Oaxaca's Refined Riviera - Puerto Escondido, Mexico - Oaxaca's Refined Riviera - MensJournal.com mensjournal.com Puerto Escondido, Mexico. Sometimes the name of a place perfectly sums up its appeal. That's how it is with Puerto Escondido, the "Hidden Port."

Oaxaca's Refined Riviera - Puerto Escondido, Mexico - Oaxaca's Refined Riviera - MensJournal.com mensjournal.com Puerto Escondido, Mexico. Sometimes the name of a place perfectly sums up its appeal. That's how it is with Puerto Escondido, the "Hidden Port."

EXPERT ADVICE

The World's 8 Best Beaches for Adventure

Puerto Escondido, Mexico

7 of 8

  

Courtesy Designhotels.com

Puerto Escondido, Mexico

Courtesy Designhotels.com

Sometimes the appeal of a place is right there in its name. That's how it is with Puerto Escondido: the "Hidden Port." Clinging to the tip of Mexico's elbow, on the country's sparsely populated southern coast (a.k.a. "the Oaxacan Riviera"), halfway between Acapulco and Guatemala, this formerly sleepy fishing village is slowly undergoing a tourist boom – but one that has avoided the crush and commercialization of its more famous neighbors. It's growing, but it doesn't feel overgrown.

I arrived near the end of November, the tail of the rainy season, on a prop plane from Mexico City. My hotel, the Villas Carrizalillo, was near an area called the Rinconada, a 10-minute walk from town. A grand old boulevard with a small art gallery and several amazing restaurants, the Rinconada used to be the town's airstrip, until the town outgrew it; still, these days, the airport is only five minutes away. The hotel, really a collection of 12 villas, is situated on a bluff overlooking the cobalt-colored thumb of Carrizalillo Bay. The American co-owner, New York-via-Georgia transplant Amy Hardy, found the place 10 years ago, abandoned by its previous owners, and she and her partner did a full renovation. It now boasts a nouveau-Mexican restaurant (sweet mango mahimahi ceviche, pineapple guacamole) and a private staircase down to the little-used beach cove, where you can surf a gentle beginner-friendly break, standup paddle with sea turtles and manta rays, or enjoy shrimp quesadillas or a cold michelada (beer with lime and spice) at one of a handful of beach palapas (thatched-roof gazebos).

Ricardo Maya, the bartender at the Villas Carrizalillo, grew up in Mexico City. The first time he came to the Oaxacan coast was in the early 1980s, when he visited nearby Zipolite. "I don't even remember Puerto then," he said. When he came back in 2004 to teach Spanish to travelers, he could hardly believe the growth. Still, he said, the place suited him: He'd lived near Aspen for several years, and – in both climate and down-to-earth demeanor – Puerto Escondido was pretty much the opposite. Then he poured us both another shot of Fidencio – Amy Hardy's line of organic mezcal, hand-distilled in Oaxaca by a fourth-generation mescalero who worked the same ground as his great-grandfather. (My favorite was the Fidencio Tobalá, distilled from 100 percent wild agave harvested during the new moon.)

There's a lot of this going around P.E. these days: a sort of Puerto Vallarta meets Portland vibe, fueled by natives and expats alike. There's the French woman from Montréal who opened a patisserie inside the mercado and the Italian who rents scooters out of his gelato shop. In Mazunte, an eco-tourist town (it's home to the National Mexican Turtle Center) a little way down the coast, a locally owned cooperative manufactures organic cosmetics, and closer to home, just off the main backpacker's drag, a young couple named Sabrina and Graco (she's Austrian; he's from Veracruz) gutted an old storefront and built out their own wood-walled restaurant called La Olita ("the little wave"), which serves the best fish tacos east of Ensenada.

You'll find a similar up-and-coming micro-scene in Tulum, on the Yucatán Peninsula, but Puerto has something the Caribbean side doesn't: killer waves. Tourism-wise, surfing is Puerto's bread and butter, and quality breaks can be found for miles in both directions: Chacagua and Puerto Ángel. The marquee spot, though, is Playa Zicatela, a thrilling three-kilometer beach break right in the middle of town, which draws so many top surfers from all over the world that it's earned the nickname "the Mexican Pipeline." The pummeling current isn't for novices, though; people have drowned, so if you're just getting comfortable on a board, proceed with caution.

One afternoon I drove out to the Laguna de Manialtepec, an unofficial nature preserve about 30 minutes outside town, where, for 75 pesos (about $5.75) an hour, the ladies at Restaurante la Flor del Pacífico rented me a kayak and paddle and even threw in a cold Bohemia. As the bottle of beer sweated in the cup holder, I spent two blissful hours kayaking around the lagoon – which I had entirely to myself, if you don't count the herons and hummingbirds and majestic black hawks, as well as the biggest flock of cormorants I've ever seen. Then the gigantic red sun (it somehow looked bigger than it does at home) dipped below the tree line, and it was just me and the water and the stars.

Back at the dock, I met up with Lalo Escamilla, an avian biologist who studies birds for a nearby university. When he's not counting egrets or tracking spoonbills, Lalo leads eco-tours on his 12-person boat. I was in luck, he told me: "The phosphorescence is here!" Three or four times a year, certain spots in the lagoon are visited by phosphorescent microorganisms, which glow silver and shimmery in the inky black water, transforming an already gorgeous nighttime swim into something truly otherworldly. It was only after we'd been backstroking around for about 10 minutes that a young boy on the tour who was visiting from Mexico City, asked if there were any crocodiles in the lagoon. "Yes," Lalo said with a grin, preparing a joke he'd clearly made before, "but don't worry." He pointed to the bioluminescent trails we all left in our wake. "You can," he said, winking, "see them coming."

Not far past Manialtepec, at the end of a bumpy road down a rugged stretch of coastline, is a possible glimpse of Puerto's future: the Hotel Escondido, which opened before Christmas. Operated by Grupo Habita, a boutique chain based in Mexico City (imagine a Mexican version of the Standard or the Ace), it comprises 16 individual thatched-roof bungalows, each of which has beachfront views and its own private pool. A spa and sauna and an underground music lounge (literally, it's underground) add to the feeling of rustic luxury; other high-design copycats might not be far behind.

But the surest sign that change is on the way to Puerto is a brand-new highway, 125 kilometers, cutting through vast fields of almonds, papayas, and mangoes, between Oaxaca City and the coast. When I was there, orange-vested construction crews were hard at work, on pace to finish the project by early 2015. When it opens, the highway will cut the travel time from Mexico City in half and make it possible to drive from Oaxaca City to the coast in a little more than two hours – down from six. Some of the expats I spoke with were a little worried that the road might destroy the town's quiet charm. But the locals were pretty excited. "Claro!" a taxi driver named Jorge – who was born in Puerto – told me. It would bring more visitors, more money, cheaper goods to buy. What's not to love? And if it meant slightly bigger crowds waiting for waves every weekend, or a few more overpriced hotels, well, no importa. Change was inevitable, after all. Puerto could take it.

Getting there: Fly to Mexico City; connect to Puerto Escondido.

By Josh Eells

Read more: http://www.mensjournal.com/expert-advice/the-worlds-8-best-beaches-for-adventure-20140210/puerto-escondido-mexico#ixzz2t6BvaAAq

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Piña Palmera 2014 - The Eye Clinic Surgicenter theeyesurgicenter.com Dear Family, Friends, and Colleagues, Our 17th medical mission to Piña Palmera (since Oct 2002) included both optometry (general optometry and ...

Update! Piña Palmera 2014 - The Eye Clinic Surgicenter theeyesurgicenter.com Dear Family, Friends, and Colleagues, Our 17th medical mission to Piña Palmera (since Oct 2002) included both optometry (general optometry and ... Eye Surgery At Pina Palmera, Zipolite,  Oaxaca, Mexico

Dear Family, Friends, and Colleagues,
Our 17th medical mission to Piña Palmera (since Oct 2002) included both optometry (general optometry and screening for surgery) and ophthalmology (eye surgery). Yet in a larger sense, it included reunions with old friends, a global sense of family, God’s constant hand of guidance, and dancing. Somehow, the sight of a goofy, 6’3” gringo dancing around the place has always brought joy to Malena (the oldest resident of Piña), on my left, with Jose and volunteer Katherine on my right.

For over 25 years Piña Palmera has brought joy and hope to persons with disabilities in this rural area of southern Oaxaca, now a world leader in “Community-based Rehabilitation.” With teams of volunteers from around the world, they establish partnerships with even more rural villages to provide care and instruction. Although there are several residents at their home base in Zipolite, their emphasis is to support persons with disabilities remaining n their homes and communities. KL has traveled with Piña teams to many villages in our history, and we now have an established surgery space in Piña. n the first photo, we are dancing on the porch directly in front of the residence. You can see our surgery space painted in orange just over my shoulder. Our surgery patients are doing pre-op/post-op in the same space where the residents are spending their day. The first surgery photo above shows Dr. Brian LaGreca (Billings, MT) operating, with his wife Stacey assisting him to his right as surgical scrub. Dr. Hector Cámara (Mérida, Yukatán, Mexico) observes, and nurse DuAnne Diers (Sheridan, WY) is in the foreground as circulating nurse. In this photo you can see the relative size and importance of the surgical microscope, which was transported from the US in Feb 2005.

Optometrist Dr. Tracy Ammann (Riverton, WY), her mother, Joyce Meling, and I arrived on Thursday afternoon, 23 Feb, and immediately began our optometry clinic, providing care, glasses where needed, and screening patients for surgery the following week. We screened Thur-Sat and then welcomed the surgical team on Sat to prepare for surgeries Mon-Thur 27-30 Feb. This report will focus on the surgical side of the work, while Tracy and Joyce will follow with more details on the optometry clinic. In summary, we saw well over 100 patients in the optometry clinic, and performed 25 surgeries, 23 for cataracts, one iridectomy (for glaucoma) and one pterygium.

The morning after each day of surgery, the docs check the eyes of all of the previous day’s patients, take notes, provide and review post-op instructions. Here, Brian checks the first eye of the first patient of this year’s mission. This man was scheduled for surgery last year, but was unable to complete the surgery due to a cough. A year later, he was the first candidate on the list.

When the team arrives to Piña on surgery days, everyone has a role. While Brian and Hector check over the patients, Joyce is usually the first person they see as she removes the gauze and eye patches which were placed over the surgical eye the day before. These are often dramatic moments, especially if the eye receiving surgery is the first expression of clear vision for many years. After helping with post-op, Joyce returns immediately to assist Tracy as she measures patients for the current day’s surgery, and then they receive more optometry patients for the current day.

Cheli, a physical therapist on the Piña staff, has become indispensable to our work. Shown here with Brian, she lines up patients from the several communities, maintains communication, and is the most important voice in establishing the post-op instructions and any follow-on care necessary. Thanks be to God and all the people who work with us, our success rate is very high, with no reports of post-op infections, largely credited to Cheli’s careful instruction. In this rural area, our patients must care for their surgical eye for several weeks, due to potential damage from sun, dust and smoke from cooking fires.

My role in the team is predominately with recruiting, logistics, and technical assistance. However, thanks to the several docs who have trained me over the years, I also work with optometry screening, circulating in surgery and occasionally scrubbing-in. In surgery week I began my days greeting patients, then worked to clean the surgery as DuAnne and Stacey prepared to “open” the first case. Then I returned to assist Tracy and Joyce with optometry until all patients are seen. At day’s end, I get to “play,” and enter the surgery to provide breaks for DuAnne and Stacey. Here, I was privileged to scrub-in for Hector as he operated, with Brian looking on.

I took this photo in order to provide Brian and Stacey with a shot for their Christmas Card next year! Couples elect to do many things with their vacation time, and this was Stacey’s first visit to Piña. Scrubbing for surgery is very intense, and one cannot help but feel the pressure of providing just the right piece of equipment and response to each request from the surgeon. To see Stacey and Brian function as scrub/surgeon/wife/husband was like watching a couple dance who have danced together for many years. From the observer, they appeared gentle, seamless, and effortless. But the reality is that the inner intensity is constant until the surgery is completed.

The residential building which houses our surgery space was renamed “Casa Gary” in February 2012, after our dear and late friend, Gary Benson. The caption reads, “Por su compromiso con Piña Palmera a travez de Kata Loukan.” “For your dedication to Piña Palmera through Kata Loukan.” On of the scriptures we considered on this mission was II Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” We hope, in our continued work, not only to reflect the ‘face of Christ,’ but also the face of Gary in all we do. Amen.

All roles have been introduced so far with the exception of Elena. She has been a dear friend and partner of KL for many years, and returns with us not to perform dentistry (her specialty) but to assist us with pre-op/post-op on the day of surgery. She has a heart as big as the mountains of Oaxáca, and we are blessed to have her as part of our family.

The best part of building something – like a tree house – is standing in it. The best and most comforting part of this work is just sitting in the surgery at day’s end. Breathing, looking around, listening, and giving thanks to God for giving us the ideas and the wisdom to carry out the vision. We firmly believe that God pays for what God orders. If the Lord wants it done, it will be done, and we must constantly trust in that. If the Lord does not want it done, no effort on our part will establish it. I’ve never seen a physical mountain moved by faith, but I have seen an eye surgery built in México, and it’s still there.

After finishing in the surgery, DuAnne and I walked to the neighboring village to look for our docs, and passed by Elena, seated by the outdoor dining area. With music blasting from my phone, we danced again, and this photo well-describes the event.

We expect medical professionals to give their time and their lost earnings from their respective practices, in order to come with us to offer care to underserved children of God. For our part, we want to make sure that those partners eat well and rest well. Since our first visit to Piña, we have stayed at the place called Cerro Largo, which has become for us a ‘home away from home.’ The colors and the light reflected in this evening meal goes far in capturing the refreshment we find in good food and time together at each day’s end. Last night and this morning, I feel like a young child returned from summer camp, missing my fellow campers greatly, and wondering how I can press on without them!

Akbar Hippie Aterdeser de fin de año! Aterdeser new year! (Translated by Bing)

Akbar Hippie

Aterdeser de fin de año!

Aterdeser new year! (Translated by Bing)

Jesus Cabral posted in Zipolite

Bergen & McCarthy Valentine's Day 1943

Compania Teatral 30Arte Presenta! RESTAURANTE "3 DE DICIEMBRE" shared Ignacio Barrera's photo.

RESTAURANTE "3 DE DICIEMBRE" shared Ignacio Barrera's photo.

Mana - In the spring of San Blas (video) ... Maná - En el muelle de San Blás (video)

Shambhala, Casa De Gloria

Zipolite, punto de encuentro. Zipolite, a meeting point.

Los Mind Lagunas con Enrico Crivellaro, Babel Cafe, Jueves 13 de Febrero 10pm

Loredana Moro shared her photo.

http://www.enricocrivellaro.com/

Vermilion flycatcher captures our hearts, imaginations | WHIDBEY BIRDING 

• by FRANCES WOOD,  South Whidbey Record Columnist 
• Feb 9, 2014

A vermilion flycatcher perches atop a bare thorn branch. Record columnist Frances Wood calls the bright-red avian the Valentine bird. 

— Image Credit: Craig Johnson Photo

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• by FRANCES WOOD,  South Whidbey Record Columnist 
• Feb 9, 2014 at 10:00AM

My husband and I recently returned from a month of birding in and around the city of Oaxaca, Mexico. It’s in a high, dry valley in South Central Mexico where the native habitat is described as thorn scrub. One of the most common little flycatchers is also a brilliantly colored bird, the aptly named vermilion flycatcher.

On our first morning there we spotted this ruby red ornament perched on a bare branch, and I stopped in my tracks to admire it.

Similar in size and shape to our house finch, the 6-inch flycatcher sat horizontally, red head and breast reflecting the strong Oaxacan sun, black mask and wings setting off the dazzling color. The bird glanced from side to side, tilting its head and occasionally raised a short crest to further sparkle in the sun.

I like to think of this flycatcher as the Valentine bird, not only because of the shining red color, but also because, even in the winter months, this species is usually found in pairs. The female, a brownish counterpart with a pale salmon-colored belly, was likely somewhere near by.

The locals call this bird “bien viaje” — literally good travel — but often simply translated as the good luck bird.

The bird was facing me, which, according to Oaxacan lore, is a very good omen. If the bird is turned with its back to you showing its dark wing feathers, however, bad luck could be in the offering.

Flycatchers are constantly scanning their surroundings for flying insects and they tend to keep an eye out for big mammals like people, so nine times out of ten, the birds are looking your way and good luck is bound to follow you.

Birds are among the most popular animals used in mythology and are the source of countless superstitions and allegories. Life, death, luck, and love have all been tied to the tail-feathers of these winged marvels. In Western European culture many birds are linked to bad omens. The owl’s ominous hoot, for example. The term given to a collective group of crows is a “murder” of crows. Thanks to Alfred Hitchcock, flocks of blackbirds are frightful.

Some birds have more benign symbolism. We know that doves represent love and peace and are a savior of humanity. Eagles embody strength, swiftness and majesty. Robins suggest joy. The return of swallows symbolizes spring. All valued assets, I admit.

But where are the “good luck” birds in our culture?

For sailors, a sighting of the cumbersome albatross was considered a harbinger of good luck. But when was the last time you saw an albatross and how many of us are sailors?

There is the old saying that it’s good luck if a bird defecates on you, but I see that as more annoyance than evidence of good fortune.

Years ago the ivory-billed woodpecker, a large showy bird of the southeastern United States now assumed to be extinct, was called the “Good Lord Bird.” But that reflected the amazement of anyone lucky enough to catch a glimpse of it.

A bluebird seen in spring is a lucky sign to some. But I’m looking for a bird that one could encounter any day of the year. Something bright and delightful to see. A species of bird that will immediately lift your spirits, chase the clouds away and turn you into a bird watcher over and over again.

Any nominations? Seriously, I’d like to hear from you.

Later during our month in Oaxaca some Whidbey Island friends came for a visit. They love to hike, but weren’t bird watchers. One morning we set off on a four-hour trek along a dusty road between two villages several miles from Oaxaca City. One of the first birds we saw was a bright male vermilion flycatcher. I forced binoculars into my friend’s hands and helped her locate and focus on the bird.

The moment she caught sight of that bird, she gasped and couldn’t put the binoculars down. I’m pretty sure that one look turned her into a birder. And the next time I see her I’m going to ask how her luck has been recently.

Frances Wood can be reached at wood@whidbey.com. Craig Johnson is at Craigjohnson@whidbey.com.

Las Ingles "everybody wants some"

Judith Frey via Derek Joe Brockett

Las Ingles "everybody wants some"

youtube.com

Las Ingles performing van halen's "everybody wants some!!" 05.feb.2014 @ livelula bar, zipolite, oaxaca.

Yoga, Venice Beach, California, 2/8/2014 ... A very fun beach! Ivan

Duffy's Tavern Valentine's Day Shelley Winters 1950

Judith Frey shared Piquete Ziña, Mezcal de autor's photo.

Judith Frey shared Piquete Ziña, Mezcal de autor's photo.

Susan Spíndola shared her photo. Nuestros verdaderos amigos. ¡¡¡¡ Las mascotas. Our true friends. ¡¡¡¡ :) Pets. (Translated by Bing)

Susan Spíndola shared her photo.

Nuestros verdaderos amigos. ¡¡¡¡  Las mascotas.

Our true friends. ¡¡¡¡ :) Pets. (Translated by Bing)

Augmented Reality: AntiVJ in Oaxaca By Bruce SterlingEmail AuthorFebruary 6, 2014

Augmented Reality: AntiVJ in Oaxaca

• By Bruce SterlingEmail Author
• February 6, 2014 | 
• 10:33 am | 
• Categories: Augmented Reality, Tech Art

*Check out that projection-mapping in a Mexican cactus garden. AntiVJ is second to none.

http://www.antivj.com/theark

THE ARK from ANTIVJ is a visual label on Vimeo.

ANTIVJ

“The Ark
“A site specific installation by Romain Tardy & Squeaky Lobster

“Proyecta Oaxaca, festival Internacional de diseño y artes digitales
“Ethnobotanical garden of Oaxaca, Mexico
“April 19th & 21st 2013

“The Ark is an ephemeral, site specific installation built around the cacti that line the Aljibe, at the heart of the Ethnobotanical Garden of Oaxaca.

“Adopting a poetic approach, The Ark gives voice to the garden’s plants, participants in the work, the beating heart of the space and an unpredictable choir.

“Telling their story, revealing their fantasised and fantastical nature, The Ark is a mise-en-abîme of the trail. Loosely inspired by the myth of the Great flood, this audio-visual installation in three parts unfolds like a movie project into space, in which the wandering spectator plays the role of the camera.

“Concept & Visual design by Romain Tardy

“Music composed by Squeaky Lobster

“Project Management by Nicolas Boritch

AntiVJ

“On the invitation of Proyecta Oaxaca, several artists from the Antivj visual label have devised four visual and sonic works to be installed at the heart of the Ethnobotanical Garden in Oaxaca. Conceived of as a trail of light, these in-situ works offered the chance to (re)discover a singular and magical location in a particularly unique way – by opening the garden to the public at night.

“A trail of the senses, in several variations, it also presents spectators the perspective of four artists on this atypical space, in which ancient nature and new technology come face to face, like a distant echo of the ancestral techniques that have allowed for its conservation.

“The trail consisted of the following four works:

Onion Skin, by Olivier Ratsi
The Ark, by Romain Tardy
3Destruct | Oaxaca, by Yannick Jacquet, Jeremie Peeters & Thomas Vaquié
Réplica, by Laurent Delforge & Thomas Vaquié

“A project commissioned by Proyecta Oaxaca.

“All photos by Romain Tardy

“Video filmed by Xavier Chassaing & Romain Tardy.”

Xochitl Alderete Arreortua shared Pañales ecologicos ñiñoña's photo. promo!!!!