Expat in Mexico... the journey continues!

A mural on one of the side streets here--amazing artistry!  I am including both of these small towns in this post because one is adjacent to the other; the only way I knew I had even passed from Mazunte into S.A. was because I noted a more markedly upscale ambiance to the latter.  They are both charming, country towns that have a vibrant mix of locals and tourists--the “touristas” primarily consisting of scantily clad young hippies! Yes, life in these towns is a little like traveling back in time about half a century. The only difference is that now the youngsters are covered in tattoos...something you rarely saw back in MY hippie days, anyhow!  What I love is that the locals have successfully fought off corporate endeavors to bring in franchises; all the businesses are clearly run by the locals, and have the charm you would expect. There are a great many restaurants--Mexican, vegetarian, funky cafes, etc. Even one Chinese place! They run the gamut from quite simple, low-...

  Odd, how I always seem to be seated over the airplane wing....this was the view over Mexico City. Lovely clean and clear air, as you can see! Wanting to escape the smoke and terrible air from all the fires on the West Coast, I changed my flight from the original date of October 2nd to September 19th, three days ago. As a result, I was given a pretty horrific itinerary through CheapoAir: about 8 hours of flight time coupled with 10 hours of layover time! So the whole journey wound up being a hellacious, 19 hour ordeal to get to my destination of Mazunte, in the lovely state of Oaxaca. (This included an hour-long taxi ride from where I was picked up at the closest airport at the town of Hualtuco.) Was it all worth it? You betcha!!! Absolutely. But before I launch into a description of my new, temporary home here, I simply must recount my adventures/misadventures en route.  To begin with, as I was checking my bag in at the Delta Airlines counter at the Sacramento airport, the D...