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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

Monday, July 11, 2022

Guido's Lounge Cafe 005 Days Like This by Guido's Lounge Café

 

Summer Travel Tips Issue 105

SCOTT'S CHEAP FLIGHTS
 
Issue 105: Summer Travel Tips.
 
 
Talk to just about anyone who has flown lately and you’ll hear some version of what’s become a common refrain: travel is a hot mess right now.

Flights are being canceled and delayed en masse. Lines are long. Luggage is getting lost. If you’re traveling by plane this summer, you’ll need to pack your patience (cliché but true!), but you can also take some steps to help prepare yourself for disruptions.
The summer deals we were seeing just a few weeks ago are gone, so if you’re still looking to book flights for this summer, you’ll likely pay more than you hoped. Also, flights are full, so if you want to ensure you sit with your traveling companions, you’ll need to pay to select your seats, or spring for the upgrade from basic economy to main economy to pick your seat for free (this also gets you free changes on the major US airlines).
With airlines and airports understaffed in almost all areas, everything is taking longer than usual. Get to the airport extra early, give yourself plenty of time for layovers, and if you really need to be somewhere on a specific day, plan to arrive a day or two early if you can.

It’s also wise to book your flights as early in the day as possible. Delays tend to pile up as the day goes on, with early morning flights the least likely to see significant delays.
If you can, travel with only a carryon (it’s easier than it sounds, we promise!). Lines aren’t just long at airport security; they’re long to check luggage as well. If you absolutely must check a bag, be sure to put any valuables, medication, or anything else you simply cannot go without (the bridesmaid’s dress you need to wear, for example) in your carryon.

If you’re flying basic economy, it’s actually a smart idea to have those items within easy reach in your carryon as well. Basic economy passengers board last, which means there may not be space for your carryon in the overhead by the time you board; if you get stuck checking your carryon, be sure to remove any important items first.

AirTags can provide some peace of mind: drop the AirTags in your luggage and you can use your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch to track your bags’ location.

If your luggage does get lost or delayed, you’re entitled to compensation.
Staffing issues extend to airline customer service and wait times to speak to an agent on the phone can be hours long. If something goes awry on your trip, the airline’s app is often the fastest avenue to a resolution. You can do everything from change your seat and track your luggage to rebook your flights or get updates on delays—and often those updates come a lot faster via the app than text or email.
Many credit cards offer travel protection that includes coverage for cancellations, disruptions, delays, and lost luggage, so if you have one, book your trip with a card that helps cover you in case things go wrong. If you don’t, depending on the total cost of your trip, you may want to invest in travel insurance.
If an airline cancels or significantly changes your flight, and it’s a trip you still want to take, you can ask the airline to put you on another flight operated by the airline or one of its partners. Sometimes an airline may even be willing to rebook you on a competitor in extenuating circumstances, like the last flight of the night. Either way, if the airline rebooks you, any price difference is irrelevant; you won’t have to pay. (Alternatively, you’re entitled to a cash refund if you no longer want to travel).

If the airline cancels your flight and there is no replacement option (they stopped flying that route, for example) things are a little trickier. For an airline like United or Delta, this is easy. Rather than flying you directly from, say, San Francisco to Madrid, if they cancel their SFO–MAD route, they might fly you from San Francisco to Paris to Madrid, with the final leg connecting on a European partner, or they could put your on their flight from San Francisco to their New York hub where you can catch their direct flight to Madrid.

But many budget airlines—like Avelo or Breeze—don’t have an extensive partner network and instead of a hub-and-spoke model, they operate a point-to-point model. This means if they cancel a specific route, it may not be possible to reroute you. In this case, the most likely outcome is that the airline will cancel your flight and issue you a refund.

One exception is if you’re willing to be re-accommodated on a different point-to-point route. For example, if a budget airline canceled their Denver to Portland, Maine, route, they may be willing to rebook you onto their Denver to Boston flight (then you’d have to get yourself from Boston to Portland).

Finally, if an airline involuntarily bumps you from a flight, you’re entitled to compensation. The amount varies by destination and how long you end up delayed as a result of being bumped.
 



 
 
With yesterday's stock darlings tumbling, and stagflation rearing its ugly head, The New York Times declares one overlooked investment “bulletproof.” Is it airline miles? Sunken treasure? Try fine art.

In fact, the art market is up 25% in the first half of 2022—compared to 20% losses for the S&P—and the WSJ calls art “among the hottest markets on Earth.”

Here’s why:
  • 14% annual appreciation (1995–2021)
  • Lowest correlation to equities of any asset class
  • Millions don't visit the Louvre to see AAPL stock
But who the heck has $20 million lying around to buy Basquiats and Banksys? Try Masterworks. They make investing in art easier than ordering room service on the corporate card. Plus, they’ve returned +30% to their investors (not once, not twice, but THREE years in a row... NBD).

The only problem? There’s a huge waitlist for membership. But SCF readers can skip to the front of the line with this special link.**
Learn more
 
 



 
Did you know? Some airlines allow you to bid on an upgrade to premium economy or business class. Singapore, Icelandair, Copa, and Hawaiian Airlines are among the two dozen airlines that will offer up unsold premium seats to the highest bidder—often at a fraction of the usual price.

Generally you’ll need to be booked in a class above basic economy to bid. Sometimes the airline will email you if you’re eligible to bid, but you can also check with the airline (or just google “[airline] bid on upgrade”) a few weeks before your flight. You’ll choose an amount to bid and if your bid is accepted (usually you’ll find out a day or two before the flight) your credit card will be charged the amount you bid.

Thinking about upgrading? Read our guides to business class and premium economy on different airlines.

GARDEN OF ABANDON 290: Dark Ambient + Chill by The OM Project

 

Live unknown set in Ushuaia, Ibiza by Ralph MC 2022 by Rafael M. Castillo

 

Zipolite Time Lapse Sunset * 11 July 2022


 

It ain’t easy being a vegetarian in Mexico Getting a meal can be tricky for a vegetarian who doesn't eat meat, chicken, fish, ham, or even chorizo, Joseph Sorrentino has learned.

It ain’t easy being a vegetarian in Mexico
 
 
 
It ain’t easy being a vegetarian in Mexico
 
Getting a meal can be tricky for a vegetarian who doesn't eat meat, chicken, fish, ham, or even chorizo, Joseph Sorrentino has learned.
 

 

70,000 new cases a day predicted when COVID wave peaks later this month

Mexico City leads for active cases per capita basis with nearly 700 cases per 100,000 people. Mexico City leads for active cases per capita with nearly 700 per 100,000 people.

70,000 new cases a day predicted when COVID wave peaks later this month

Most cases in vaccinated people will be mild if caught early, an expert said

Mexico could record some 70,000 new coronavirus cases per day when the fifth wave peaks in late July and early August, according to the spokesman for the National Autonomous University (UNAM) coronavirus commission.

In an interview with the newspaper El País, Mauricio Rodríguez predicted that case numbers will continue increasing in the coming weeks.“It’s possible that we’ll exceed what we saw in the fourth wave and we could … have … about 70,000 cases a day at the end of the month and in the first week of August,” said the medical academic.

Mexico’s current single-day record for new cases is 60,552, set amid the fourth wave in January.

Rodríguez predicted that hospitalizations and COVID-19 deaths will also increase as case numbers rise, but not to the same extent, largely due to high rates of vaccination. He said there is a risk that highly contagious omicron sub-variants will become widespread here and cause case numbers to rise even more quickly.

“It’s probable that we’ll still have strong epidemic activity in August,” he added, even though the peak of the fifth wave is expected in late July and early next month.

Most cases during the current wave will be mild if they occur in vaccinated people and are detected in a timely way, Rodríguez said. “The worst of the pandemic has already passed,” he said, referencing the high number of COVID deaths recorded in 2020 and 2021.

Mexico currently has 223,074 estimated active cases, a 30% increase compared to a week ago when there were 171,291. It is recommended that people with COVID isolate for at least seven days, even if they don’t feel unwell.

Over the next month, the country could exceed 60,000 new COVID daily COVID cases, its record during the fourth wave.
Over the next month, the country could exceed 60,000 new daily COVID cases, its record during the fourth wave. WORLDOMETER

Mexico City easily has the highest number of active cases on a per capita basis with close to 700 per 100,000 people. Baja California Sur and Colima rank second and third respectively for the size of their outbreaks. Each state has more than 300 active infections per 100,000 residents.

The Health Ministry reported a total of 169,725 new cases during the past seven days for an average of 24,426 per day. The accumulated case tally rose to just under 6.26 million on Sunday with 9,342 additional infections reported.


The official COVID death toll increased to 326,085 with eight additional fatalities registered. A total of 297 COVID-related fatalities were recorded during the past seven days for a daily average of 42 per day.

The Health Ministry said in a statement Sunday that 16% of general care beds set aside for COVID patients are currently occupied while just 4% of those with ventilators are in use.

The federal government is no longer using a stoplight system to warn citizens of the COVID risk level in Mexico’s 32 entities, but authorities in Nuevo León continue to use their own system and last week upgraded the risk level from green to yellow. The state recorded 3,860 cases last Wednesday, the highest single-day figure since January, and hospitalizations have recently trended upwards.

There are currently just over 200 active cases per 100,000 people in Nuevo León, according to federal data published Sunday. On a per capita basis, the state has the eighth largest outbreak in the country after Mexico City, Baja California Sur, Colima, Sinaloa, Quintana Roo, Querétaro and Yucatán.