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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, January 30, 2021

The real find in this caving area turns out to be the paradise around it Thermal waters, exotic flora and fauna and idyllic nightscapes distinguish Las Cuevas By John Pint Published on Friday, January 29, 2021

 https://mexiconewsdaily.com/mexicolife/presa-de-las-cuevas-nayarit/ Relaxing in the transparent, 38 C waters around Las Cuevas.Relaxing in the transparent, 38-degrees Celsius waters around Las Cuevas. 

The real find in this caving area turns out to be the paradise around it

Thermal waters, exotic flora and fauna and idyllic nightscapes distinguish Las Cuevas

One of the lesser-known benefits of cave exploring in Mexico is the occasional natural wonder you stumble upon while beating the bush in search of a cavern.

On many an occasion, that elusive cave (cave) turns out to be a mere sinkhole , just another hole in the ground that no self-respecting bat would ever deign to live in. Ah, but that natural wonder discovered along the way could be anything from a dazzling waterfall to a stupendous mirador or lookout point: a veritable jewel that only the folks in the local ranchos know anything about.       

One of the best examples is what I call the Hot Pool of Paradise.

Many years ago, I was examining the topographic map for Ceboruco Volcano in Nayarit and spotted a place called Las Cuevas not far from the little town of Verde Valle.  

On one fine day off, we went to Verde Valle, where a local beekeeper confirmed that we would indeed find caves at Las Cuevas and told us how to get there:

The shelter cave entrance.
The shelter cave entrance.

"Just follow the railroad tracks and turn right after four kilometers," he said.

This we did, and nailed to a tree at that exact spot we found a sign for Balneario Los Cocos, a name indicating that we had encountered a natural spa. Geez, we thought: a noisy water park here in the middle of nowhere? It's not possible!    

But for the sake of those marvelous caves we were after, we continued right on. The road turned out to be so rough that our worries about finding taco stands at the end of it soon vanished.

For 2.5 kilometers, we bounced along that poor excuse for a road until, on our left, we spotted the shelter cave - about 15 meters long and 10 meters deep, offering fine protection from the elements.

Its well-blackened, slanted ceiling suggested that people had been using it for this purpose for many, many years. This place, to our surprise, was “furnished” with tables, chairs and a stove, all made of flat rocks; it even included an old grave.

A horseman then came by and told us that the cave was being used every year as a temporary home for workers during the harvest season.

In the "raining tree" we found this homopteran, a sucking insect, species unknown.
In the “raining tree” we found this homopteran, a sucking insect, species unknown.

“This cave ,” he told us, “used to be very deep and long, but the passage leading to the rest of it has been sealed off because vampire bats would come out of it every night and scare people. It doesn't look like it, but this cave goes all the way through the hill. If you go around to the back of it, you will find the other entrance. " 

Just past the cave, we came to a nice-looking lagoon, which was actually a dam. The water was lukewarm, and we could see fish jumping in it. Here we parked and began walking around to find a good camping spot.

"How about under that fig tree?" I suggested.

To our great amazement, the moment we stepped beneath the tree's spreading branches, it began to rain; the moment we stepped away from it, the rain stopped. Among us was naturalist Jesus “Chuy” Moreno, to whom we immediately turned for an explanation. Chuy climbed up onto a low branch and came back down with a bug in his hand. It somewhat resembled a grasshopper, but it was gray and fuzzy.

"This," I have announced, "is what's causing the 'rain.' But it isn't rain at all: these insects are peeing on us! "

There was a brook (the source of the lagoon) flowing next to the fig tree, and we followed it upstream to its origin, a hot spring bubbling up in the middle of a shallow, natural pool with a sandy bottom. Somebody had conveniently channeled its outflow into two artificial swimming pools, giving us three different bathing temperatures to choose from. It seemed that we had found Balneario el Coco but without the crowd and the noise!

Chuy Moreno discovers how to get a warm night's sleep without a tent.
Chuy Moreno discovers how to get a warm night's sleep without a tent.

This was obviously the ideal place for us to camp. We immediately got busy cooking supper.

"For dessert," I announced, "We're going to have cajeta [caramel] which I am going to produce by simply heating this ordinary can of sweetened condensed milk."  

I was about to open the can when Chuy stopped me.

"No, don't open it," I insisted. "My mother makes this all the time, and you shouldn't open the can."

"Okay," I said. "Mom knows best." And so I placed the can on top of some hot coals in the campfire.

Something then distracted me, and I completely forgot about my cajeta delight until we all heard a tremendous bang.  

Gazing at the stars while soaking in the Hot Pool of Paradise.
Gazing at the stars while soaking in the Hot Pool of Paradise.

A great white cloud shot straight up into the air above the campfire.

"The cajeta !" I cried as white rain fell back down, coating every one of us with sugary goo. Only later did we learn that the unopened can should be placed inside a pot of boiling water, not directly over a flame. 

Fortunately, the hot spring was right at hand for removing that sticky residue. When night fell, steamy vapors began to rise from the shallow pool, which was surrounded by exotic plants that look like wild pineapples festooned with yellow ping-pong balls. The water was crystalline, amazingly transparent, and its temperature was 38 C - perfect for a soothing hot bath on a cold winter's night. In that delicious hot pool, we lay on our backs on its sandy bottom, staring up at the stars, hunting for meteorites, while we were serenaded by a big brown owl hooting from a branch far above us.

"This," we decided, "may be as close to paradise as we'll ever get." And the name stuck.

We spent the next day hunting for a cave entrance on the other side of the hill.

"Look for a clearing," our informant had told us, "with a cabra tree in the middle of it."

The pochote produces real cotton balls and is easily recognized by its spiked trunk.
The pochote produces real cotton balls and is easily recognized by its spiked trunk.

Now, we had never heard of a cabra tree, but we were told that its fruit comes in pairs “that look like large hog's balls,” just the sort of thing we were sure we couldn't miss.

As we beat about the bush (with nary a clearing to be seen anywhere), we spotted iguanas, squirrels and lots of birds, such as motmots, orioles, hawks and sleek wild turkeys. We also came upon some impressively spiked pochote (silk cotton) trees, one of which was home to a mysterious great black ball on its trunk, which turned out to be hundreds of daddy longlegs all huddled together in a quivering black mass. We even came upon a few of those hog's-ball trees.  

Yes, in the course of the morning we spotted everything but that cave, and we eventually came to the conclusion that the real treasure of Las Cuevas is its enchanting Pool of Paradise.

I returned there a few weeks ago, and I'm happy to report that the only development has been the transformation of the shelter cave into a kind of church. The hot spring, however, is just as rustic - and delicious - as ever. Should you go there on a weekday you will have "paradise" all to yourself, but on Sunday afternoons and evenings a lot of locals come here to picnic and bathe.

If you have a high-clearance vehicle and a weekday at your disposal, ask Google Maps to take you to “48HJ + 7F Corral Falso, Nayarit.” This will get you to within two kilometers of the lagoon, cave and hot pool.

To cover the rest of the distance, switch to satellite view, and you can easily see how to get farther north to the lagoon, which is also very visible. The shelter cave is on the left side of the road, 200 meters south of the lagoon; the hot spring is 300 meters north of the lagoon. And now, Paradise is yours!

The writer has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for 31 years, and is the author of  "A Guide to West Mexico's Guachimontones and Surrounding Area" and co-author of "Outdoors in Western Mexico." More of his writing can be found  on his website .

Ever on the horizon is still smoldering Ceboruco Volcano.
Ever on the horizon is still smoldering Ceboruco Volcano.

 

Close-up of the crucifix painted on the ceiling.
Close-up of the crucifix painted on the ceiling.

 

Camping at the Hot Pool of Paradise.
Camping at the Hot Pool of Paradise.

 

Once a home for seasonal workers, the cave now serves as a church.
Once a home for seasonal workers, the cave now serves as a church.

 

The lagoon has lukewarm water and plenty of fish.
The lagoon has lukewarm water and plenty of fish.

 

The spring-fed Pool of Paradise, located at the end of a rough road in the state of Nayarit.
The spring-fed Pool of Paradise, located at the end of a rough road in the state of Nayarit.

Suavecitas Gay Travel's tweet - "Estamos a 8 días para nuestra salida a Zipolite desde CDMX ... Trendsmap Suavecitas Gay Travel's tweet - "Estamos a 8 días para nuestra salida a Zipolite desde CDMX, Puebla y Oaxaca. Aún estás a tiempo de sumarte a esta ...

 


Suavecitas Gay Travel's tweet - "Estamos a 8 días para nuestra salida a Zipolite desde CDMX ...
Suavecitas Gay Travel's tweet - "Estamos a 8 días para nuestra salida a Zipolite desde CDMX, Puebla y Oaxaca. Aún estás a tiempo de sumarte a esta ...

Ebook Zipolite-Beach of the Dead - MB Sheldon - ?Matthew B. Sheldon | LaFeltrinelli Feltrinelli Acquista l'eBook Zipolite-Beach of the Dead di Matthew B. Sheldon in offerta, scaricalo in formato epub o pdf su La Feltrinelli.

 Ebook Zipolite-Beach of the Dead - MB Sheldon - ?Matthew B. Sheldon | LaFeltrinelli

Acquista l'eBook Zipolite-Beach of the Dead di Matthew B. Sheldon in offerta, scaricalo in formato epub o pdf su La Feltrinelli.


Descrizione

This is a true story. I wrote it in collaboration with my wife. She and I were boy and girl friends in the spring of 1980 when we decided to take a vacation to Mexico. The story begins with an incident unfolding that completely changes their trip south of the US border from a vacation into a definitive moment in their lives. Then the story flashes back to weeks earlier where we find them both working in the resort town of Breckenridge, Colorado; Debra as a ski instructor and Matthew as a co-director of an outdoor education center for the handicapped. Both are about to be laid off from their respective jobs which allows them to make plans to travel south first by pickup truck then by plane, train, and,finally, bus. After arriving deep in the southern reaches of Mexico,the couple has but one night of relative calm before being robbed of all their cash, visas, and many other essentials not the least of which was their IDs! Matthew will have to be seen by a doctor and Debra almost drowns in the Pacific Ocean. It takes week for them to receive some money wired to them from Matthew's boss and documents from the American Embassy stating that they were truly US citizens before they attempt to cross the border back into El Paso, Texas. With the help of two Americans in the import business, they safely cross the border and arrive back home in Breckenridge.

Friday, January 29, 2021

Mexico News Today Friday, January 29, 2021

 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021

Travelers entering Canada must quarantine

Stricter travel-related coronavirus restrictions will require people flying into the country to isolate in hotels at their own expense, and the nation will suspend flights to Mexico and Caribbean countries until April 30. FULL STORY

Covid paints four new states in stoplight red

Mexico now has a total of 14 maximum-risk level states on the coronavirus map after the additional entities switched amid rising case numbers. FULL STORY

López-Gatell agrees it’s time to step back and rethink coronavirus strategy

As Mexico's case tally approaches 2 million and the death toll continues to climb, the country's Covid-19 czar committed to reflecting on improvements. FULL STORY

Index of Covid pandemic response among 98 countries ranks Mexico second to last

The nation was ranked in a “Covid Performance Index” that measures countries' effectiveness in dealing with the disease. FULL STORY

AMLO continues to have only mild Covid symptoms

President López Obrador is well four days after announcing that he tested positive for the coronavirus. FULL STORY

Doctor condemned for suggesting meds for AMLO to provoke thrombosis

A physician was lambasted for wishing death on President López Obrador after recommending that he be given drugs that could cause blood clots. FULL STORY

Guerrero ‘at the worst moment of the pandemic,’ goes red on stoplight map

The state switched to the maximum-risk color on the coronavirus map on Wednesday and will remain that way until February 14. FULL STORY

Rising demand for oxygen attracts interest from organized crime, scammers

Criminal gangs and internet fraudsters have diversified into stealing the highly sought-after tanks as need soars due to the coronavirus crisis. FULL STORY

Refineries continue to operate far below capacity

Mexico's facilities did not meet their targets, and gasoline production fell to its lowest level in almost three decades. FULL STORY

MEXICO LIFE

The real find in this caving area turns out to be the paradise around it

John Pint went to Las Cuevas in search of a fascinating cave but concluded that the enchanting landscape is even better. FULL STORY

Sinaloa search brigade comes under fire, forced to flee hidden grave site

A mothers’ collective seeking missing persons in Sinaloa had to run away from a clandestine burial site on Tuesday when a gunman began shooting at them. FULL STORY

Mexico gains 2 points on transparency index, but impunity an obstacle

There is slightly less corruption today than there was a year ago, according to the non-governmental organization Transparency International. FULL STORY

Confronting thief costs man his life; observers chase suspect and beat him

A man who tried to mug patrons at a México state restaurant and killed a diner who fought back became a target himself. FULL STORY

Suspect arrested in September murder of American couple in Baja

A man has been arrested in Baja California in the stabbing deaths of a San Diego-area couple who frequently spent time in Mexico. FULL STORY

Residents of Oaxacan town threaten to hang the mayor

Citizens in Sola de Vega, fed up with their municipality's chief executive, got as far as putting a rope around the man's neck. FULL STORY
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Goodbye, Chester. Cheetos has new look as rules ban use of personalities

The cartoon cheetah that has symbolized the Cheetos snack since the mid-1980s will no longer appear on packaging in Mexico. FULL STORY
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