A little about Playa Zipolite, The Beach of the Dead . . .

Playa Zipolite, Oaxaca, Southern Mexico, on the Pacific Ocean. A little bit about my favorite little get-away on this small world of ours.

Zipolite, a sweaty 30-minute walk west from Puerto Angel, brings you to Playa Zipolite and another world. The feeling here is 1970's - Led Zep, Marley, and scruffy gringos.

A long, long time ago, Zipolite beach was usually visited by the Zapotecans...who made it a magical place. They came to visit Zipolite to meditate, or just to rest.

Recently, this beach has begun to receive day-trippers from Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido, giving it a more TOURISTY feel than before.

Most people come here for the novelty of the nude beach, yoga, turtles, seafood, surf, meditation, vegetarians, discos, party, to get burnt by the sun, or to see how long they can stretch their skinny budget.

I post WWW Oaxaca, Mexico, Zipolite and areas nearby information. Also general budget, backpacker, surfer, off the beaten path, Mexico and beyond, information.

REMEMBER: Everyone is welcome at Zipolite.

ivan

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Best Dance Pranks - Best of Just for Laughs Gags

STUDY MUSIC - Studying Music and Concentration Music for Exam - Relaxing Music - Background Music

7 Shameless Ways to Get an Upgrade rss link Airfarewatchblog

7 Shameless Ways to Get an Upgrade

Airfarewatchblog

7 Shameless Ways to Get an Upgrade

Posted by Caroline Costello on Tuesday, September 30, 2014

(Photo: Izabela Habur/Getty Images)

Want an upgrade? The key is availability: All upgrades are based on it. They're

also, largely, based on loyalty status. But even if you do belong to your

airline's or hotel's loyalty program, you're still competing with countless

other travelers for the same upgrade. To rise above the pack, it'll take

smarts, a strategy, and (dare we say it) shamelessness. Here are seven

brazen ways to angle for an upgrade from an airline or a hotel.

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

Give Your Airline Crew a Little Treat

Do: Gift something small and inexpensive to the gate agents or flight

crew. Make them like you with inexpensive presents. Globe-trotting

charmer Johnny Jet, a master of the art of schmoozing flight attendants,

is a major proponent of this strategy. One of his not-so-secret

secrets: handing out chocolates. Mr. Jet offers this advice in his T

ip of the Day: "I almost always bring two boxes of chocolates—one

for the gate agents and one for the flight attendants, because both

can make or break your trip. When you hand the chocolates over,

do it with a big smile, be genuine, and don't look for anything in return."

Don't: Assume a quid pro quo. As Johnny advises, never directly

ask for anything while distributing a gift. Airline crew are prohibited from

accepting gifts as bribes. Small tokens like candy or snacks are good;

anything more expensive is probably a bad idea.

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

Speak Their Language

Do: Demonstrate your foreign-language skills when appropriate. We've

seen a room upgrade go to a fellow traveler in Mexico when she flaunted

her fluency in Spanish. Initiate a friendly conversation with a hotel

clerk in his or her native tongue, ingratiate yourself with the staff,

and you just might receive a complimentary room upgrade. Even if

you're not fluent, learn a word or two. Staff will appreciate a

"hello" or "thank you" in the resident language. Make an honest

attempt to have a sincere conversation.

Don't: Loudly and clumsily speak a few words of the local

language to staff, expecting a shower of upgrades in return.

A powerful voice volume will not demystify your clumsy

attempt at a foreign language.

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

Say It's Your Birthday

Do: Be obvious about the day you were born. You could,

when checking in for your flight or hotel room, happily

mention, "It's my birthday!" Wear a pointed hat and shake

some maracas for the full effect. There's nothing wrong with

a little self-celebration. Seriously, though, the elusive birthday

upgrade has been known to happen now and again. We've heard

of passengers (usually with some kind of frequent-flyer

status to begin with) receiving birthday upgrades sans any effort

to draw attention to the fact. Evidence of your birthday is,

of course, printed on your boarding pass. And your ID. And your

Keep Calm It's My Birthday shirt.

Don't: Lie. The chances your deception will be exposed are high.

We'll say it again: Your birthday is printed on your ID.

(Photo: Thinkstock/Stockbyte)

Say It's Your Honeymoon (or Anniversary)

Do: Excitedly tell your booking agent that you're on your way to

your honeymoon vacation. Bring proof if possible: Offer the flight

attendant an extra favor from your wedding as evidence and

incentive. Wear your "I'm the Bride!" T-shirt. Maybe you won't

get a pair of first-class boarding passes, but at the very least, you

might receive some free Champagne.

If a honeymoon upgrade at your hotel or resort is what you're after,

be sure to bring a copy of your marriage license. Many resorts offer

complimentary honeymoon upgrades but require proof of marriage.

Don't: Lie. Airline employees and front-desk clerks aren't stupid. I'd

venture to guess that flight or hotel staff has a good gauge for who's

on a honeymoon and who's only faking.

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

Slip the Hotel Staff Some Cash

Do: The cash bribe is a decidedly shameless activity, but there's a

slick way to do it. When paying for your stay, hold twenty bucks

(give or take) in your hand with your credit card and smile politely,

asking whether any room upgrades or well-located rooms are

available. Your front-desk clerk will get the hint. This is more

effective in some places than others, of course, so it's important

to proceed with caution. In Las Vegas, for example, kickbacks for

cash are more likely to be tolerated, especially if you're a guest

who has a good play history with the hotel. At other properties,

your front-desk agent may be risking his or her job by accepting

a small bribe. Be careful, be respectful, and read the situation

carefully.

Don't: Bribe an airline worker. Chocolates are one thing—but

airline employees who accept cash bribes can lose their jobs.

Don't even try.

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

Bribe a Fellow Passenger

Do: Offer the guy with a better seat $100 to switch spots.

This isn't illegal. There aren't any clear airline policies

prohibiting flyers from paying other passengers for seat

swaps. There's even an app, believe it or not, called

AirrTrade that facilitates seat buying and selling

among passengers. You may do this, if you want.

Don't: Have high expectations or be anything other than

extraordinarily polite. Passengers are under no obligation to

accept your bribe. Some folks might even be offended by it.

(Photo: CCFoodTravel.com via flickr/CC Attribution)

Show Your Loyalty

Do: Flaunt your unofficial status. Signing up for a hotel chain's

loyalty program isn't exactly shameless. But advertising your

unfailing loyalty to a boutique property that doesn't have a

loyalty program is a bit bolder. Returning to a B&B for the

third time? Write an email to the owners. Mention that

you've been there a bunch of times. Tell them how much

you love their property. If appropriate, write a good review.

Send the link to the owners and congratulate them on a

job well done. Show that you appreciate your stay, and

your hosts just might show you a little appreciation in return,

whether it's in the form of a room upgrade, coupons, or even

just free bottles of water by your bed. Better yet, you can feel

good about sharing some positive thoughts with your fellow

humans.

Don't: Threaten to write a bad review if you don't receive an

upgrade; anyone who does this should have their hotel privileges

revoked for life.

You Might Also Like:

7 Shameless Ways to Make Your Flight More Comfortable

9 Things Not to Wear on a Plane

10 Most Annoying Things You Do While Traveling

This article was originally published by SmarterTravel under the title

Seven Shameless Ways to Get an Upgrade.

Follow Caroline Costello on Google+ or email her at editor@smartertravel.com.

05 Oct 2014 Simon weakens but still major hurricane REPORTfrom Agence France-Presse Published on 05 Oct 2014 1 0 googleplus0 0 reddit0 0 10/05/2014 15:03 GMT MEXICO CITY, October 5, 2014 (AFP) - Simon weakened off Mexico's Pacific coast on Sunday but remained a major hurricane as it headed toward a region recently hit by a powerful storm. The hurricane dropped from category four to three strength on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, blasting top winds of 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center. Simon was 580 kilometers (360 miles) southwest of Punta Eugenia and was expected to rapidly lose steam before becoming a much weaker tropical depression when it reaches the Baja California peninsula later this week. A hurricane center tracking map shows Simon making landfall well north of the Los Cabos resorts that were pummeled last month by Hurricane Odile, which left six people dead. "We must prepare shelters, mobilize food supplies and prepare for the evacuation of people in high-risk areas," said Baja California Sur government secretary Andres Cordova. The hurricane was expected to produce up to 20 centimeters (eight inches) of rain across central Baja California and parts of Sonora state in northwestern Mexico. "This rainfall could cause flash flooding and mudslides," the NHC warned, adding that "life-threatening" surf and rip current conditions were also likely. lth/nss © 1994-2014 Agence France-Presse

05 Oct 2014

Simon weakens but still major hurricane

REPORT

from Agence France-Presse

Published on 05 Oct 2014

1 0 googleplus0 0 reddit0 0

10/05/2014 15:03 GMT

MEXICO CITY, October 5, 2014 (AFP) - Simon weakened off Mexico's Pacific coast on Sunday but remained a major hurricane as it headed toward a region recently hit by a powerful storm.

The hurricane dropped from category four to three strength on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, blasting top winds of 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Simon was 580 kilometers (360 miles) southwest of Punta Eugenia and was expected to rapidly lose steam before becoming a much weaker tropical depression when it reaches the Baja California peninsula later this week.

A hurricane center tracking map shows Simon making landfall well north of the Los Cabos resorts that were pummeled last month by Hurricane Odile, which left six people dead.

"We must prepare shelters, mobilize food supplies and prepare for the evacuation of people in high-risk areas," said Baja California Sur government secretary Andres Cordova.

The hurricane was expected to produce up to 20 centimeters (eight inches) of rain across central Baja California and parts of Sonora state in northwestern Mexico.

"This rainfall could cause flash flooding and mudslides," the NHC warned, adding that "life-threatening" surf and rip current conditions were also likely.

lth/nss