Posts
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
My Travels And A Little Bit of This And That: Melaque,Mexico redux
My Travels And A Little Bit of This And That: Melaque,Mexico redux: New post, new time and more than two bars for the internet connection, must grab the opportunity and take advantage of it while I can. Befo...
Melaque,Mexico redux
New post, new time and more than two bars for the internet connection, must grab the opportunity and take advantage of it while I can. Before addressing the title I forgot to mention one of the most important things about the Yelapa trip. On the way back we saw a mother whale and her baby. She came quite close to the boat. It's always weird how a hush descends as soon as a whale is sighted with everybody holding their collective breaths waiting for the breach. When the breach does come it's a general surge of happiness which infects todo el mundo, I need a whale sighting every day, if only we could bottle it.
The trip to Melaque was only eventful in that what should take four hours (and that's generous) considering the distance of 225 kms. took about 7 hours on a pretty rough road with lots of potholes, reminded me of Montreal actually....haha Ok Montreal is not that bad. It was nice arriving in a place that we know so well, this will be our fifth time here, not surprisingly not much has changed. Melaque seems to be one of those towns which time forgot hence the repeat customers. Some people mostly Canadians and mostly from B.C. have been coming here on a regular basis for the last twenty years. They stake out a favorite hotel and bingo before you can write snowbird they're back with the look of the true devotee in their eyes. Actually Melaque is a bit of a rough around the edges town. Not much seems to get fixed, road conditions are generally appalling, the garbage could use a little more picking up and the food options in terms of grocery consist of two main stores. The one which gringos prefer is called Hawaii for some arcane reason. It stocks fruits native to Mexico of a fairly dubious quality but sometimes one gets lucky. It's hopeless trying to buy other types of fruits like nectarines,grapes etc...they take too long to get here. Better to stick to avocados which are plentiful, generally excellent, pineapples, bananas and sometimes guavas. Guavas have the most incredible smell they perfume an entire room but you have to get them just right otherwise they're rather gelatinous and lumpy.
We have a beautiful room it's a suite and it's quite large with three double beds and one single bed. The kitchenette is decent size wise but it's not well stocked. Went to ask for a toaster and a coffee maker, no dice, none to be had. There is a common kitchen for those who have single rooms but travelers pretty well brought everything either beforehand or on this recent trip. We are settling for healthy breakfasts of granola, bananas, yogurt, milk, apples (yes they're OK) and I add a little thick condensed milk to mine. I also bought some coconut rounds which I shred and add to the mix. It's very tasty and nutritious. We also bought instant coffee which is fine, we only have the one cup in the morning. For lunch I'm alternating sandwiches with avocado,mayonnaise, ham or tuna with iceberg lettuce. The bread is Bimbo which is the biggest maker of bread, sweets, cakes etc... in Mexico. Bimbo bread is very very limp and soft even the whole grain one, evidently that's the way they like their bread. Of course most Mexicans still prefer their corn tortilla to anything else, they eat those by the truckload and I can see why much better than Bimbo bread.
Our room has a big balcony overlooking the beautiful bay and the beach. Actually Melaque probably has one of the best beaches in all of Mexico. It's huge, the sand is nice and it doesn't slope too much unless it's an El Nino year with big waves. The beach stretches all the way to another town called Barra de Navidad, we've walked the entire beach in the past more than once. I'm not sure we will do it this year, it's so hot. The sun seems hotter and the water is warmer than it's ever been no problem getting in that's for sure. Another plus it's virtually deserted unless there's a Mexican holiday or a weekend when Mexicans come down from Guadalajara for a little R&R. Many of the gringos are retirees and for some strange reason they seem to shun the sun, many of them don't even go swimming in the ocean. A few will splash around in the pool but mostly they're content socializing with each other, playing cards, drinking beer and organizing the occasional collective meals. There is one such lunch tomorrow which doesn't always please some of us who are naturally anti-social, not my case, although there are people here (men more than women) who don't seem to get out of their rooms and gripe and whine and complain a lot.
It's a bit disconcerting walking around town. There are Mexicans of all ages, lots of kids, families and then there is this population of aging gringos in various states of vigor and or decrepitude. Wow did I just write that....ooops Not including ourselves in that category of course.
Other things I've noticed, in general Mexicans are pretty well glued to their cellphones like everywhere else in the world it seems. Bootleg CD"s and DVD's which used to be a "thriving" industry are slowly disappearing. Even here they're listening to music through their phones and watching shows through other devices although with such limited connectivity it's a bit of a mystery how they manage to download anything. I couldn't even download a little "movie" sent by our daughter, was going to take hours literally. I had to quit. I'm sitting outside writing this enjoying the warm air, relishing not having to wear heavy encumbering clothing although the nights are a little long even with air conditioning. The appliance blows too much cold air at once to have it going all night. Luckily the pillows are soft not rock hard like they so often are and the beds are not cement beds, they're nice and comfortable. The price for all this comfort and beauty is a mere 700 pesos or about $59.00 a night, it's a little more than we're used to paying in Melaque. On the plus side it's close to town and all the amenities plus there's no walking to the beach involved and the pool is a decent size.
I might update again in a week or so. Don't anticipate anything momentous happening. For now we are content staying put, there might be a fishing trip on the horizon, nothing definite yet. Hope you've enjoyed reading this, hasta luego amigos.
The trip to Melaque was only eventful in that what should take four hours (and that's generous) considering the distance of 225 kms. took about 7 hours on a pretty rough road with lots of potholes, reminded me of Montreal actually....haha Ok Montreal is not that bad. It was nice arriving in a place that we know so well, this will be our fifth time here, not surprisingly not much has changed. Melaque seems to be one of those towns which time forgot hence the repeat customers. Some people mostly Canadians and mostly from B.C. have been coming here on a regular basis for the last twenty years. They stake out a favorite hotel and bingo before you can write snowbird they're back with the look of the true devotee in their eyes. Actually Melaque is a bit of a rough around the edges town. Not much seems to get fixed, road conditions are generally appalling, the garbage could use a little more picking up and the food options in terms of grocery consist of two main stores. The one which gringos prefer is called Hawaii for some arcane reason. It stocks fruits native to Mexico of a fairly dubious quality but sometimes one gets lucky. It's hopeless trying to buy other types of fruits like nectarines,grapes etc...they take too long to get here. Better to stick to avocados which are plentiful, generally excellent, pineapples, bananas and sometimes guavas. Guavas have the most incredible smell they perfume an entire room but you have to get them just right otherwise they're rather gelatinous and lumpy.
We have a beautiful room it's a suite and it's quite large with three double beds and one single bed. The kitchenette is decent size wise but it's not well stocked. Went to ask for a toaster and a coffee maker, no dice, none to be had. There is a common kitchen for those who have single rooms but travelers pretty well brought everything either beforehand or on this recent trip. We are settling for healthy breakfasts of granola, bananas, yogurt, milk, apples (yes they're OK) and I add a little thick condensed milk to mine. I also bought some coconut rounds which I shred and add to the mix. It's very tasty and nutritious. We also bought instant coffee which is fine, we only have the one cup in the morning. For lunch I'm alternating sandwiches with avocado,mayonnaise, ham or tuna with iceberg lettuce. The bread is Bimbo which is the biggest maker of bread, sweets, cakes etc... in Mexico. Bimbo bread is very very limp and soft even the whole grain one, evidently that's the way they like their bread. Of course most Mexicans still prefer their corn tortilla to anything else, they eat those by the truckload and I can see why much better than Bimbo bread.
Our room has a big balcony overlooking the beautiful bay and the beach. Actually Melaque probably has one of the best beaches in all of Mexico. It's huge, the sand is nice and it doesn't slope too much unless it's an El Nino year with big waves. The beach stretches all the way to another town called Barra de Navidad, we've walked the entire beach in the past more than once. I'm not sure we will do it this year, it's so hot. The sun seems hotter and the water is warmer than it's ever been no problem getting in that's for sure. Another plus it's virtually deserted unless there's a Mexican holiday or a weekend when Mexicans come down from Guadalajara for a little R&R. Many of the gringos are retirees and for some strange reason they seem to shun the sun, many of them don't even go swimming in the ocean. A few will splash around in the pool but mostly they're content socializing with each other, playing cards, drinking beer and organizing the occasional collective meals. There is one such lunch tomorrow which doesn't always please some of us who are naturally anti-social, not my case, although there are people here (men more than women) who don't seem to get out of their rooms and gripe and whine and complain a lot.
It's a bit disconcerting walking around town. There are Mexicans of all ages, lots of kids, families and then there is this population of aging gringos in various states of vigor and or decrepitude. Wow did I just write that....ooops Not including ourselves in that category of course.
Other things I've noticed, in general Mexicans are pretty well glued to their cellphones like everywhere else in the world it seems. Bootleg CD"s and DVD's which used to be a "thriving" industry are slowly disappearing. Even here they're listening to music through their phones and watching shows through other devices although with such limited connectivity it's a bit of a mystery how they manage to download anything. I couldn't even download a little "movie" sent by our daughter, was going to take hours literally. I had to quit. I'm sitting outside writing this enjoying the warm air, relishing not having to wear heavy encumbering clothing although the nights are a little long even with air conditioning. The appliance blows too much cold air at once to have it going all night. Luckily the pillows are soft not rock hard like they so often are and the beds are not cement beds, they're nice and comfortable. The price for all this comfort and beauty is a mere 700 pesos or about $59.00 a night, it's a little more than we're used to paying in Melaque. On the plus side it's close to town and all the amenities plus there's no walking to the beach involved and the pool is a decent size.
I might update again in a week or so. Don't anticipate anything momentous happening. For now we are content staying put, there might be a fishing trip on the horizon, nothing definite yet. Hope you've enjoyed reading this, hasta luego amigos.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Yelapa and Beyond
I'm starting to get used to those two dreaded phrases when trying to work on the internet: Processing your request (ie get ready for a long wait) and Google Chrome is not responding (what else is new). A little b%^&$#*(& is good for the soul if nothing else.
The day for Yelapa started out beautifully, it was going to be another hot sunny day, that's the kind of weather dependability a girl could really get used to. We were to meet at the newly constructed pier at 9:30 but this being Mexican time it turned out to be more like 10:30 departure, nothing unusual there. The boat was one of those typical Mexican launchas extremely sturdy with a powerful motor about 20 of us on board, all gringos of course. I was actually surprised at the fair amount of Americans thought many of them had given up on Mexico with all the travel advisory scares but it turns out Canadians are now being singled out for an advisory warning of dangerous travel not that it's really stopping determined Canadians fleeing the harsh winter conditions and seeking some respite from the cold.
The trip took around one hour, we motored along stopping briefly at Los Arcos famous for its abundant sea life and beautifully colored fishes similar to Nemo for those of few familiar with the film. One of the guides threw some food in the water and they all rushed merrily to the surface. It was a lovely kaleidoscope of colors with the beautiful green turquoise sea as its backdrop. I was able to take a few good pictures.
Yelapa is a small town set in a bay with plunging tropical covered foliage mountains, bougainvilleas everywhere in a rioting of colors. I wish we could grow these trees in Canada they yield such happy flowers and with such abundance, not stingy at all.
We settled in some beach chairs ready to soak in the day, there was a free drink to be had with the price of your ticket. The cost was 280 pesos per person, about $25.00, not cheap but not too onerous either although prices have gone up in Mexico not sure how the average Mexican with a modest income is coping, not very well I suspect. We were told there was a waterfall somewhere in the jungle which necessitated a walk uphill and through the village. We were helped along the way by two lovely little girls who wanted to make sure we wouldn't get lost. The waterfall itself was nothing spectacular of course I don't want to brag but after having seen Iguazu the widest falls in the world in Argentina everything else fails in comparison and this was no exception. The setting in the jungle with all that lush vegetation was still very pretty. We made our way back down, crossed the river channel and then it was beach time, swimming and dolce farniente. Ah the life of Riley it's a real tough one but somebody has to do it. We got back around 4:30 and left the very next day for Melaque on a second class bus, cheaper but much longer and hard on the posterior with deeply rutted roads. We are now ensconced in the rather palatial sounding Las Brisas de Melaque where we have a suite, 4 beds (anybody want to come????) a balcony with a gorgeous view of the bay. Strangely there are barely any waves, we have never seen Melaque without waves and the water is almost lukewarm with a few colder undercurrents. One can easily stay for hours in the water. The sun is fierce but we have access to an umbrella from the hotel. My battery is dying will post later some time this week with a few timely, or not, observations on the state of Mexico and changes I've noticed in general after a four year absence. Hasta pronto.
The day for Yelapa started out beautifully, it was going to be another hot sunny day, that's the kind of weather dependability a girl could really get used to. We were to meet at the newly constructed pier at 9:30 but this being Mexican time it turned out to be more like 10:30 departure, nothing unusual there. The boat was one of those typical Mexican launchas extremely sturdy with a powerful motor about 20 of us on board, all gringos of course. I was actually surprised at the fair amount of Americans thought many of them had given up on Mexico with all the travel advisory scares but it turns out Canadians are now being singled out for an advisory warning of dangerous travel not that it's really stopping determined Canadians fleeing the harsh winter conditions and seeking some respite from the cold.
The trip took around one hour, we motored along stopping briefly at Los Arcos famous for its abundant sea life and beautifully colored fishes similar to Nemo for those of few familiar with the film. One of the guides threw some food in the water and they all rushed merrily to the surface. It was a lovely kaleidoscope of colors with the beautiful green turquoise sea as its backdrop. I was able to take a few good pictures.
Yelapa is a small town set in a bay with plunging tropical covered foliage mountains, bougainvilleas everywhere in a rioting of colors. I wish we could grow these trees in Canada they yield such happy flowers and with such abundance, not stingy at all.
We settled in some beach chairs ready to soak in the day, there was a free drink to be had with the price of your ticket. The cost was 280 pesos per person, about $25.00, not cheap but not too onerous either although prices have gone up in Mexico not sure how the average Mexican with a modest income is coping, not very well I suspect. We were told there was a waterfall somewhere in the jungle which necessitated a walk uphill and through the village. We were helped along the way by two lovely little girls who wanted to make sure we wouldn't get lost. The waterfall itself was nothing spectacular of course I don't want to brag but after having seen Iguazu the widest falls in the world in Argentina everything else fails in comparison and this was no exception. The setting in the jungle with all that lush vegetation was still very pretty. We made our way back down, crossed the river channel and then it was beach time, swimming and dolce farniente. Ah the life of Riley it's a real tough one but somebody has to do it. We got back around 4:30 and left the very next day for Melaque on a second class bus, cheaper but much longer and hard on the posterior with deeply rutted roads. We are now ensconced in the rather palatial sounding Las Brisas de Melaque where we have a suite, 4 beds (anybody want to come????) a balcony with a gorgeous view of the bay. Strangely there are barely any waves, we have never seen Melaque without waves and the water is almost lukewarm with a few colder undercurrents. One can easily stay for hours in the water. The sun is fierce but we have access to an umbrella from the hotel. My battery is dying will post later some time this week with a few timely, or not, observations on the state of Mexico and changes I've noticed in general after a four year absence. Hasta pronto.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
