, 2009
The footage is from the concert film "The Song Remains the Same".
The concert took place in Madison Square Garden, New York City.
© Warner Brothers
The concert took place in Madison Square Garden, New York City.
© Warner Brothers
Sarah Darling - With Or Without You
Uploaded by sdarling7777 on Jan 16, 2012
Sarah Darling and Lauren Strange sing U2's With Or Without You.
Infinity Surf Charters, Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico
Infinity Surf Charters offers an outstanding surf, travel and vacation experience by providing
high quality service while respecting the environment & local culture. Based in Huatulco, Mexico, we build our business by establishing lasting relationships with our exclusive clients and by exceeding their expectations in both our services and dedication to the ocean and environment. We are committed to providing a positive, healthy and unique adventure for each and all of our guests.
We offer two accommodation options; our exclusive Luxury Villa and our Infinity Surf Casa, both located in one of Huatulco's most spectacular areas, Balcones de Tangolunda.
For a brief description and pictures of our Luxury Villa please click here.For a brief description and pictures of our Surf Casa please click here.
For pricing information please refer to Rates or click here.
LaTour Hotels and Resorts Opens Celeste Beach Residences, Resort & Spa WRITTEN BY: ADMIN - JAN• 11•12
LaTour Hotels and Resorts Opens Celeste Beach Residences, Resort & Spa
WRITTEN BY: ADMIN - JAN• 11•12
SAN DIEGO , Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — LaTour Hotels and Resorts, which offers personalized luxury hospitality management services for four- and five-star properties worldwide, has announced the opening of Celeste Beach Residences, Resort & Spa, located in Huatulco, Oaxaca , the hidden jewel of Mexico .
The resort carries the first LaTour Signature Group private label, reserved for five-star properties and highlighting the pillars of the LaTour Signature experience: culinary, wine, wellness, entertainment and concierge.
“This oceanfront resort and private residence club was designed to carry the LaTour Signature brand and benefits immensely from the exclusive experience of veteran hotelier Tom LaTour ,” said Sean Zimmerman , founding partner of SIA Living, the property’s sales and marketing partner. “Celeste will be the finest resort in the region.”
Celeste Beach Residences, Resort & Spa offers a collection of two- and three-bedroom residences with an average of 2,384 square feet. The community is comprised of 21 luxury condominiums in seven buildings nestled in an intimate beach cove along the Pacific Ocean.
LaTour Hotels and Resorts has consulted on the property since its inception and manages Celeste’s homeowners association, concierge services, extensive residential services for owners, rental program and exchange opportunities.
Located in Huatulco , a city known for its rich traditions, modern amenities and ideal year-round weather, Celeste is situated in the coveted Tejoncito Bay, just steps from the beach. Huatulco offers over 20 miles of coastline, nine distinct bays and 40,000 acres of National Park. Five of the nine bays are designated as a National Aquatic Park.
Drawing on these influences is the award-winning architecture firm HKS Inc., which brings more than 60 years of international experience in the architectural design of commercial, resort and residential properties. The design, construction and branding of the resort captures the essence of the region’s ancient culture through the use of natural stones, woods and textiles while adding luxurious touches.
Amenities and activities at Celeste Beach Residences, Resort & Spa include a beachfront pool, relaxation pools, a spa, Palapa Bar and Grill, golf course privileges, boating excursions, eco tours, a wellness center, a fitness and yoga center and classes, a members’ wine lounge, wine program and in-residence chefs. The resort’s signature restaurant will be market-based, taking advantage of Oaxaca ‘s bountiful offerings from land and sea.
In line with Huatulco ‘s dedication to environmentally friendly practices, Celeste has created one of the cleanest developments in Mexico through a low-impact and eco-friendly master plan. Huatulco is the first sustainable community in the Americas and the third worldwide to be recognized by EarthCheck. EarthCheck is the largest environmental management system used by the travel and tourism industry for the benchmarking and certification of their operational practices. Hualtulco is also Green Globe certified.
The resort is donating a portion of unit sales to charitable organizations in the community. As well, the LaTour management team has incorporated its own sustainability and social responsibility programs.
http://www.celesteresidencias.com
http://www.latourhotelsandresorts.com
http://www.latourhotelsandresorts.com
Media Contact: Sandy Young , 619-295-7140, sandy@jwalcher.com
This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.
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