ZIHUTANEJO

A 4 hour ride to Zihuatanejo took more like 5 1/2 due to all the traffic getting out of Pie de la Cuesta.
But, finally! Here's the beautiful Zihuatanejo...not quite like I remember it from Shawshank Redemption, but it really was great.
I had planned on maybe 2 nights as it was an added stop on my list...I ended up staying 4 nights.
By the end, I decided with where I stayed and all, in Angelas Hostel, being so close to the mercado and the beach, I really could live there. Something to think about for summers off!
The lovely, charming, and always entertaining Phil and Kristina from Seattle whom I met at the hostel.
And to round out the bunch, Micah on the left, Matt (I think--he was so exhausted, he hardly spoke, so I didn't really get to know him), Phil and Kristina, and Eduardo. Eduardo is also from San Diego, in the Army and stationed in North Carolina. He was E-A-T-I-N-G up Mexico. He really was thrilled to be on a break! Good for him. Last I heard, he was enjoying the food in Oaxaca.
These are some "friends" Eduardo and Micah introduced me to on our way to the lovely Playa Linda in Ixtapa (which is only 8 km north of Zihua)
I think we counted 16 crocs in this enclosure with all those iguanas. Eeek! Wouldn't like to be dropped in there!
After Phil and Kristina flew off into the sunset, we became the three amigos...Playa Linda, which is actually an island just off the coast of Ixtapa was STUPID relaxing! Our favorite saying...'we could stay just ONE more day.'
The daily drill was to get yourself onto the bus to Ixtapa from Zihua, no matter how hot, tired or hung over you were, get your butt on the little boat that took you to the island and then decide which little palapa you wanted to park your rear on for the day. And really, you just PARK IT! Now, you gotta remember it's the 'rainy' season here, meaning it's the low season and not many travelers. So we basically had the beach to ourselves. However, while in Zihua/Ixtapa, I didn't see any rain. Just loads of sunshine. So our big task of the day was to figure out which palapa was going to give you the best deal on beer. Eduardo and Micah did the negotiating as they'd been to the island before and we secured tres por treinta. Essentially, a buck a beer...IN PARADISE! And the ice in the bucket was a BIG deal...not to mention the limones!Now the boat leaves the island each day at 5pm. This is what it looks like as we were leaving...This is right about the time we leave the rational 'acceptance phase' and head straight into BARGAINING...."just O-N-E more day"!!! Wahhhhhhhh! Well, we stuck it out as long as we could. They threatened to leave us on the island - of course, we didn't have a problem with that! - But while waiting for the last lancha, Eduardo decided to have a little fun jumping off the pier....with his sunglasses on. Which he did not recoop.I thought...that looks like fun, sans sunglasses...albeit not very graceful!...gaining my balance.......Okay, just about ready now...BIG dive coming......Uh...Micah, my photographer missed it. You can see a little bit of my splash off to the left there though. Ha! :-)
Tons of fishing activity on the pier where we're dropped off. GREAT photo opps!!!

They start fishing young here in Ixtapa...
...Some while still in the womb.

These cranes were cool.
My favorite thing to photograph has got to be kids. They are just so genuine and let it all hang out. These guys had 4 of those very long fish, whatever they were.This guy in the Mexican colors looks like he's being helpful...
But really he's just a prankster. He's in the water with his friend he was helping up!
I asked them if I could take a photo while they all jumped in...how fun is this photo?!
Micah, the artist (AMAZING! Check out his awesome artwork at...www.micahlebrun.com), taught me about the MACRO setting on my cheap Guatemalan camera for the effect on this photo. Too bad I've only got 3 more weeks of traveling left!
Now, I know I'm not an adventure eater, but at this little taco stand I actually tried a pigs ear! It tasted pickled. Micah had tacos de cabeza (head tacos-beef, but only from the head of the cow; remember that photo I posted earlier...) which led to us discussing the different types of meat they served and hence the big guy in the white shirt on the left offered us a sample of the pigs ear.
The three amigos! (Eduardo's hobbie is making us drink tequila)
HAD to leave you with a pig photo. This was even a new sight for me. Found these guys hanging in the market in Zihuatanejo.

CHECK BACK SOON...I've got more photos to post from Guanajuato, Morelia, San Miguel de Allende and I do have more from Pie de la Cuesta...I'll be doing this tomorrow or the next day since I'll have wi-fi access. Sorry it's been so long!!