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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

Saturday, July 7, 2012

alisa-travels: Mexico: Puerto Escondido


  1. Mexico: Puerto Escondido
    Our Spring Break ended in Puerto Escondido where we took a van from Oaxaca City at 5AM and arrived in Puerto Escondido sometime in the early afternoon. Pto. Escondido is located at the very southern part of Mexico on the Pacific Coast. It is famous for one of its beaches called Zicatela Beach which hosts major surfing competitions. But this city also has very beautiful, quiet beaches with gentle waves as well. We visited most of them, my favorites were Playa Bacocho and Playa Coral. 
    We stayed at a hostel called Tower Bridge Backpackers. We got a really nice room for really cheap. We had a kitchen, our own bathroom, bedroom and living room all to ourselves with a hammock and a swimming pool right outside. 
    Playa Carrizalillo…a bit crowded with lots of families and kids. Lots of surfing lessons here as well because of the more gentle waves compared to the crazy ones at Playa Zicatela.
    Playa Bacocho…our favorite beach because it was very deserted so we felt like we had the whole beach to ourselves…very difficult to get here though. We had to walk for almost half an hour.
    Playa Coral is connected to Playa Bacocho…very beautiful with gorgeous turquoise water and white sand. There was a deserted hotel right by the shore, we didn’t want to have to walk all the way back (which would have taken an hour at least) so we decided to hike up our way through the deserted area. It was very sketchy and creepy, we saw an iguana on our way up…fortunately we made it up ok and saved some time. 
    We spent our whole last day at the famous Playa Zicatela, eating lots of yummy Mexican food. I wanted to go skydiving so badly but couldn’t afford it at the time so I will safe that for next time (my dream is to skydive in Dubai overlooking the beautiful man-made Palm Islands). But overall, I absolutely loved Pto. Escondido. It has so much to offer with tons of different kinds of beaches and lots of great food and fun activities. We took a bus back from Pto. Escodido to Mexico City which took about 18 hours…longest bus ride I’ve ever experienced but actually didn’t feel that bad!
     
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    Wave of the Summer- Puerto Escondido
     
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    Fun day at the Mex Pipeline, Puerto Escondido. Dilan Carestia. Photo by Sophie Pinzone.
     
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    Ian Walsh, on the wave of the Summer?
    Puerto Escondido. 
    Photo: Edwin Morales (and courtesy of surfline.com)
     
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    Puerto Escondido, Mexcio, 09
     
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    The best dog in the world…Bali!
    Bali, Puerto Escondido, 09
     
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    Puerto Escondido, Mexico, 09
     
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Puerto 2012

Friday, July 6, 2012

Inside The Saving Puerto Escondido campaign


TRANSMISSIONInside The Saving Puerto Escondido campaign

IN: TRANSMISSION BY DOCLACH 0 COMMENTS TUE 3RD JUL '12
tags: salvermos puerto , saving puerto escondido , gregg taylor , iba , mexico , world tour , hurricane
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  • Mitch_rawlins___im_6812_iba_mexico_2011_collins_n
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  • Jared_housten___im_0534_iba_mexico_2011_collins_n
  • Damian_king___im_7893_iba_mexico_2011_collins_n
  • Dallas_singer___im_6390_iba_mexico_2011_collins_n
Gregg Taylor, the Managing Director of the IBA world tour has offered to clarify details about the "Salvermos Puerto" fundraising campaign....
Doc: Hey Gregg, thanks for taking the time to clear some questions up. Surfing over the last couple of days , there have been several questions from bodyboarders about the fundraising so we'll run through a few. Firstly you're looking to raise $100k minimum to run an event to attract tourism to Zicatela. Firstly, say $100k is raised, is there more benefit in putting a that large directly into the community, or in running a bodyboarding event with all its associated costs to attract visitors?
Gregg: The perspective we have taken is that the 200+ IBA bodyboarders and staff that spend 2+ weeks in Puerto Escondido for the event will provide a far greater positive impact to the local community and economy. On top of that the media value that an IBA event brings with its 100,000s of viewers per event is a great platform to promote Puerto Escondido to drive future tourism spending and awareness of the help needed for the region.
Doc: The Tees are selling for $30. Does all of the $30 go to the fund, or does the material and printing costs of the tees come out of it first? That is, say a printed tee costs $8 all up including freight , postage to the customer etc. does $22 go to the Puerto fund or the full $30?
Gregg: The IBA would like to confirm all proceeds from the t shirt sales less the cost of the shirt and freight will be donated to the campaign. The IBA are in discussions with a number of global clothing companies regarding the donation of the t shirts, meaning the only cost will be that of the freight.
If there are any clothing companies who can help with the supply of the shirts the IBA would love to hear from them.
Doc: The government wasn't able to come up with the funding this year because of the hurricane damage, last year Mitch came through with sponsorship from Found boards at the proverbial eleventh hour so the event could run. What is the cost gap between government funding and what a bodyboarding industry sponsor (or a non-bodybording sponsor if they were interested) needs to chip in to run Zicatela?
Gregg: In 2011 the event was made possible by the Industry support of Turbo Surf Designs, AGIT, Found Boards, ID Boards. All these brands worked together to provide the funding and the event was a great success.
The cost gap in 2012 started out at $100,000. With the sales to date and a number of other initiatives we are launching we imagine this figure is down to $50,000. Like 2012, this can be shared across various companies.
The IBA welcomes all expressions of interest.
Doc: You're looking to use some of the funds to rebuild the eight lifeguard towers that were destroyed. If you only raise a portion of the envisaged amount, where will that money go - to build these towers, even if there isn't a comp?
Gregg: In the event that $100,000 is not raised, the IBA Zicatela Pro will be cancelled with the proceeds of Salvemos Puerto t shirts donated to the lifeguards of Puerto Escondido. The proceeds of the industry merchandise packs will be refunded to customers via paypal.
Doc: The IBA site states you're looking to raise the "First $100,000 prior to the 8th of July" which is only six days away at the time of writing. Don't you feel that's a bit of a tight timeline?
Gregg: Each month the IBA website has over 150,000 unique people globally view the IBA website and more than double this amount of people watch the LIVE webcast of each event, over 300,000 people.
For this campaign to be successful we need 1% of this total number of IBA events viewers to participate in the campaign by purchasing a t shirt or a merchandise pack. So yes we are looking for 3,000 Bodyboarders globally to contribute. When it is broken down like this, most agree it is a reasonable expectation.
In reality we can extend the period though we would need to see at least 50% of the required funds raised by the end of this week and good momentum. In practice the IBA require 1 month period to organise the event in Mexico, and this is the reason why a call needs to be made. The riders also need time to plan travel.
Doc: A lot of charity institutions are having to declare what costs come out of donations for things like engaging promotional companies, administration costs and so on. Again, how much from each to the promotional packs sold will go directly to the cause and is any going to any promotional companies or increased administration costs?
Gregg: The industry merchandise packs have been donated at zero cost to the campaign by Turbo Surf Designs, Reeflex Wetsuits, Inverted Bodyboarding and Freedom Fins. As such, all of the proceeds of these sales go to the Salvemos Puerto campaign.
There are no administration costs being charged in this campaign. The IBA are doing this at no cost for the benefit of the sport of bodyboarding.
Doc: Of the total cost of running a comp at Zicatela, what component of the total does a quality webcast cost? If the funds raised are borderline, would you consider running a comp without the webcast?
Gregg: The webcast costs of an IBA event are significant and yes that is an option that could be considered. Though in my view considering the public are effectively helping the event happen they deserve the option to watch the event live. The IBA are reviewing pay per view options also.
Doc: Prizemoney - would that be reduced to help flow more money to Puerto Escondido and its people, keeping the cash in the country?
Gregg: Another option that can be discussed with the IBA Riders Board, though this is not a decision the IBA would make without consulting the IBA competitors.
Doc: I noticed Reeflex have been really generous, as John always is. The $60 pack has a $60 Reeflex voucher, the $80 pack has a $110 Reeflex voucher and the $100 pack has a $150 Reeflex voucher. These are all plus apparel and discount vouchers. So the actual value of the packs themselves is pretty guaranteed, you at least get your money back or even more yeah?
Gregg: Again to be fair to all Industry supporters of this campaign, Turbo Surf Designs, Inverted Bodyboarding, Freedom Fins and Reeflex are all donating merchandise and vouchers at no cost and all deserve acknowledgement. In saying that, I don't want to take anything away from John who has been great.
You are correct in saying that the industry packs value are significantly higher than the ticket price. With the $100 pack you get a $150 Reeflex voucher, $70 pair of stretch Turbo Board shorts, $20 Reeflex hat, $30 Salvemos Puerto T shirt, $15 Inverted I phone cover, 30% off Inverted online shop voucher and a free Inverted t shirt if you spend over $50 with Inverted. That is over $300 of value for $100 and all proceeds go to a great cause.
Doc: If people would like to purchase items to support "Salvermos Puerto" where should they go?
Gregg: please logon to http://shop.ibaworldtour.com/
Thank you for your support
Thanks for your time Gregg and many wishes to our bodyboarding brothers in Mexico.
Photos courtesy IBA from the 2011 Zicatela event.

On July 8th, a concert will be held in Mazunte to raise funds for the reconstruction efforts. Credit: Serge Dedina

On July 8th, a concert will be held in Mazunte to raise funds for the reconstruction efforts.

Gony Zubizarreta en San Agustinillo, México

SALVEMOS PUERTO


SALVEMOS PUERTO

Posted on 30th Jun 2012 @ 5:05 PM
salvemos.jpg
Puerto Escondido, commonly referred to as “The Mexico Pipeline“, is an internationally recognized surfing paradise and desperately needs the help of the global surf community.
The town of Puerto Escondido was devastated by Hurricane Carlotta on Friday 15th June, 2012.  Two children died when their house was taken by a mudslide, and one 56-year-old woman passed away when the wind from the category 2 hurricane flipped her car.  The beach side town has been severely damaged and is in need of urgent assistance to rebuild this community that thrives on tourism.
The Puerto Escondido lifeguards are in need of help due to all damage cause by the hurricane. They used to have 8 towers along the beach at Playa Zicatela and now there’s not a single one of them. This is just one example of what is required to help rebuild the local community; another is to promote tourism back to the area to stimulate the local economy.
The International Bodyboarding Association (IBA) has launched a global campaign to “Salvemos Puerto” (Save Puerto).

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Surf and Inshore Fishing advice for Huatulco


Surf and Inshore Fishing advice for Huatulco

I'm heading to Huatulco next week for a surf trip, but with the small swell, I'm thinking about packing a surf rod and one "small" box of plugs, poppers, iron, and what not. Google earth shows many awesome looking beaches and killer rivermouths, so I'd imagine there's some snook, jacks, and roosters around, but does anyone have any advice on some good beaches to throw the "box" at em? Gracias! Paul


Reply With Quote
  #2  
Unread Jun-22-2012, 06:04 PM
New Guy


Name: George
Vessel: Angel
Location: Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico
Job:plastic gangster
Posts: 9
Paul,
I surf and fish up and down the coast here in Huatulco, plenty of snook around this time of year at the rivermouths. La Bocana at the mouth of the Copalita is one of the best spots. It's always a bit difficult getting to the rivermouth past the cliffs though, and since Hurricane Carlotta rolled through the beach at La Bocana is virtually gone. But it can still be done. Zimatan rivermouth near Barra is good as well. I've found very few roosters around here except up past San Agustin at the beach near the village of Coyula (there's another rivermouth there too). There are also some huge ones down east 40-50 miles, but most of them I've heard of have been caught by boat just offshore, not off the beach. You can give me a shout once you're down here if you want and could meet you for a beer and point you in the right direction.
-George

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  #3  
Unread Jun-25-2012, 02:44 PM
New Guy


Name: Paul Casarez
Age: 43
Vessel: skiff, ?, The Liki Tiki
Location: SF
Job:IT Sales...wannabe fishing and surfing professional!
Posts: 5
Thanks for the heads up George! I'd love to catch my 1st rooster from the beach, but snook are my favorite inshore target! I just saw La Bocana on google earth last night and planned on checking it out and am staying at Barra a couple nights and figured it could by snooky with its rivermouth. I usually throw rapalas, spoons, rat L traps, and hair razors at snook, but let me know if there's any bait I should make sure to have. I'm getting in Wed afternoon, staying in Chahue, so let me know if you wanna have a beer in Crucecita wed night!
Fshon!
Paul

airTransat to Add Huatulco Service in W12


airTransat to Add Huatulco Service 


in W12

by JL
Update at 1030GMT 04JUL12
airTransat starting 24DEC12 is offering new service from Western Canada to Huatulco, with 1 weekly A310 aircraft operating Edmonton – Calgary – Huatulco route. Schedule:

TS792 YEG0745 – 0840YYC0950 – 1640HUX 310 1
TS793 HUX1805 – 2335YYC0035+1 – 0130+1YEG 310 1

At the beginning of hurricane Carlotta in Mazunte (Oaxaca, Mexico)


This video was taken from outside my house during hurricane Carlotta that hit the Mexican Pacific coast (state of Oaxaca) on June 15th 2012. I live in the village of Mazunte. I made this short video while it was still possible to be outside.
Photos of Mazunte the next morning, and more details, are available at sosmazunte.weeno.net/ . We are looking for donations to support rebuilding everything that was destroyed by the hurricane.




At the beginning of hurricane Carlotta in Mazunte (Oaxaca, Mexico) from davux on Vimeo.
This video was taken from outside my house during hurricane Carlotta that hit the Mexican Pacific coast (state of Oaxaca) on June 15th 2012. I live in the village of Mazunte. I made this short video while it was still possible to be outside.

Photos of Mazunte the next morning, and more details, are available at http://sosmazunte.weeno.net/ . We are looking for donations to support rebuilding everything that was destroyed by the hurricane.