Ahhh, Mazunte. A little seaside pueblo that has grown on me... where life is very slow-paced, Covid mostly seems like worlds away and it feels like going back in time by at least half a century. It is the land of young and old hippies, both humble and highfalutin tourists (mostly Mexicans, along with a smattering of Americans, Canadians and Europeans), and not much to do except eat and lollygag at the beach. Hence, my 6 weeks here has felt like six months! But I am not sorry for this rather lengthy amount of time. I will miss the friendliness of neighbors--everyone greets each other with "hola" and "buenos..." so casual as to drop off the "dias"--swimming in the sea, the greenery and gorgeous skies. But...it is time for a change, so before I head off to the cooler, drier, higher climes of Oaxaca City, I have to give Mazunte its due one last time and share my favorite, final shots of the local color with you.
As you will see, I have divided my gallery of photos into categories, making it easier for me to sort and hopefully easier for you to view, so it is not simply a random hodgepodge of snapshots. And, with no further adieu, here you go:
People: young, old and somewhere in between:
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| Two adorable little "ninas" posing for their parents in front of the tortuga museum, which, sadly, never opened the entire 6 weeks I was in Mazunte.... |
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Thinking him a simple farmer with his pet rooster, I was greatly mistaken: per my Airbnb host, Carlos, this man is a wealthy land owner--presumably one of five in Mazunte--owning most of the property in this town! He has acres and acres of corn, owns several properties, and can be seen (by me!) on most days hangin' in his hammock on the very funky farm I pass by when heading into town. (Not sure who the old guy in the background is, but I have seen quite a large extended family on the property, living and working there.)
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I had a nice "chat" (in my very pathetic Spanish, along with a little English) with this very nice fellow, a local artist who had painted both these murals.
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Unfortunately, massive amounts of construction are happening EVERYWHERE in this town, creating a lot of noise and additional traffic--annoyingly, on all sides of my cabana at Carlos' place. This sweet young man was carrying what must have been about 60 lbs worth of bricks up a very steep slope to one of the construction sites. A strong and surprisingly cheerful fellow, indeed!
A very skilled baker who, though being an older fellow, fairly danced as he kneaded the dough! I watched him in fascination for quite some time. The bread is all baked in the wood fire oven you see behind him.
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Yours truly, in front of one of the many, lovely murals... I have gotten darker and darker from my time here; though I put on sunscreen, I sweat it off very quickly! Or...it washes off when I swim. If it weren't for the freckles and my pathetic Spanish, perhaps I could pass as a local?!
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More of the lovely beaches and skies....
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| An early morning walk down calle Rinconcito on my way to la playa... such skies are quite typical here yet, for me, never lose their thrill! |
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Playa Rinconcito, the most popular beach for lounging, swimming, playing in the gentle waves and drinking pina coladas under broad beach umbrellas....
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Another, much less populated beach that I just happened to stumble upon in my wanderings....I think it might be called La Playa Margarita
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A more rugged and rocky beach, it was nice to see a slightly different sort of beach scenery
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One of maybe half a dozen people I saw at the remote beach in the entire morning I spent there.
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The beach at San Agustinillo
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Lots of dogs roamed the beaches...sometimes with owners, sometimes not... no leash laws here!
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Loved the openness of the sky over this soccer field; also happy to see kids and adults alike, playing there in the afternoon on most days.
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Evening sky over the tortuga museum shortly after a lovely rain storm
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Night clouds barely obscuring the full moon...eery, gorgeous, perfect for Halloween! (not celebrated in Mexico though...only El dia de los meurtes--Day of the Dead)
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More interesting critters; mostly new, some already seen:
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Rescued from Kitty's jaws, this teeny guy was little bigger than my thumbnail! Adorable, isn't he? (or she?!)
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Scorpion with your tea, anyone?! This scary looking thing was caught by a tourist I passed on the street one day.... he did set it free--far away from humans, I might add!
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Almost missed this crab on the beach, so well-camouflaged as it was against the rocks! I watched him and some com-padres sidling along the wet sand, diving in and out of holes they had dug. Was MOST entertaining! (I also watched them barely escape the hawks flying overhead, swooping down periodically in the hopes of catching a lunch!)
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One last beautiful butterfly to capture and release: this beauty flew onto Carlos' patio on my last day here...what an incredible parting gift!
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The rooster guard: this guy was standing outside of a massage tienda, perfectly still, guarding the occupants, or so it appeared! It was the first time EVER that a rooster didn't run from me when I approached it...quite amazing!
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Hard to make out I know--but those funny little dangling things are actually bats! I stumbled upon this bat cave when exploring the nearly deserted beach of La Playa Margarita. I also made a video--as I got closer, some flew deeper into the cave... it was the perfect pre-Halloween mini adventure!
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This poor little dead crab appeared to have baked to death atop a rock...perhaps thrown there by a wave and couldn't figure out how to get back down? It was sad, but I had to take a picture as it was so very colorful....
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This cute cat befriended me at the Hridaya Meditation Retreat Center in Mazunte, where I spent a pleasant 10 days doing a silent retreat. I did, of course, commune with the cat... but in silence!
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| Last but not least, I am soon to bid my farewell to Kitty, Carlos' cat, whom I really have grown QUITE fond of, despite myself...who could NOT love this adorable face?!?!? |
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Mutually gratifying, I spent a good deal of time rubbing her soft little white belly...
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More lovely murals......
Mis casas favoritas, y hotels--where I would have LIKED to have stayed during my 6 weeks here! (as opposed to the all-too-rustic indoor/outdoor camping at Carlos' cabana...)
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| My favorite of favorites: This charming and gorgeous hotel, directly on the beach of San Agustinillo. I didn't inquire about the price, but I imagine at least 1500 pesos per night, or $75 U.S. I myself paid that amount for an entire WEEK at Carlos' cabana! |
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Not a hotel, but a lovely little casa tucked away into the hills, so nicely blended with the surrounding brown and green colors. Just SO picturesque!
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Another sweet little casa where I would love to live...
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And yet another... charming, yes?!
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Taken from the terrace of a hotel I ALMOST moved to. Problem was that it was right off of the main drag; while affordable, would have been too noisy. Too bad!
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Definitely way beyond my budget: this Airbnb I checked out was someone's home and an occasional rental while they were away. It was in a quiet hillside, with an amazing view as you can see. Well, I can dream, can't I?!
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Interior of that gorgeous Airbnb/home! Yes, I was envious, you better believe it!
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Not sure if a rental or someone's home; just loved it because it was so "picture perfect"!
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lounge area of one very plush hotel; in U.S. currency, probably $100 nightly. But it was charming and gorgeous!
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The outdoor restaurant of that same luxurious hotel
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Besides being in the heart of town, this lovely hotel's main attraction was the decent sized swimming pool. Wanting a break from ocean swimming, I inquired how much for a swim--JUST a swim was 200 pesos, or about 10 dollars! Gads! I can only imagine what a room must cost! Clearly overpriced AND way out of my league.
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Some homes, some rentals: I just love how they nestle these casas into the hillsides... lovely looking up at them, and of course they all have lovely views looking down!
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And finally, just general misc. town scenes:
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| | Volkswagens are phenomenally popular here and elsewhere in Mexico; I was amazed they could keep these ancient relics running, but then my friend Steve told me he believes that there is a manufacturer here in the country and the old versions are STILL being produced here because of the market for them! Not sure if true or not...but in any event, wonderfully nostalgic! My very first car was a '64 beetle. |
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| Amongst sounds of construction on all sides, barking dogs and loud Mexican music blaring, was the roar of engines and grinding gears as work trucks--laden with such crazy loads as you see here--strained to make it up the steep hill going by and beyond Carlos' place. There are TWO new houses being built just above him, and two directly below. Its a wonder I kept my sanity at all considering the racket that went on all day, every day, except for Sunday. It has been an endurance test, to be sure! |
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Thankfully, I periodically escaped the auditory assault by heading up remote lanes, high into the hills. Not only a good work out, but I was then rewarded with wonderful views such as this.
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On these hiking excursions, I also passed immense fields of tall corn stalks. Corn is of course a staple in the Mexican diet. Cheap and plentiful are the lovely, freshly baked corn tortillas, crispy, packaged tortillas (flat rounds--you don't really find tortilla "chips" other than the rounds), and of course the delicious, freshly made tamales sold by sweet middle-aged locals wandering the streets with large tubs of these yummy and substancial foods on their heads. Delightful!
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Another great view across the fields as I climb higher into the hills.
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| Here, a typical night scene: diners in one of the numerous restaurants of Mazunte. All of them are open air, which is quite wonderful... so the usual Covid spacing of tables doesn't really exist here. Street musicians wander by to entertain the diners on occasion, as do hungry street dogs, begging for a hand out. A colorful experience, indeed! |
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The lovely tortuga museo sign, magically lit up at night. Again, so VERY disappointing it was never open in the entire 6 weeks that I was here.
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Because of my very modest budget, I rarely ate out in a restaurant. Far more economical was shopping and cooking my own meals. Here, you see the assortment of foods which are my staples in Mexico....nourishing, plentiful and mostly cheap, except for the granola, which is a specialty item created for the hippy tourists!
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The scene I will miss the LEAST: the Carlos cabana, whose dirt, noise and funkiness I endured for 6 weeks (less the 9 heavenly days at Paty's posada) Good riddance, indeed!
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The day I am posting this is actually Sunday, November 1st, and a major holiday in Mexico: El Dia De Los Meurtes, or Day of the Dead, honoring those who have passed. This photo of the local town cemetery was taken a couple weeks ago; later today, it will be filled with flowers and perhaps other events. Sadly, I won't get to witness any of it as I will be on a bus on my way to Oaxaca! (I booked it for today totally forgetting it was the holiday... just figuring that it was a nice, rounded out 6 weeks I have spent here, and time to move on!)
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| As you can see, it is a picturesque little cemetery, nestled into the hillside under sheltering trees. |
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The perfect ending: A beautiful local chapel, decorated for El Dia De Los Meurtes. The locals decorate their homes, restaurants and shrines with these gorgeous flowers. So much love and reverence goes into the process of honoring the dead/ancestors...it is truly admirable, and one of the aspects of Mexico I love best!
Next blog post series: my new, upcoming adventures in the higher, more temperate climes of Oaxaca City! |
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