David Rotundo in Mexico

Playa Zipolite - Own Mexico Playa Zipolite. 6 kilometres (4 miles) west of Puerto Angel is Playa Zipolite(see- poh-LEE-tay ... www.ownmexico.org/zipolite/

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Playa Zipolite

6 kilometres (4 miles) west of Puerto Angel is Playa Zipolite 
(see-poh-LEE-tay), a beach community 
best known for its amazing waves and ‘hippie’ culture.  
Zipolite is a nearly pristine beach about 
forty meters wide and 2km long, with medium grain gold
 colored sand and blue-green water.  

This beach was featured in the Mexican blockbuster movie 
“Y tu mamá también.” and has become 
very popular with foreign tourists and backpackers.  Zipolite
 is also popular for it’s nudity, mostly 
on the west end, so be warned that you may get an eyeful if
 you go!  Zipolite 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.  The beach is lined
 by swaying palms, rustic cabanas, hotels,
 restaurants and hammocks.

Because of the underwater currents residing offshore it is
 best to use caution when swimming.  A volunteer lifeguard
 team and flag 
system have been created to indicate where and when it is
 safest to swim.  Only the strongest swimmers and most skilled
 surfers and 
body boarders head out into deeper waters. Most stay shallow 
or simply enjoy the mesmerizing waves of Zipolite.

Main street in Zipolite

Walk along the main paved street (Aldoquin as the locals call it) 
where you can shop for authentic Mexican trinkets and clothing,
 or enjoy one of the many great restaurants offering standard
 Mexican to international cuisine, authentic Italian and vegetarian 
choices. Many of the local restaurants are owned by expatriate 
Italians and serve pasta dishes as well as pizza.  Enjoy tasty meals
 all for 1/4 to 1/2 the price you would pay back home – you can’t
 beat that! Although there are many beachside restaurants to
 choose from, we have a few favorites that we’d like to share with you.

El Alquimista Restaurant

 El Alquimista restaurant is located on the west end of the beach 
and offers delicious wood fired pizzas, tasty tuna medallions, 
thirst quenching mango margaritas and the famous Mixta 
Grill for 2 people – a delicious fare of grilled chicken, ribs, 
steak and sausage.  It is sure to tantalize your tastebuds!
 El Alquimista provides great food and a relaxing atmosphere…all
 for half the price you would pay at home.  We like to spend the 
entire day at El Alquimista, taking advantage of their
relaxing spa and partaking in a yoga class in their newly built studio. 

Another mealtime favorite is La Providencia, located on the
 second street perpendicular to the 
main 
entrance of Zipolite.  This amazing restaurant offers one of
 the best contemporary Mexico 
cuisine in the area.  Paco and Javier never cease to amaze
 us with their hospitality, amazing 
service and tasty fare. Specialties include delicious coconut 
shrimp in mango sauce, fresh tuna, 
beef medallions & stuffed chillies – Buen Provecho! 

Break the fast at ‘A Nice Place on the Beach’, 
owned by Greg, a fellow Canadian and lover 
of the area. This place is a great
 spot to visit in the morning and enjoy the 
famous ‘Canadian Breakfast’ while watching
 the massive Zipolite surf roll in. After
 breakfast relax in a hammock or walk the 
shoreline of this famous beach. This little 
gem is located off main street Zipolite.  
Check out their Facebook page here.

We searched high & low for our favorite pizza place…and
 finally found it at Posada Mexico.  Located on the main street 
in Zipolite, Posada Mexico has a great relaxing and romantic 
vibe.  The Italian chefs do justice to their country’s cuisine with 
their delicious thin crust brick-oven pizza that will revive your
 tastebuds.  Enjoy 2-for-1 cocktails and great food while listening 
to the waves roll in.  Enjoy!

           

Relax on the beach, check out the shops at the Aldoquin, enjoy
 a spa day or participate in a yoga class at one of the 2 local 
studios.  Zipolite provides something for everyone and is as
 relaxing as it gets along the Oaxacan coastline.  On occasion, 
Zipolite has some nightlife; Barracuda bar, Livelula, and Babel
 Cafe all have live music from time to time where you can. 
Musical genres include, blues, jazz, funk, reggae as well as DJ’s
 liven up the relaxing vibe and allow travelers to let loose 
and dance the night away.  Zipolite will also get bands trickle in 
from the Puerto Escondido Music Festival.  One fan favorite 
is the Dave Rotundo band from Toronto – they will definitely get 
your feet tapping and hands clapping! Here’s a video of the 
band performing one of their originals.  Enjoy!

David Rotundo in Mexico

Pedro Manga Charging XL Puerto Escondido [1:40] Pedro Manga uploaded this video to vimeo featuring his 2012 sessions from Puerto Escondido and more of Mexico. www.dailysurfvideos.com/.../pedro-manga-charging-xl-puerto...

Pedro Manga Charging XL Puerto Escondido [1:40]
Pedro Manga uploaded this video to vimeo featuring his 2012 sessions from Puerto Escondido and more of Mexico.
www.dailysurfvideos.com/.../pedro-manga-charging-xl-puerto...

WINTER HOME first report OCT17 20128 COMMENTS AND 0 REACTIONSWRITTEN BY JOHN CALYPSO

WINTER HOME first report

OCT17
20128 COMMENTS AND 0 REACTIONSWRITTEN BY JOHN CALYPSO

We made the trip from Xico to Puerto Escondido in 12.5 hours. We lost about an hour due to major construction on highway 200. This is the main southern Mexico highway running from east to west.

This time while away we hired a gardener to visit 3 hours a week. It paid off. The yard was in much better shape and ended up costing about half of what it did to restore the yard and get rid of a bunch of vegetation trash.

The report on Hurricane Carlotta damage is we had minimal damage.  We had more damage (read cleanup) from the fact the wind blew open the door of our just newly decorated upstairs bathroom. That opening provided a hotel room for about 4-5 bats. They are messy creatures. We put in a lot of work getting rid of palm fronds and bat guano.

Additional bad news was that our Internet provider has disappeared. The fellow that assured us he would be here when we got back now has one of our radios, cabling and a Linksys wifi unit. We managed to locate him in Salina Cruz where he says restitution is forth coming. We will not be holding our breath on that.

A great deal of friendly overtures were made which gained our trust. So far in Mexico this has not paid off. Typically that is the case no matter where you may be these days. It is good advice to simply not entrust anyone with your things.  We could have gathered up our equipment before we left – better stated we should have done that.

We are back to square one on Internet access here in Puerto. We do know more about using radios – beyond that, it is start anew.

Early reports from the neighborhood include our next-door neighbors had their car stolen right out in front of their casa. A mere 30 feet or so from my office space. This occurred just after the Hurricane. There was no power in the neighborhood – no lights.

Clever of some thoughtless ladrones to add injury to people dealing with a distressful time. I suppose the attitude here is move while the opportunity presents itself. Our neighbors had lost most of their roof and were dealing with water damage in their bedroom etc. They do have a shiny new red roof now.

The current weather picture is lows in the high 70’s and 87-89 highs. Lots of sun and near perfect temperatures as usual. Of course we always seem to have a gentle sea breeze; after all, we live in Las Briesas.

We are sleeping downstairs while we finish cleaning upstairs. It will be a few more days of this – no small task even just cleaning after a direct hit hurricane.

Horror of horrors our La Pavoni espresso maker stopped working. The pump was humming but no action. I sprayed some WD-40 and then used a screw driver to turn the armature shaft a bit. That did it – We have already had our first cups of espresso.

Then the motor on our small water pump we use for the washing machine was in a similar state. I performed similar action and it is once again free and running. Obviously things at rest tend to build up a salty fixed state.  We will need a plan for this. But the washing machine worked right off.

In spite of the few trials at the moment. It is good to be back in sunny Puerto Escondido.  Cannot think of a better place to be right now. Stay Tuned!

Posted in Around Mexico, Blogging, Friends, Frugal Travelers, Oaxaca, Opinion, Puerto Escondido,The Weather

http://www.puertonow.com/tortillas.html

Y

Tortillas are the soul of Mexican cooking

At top, the finished product, tortillas made by hand by Elena Salvatores of Restaurant Macri in Barra de Colotepec. Middle, Elena forms the masa into balls before pressing them flat in the tortilla press. Bottom, tortillas cooking on the wood-fired comal.

BY THE TIME OF COLUMBUS, there were at least 150 plants domesticated in the New World. It's hard to conceive of a world without corn, beans, squash, tomatoes, chilis, peppers, potatoes, peanuts, pineapples, avocados, papaya, not to mention chocolate, tobacco, chewing gum, rubber and cochineal. These are just some of the wonders that Europeans found in America and which changed their world.

Finally acknowledged as one of the great cuisines of the world, Mexican cooking must also rank as one of the oldest. By 2000 B.C., the Meso America societies were primarily agricultural, but 5,000 years earlier, the hunter-gatherers had began cultivating the crops which remain the staples of the Mexican diet today.

Nothing represents the soul of Mexican cooking more than the tortilla. As old as Mexico itself, the tortilla is versatile enough to define most facets of the cuisine.

Used fresh, stale, or dried to a crisp, the essential tortilla begins as corn kernels briefly cooked in a solution of slaked lime and water, then left to soak until they are soft enough to be ground to a smooth dough, or masa.

The tortilla is formed by hand, press or machine and cooked on a hot, ungreased griddle, comal, until slightly speckled with brown, but still soft and pliable. At this point, it is eaten as a bread, or used as an edible spoon.

Wrapped around small pieces of meat, vegetables, or cheese, it becomes a taco in its simplest form. Slightly stale, cut into triangles and fried crisp, it becomes a scoop - totópo or tostadita - for guacamole or fried beans.

Stale and dried, cut into pieces and lightly fried, tossed into a sauce and garnished lavishly, it becomes chilaquiles - literally, pieces of broken up old sombrero. Or, use like pasta in a casserole; as the basis for a dry soup (sopa seca) or a pudding (budín).

Whole tortillas can be fried flat and covered with a paste of fried beans, topped with meat and salad to become an edible plate - a tostada.

Even when the tortilla is dried out to a crisp, it can be ground to a rough textured meal and moistened to form a dough for little round, fat cakes - gordas, sopes or chalupas, or savory balls - bolitos - to drop into soup. Then, to take the tortilla at every stage, the raw corn dough can be used alone, or mixed with cheese, potatoes or chiles, and transformed to produce any of the antojitos (little fancies or snacks) such as quesadillas or empanadas.

Oaxaca is justly renowned for its antojitos. You will see these snacks almost everywhere. They are almost invariably made of masa (corn dough) stuffed or topped with cheese, beans, salsas, meat, potatoes, etc. Unlike the greasy antojitos of other parts of Mexico, a majority of those made in Oaxaca are cooked on an ungreased griddle, a comal, not fried.

The most traditionally Oaxacan, and one of the most popular, of these delicious snacks, is called a tlayuda. This is a giant tortilla prepared like a Mexican pizza. Others are sopes, chalupas, picadas, molotes, tostadas and empanadas.

Tacos are also popular here, but most taquerías (taco shops) have a variety of tacos with fanciful names such as alambre (wire), sincronizadas (synchronized), gringas, mula terca (stubborn mule), among others.

Most taquerías also serve pozole, a hearty pork or sometimes chicken based soup with tender hominy corn and other vegetables. It's served fairly bland with a plate of seasonings that you add according to your taste: onions, oregano, lime, chili, chili powder.

How corny can you get?

• atole: a sweetish corn gruel
• chalupas or huaraches: oval-shaped tortilla dough topped with cheese and sauce
• champurrado: chocolate-flavored atole
• chilaquiles: pieces of day-old tortilla, fried and tossed in a rich sauce and garnished with various toppings.
• elote: ear of corn
• enchilada: sauteed tortillas filled and drenched in chili sauce.
• empanada: turnover, corn dough stuffed with sweet or savory filling and fried or baked
• flautas: torillas, tightly rolled around a meat filling, then fried.
• gordas: fat, round and stuffed tortilla dough
• molotes: corn dough stuffed with potato and chorizo deep-fried and topped with beans, cheese and salsa
• pozole: rich, satisfying soup made from either pork or chicken and hominy corn.
• quesadilla: tortilla filled with cheese, and sometimes other ingredients, and melted on the comal
• sincronizadas: 2 flour tortillas stuffed with cheese and ham
• sopes: small gorda, with pinched edge, various toppings plus lettuce, cheese and cream
• tacos al pastor: tacos filled with meat carved from grilled slices of tender beef or pork, often garnished with pineapple
• tamales: corn dough stuffed and steamed in banana or corn leaves
• tlayudas: large corn tortilla cooked on a charcoal grill to a chewy texture and topped with beans, tasajo, pork, cheese and sauce
• tostada: crunchy tortilla with choice of toppings
• totopo or tostadita: tostada cut into sections

—Warren Sharpe

The Green Flash in Puerto Escondido: fact or fiction?

TAY

The Green Flash in Puerto Escondido:

fact or fiction?

FOR DECADES, Topic Number One among Puerto Escondido's sunset aficionados has been the elusive Green Flash. Now cynic, that I am, my theory was that these alcohol and substance-infused individuals, after gazing intently at that brilliant red orb as it slipped gently into the ocean, were experiencing an optical illusion, as a negative image — the color green — was emblazoned onto the retina.

Not so, says my science consultant, the reclusive Dr. K. as he now explains: When the Sun sets, sometimes the last bit of light from the top of the solar disc itself is an emerald green colour. This phenomenon is known as the "green flash" or "green ray." It is not an optical illusion, nor does it fill the sky with green light. Usually, the effect is very subtle, but occasionally the result is intense.

The green flash is quite common and will be visible any time the sun is rising or setting on a clear, unobstructed and low horizon. From Puerto, that means the horizon must be exceptionally clear at sunset with no apparent clouds or haze. The flash typically lasts one or two seconds. It helps to look away until the last possible instant to avoid over-saturating your vision. What makes the Green Flash The explanation for the green flash involves refraction, scattering, and absorption. First, the most important of these processes is refraction. Sunlight is bent by the earth's atmosphere resulting in our image of the sun on the horizon appearing roughly a solar diameter *above* its actual position. That is, if there was no atmosphere, the solar disc would already have disappeared below the horizon.

Refracting white light, combining all the colours, through any clear substance such as water, glass, or air, causes the different light wavelengths to be refracted at different angles, similar to a spectrum from a prism or rainbow.

Blue light with shortest wavelengths is refracted the most. Red light with longest wavelengths is refracted, or bent, the least. Thus, the sun's disc in red light would appear to be lower in the sky than the solar disc in blue light. The blue disc is actually the last to set after green.

The blue light is "Rayleigh-scattered" away. (Rayleigh was a British physicist.) The size of air's gas atoms causes blue wavelength light to be scattered more than the other colours. This effect makes the sky blue. Air has a weak yellow optical absorption band. When the sun is overhead, this absorption isn't significant, but once near the horizon, the solar light travels through approximately 38 times more air, so even a weak absorption becomes substantial. A setting sun loses most its bright yellow colour. Summarising, a simple explanation for the green flash is: Refraction separates the visible solar images by colour (spectrum). At just the right instant, the red/orange image of the sun sets, The yellow image is absorbed and . . . The blue image is scattered away. We are left to view the remaining, and sometimes brilliant, green solar crescent.

—Warren Sharpe

TAY

Day of the Dead is a festive event in Mexico

Top and middle, calaveras. Above, an elaborate altar in Puerto constructed for Day of the Dead.

THE DAY OF THE DEAD CAN be traced back in Mexico for 3,000 years. The Aztec celebration occurred throughout the month of August and corresponded with the corn harvest. After the conquest, the rituals became incorporated into the Christian All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day (November 1 and 2).

The former commemorates saints who do not have a specific day and others who have reached heaven, including children, while the latter — also known as the Day of the Faithful Departed — is for souls who have not entered paradise because they died without having atoned for their sins. In Roman Catholic churches, a Requiem Mass is celebrated on this day.

The Aztecs believed that the souls of men who died in battle — or who were sacrificed — and women who died in childbirth, found their way to the Paradise of the Sun. Victims of drowning and those sacrificed to the rain god went to the realm of the rain. Everyone else was consigned to the underworld (Mictlán), and a long and arduous voyage ending in oblivion. But no matter how you died, death was not the end of one's existence. There were certain days, however, in which the dead would return to their old homes to visit their relatives. On these days they would be greeted with great joy. Even though they were not present in body, they were felt to be entirely present in spirit.

In our time, November 2 is the day of celebrating the return of departed loved ones. Naturally, a great deal of preparation goes into this celebration and many rituals must be observed.

Day of the Dead rituals vary from place to place, but all contain certain common practices: the welcome and goodbye of the souls, the positioning of offerings for the dead, the cleaning and adorning of the tombs, the watch in the cemetery and the celebration of religious offices.

It is a time of family gatherings in which the departed are very much present and is one of the high points of the year. Far from being solemn or morbid, the Day of the Dead celebrations are highly festive in tone. They celebrate the continuity of life and strengthen the links to the past. It is a remarkable time to be in the state of Oaxaca, to marvel at the creativity and spiritual strength of its people.The festival is so integral to the culture that it has spawned a wealth of brilliant cultural expression and practices.

Calaveras are skulls, and sugar skulls are one of the Day of the Dead sweets, part of a broad culinary tradition of special foods enjoyed by the living and the departed,

Calaveras are also satiric, light verses meant to be obituaries of people still alive. Politicians are a favorite target, they are also composed for fun between friends:

The grim reaper came to town with his scythe
but he didn't know that the Sol de la Costa
keeps everyone so well advised
that not even death comes as a surprise.

Calacas are also skeletons. They are often small figures made of wood or fired clay, and they are usually dressed in colorful costumes. They are often portrayed as musicians or revelers or as people going about their daily business. Are they mementos mori or are they invitations to a feast that includes the dead? Maybe the calacas tell the spirits of the dead that we still love them and enjoy their company even if they aren't with us in the flesh.

Papel picado (punched paper) is a popular art form with roots in the country's ancient cultures. The Aztecs used the bark of wild mulberry and fig trees to make a rough paper called amatl. It was used to make flags and banners to decorate temples, streets and homes.

Today, these sheets of intricate designs depicting flowers, birds, angels, crosses, skeletons, historic figures and more are used to celebrate all major fiestas, very popular during September's Patriotic Month and with appropriate symbols they are used to adorn the household altar.

IT'S REMARKABLE just how pervasive are the celebrations for the dead in this society. Most homes and many businesses will have an altar. The family altar is built on a table, with wooden boxes to create different levels. These are covered by a white tablecloth or sheet. Attached to the front of the table are pieces of sugar cane, reeds or palm leaves that are formed into an arc, which represents the earth and the heavens and the eternal cycle of life. The arch is decorated with flowers, particularly the aromatic marigold, cempasúchitl, "the flower of the dead." Other essentials are candles, bread of the dead, a bowl of water, copal incense, and fruits, such as oranges, bananas, limes, nuts and peanuts, and especially the local crab apples known as tejocote, which are often strung on string and hung around the altar. Each of these ingredients represents one of the four elements: earth, wind, fire and water.

Dishes containing the deceased's favorite foods are also on the altar: mole, chocolate or squash cooked with brown sugar, for example. You must also place gifts of items the departed used to enjoy: alcohol, cigarettes or a special candy and the image of the saint they were devoted to.

Add the whimsical skeleton figurines and it's impossible to use too many flowers, especially cempasúchitl, marigolds, which are believed to help guide the spirits of the dead on their journey home.

THE FESTIVAL FOR THE DEAD is embraced with notable fervor in the area's indigenous communities. In many of the Afro-Mestizo towns of the Costa Chica the Devil's Dance was originally a ritual dedicated to the African god Ruja, brought to the New World by slaves during the colonial era.

The dance still begins with Ruja being summoned with respect and reverence, but the dance has evolved into an homage to the dead — which is why it is only performed during the Day of the Dead.

If you haven't had the opportunity to see this impressive performance — featuring up to a score of leather-clad, masked stomping dancers —it's sure to be featured at the Coast Festival of Dance, during the Fiestas of November in Puerto.

THE SKELETON OF THE LADY Dandy (la Calavera de la Catrina) has become an icon of the Day of the Dead. It derives from an early 20th century zinc etching by José Guadalupe Posada and was meant to satirize the lifestyles of the rich and famous of the of the pre-Revolutionary era of Porfirio Díaz.

The Catrina is now synonymous with death, but she also represents the capacity to enjoy one's life and the importance of seizing the moment. Posada, who came from a working class family, was considered more of a popular illustrator than an important artist during his lifetime. But his work influenced José Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera, and today he is recognized as the artist who introduced native, non-European images to modern Mexican art. He died a pauper in 1913 at age 44.

—Warren Sharpe

Shambhala in October 2012 #2

Published on Oct 16, 2012 by Tina Winterlik

The Earth is My Church, this song perfectly describes the beauty of Shambhala's Meditation Point and all of Shambhala. Green and Gorgeous in October, the rainy season has just ended and there's lots of butterflies and everything is lush. Visit Shambhala and see for yourself. Experience the Meditation Point and enjoy the magnificent view. Relax, De-stress and Enjoy Mother Earth!

Shambhala is located in Zipolite, Oaxaca, Mexico

Huatulco Half Marathon Saturday October 12, 2013

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Huatulco Half Marathon

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Where is the race organized?

Country

Mexico

City

Huatulco

When is the race organized?

Edition

1 NEW

Date

Saturday October 12, 2013
RACE DAY IN 12 MONTHS

Other races organized during the event

Huatulco Marathon

• Huatulco 5K
• Huatulco 10K
• Huatulco Marathon

Home : : Culture : Gastronomy : The Ocean with a Coffee Aroma

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The Ocean with a Coffee Aroma

In Huatulco, you'll find your senses drawn momentarily away from the ocean by another of the area's
 greatest charms: coffee. Close to the beautiful beaches are the coffee plantations of Pluma Hidalgo 
where one of Mexico's best coffees is produced. The unmistakable coffee aroma, the surprising
 landscapes of Oaxaca’s sierra mountains and the people working this beautiful land offer you 
a warm and delicious welcome.

Oaxaca’s coffee plantations were founded between 1872 and 1874, when the cochineal 
(an insect that produces natural crimson dye) harvest began to decline. The inhabitants of 
the Miahuatlan region started looking for a new product they could harvest. Coffee – which 
had been so successful in the state of Veracruz – was the chosen product, given the climate of 
Oaxaca’s sierra mountains was very similar, especially around Cerro de la Pluma (Feather Hill), 
whose name derives from the fact that a large number of eagles used to come here to lay their 
eggs and would pluck their own feathers to build their nests.

With over five generations of history, the coffee plantations are not only the production site of 
one of the most famous coffees in the world, but also offer you a unique experience as a 
visitor. Tour the plantations and get to know the whole process the coffee goes through before 
ending up in your cup: from preparation of the land for sowing, to care, cutting, de-stoning, drying 
and toasting of the beans. Hiking should come high up on your list of priorities here since the 
region boasts many creeks and exotic flora and fauna. Most of the plantations offer visitors a 
meal with some of Oaxaca’s traditional flavors and, if you feel like staying longer, you can spend 
the night in one of their picturesque rooms.

Some of the most visited plantations include: Pacifico, Alemania, Copalita, El Faro, La Gloria 
and Camila. The Pacifico plantation is one of the most traditional. Out of its 186 hectares, 
120 of them are dedicated to the production of organic coffee and 33 of them are considered 
an ecological preserve. Off the coffee trail, the surrounding area offers the chance to unwind in
 stunning forest landscapes where you can enjoy horseback riding, agro-tourism and hiking.