Day Trip to Pochutla

 Pochutla is the nearest--and next largest--town to Mazunte. I went there merely to shop at a large, well-supplied supermarket, the likes of which doesn't exist in this "pueblo pequeno". I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be quite a scenic town and fun half-day excursion, riding the public "collectivo" (little covered pickup truck) to get there. See explanations with the photos!

Every town has its "zocalo", or town square, at its center, traditionally for the purposes of a place for the townspeople to gather for all important occasions, fiestas and so forth. Of course it is also traditional to have the church at the center as well... and so you see this beautiful one here. It was simple but lovely, and I was quite taken with it.


I liked that it was not lavish or garish inside...but rather simply peaceful and quiet, a refuge from the noisy busyness of the town proper... as is typically the case! 


The skies of Oaxaca--with their deep blues and frequent clouds--never fail to attract and delight my photographic eye! 


The municipal building, also an icon for most town squares. Like the church, it was simple yet attractive. 


No idea who this woman might be, but liked the mural and the artist's style. Murals are everywhere in Mexico--one of the country's finer features, me thinks! 


General view of the lovely little zocalo


Another charming feature of so many Mexican pueblos: The large, decorative letters in the zocalo with the name of the town! 


An abundance of fresh produce is everywhere, colorful and cheap!


On the scenic, main highway in and out of Pochutla. Amazingly small amount of traffic for this large and well-maintained road.


As always, I cannot get enough of the magnificent skies and lush greenery of Oaxaca


In the back of the collectivo: A small, covered truck with benches that can comfortably hold 8-10 people. The wearing of "cobre bocas" in these Covid days is mandatory in taxis and on the collectivos, but it is not enforced and, as you can see here, people in these towns out here are fairly lax about it.


NEXT BLOG: Final, parting shots of Mazunte before I head off to Oaxaca City!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mazunte and San Augustinillo: Two very charming Oaxacan towns!

Image
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-...
Read more

The expat's new adventure: traveling south of the border to Mazunte in the state of Oaxaca!

Image
  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...
Read more

Oaxacan Life: Part 10-- Simple Pleasures (Placeres Simples)!

Image
 As I settle into the routines of my daily life here, I find myself infinitely appreciative of the most basic, simple pleasures. Owing to the ongoing tedium of our year-plus world pandemic, I am beyond grateful for my ability to escape the restrictive aspects of the city and high-tail it into the hills and countryside. Accessing these places on foot or by bicycle, I revel in the joys that nature bestows upon us. Equally enjoyable is my weekly swim in the lovely pool that is--miraculously--still open. Of course, like everywhere one goes in public, there is the requisite social distancing, spraying down of body and backpack, temperature-taking and mask-wearing. A nuisance, to be sure, but now a habit--a matter of course-- to be endured. Clearly, so many of the activities we used to take for granted now seem like great privileges. Thus it is that, with much gratitude, I share my appreciation for both my weekly/daily routines as well as the fine, exceptionally sweet moments with friend...
Read more