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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

Thursday, July 13, 2017

My Spanish Notes ¡Diacachimba! Posted: 09 Jun 2017 03:34 PM PDT

My Spanish Notes


Posted: 09 Jun 2017 03:34 PM PDT
In my last post, Tenemos Chinelas, I gave you a mini-tour of Managua, Nicaragua.  And a little bit of Nicaraguan Spanish to boot.  I also promised you I'd do the the same for the city of Granada.   So with that said, let the Nicaragua adventure continue.

Let's start with a little bit of Nicaraguan Spanish I should have explained to you the first time.

People from Nicaragua are called nicaragüense.  But that's kind of a mouthful, so I like to say the abbreviated version, nica.  And it's nica for both sexes.  You would say un nica for a man and una nica for a woman.

¿Eres nica?
Are you Nicaraguan?



Soy Nica y eso nadie me lo quita
I'm Nicaraguan and no one can take that from me

Here's the Nicaraguan flag (bandera) if you're never seen it.



The currency of Nicaragua is called the córdoba.  Here are a few pics.





Great!  We've got the basics covered so let's get on with that mini-tour of Granada.

I got to Granada in a buseta much like this one.  A buseta is just a smaller version of an autobús.  It can only carry 30 people or so.



My Granada adventure started with ride in a coche de caballos or a horse and buggy.   You may also hear a coach and buggy referred to as un coche con carruaje.  Or cabellos con  carruajes.  If you're familiar with Spanish you know how it is, there's always more than one way to say something.



It's an enjoyable way to tour the city.   You can find them at Parque Colón.  They'll be lined up in the street waiting to take you on the grand tour.


By the way, the word for tour in Spanish is recorrido.  However, don't be surprised if you just hear the word tour.  With a Spanish accent of course.

Granada is a colonial town full of history and super old houses.  The guide pointed out one that was over 400 years old.  Amazing.  What's even more amazing is I didn't take pictures.  What was I thinking?

After touring the city we headed to the Centro Turistico.


The Centro Turistico in Grenada is an awesome place.  It's like a huge park where families go to have picnics, let the kids run around, take a swim in the lake (Lago Cocibolca) and have asados (barbeques).  You can also walk along the lake front and more importantly, take a tour of Las Isletas.



Las Isletas consist of 75 small islands formed from eruptions of el volcán Mombacho.  A good number of theisletas have houses of varying sizes on them.  By the way, an isleta is a small island.  A regular size island (however big that is) is an isla.





If you take a recorrido of Las Isletas you'll also get a chance to have lunch at one of the restaurants found on the isletas.




I really enjoyed the recorrido of las isletas.   Nothing like enjoying the cool breeze on the lake on a hot day.

I'll leave you with a couple of more pictures of Granada.





And to wrap up my mini-tour of Granada, here's a short promo video I found of Granada.  It will give you a great idea of what to expect if you decide to go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvLWrE8yAQk



And to finally wrap this post up, let's look at the word diacachimba.



You probably immediately noticed the difference in spelling from what I typed and what's in the photo.  Since it's an informal word to begin with it really doesn't matter.     You may also see deachachimba.  Anyway, it means something is really cool, really well done, or even to say you're in a good mood.

Que fiesta mas deacachimba
This party is awesome

It can also apply to people.

Ese mae es deacachimba
This guy is really cool

Here are a couple more examples:

Esta entrada esta deacachimba
This post is awesome

Me siento diacachimba
I feel great

Tu carro está deacachimba
Your car is really cool

Este trabajo me esta quedando diacachimba
This job is turning out great

Well, that's it.  Almost.  The last thing I'll add is that if you get the chance try the Toña




and the Flor de Caña, which is their flagship rum.  Awesome stuff.


There really is a lot to do in Nicaragua, much more than I expected.  There were a few things and places I didn't get to see, so who knows, maybe a return trip is in order.

That's it for today, Hasta la próxima!

Zipolite - Voy de Paseo - Erick de la O Erick De La O Erick De La O

Zipolite - Voy de Paseo - Erick de la O





DESNUDO en Zipolite Edwin Reyes Edwin Reyes

DESNUDO en Zipolite





Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Oaxaca beaches / Playas Oaxaqueñas/ Punta Cometa JEDR© JEDR©

Oaxaca beaches / Playas Oaxaqueñas/ Punta Cometa




Mexico's hippie haven of Zipolite

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2013/02/26/laid-back-beach-lost-in-time-in-carefree-hippie-haven-zipolite-mexico.html


TRAVEL

Mexico's hippie haven of Zipolite

  • Jan. 6, 2013: Visitors bathing in the surf along the beach in Zipolite, Mexico.
    Jan. 6, 2013: Visitors bathing in the surf along the beach in Zipolite, Mexico.  (The Associated Press)
"You're going to like it here in Zipolite," Daniel Weiner, the owner of Brisa Marina hotel said with a wry smile as he handed me the keys to my quarters. "You're not going to want to leave in five days."
A few lazy days later, I began to realize why so many guests rent their rooms by the month. Whether it's the laid-back vibe or the tranquil setting, Zipolite has a way of making people stay longer than expected.
A sleepy town with one main street and no ATMs, Zipolite is one of many tiny coastal pueblos that dot the Pacific in Mexico's Southern state of Oaxaca. Stretching from Puerto Escondido to Huatulco, the region is sometimes called the Oaxaca Riviera.
The hippie crowd discovered Zipolite in the 1960s and since then it has slowly evolved into an offbeat tourist spot popular with a certain type of visitor. Its pristine beach stretches two kilometers (1.2 miles) between two high cliffs at either end, and the crowd is fairly evenly split between middle-class Mexicans and free-wheeling liberals from across the globe. Old hippies, young adventure-seekers, and locals all mingle with a flower-child type harmony.
It feels light years away from the areas of Mexico that tourists now avoid due to drug violence. Not only has the U.S. State Department spared Oaxaca from its travel warnings about Mexico, but Zipolite in particular seems lost in time, a place where visitors think nothing of leaving their belongings unattended on the beach and backpackers sleep in hammocks strung along the coast.
Zipolite also has a few claims to fame. The climactic beach scenes in the Mexican blockbuster movie "Y Tu Mama Tambien," were filmed here. And it's gained notoriety as one of Mexico's few nude beaches, although the majority of sunbathers remain clothed. (Farther east, past an outcropping of rocks is the cove known as "Playa de Amor" where nudity is more openly practiced.)
Mike Bolli, a retiree from Vancouver, Canada, says he has been visiting the area for the last 10 years without "accident, issue or injury."
"I have only ever met the nicest and friendliest eclectic mix of locals and visitors — it's a great throwback to the '60s," Bolli said. "So it's all good and safe from my viewpoint."
Zipolite has no high-rise hotels. Many of the beachfront structures are thatched-roof palapas, umbrella-shaped huts with no walls. Brisa Marina itself started off as a wooden structure with a palm roof, but after a major fire in 2001 that destroyed 23 buildings, Weiner rebuilt it with cement.
Visitors expecting a party-all-night Cancun-like atmosphere with fishbowl-sized margaritas and waitresses in bikinis passing out shots of tequila will be disappointed. There is a night life here, but it's nothing like that. Instead, folks gather on the beach in an end-of-day ritual to watch the brilliant sunsets. Many restaurants and bars offer live music and entertainment. And the only paved road in town turns into a carnival-like scene at night, with artists and jewelry makers selling their wares, while musicians, jugglers and fire dancers perform for tips in the street.
"Zipolite after six is awesome," Bolli said, "with all the dreadlocked kids hoping to sell their creations along with a great choice of different restaurants. It's not overcrowded but you can find a crowd if you want."
Some of the most interesting diversions can found at Posada Mexico, an oceanfront restaurant. One night I watched a Cirque du Soleil-like acrobatic performance and another night I rocked out to Cainn Cruz, an amazing child guitar prodigy who brought the house down with his covers of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC.
Adding to the groovy ambience is Shambhala, a spiritual retreat perched high on a hill in a bucolic setting. Tourists are welcome to hike up the resort*s stair pathway where a meditation point sits atop a cliff overlooking the Pacific. Shambhala advertises the "Loma de Meditacion" as a sacred location where visitors may experience a higher consciousness and oneness with nature. The center rents rustic cabins and hosts visiting artists and healers.
The name Zipolite is said to derive from indigenous languages. Some sources say it means "bumpy place," a reference to the local hills, and other sources translate it as "beach of the dead," a reference to strong ocean currents. The beach has volunteer lifeguards and areas with dangerous currents are marked with red flags.
Weiner, who has a deep tan, a working uniform of board shorts and flip-flops, and a crusty, carefree sense of humor, splits his time between California and Zipolite. He's owned his hotel since 1997 and estimates that about 50 percent of his guests are repeat customers.
"This gets us through swine flu times, protests, drug war scares, etc.," he said. "People come back knowing we are OK, and they tell their friends too."
And sometimes they have a hard time leaving. As Weiner predicted, after a few days in Zipolite, I called the airline to change my flight. I had to stay another week.
___
If You Go...
ZIPOLITE, MEXICO: Beach town in Oaxaca on the Pacific, http://mexicobeaches.net/zipolite/
GETTING THERE: The closest airports are Puerto Escondido, an hour's drive west, or Huatulco, an hour south. You can take a bus or taxi from either airport. The closest bus station is in Pochutla, 20 minutes away by taxi or shuttle.
MONEY: The closest ATM is in nearby Puerto Angel, 10 minutes by taxi. The nearest bank is in Potchutla. Most hotels will accept and/or exchange U.S. dollars or euros.
LODGING: Brisa Marina offers oceanfront rooms with balconies and hammocks as well as less expensive courtyard options. Guests can also relax on the large beachfront ramada (shaded outdoor area). Nightly rates range from 200-650 pesos ($16-$51) depending on the season, http://www.brisamarina.org . A spiritual retreat, Shambhala, offers lodging on the hill at the western end of the beach, http://shambhalavision.tripod.com/id2.html .
DINING: Zipolite is home to an impressive variety of quality restaurants with many beachfront choices, including several authentic pizzerias and trattorias, thanks to a number of Italian expats residing locally. For a romantic candlelit experience on the beach with entertainment, try the restaurant at the Posada Mexico inn. You can enjoy the entertainment without dining there by spreading your blanket on the sand nearby.

Dan Stuart & Antonio Gramentiere - 'Zipolite' | Boxtel, Eetcafé De Kerk 05-24-2017 songhunter1966 songhunter1966

Dan Stuart & Antonio Gramentiere - 'Zipolite' | Boxtel, Eetcafé De Kerk 05-24-2017