Friday, January 18, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Life on Death Beach
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| "Life on Death Beach" chronicles the lives of a group of volunteer lifeguards as they struggle for recognition in their own town, and the patients and therapists at a rehabilitation clinic down the street, who may be able to give more than a little insight into the Lifeguards' precarious and tragic situation through their own battles with Mexican society. | ||||||||||||||||
| JeffArak@Gmail.com | ||||||||||||||||
Playa Zipolite
Zipolite
We are now on our third day settled in at Rancho Los Mangos in Zipolite (about 45 minutes south of Puerto Escondido, just a few km from Puerto Angel). I have to say, Puerto Escondido/Zicoleta was a bit of a flop – very difficult to find a spot for the Sprinters, populated almost entirely by gringos, and with a shore break that keeps all but the more experienced surfers out of the water. On the up side, the food choices were fantastic. My and Bryans favorite was a place called Cayuca that specializes in Oaxacan food. Jose, the owner, spent about a half an hour giving Bryan and I a tutorial on the different types of mezcal. The food was so good we convinced the rest of the group to return the next night to celebrate Jamies birthday. He and Kelly are otherwise known as The Tranquillos, an overlanding couple that Bryan and the rest of the STT crew got to know very well during the 3 weeks they spent at Sayulita before I got there. Happily, when we decamped from Zicoleta and headed for Zipolite they came along – good company 
We are really enjoying Zipolite and the amenities of Rancho Los Mangos – after 3 days of hunkering down in “The Alley” in Zicoleta it’s nice to have access to shade, pool, etc. The town of Zipolite is really nice and has a surprisingly active night life. The beach is great for running – flat and firm packed – but also famous for a set of dangerous rip currents that can make swimming dicey. So far while we’ve been here the currents have actually been pretty tame and Jamie proved today that there is actually some good surfing to be had at the north end of the beach.
Jamie tears it up
Nude beach at north end of Zipolite – sorry, no closeups
The main drag in Zipolite
Christmas is coming fast and we’ve decided that we’re going to head inland to Chiapas to post up in San Cristobal for the holiday and a break from the hot weather. Hard to break away from Zipolite though…
7 Reasons to Go to Mexico City Now Posted by Fodor's Guest Blogger on January 14, 2013
7 Reasons to Go to Mexico City Now
By Jill Fergus
You may have been to Mexico’s beach resorts like Cancun or Puerto Vallarta, or perhaps you’ve visited its beautiful colonial-era cities like San Miguel de Allende. But if you’ve never been to Mexico City, now is the time to go. This thriving, cosmopolitan capital city has plenty of exciting aspects—from a new museum showcasing works of renowned Mexican artists to a growing culinary scene led by innovative chefs like Enrique Olvera. There are also hip boutique hotels and up-and-coming neighborhoods—along with some classic can’t-miss attractions. So when planning your next trip to Mexico, make Mexico City your first stop.
A welcome addition to the city’s cultural scene is the recently openedSoumaya Museum whose ultra-modern design (it resembles a trapezoid in motion) has architecture buffs buzzing. Owned by Carlos Slim, the world’s richest man, the world-class collection features Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros murals, El Greco, Miro, Van Gogh and Matisse paintings, Rodin and Salvador Dali sculptures and rare colonial-era Mexican gold coins.
The city is known for its design-conscious boutique hotels, many owned by Grupo Habita including fashionable Condesa DF which attracts those in the film and art worlds to its rooftop bar, and Habita, the brand’s first property. Its latest hotel is Distrito Capital, located in Santa Fe, the city’s commercial district, whose 30 minimalist rooms on the top floors of a sleek skyscraper offer fabulous city views.
The city has a vibrant culinary scene lead by young chefs like Enrique Olvera whose Pujol restaurant in the Polanco district is widely considered to be the best in Mexico City. Savor his modern take on traditional Mexican dishes during a tasting menu in the intimate and elegant dining room. Some of the unique and whimsical creations might include smoked corn "lollipops", a goat cheese ball in a spicy tomato broth, caviar souffle and berry sorbet in mezcal.
Tequila’s lesser known sister spirit, mezcal, is the all the rage in Mexico City with the fashionable set flocking to the many mezcalerias that have been springing up all over town. One of the mezcal pioneers is La Botica in Condesa (it now has several other locations). Other spots to sample this smoky spirit made from the maguey plant (a form of agave) include La Clandestina and Corazon de Maguey.
Explore up-and-coming La Roma, a former gritty area that has been transformed into an artsy, bohemian neighborhood with plenty of galleries, vintage clothing shops, boutiques (from emerging Mexican fashion designers to independent bookstores to coffee houses). Popular meeting spots are Hotel Brick, in a restored mansion with a small but fun cocktail bar (try the cucumber-peppermint martini) and Brasserie La Moderna, by celebrity chef Richard Sandoval.
Another cultural highlight is the newly-minted Museo Tamayo, which reopened last August after years of renovations of its building and facilities. The contemporary museum, named for Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo, has also expanded its exhibition space offering opportunities for visitors to see more of its permanent collection, including numerous Tamayo works as well as pieces from Picasso, Max Ernst, Francis Bacon and Isami Noguchi.
And while there are always new things happening in the capital city, its heart and soul is still the Centro Historico, dominated by the Zocalo, an enormous public square surrounded by historic churches and museums. Since the times of the Aztecs it’s been a gathering place—nowadays there are religious festivals, citizen protests and concerts (including a performance by Shakira, which drew a crowd of 210,000). Steps away is the archeological ruins of Templo Mayor, one of the main temples of the Aztecs when the city was known as Tenochtitlan.
Photo Credits: Soumaya Museum: Arturoosorno | Dreamstime.com; Grupo Habita: Habita Hotel pool by animalvegetable Attribution License; Pujol: Courtesy of Pujol; La Botica: La Botica MezcalerÃa: DF, MX. by Alejandro De La Cruz Attribution-NoDerivs License; Hotel Brick: Courtesy of Hotel Brick; Museo Tamayo: museo rufino tamayo by transient musket Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License; Centro Historico: dubassy/Shutterstock
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Overland Travel - Zipolite, Mexico - Overland Travel Mexico, Uncategorized - My attitude has improved dramatically from yesterday. Nothing a good night's sleep and a day without driving cant cure ... overlandsphere.com/overland-travel/americas/.../114603
Overland Travel - Zipolite, Mexico -
Overland Travel Mexico, Uncategorized - My attitude has improved dramatically from yesterday. Nothing a good night's sleep and a day without driving cant cure ...
overlandsphere.com/overland-
Zipolite, Mexico
Overland Adventure Travel - Read the original post on the overlanders website: theDangerz | theDangerz.
My attitude has improved dramatically from yesterday. Nothing a good night’s sleep and a day without driving cant cure.
There was nothing luxurious or fun abut the last few days and we feel completely lucky to have run into friends to at least break up the 3 days of driving. It’s funny how a long drive gives you an opportunity to get a bit lost in your own mind. We never question whether this trip is right for us but my brain questions just about every other aspect. What is our goal, how far are we going, how will we know when we’ve found it? I don’t particularly love driving or sleeping in a van… I love having a home and the projects that come with it, and days like yesterday make we almost want to throw in the towel and call it all off. But then we arrive at some seldom visited town and untouched beach and I remember why we are driving to begin with. If only we could find a way to explore and discover new places without all the driving in between I would be a really happy man. If only we could afford that catamaran…
We realized last night that Karma isn’t allowed on the beach here, which will make hanging out on the sand and surfing all day a difficult thing. Add to that the fact we are a 15 minute walk to the water, and we might be attempting that hill out of town before too long.
We realized last night that Karma isn’t allowed on the beach here, which will make hanging out on the sand and surfing all day a difficult thing. Add to that the fact we are a 15 minute walk to the water, and we might be attempting that hill out of town before too long.
A full day of lounging around followed by a good night of sleep and a sunrise session in the surf was just what the doctor ordered. It’s been long enough that we might have forgotten any skills we learned a few months back but the beach is gorgeous and the rocky point attracts pelicans and iguanas who to bask in the sun and watch us paddle in. Not a bad way to spend the morning. We make a run at the hill up away from the beach and then wait on the other surfers to offer them a ride. 7people, 5boards and a dog inside the bus- definitely a record for us. We stop into pepe’s to unload everyone, rinse off, eat some breakfast and pay our bill before leaving.
Somehow, the bus also managed the hills on the way out of town. We didn’t have to add a tow to our list after all. That cash we saved for just such an occasion suddenly gets to go towards lunch. In Huatulco we search for a restaurant with wifi but this place is way to big and fast paced for us so we move on north to zipolite. Even before stepping foot in the sand we know that this is more our speed. Slow but not completely off the beaten path. The beach out front is clothing optional and the stores and cabanas that line it are all palapa-roofed. The roads are still dirt and the crowd looks diverse (and every person we pass loves the bus)- reminds us of tulum oh so many years ago. As we pop into a few cabana complexes asking about camping in their parking lot we stumble across a gem. I ask if we can see the inside, just hoping for a few photos and some architectural inspiration (for the off chance we ever build our own palapa on the beach) but as the doors are opened jen decides immediately that we are staying.
A bit of a vacation within a vacation if you will. Our first real splurge since leaving in july. A tiny white walled cabana in the sand overlooking the surf, complete with a hammock built for two out front. Pure indulgence, but we feel like we’ve earned it. Too many hard days of driving and i guess i shouldn’t be terribly surprised.
Before nestling into our hammock, we rinse off in the ocean and watch karma get her puppy on back and forth across the sand in and out of the water, and jen leans in to tell me she’s “putting this in with the rally expenses”.
David Archuleta - Rainbow (Remix)
David Archuleta - Rainbow (Remix) - Playa Zipolite
Budget, Backpackers, Surfers, Beach Lovers, Naturalist, Hippie, Sun and Sand worshipers, Off the Beaten Path Paradise! Everyone is welcome atZipolite!
playazipolite.blogspot.com/...
Playa Zipolite. Welcome To The Beach Of The Dead!: David Archuleta - Rainbow (Remix)
Budget, Backpackers, Surfers, Beach Lovers, Naturalist, Hippie, Sun and Sand worshipers, Off the Beaten Path Paradise! Everyone is welcome atZipolite!
playazipolite.blogspot.com/...
Playa Zipolite. Welcome To The Beach Of The Dead!: David Archuleta - Rainbow (Remix)
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