Honeymoon in Zihuatanejo Trip Report- Tentaciones July 10, 2011

[Jorge&Marcia]

July 10-Day One-Zihua-what?

Dear Red,

If you’re reading this, you gotten out. And if you come this far, maybe your willing to come a little further.

You remember the name of the town, don’t you…

That’s right – I thought I’d throw that in just to get it over with. Besides, every time someone mentions Zihuatanejo isn’t there always a reference to the movie?

Well, for our honeymoon, Marcia and I decided to take a trip to Zihuatanejo to see what all the fuss was about.

This is our story…


It was 3:00 am the day after our wedding at the LaGuardia Marriott in NYC. We weren’t feeling too ‘kosher’ after all the festivities the day prior but we were excited that we were now Mr. & Mrs.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/1P1000173.jpg

We took the airport shuttle to the Continental terminal and by 6:50 am we were airborne.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/2P1000183.jpg

After a Bloody Mary and a nap, we landed in Houston for our connecting flight. Houston is not the best airport to make a connection simply because it’s so big. Fortunately, we landed 15 minutes early and had plenty of time to make our connecting flight. By 11:50 am we were airborne once again on a half empty plane to our destination city: Zihuatanejo.

A view of Zihuatanejo prior to final approach.
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We landed in Zihuatanejo at 1:45 pm and breezed through customs. We stopped for some pesos at the local ATM and made our way to our cab. Unfortunately, our ride to the hotel wasn’t there and we had to deal with all the timeshare salesmen while we waited. Nothing we weren’t used to but nonetheless a little annoying. It was very hot, we were tired and we really wanted to get to the hotel. So I arranged for a cab to take us and we were soon on our way. Ten minutes later we pulled up to the front gate of Tentaciones.

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Tentaciones is a small hotel located high above the mountain overlooking Zihuatanejo Bay. With only four rooms, this place is more like a secluded B&B; very chic and very romantic. Since its perched high on the mountain, getting there can be a little tricky.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/6P1010259.jpg

As you can see, the road is quite steep.

Here is the entrance.
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The hotel is hidden in the mountain and designed with thatched Palapa roofs and beautiful ponds adorned with water lilies and the most spectacular infinity pool we have ever seen.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/8P1000351.jpg

We were greeted by Salvador and his staff who literally whisked us off our feet and into the hotel. We were given some icy cold Corona’s and a tour of the hotel. Here are some pictures:

The lobby.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/9P1010076.jpg

The front doors.
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The lily pond with the man of bronze.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/11P1000851.jpg

And another.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/12P1010080.jpg

And another.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/13P1010081.jpg

And some more...
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As you can tell, I loved this statue.

Here is a picture of another of the ponds.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/17P1010249.jpg

...and here is one of the infinity pool.
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Another picture of the infinity pool. That’s our room in the background.
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This one is the brother of the man of bronze on the lily pond.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/20P1010255.jpg

While we waited, I took some time to stack these rocks. Actually, it’s some more of the beautiful décor at the hotel.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/21P1010256.jpg

And did I mention the view?
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/22P1010257.jpg

We chose the Thalia suite which was located at the highest point of the property. There are pros and cons to this choice.

The room opened to the pool.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/28P1000194.jpg

…and had its own private balcony overlooking Zihuatanejo Bay.
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http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/29P1000199.jpg

Marcia inspecting the plumbing.
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The shower was the size of some city apartments.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/24P1000187.jpg

We enjoyed the beautiful toilet paper artwork. Actually, I did. I tried for several hours to replicate these designs as I sat there but was never able to make more than the simple squares.
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The hotel staff greeted us with this floral design.
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This hotel was simply amazing! We felt like royalty from the moment we stepped out of the cab until we bid farewell nine days later. While we were given the tour of the hotel, Salvador told us we were going to be the only guests for the whole week. If there was anything we needed, we were to ask him or one of his assistants and they would be more than happy to oblige. What a treat!

We told him that we wanted to get some water and a bottle of the "Mexican bubbly" and he called us a cab. When we returned, this is what awaited us…

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/30P1000206.jpg

I knew we were going to have a great time in Zihuatanejo.

[sparklegem]

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs.!!! I am so happy for you! What an amazing place to have your honeymoon! I love the beautiful flower tapestry that was laid out for you arrival. What a special place. I can't wait for the next installment of your TR! xox g

[Playakath]

Wow, I cannot imagine what the "cons" would be to the Thalia suite! That view is to die for! Can't wait for the next installment...

[TnTWalter]

Congratulations! Love your hotel choice. The view! We loved Zihua....lookin forward to more.

[tbpeaceful]

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/18P1010248.jpg


Oh WOW! Congratulations to you two darling kids. So nice to see you back here. :)

[elvo73]

congratulations! I go to ixtapa every year, my dad have a place in there, love Zihua, the people, the food. Your room looks amazing :)
Keep sharing!!

[minniemex]

Congratulations again!!

It looks like you found that most special place for your honeymoon. You will remember it the rest of your lives. What a way to start your marriage!

[ilovewyoming]

Congratulations..really enjoying your report so far. Great learning about new, beautiful places. Looking forward to more

[Jorge&Marcia]

We settled into Thalia and did a little unpacking. We had dinner reservations at 7:30 pm at Espuma so we had a little time to take a nap before getting ready. When I woke up, I noticed my left knee was throbbing. We couldn’t figure out whether it was the humidity or something had bit me but my knee was slowing starting to get swollen. Marcia thought it was the stress of being a married man and that it would eventually go away.

We got ready and walked down the hill and across the road to Espuma. This restaurant is located in Villa Guadalupe, Tentaciones’s sister property. We were greeted by Axel and were seated at the best seats in the restaurant. It wasn’t hard to get this table since once again we were going to be the only guests. Ivan introduced himself as our server for the evening.

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Ivan snapped a few pictures of the newlyweds and we ordered some margaritas. Ivan suggested we try the specialty of the house: Tamarind Margaritas.

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As we sat there, we gazed at the beautiful sunset over Zihuatanejo.

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Espuma is one of the fancier restaurants in Zihuatanejo and since we were celebrating our honeymoon, we decided to treat ourselves. While they offer à la carte, they are well known for their five course pre-fixe dinner. We decided on the latter.

Ivan served us some fresh bread with homemade butter and a Rosemary cream cheese.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/35P1000228.jpg

We decided against wine and chose a Reposado with Sangrita.
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This is basically a Tequilla shot with a Bloody Mary chaser. I know the combination sounds a little weird but trust me; it was really good.

For appetizers, Marcia had the Ceviche.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/38P1000233.jpg

I had the tuna roll.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/37P1000232.jpg

For the salad course, Marcia had the Asparagus salad.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/39P1000239.jpg

I had the Grilled Salmon salad.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/40P1000240.jpg

Notice how the Onyx tables light up.

For the third course, Marcia had the Corn soup with White fish mousse.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/41P1000241.jpg

I had the Poblano soup with Sage oil and Basil Crouton.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/42P1000242.jpg

I told you this place is pretty fancy.

For the main course, we both had the White fish. Marcia’s fish was accompanied by a Beet sauce over a bed of Cilantro Risotto.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/43P1000243.jpg

My fish came with an Adobo sauce over Cream of Refried Beans.
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By now, we were pretty tired and a little drunk. While the food was absolutely delicious, the wait time between dishes was pretty long. Not that this was necessarily bad but like I mentioned, we were both pretty tired (and drunk). And so Marcia wouldn’t feel bad about my exploding knee, her ankles started to swell up as well! It was at this point that we started to feel a little old.

For the final course, Marcia made some room for the Fried Sweet Plantain and ice cream.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/45P1000245.jpg

I had the Chocolate ice cream over Caramel.
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It was now 10:30 pm and we had just finished a marathon meal that was out of this world. The price was also out of this world. Without getting into details, it was equivalent to any five-star restaurant we had ever been to in NYC. Considering that we didn’t even order wine, this meal was the most expensive one we would have on this trip. Nonetheless, it was worth it!

We settled our account, thanked Ivan for a wonderful evening and we started walking back to our hotel. While it was only a 10 minute walk, it was all uphill and on a full stomach, we weren’t looking forward to it. As we walked out, Axel, the host walked us to his car and drove us up the mountain to the hotel. Not only did this guy look eerily similar to…

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/fabio.jpg

…but he was also a nice guy.

After struggling to get Marcia out of the car, we were back at our hotel and greeted by Salvador who wanted to make sure we had arrived safely.

We walked into our room and were surprised to find our room had been broken in …

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20One/47P1000250.jpg

…by Cupid.

It was a very long day and we were very tired. It was also our first full day together as husband and wife. And as we made our way to bed, we whispered into each other’s ear, “I love you” and fell to sleep.

In the next episode…”Honey, that’s one huge knee you got there!”

[debski]

congrats................I'm looking forward to the rest of your report. I researched this hotel for a future trip. Will be very interested in everything you have to say!!!!!! about the hotel and the town!!!!

[sparklegem]

What an amazing dinner!! Thank you for sharing it with us!! I so love the festive flower decorations that are made for you. They are really amazing. I am quite worried about your knee! I am hoping that it was not a brown recluse or a scorpion!!

[Jorge&Marcia]

As usual, I was up at dawn. I stepped out on our balcony to take in the beautiful scenery.

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By now, my knee was hurting pretty bad. I was worried what was causing it, but I certainly didn’t want to ruin our honeymoon so I decided not to say anything to Marcia. She got up and joined me on the balcony.

“Honey, what’s wrong with your knee?”

Well, I guess I was a little naïve to believe I would be able to hide this from her. I blew it off and hobbled over to the phone to order our breakfast.

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Breakfast was usually brought in by Rosario or Carlos every morning and at least for the first few days, we enjoyed it on the balcony. It was a healthy fare and very satisfying.

Marcia enjoying the view.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Two/4P1000268.jpg

Me nursing my aching knee.
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Marcia noticed that my knee was bothering so she suggested we stay by the pool.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Two/6P1000271.jpg

It was hard to resist with a pool that looked like this but I knew how much she loves the beach so we grabbed our towels and made our way to the beach.

Some more of the sculptures at Tentaciones.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Two/8P1000282.jpg

This one was a little risqué for this forum so Marcia took matters into her own hands.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Two/7P1000281.jpg

I wobbled down the La Ropa Road and down past La Casa Que Canta hotel (from When a Man Loves a Woman movie).

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The view of the beach at the end of the road.
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We finally made it to Playa La Ropa! It was probably a 10 minute walk to this point but with the condition my knee was in, it felt like an eternity. Just like in Tulum, the beachfront is covered with hotels. Unlike Tulum, these hotels are huge and the beach was not as nice. We looked for a hotel that would allow us to use their beach chairs but even though this was low season and most of the hotels were empty, none would allow us to use their facilities unless we were guests at the hotel.

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We walked some more until we could find somewhere to rest.

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And we continued to walk.

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Finally, we reached La Perla Restaurant where we found comfortable beach chairs with umbrellas and a small table for rent. We paid $50 pesos which, after walking a mile (we would later find out) wasn’t such a bad deal and ordered some drinks. By now my knee was now on fire!

Some of the local geology.
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We had soon worked up an appetite and ordered lunch.

Marcia had the fish fillet.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Two/15P1000309.jpg

I had the Red Snapper a la Veracruzana.
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After a few more Margaritas and some more sun, I wish I could say my knee was feeling any better but in fact, it wasn’t. Marcia was now getting worried and frankly, so was I. I had the name of a local doctor which might be able to help but I really didn’t feel like sitting in a doctor’s office especially during my honeymoon. Recalling my days as a Navy corpsman, I knew the inflammation was causing all the pain and what would work against the inflammation would be NSAID's, or non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs. Sure, I didn’t know the cause of the inflammation and sure I wasn't a doctor but I definitely knew some drugs would help the pain.

So we took a cab to Commercial Mexicana which is Zihuatanejo’s version of Mercado San Francisco and headed right to the pharmacy. Since no prescriptions are needed in Mexico, I asked for Naprosyn 500 mg. My luck, they were on sale. Marcia grabbed some Bengay just in case.

We took a taxi back to the hotel and I took the first dose. By now it was late in the afternoon and the clouds had moved in. We would have no beautiful sunset tonight. We got ready and took a cab to dinner.

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We decided to try Lety’s which we had heard many good things about. The restaurant was located on the other side of town in a neighborhood which was a little questionable but the cab driver was nice enough to offer to wait for us. We walked up the stairs to the main restaurant.

As was becoming a common theme, we were the only ones at the restaurant.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Two/23P1000320.jpg

We were greeted by Lety herself who was very personable and very proud of her food. She went over the menu with us and offered her suggestions.

Marcia after a day at the beach.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Two/18P1000313.jpg

Me after my first dose of Naprosyn.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Two/19P1000314.jpg

The menu.
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We ordered some Margaritas (Sure, why not. We weren’t driving!).
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Two/22P1000319.jpg

The ubiquitous Mexican appetizer.
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I started with a half portion of the Octopus In It’s (sp) Ink soup.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Two/octopus.jpg

(Sorry, the soup was so good that I forgot to take a picture)

For the main course, Marcia had the Coconut Shrimp.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Two/25P1000325.jpg

I had the Sweet Pepper Stuffed with Seafood.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Two/24P1000324.jpg

That’s Achiote sauce over my stuffed Pepper.

The food was excellent and the drinks were good. Unfortunately, there was so much food that we couldn’t finish it. We settled our account and bade farewell to Lety. We took our cab back to our hotel and settled in for the night. I took my second dose and lathered on the Bengay. We skipped the goodnight kiss for obvious reasons and went to sleep. It was an interesting day to say the least but despite the shortcomings, I was happy to be here with my wife. Tomorrow would be a new day and perhaps it would be a day without pain. Man, I hate getting old!

In the next episode…”Uh-oh! I think I pulled a muscle.”

[TheWindyCity]

Hey there! Really enjoying your trip report. Your photos and writing style are great --- and a funny guy as well! Looks like another intersting place to go, so thanks for sharing. the food looks fantastico! Sorry to hear about your knee. When we were in Italy, running through the streets of San Gimigniano, I must have aggravated a vein in my shin, and woke up in pain the next day with a big lump. Not good when 95 %of the tour is walking everywhere! Thank god for NSaids and an ice pack! Can't wait to read more of your report. Ciao!!

[minniemex]

Great report! Too too funny! I am worried about your knee too! I love the shot of Marcia at dinner after the beach. She glows!

Another of my fav pics ~

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Two/2P1000255.jpg

[Ranger]

Enjoying your trip, congradulations, looking forward to more and what was up with the knee.

I knew this would be good as I very much liked your NVR TR.

[Jorge&Marcia]

Thanks everyone. Nice to be back again.

I hate to hijack my own thread but Marcia was wondering if anyone had any interior pics to Horizonte Perdido? I've been to Manitou's, Coconutshrimps and various other TR's but no luck!

[minniemex]

Hmmmm........

I think Beachreader & Sue stayed in that room. Whoops, it was the one below it. PM Coconutshrimp ~ she might have some pictures she can share with you!

Here (http://tulum.info/showthread.php?4199-It-doesn-t-get-any-better-than-this/page2) is a link to their report anyways.

[elvo73]

I love the food at La Perla in playa la ropa, is a very popular place, Francisco the owner is a very nice guy, few years ago, I planned the baptism of my baby in there, great food and service.
I'm sorry about your knee! I can't wait to hear more :wave:

[Playakath]

And then?

:wave:

[sparklegem]

And then?

:wave:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7luMp6lb9M

[Playakath]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7luMp6lb9M

Exactly!

[sparklegem]

Exactly!

:)

[minniemex]

Hmmmm........ do I smell bread baking??

[CoconutShrimp]

We have a video tour of the Horiztone Perdidio Unit if any one is interested. Sorry it took me so long to get it to you Jorge.

Really great TR, looking forward to more of your witty humor. Please don't make us wait too long. :)

[Jorge&Marcia]

The day started like any other day in paradise except for the strong aroma of Bengay in the air.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/000bb9gp.jpg
“Man, I love the smell of Bengay in the morning!”

Despite the offensive odor, the pain in my knee was almost gone. I was feeling 1,000 times better.

We ordered breakfast as usual…
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/1P1000334.jpg

I took some time to write in my journal…
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/2P1000337.jpg

and I indicated to Marcia where we would be spending the day.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/3P1000338.jpg
(Notice my left knee is still a little swollen)

For today, we had planned to head into town to do a little sightseeing and some shopping. While the day started a little cloudy, we took our swimwear in case the day cleared up.

Salvador called us a cab and he drove us downtown.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/4P1000343.jpg
The driveway leading to the main road.

A cab ride into town was never more than $50 pesos unless it was after dark or you requested air conditioning. Not a bad deal but of course, you had to sit through the spiel every time you got in.

Unlike Tulum, this was a common thing in Zihuatanejo. Everyone was always trying to lure you into their store, or trying to sell you something. Whether you were at a restaurant, the beach or in a cab, you would always expect to hear it. At first it was a little annoying but you get used to it.

We got off at the basketball court which is the center of town.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/P1000362.jpg

We took pictures of some of the crocodiles…
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/5P1000360.jpg

…and made our way to the Artisanal Market.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/6P1000370.jpg

Located along 5 de Mayo Street, the market covers some three blocks and is filled with little stores where people (mostly tourist) come to buy souvenirs. As expected, the spiel is pretty heavy here.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/7P1000376.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/8P1000379.jpg

By now the clouds were dissipating and the temperature was starting to rise. I noticed Marcia was turning a little pale so we stopped in a store to get her a soda and some chocolate before she passed out on me.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/9P1000380.jpg

The day had cleared and it was very humid so we decided to go to the beach. We walked three blocks west to the pier and paid $40 pesos for a water taxi to Playa Las Gatas. This beach is located at the extreme southern end of the bay and is accessible either by water taxi from the pier or a footpath along the rocky coast from La Ropa.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/10P1000391.jpg
One of several water taxis waiting to launch.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/11P1000392.jpg
Clearly, safety is not an issue in this transport. (Notice the exposed tank of gasoline.)

We circled around for a good half hour while we waited for more passengers to arrive. We later found out that the boatmen would only leave with a full load. Fine enough for me but failing to see any lifejackets, I worried what would happen if the boat were to capsize?

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/12P1000400.jpg

We were finally off for the ten minute trip across the bay.

Some of the local landscape.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/13P1000403.jpg

While the water was beautiful, I sure wouldn’t want to go for a swim here.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/14P1000404.jpg

The view of Playa Las Gatas.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/15P1000409.jpg

We docked and started walking along the beach. Unlike Playa la Ropa, the beach is lined with restaurants trying to lure you in. “No gracias,” was a common theme of those walking along the beach.

I had read that a place at the end of the beach with the red beach chairs was a local favorite so we ended up at Restaurant Otilla.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/16P1000413.jpg

This was a wonderful place to spend a few hours and it even had its version of the Sueňos Wood in Tulum.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/17P1000414.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/18P1000427.jpg

It was true what they said about the beach. It was beautiful!

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/19P1000416.jpg

We were greeted by Frank who was a true character. He was wearing a Yankees cap so I knew we would get along marvelously – Go Yankees! We were given our chairs, a tall list of additional items we could purchase from him on the side (from cigars to rum to maria and juana) and a menu.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/20P1000412.jpg

We sat at our own private table, dug our feet into the sand and ordered lunch.

Marcia had the Lobster tacos.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/23P1000422.jpg

I had the Cod fish with chili sauce.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/21P1000420.jpg

We both shared some Guacamole.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/22P1000421.jpg

Frank sure made lunch interesting. He talked about how much he wanted to visit New York. For someone who had never left Mexico, he sure knew all the good places to visit. We laid out for a few hours and enjoyed our Margaritas. Every so often someone would stop by and ask us if we wanted to buy something to which we responded, “No gracias.”

By 4:30, we decided to get back to the hotel. We settled our tab, bid farewell to Frank and walked back to the water taxi. As we waited by the pier, we noticed two ladies in the water being taken by the tide. As they crashed into the pier, a group of kids tried lifting the poor ladies on the deck but they were too heavy. I told Marcia I should go help and as I pulled one of the ladies up, I felt a stabbing pain in my right rib area.

”Uh-oh! I think I pulled a muscle,” I mumbled as Marcia saw my face cringe in pain.

I didn’t want to get her worried – again – so I didn’t say anything. Later, I would find out that I had re-injured my external oblique.

Fortunately we were able to get both ladies on deck safely. We walked towards our water taxi and we were soon on our way.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/24P1000438.jpg

Back at our hotel, Salvador greeted us with two Tamarind Margaritas.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/25P1000443.jpg

I did a couple of laps in our pool (probably not a good idea).
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/26P1000448.jpg

And once again worked up a thirst.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/27P1000455.jpg

Although our bar wasn’t as pretty as the one in Tulum, we were able to get some of that Agave syrup which really made the Margaritas taste good.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/28P1000458.jpg

I had picked out a few restaurants in town I had read good things about so we decided to go out for dinner.

On our way out, Salvador introduced us to Mario, the chef at Tentaciones. As you will see in another episode, this guy is amazing.

Our cab picked us up and we headed to our first choice. No luck. Our second choice wasn’t any better as was the third. All restaurants were closed because of low season. The cab driver suggest another restaurant many people were talking about so he took us to La Casa Vieja.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/33P1000465.jpg

The place looked like an old hacienda.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/29P1000461.jpg

As usual, we were the only ones there.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/30P1000477.jpg

The décor was really authentic.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/38P1000473.jpg

As were the plates.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/31P1000462.jpg

Alfonso would be our server for the night. We listened to the specials of the day and yes, his list of services he could provide us on the side. We ordered two Margaritas and were served family style.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/32P1000463.jpg

Unfortunately, they didn’t taste as good as they look.

We were then served chips, salsa and refried beans.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/34P1000467.jpg

Once again, not too good but they sure helped absorb all the alcohol.

Alfonso suggested the Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos but warned us that they were extra spicy.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/35P1000468.jpg

Unfortunately, they were anything but.

Ok folks, we were definitely on a roll here.

I had the Swordfish Steak.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/36P1000469.jpg

Marcia, for the lack of a better choice, had the BBQ Spare Ribs.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/37P1000470.jpg

My Swordfish was a little overdone for my taste but I requested some tortillas and made tacos with the salsa and refried beans. Marcia’s ribs were actually very tasty.

As we sat there licking the sauce from our face, and hearing that absolute cheesy lounge music playing in the background, I wondered how funny all this seemed. We finished dinner and paid our bill. Alfonso asked us if we would like a cab and before we would agree, the same cab driver that brought us here was waiting to take us back.

As usual, Salvador greeted us and asked us if we wanted some dessert. We thanked him but decided to head to our room instead. It had been a long day and my side was now starting to hurt.

We entered our room lit by candles and covered in rose petals.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon Zihuatanejo 2011 - Day Three/39P1000481.jpg

We could get used to this.

And as we settled into bed, we fell asleep. Tomorrow would be another wonderful day.

[sparklegem]

Thank you for newest episode! I love reading your trip reports! I am sorry about 'the bumps in the road', the swollen knee and pulled muscle. Your hotel looks so luxurious and it sounds like you were very well taken care of.

We spent a week and a half in Zijuantanejo but stayed on the beach at Hotel Villa del Sol (I think it is now the Tides). What I remember most about the trip were the two giant, brightly colored snakes that I saw slithering down the beach and going out into the ocean!

Do you think that tourism is especially down because of the drug wars and the economy or was it a typical low season?

[utmck]

Really cool hotel and the views are really great!!!

[Solbound]

Enjoying the TR....the "spiel" sounds a lot like Playa del Carmen! As you said you get used to it or we would walk side streets to avoid it if we were going to a specific spot. Looking forward to the rest of the story.

[minniemex]

Love it! And I really want these plates ~ I hope your muscle pull doesn't get you down too much.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Three/31P1000462.jpg

[ilovewyoming]

LOVE these pic's:

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Three/39P1000481.jpg

What a great place to stay! They totally took care of you two.

This pool is awesome!

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Three/26P1000448.jpg
Hope your aches and pains go away soon.

[Ranger]

Enjoying this, more to come?

[Grasshopper]

Loving this.... keep it coming! :cool:

[ilovewyoming]

I forgot to mention: You are the cutest couple ever. Good job on the report. Thanks.

[Jorge&Marcia]

Today we had scheduled a tour of Zihuatanejo with Juan Carlos, a local guide.

We were up early and having breakfast by 8:00 am.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/3P1000485.jpg

Juan picked us up in his taxi and we were off.

A view of Zihuatanejo from the hillside.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/4P1000489.jpg

Casa Que Canta hotel and a large condominium project under construction to its right.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/5P1000491.jpg

That large structure that looks like a coliseum is the Parthenon of Arturo Durazo. Our hotel is to the left of it.

Casa Kua Kan – another beautiful hotel on the cliffs.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/6P1000492.jpg

Playa la Ropa.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/7P1000493.jpg

Playa Las Gatas.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/8P1000496.jpg

The higher we climbed, the more spectacular the view.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/10P1000506.jpg

Unfortunately, the neighborhood up here wasn’t as nice.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/9P1000523.jpg

We were heading toward the 70 meter mark known locally as cota 70. Many of the people that live in this area are very poor and have no running water or sewage.

Since these homes are poorly constructed and built on the hillside, they are constantly subjected to landslides.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/15P1000502.jpg

The roads were mostly unpaved and really hard on the body.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/13P1000500.jpg

Despite the poverty, the community had a church…
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/12P1000499.jpg

…and an Internet Café.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/17P1000513.jpg

So why did we decide to come here? Well, since Marcia is a school teacher we thought it would be a great idea to visit a local school but since schools were closed for summer recess, Juan suggested we visit the children where they live.

Some of the school supplies we bought the kids.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/18P1000519.jpg

Marcia talking shop with one of the local kids.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/21P1000545.jpg

Marcia fell in love with this little girl.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/20P1000531.jpg

We then went to visit a local place where families gather to wash their clothes.

Juan gathered the children…
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/24P1000562.jpg

…while Marcia sets up shop.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/25P1000567.jpg

Some of the kids we met.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/26P1000577.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/27P1000600.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/28P1000602.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/29P1000604.jpg

Before we went to our next destination, Juan wanted to introduce us to his sister who was also a school teacher.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/30P1000623.jpg

After several minutes of trading war stories, we moved on to Playa Larga. This 15-mile long beach is actually comprised of two beaches with Playa Larga at the northern end and Playa Blanca to the south.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/31P1000612.jpg

As you can see, this beach is great for surfing but not so much for swimming.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/32P1000615.jpg

We took a restroom break at Playa Larga and met Juan’s son who was working at a local restaurant.

Our next stop was the city of Petatlán. Located approximately 20 miles south of Zihuatanejo, this city is known for the Sanctuary of the Padre Jesús de Petatlán and for its gold.

Our first stop in Petatlán was in the center of town where some two dozen gold vendors gather around the church to sell their jewelry.

I wanted to buy Marcia a gold wedding band she can use for our future trips abroad. She was a tough customer to haggle with.

Here she is giving a vendor the evil eye.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/33P1000638.jpg

It must have worked because we ended up with a great deal.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/34P1000641.jpg

After some shopping, we visited the Sanctuary of the Padre Jesús de Petatlán.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/35P1000633.jpg

The white church is located atop a hill and is dedicated to Padre Jesús de Petatlán who performed miracles throughout Mexico.

There is a small sanctuary…
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/36P1000631.jpg

…where Marcia lit a candle for our small miracle.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/40P1000679.jpg

The church has undergone many transformations. The original church was built in 1555 and was destroyed by an earthquake caused by an eruption of the volcano Paricutin in 1943. The present church was built in 1949, was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1985 and repaired in 1990.

Here it is in its present form.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/37P1000646.jpg

We had a wonderful time visiting this church and we walked away feeling rejuvenated.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/39P1000675.jpg

It was lunch time so Juan took us to a local restaurant at Barra de Potosi. Barra de Potosí is a tiny fishing village at the extreme southern end of the 15-mile long beach of Playa Larga and Playa Blanca. The beach is lined with many palm thatched restaurants that only serve the freshest seafood.

Mariscos Nayito.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/41P1000692.jpg

We started our meal with some cold Modelo Negros.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/42P1000694.jpg

Marcia had the breaded fish.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/43P1000695.jpg

I had the Pescado a la Talle, or a whole grilled fish.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/45P1000698.jpg

We both shared the Sopa de Mariscos, or Fish Soup.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/44P1000697.jpg

Actually, I was on my own with the fish soup since Marcia doesn’t do the whole fish ‘thing’.

As usual, the condiments were amazing.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/46P1000699.jpg

As you can see, there was plenty of food and it was all incredibly good and for $310 pesos we weren’t complaining.

Facing north the skies were getting ominous…
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/48P1000703.jpg

… but to the south, the skies never looked better.
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/49P1000704.jpg

Barra de Potosí also has a large mangrove estuary and lagoon that opens to the ocean.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/50P1000711.jpg

And unlike the waves of Playa Larga to the north, the waters here are very calm.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/51P1000713.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/jorgemarcia/Honeymoon%20Zihuatanejo%202011%20-%20Day%20Four/52P1000717.jpg

The walk did us good especially after such a large meal. Our tour was coming to an end but Juan had one last stop to make. By now, we had spent a full day with Juan and we had become close. He told us everything about his native land and his family and he was curious to hear about where we were from. And as he pulled off the main road and onto more unpaved roads, he told us that he was taking us to meet his family.

Here is Juan’s family minus his oldest son who was still working at Playa Larga.
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It had been a wonderful day and having Juan as our guide was simply the best. He took us back to our hotel and wished us well. We promised to keep in touch.

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At our hotel, our room had another surprise.
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Salvador greeted us and served us some Tamarind Margaritas poolside.
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As we lounged by the pool we looked up at the hillside and reminisced of all that we had experienced today. It had been a long day, albeit satisfying but we were definitely not in the mood to go out for dinner. We asked Salvador if Tentaciones would be open for dinner and he promised us the best seats in the restaurant.

To be continued...

[Jorge&Marcia]

Going to eat at a restaurant that is literally in your backyard is always cool. We walked out our door and a few steps later we were at the restaurant. Marcia had taken a nap so she was taking a little longer to get ready so I went ahead and had a drink.

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Marcia joined me soon after and we took a picture.
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I decided to blend in with the lighting.

It was getting dark now and Salvador asked us to take a picture of the Bay. I thought it would be too dark but he told me I would be surprised to see the results. This is the picture.
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We had not had dinner at Tentaciones since arriving and we were anxious to see what everyone was talking about. As in Espuma, dinner is five course pre-fixe affair however there are no menus here. We were asked prior to our meal if we had any allergies to any foods and that was it. You just sit back and the chef will cook what is in season.

We started with some fresh bread, one with Cranberry and the other filled with cheese all served with some parsley butter.
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Our first course was a Salmon Tartar.
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Our salad dish was Eggplant rolled on a mixed salad with duck and cranberry sauce.
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We passed on the Margaritas and had some wine.
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The soup was a Cream of Coconut and Almond with Sage Oil.
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The main course was a Surf and Turf with a Hibiscus reduction sauce served with grilled vegetables and a Dijon Mayonnaise sauce.
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Our desert course was a surprise; a Lava cake filled with Caramel and topped off with Vanilla ice cream and accompanied by a serenade by the local staff wishing us a happy honeymoon.
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Amazing!

It was all worth a kiss for prosperity.
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We walked over to the kitchen and thanked Chef Mario and an incredible meal.
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Another day had come and gone and we were tired. Fortunately it wasn’t far to our room – just a few steps. Salvador sent an aperitif to our room and we settled in for the night.

Tomorrow would be a day filled with ribs and pozolé.

[beachreader]

Yay, Jorge's back! What a great day you had there, meeting the kids, up the cliffs, down to the sea. Hope your back and knee are OK!

[sparklegem]

I love your trip report and all of your photos! What a fun and adventurous honeymoon! The caramel filled lava cake sounds incredible!

[TheWindyCity]

The dinner at Tentaciones looked amazing. Also, it was really nice of you guys to give of your valuable vacation time to the school kids. Awesome trip, glad you are back on.

[Jorge&Marcia]

experiencing some technical difficulties. please stand by.

[Mudslide]

Couple years ago, a group of us stayed as Hotel Las Palmas on Playa Blanca. We would ride bikes down to La Barra for swims, lunch, and very cheap ice cold beers... A very special place.

[Jorge&Marcia]

Today was day five in paradise and we were finally getting settled in our routine.

One thing we weren’t getting used to though were the flies. So this time we decided to have breakfast inside.

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We had planned to get some beachside massages so we packed up our gear and headed out.

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Or down as you can see.

The roads heading towards the beach were beautiful and the foliage provided some relief from the scorching sun.

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These are the last steps leading to the beach.

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We walked towards our usual place by la Perla and found a white tent offering massages. We met Rosa and Guadalupe and laid down for our hour-long massage. They weren’t bad but they sure weren’t Margo. And for $400 pesos for both, who can complain? Sorry but we forgot to take any pictures.

As I got off the massage table, I felt this stabbing pain on the right side of ribs. I had felt the pain since I helped pull that lady out of the water at Playa la Ropa and it had been getting worst ever since. By now, it was hurting every time I took a breath. I didn’t want to alarm my wife once again so I didn’t say anything.

After our massages, we walked over to La Perla, rented some chairs and ordered some drinks.

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We then lounged around and watched families play with their children.

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By lunch, we took our usual places…

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…and started with a few Margaritas.

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Some chips with salsa were served to help wash down the liquor.

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I had the octopus cocktail.

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Marcia had the fish quesadillas with guacamole.

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Hey, how did those silly creatures get on my plate?

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By the end of lunch, the clouds starting moving in so we decided to head back. Instead of taking a cab back as any rational person would have done, I thought it would be a better idea to walk back. These are some of the pictures I took.

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By the time we got back to the steps, the rain was coming down hard. By now my wife had rightly lost all her gracious charm and started hurling some pretty narly looks my way. I know now I deserved them. And we still had a whole side of a mountain to walk up before we made it back to our hotel.

As you can imagine, I wasn’t able to get any pictures of this as well.

By the time we got back to our room, it was 4:30 pm. We got out of our wet clothes, took a shower and went to bed to take a nap. The combination of massages, cocktails and step class sure worked its toll on us. We woke up almost fours later.

Since it was Thursday, it was Pozolé night. Pozolé is a traditional Mexican stew made with pork or chicken that is offered in a green, white or red stew to represent the colors of the Mexican flag. They are traditionally served with various side dishes and is best eaten with a frosty brew. We got ready, called a cab and headed to Tamales Y Atole Any which was one of the restaurants that participated in Pozolé night.

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As usual, the place was packed…

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…in silence.

Unlike the establishment, the menu was packed with plenty of goodies.

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And by now, Marcia was back to her beautiful self again.

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They served us some chips with some salsas and jalapenos.

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Since the restaurant was well known for their tamales, we had to try one.

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Unfortunately, we didn’t ask how big these things would be. But despite their size, they were amazing!

We weren’t much in the mood for any drinks so we ordered a couple of sodas instead.

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For our main course, Marcia ordered the small Pozolé and I ordered the medium size.

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The Pozolé here came with onions, jalapenos, radishes, pork rinds, tortillas, avocados, limes, oregano, chili peppers, a tortilla and “a partridge on a pear tree”.

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Wow, what meal.

After dinner, we took a stroll through the downtown streets of Zihuatanejo to help work off some of this food. We walked through some storefronts and poked through some local bars. We witnessed a pickup truck full of masked men heavily clad with machine guns pull up in front of a club and drag out a few rabble-rousers. We assumed they were police officers but weren’t sure. We also heard some firecrackers and wondered where the celebration was but just in case, we decided not to stick around to find out.

By now my wife was getting a little nervous as you might expect so we hailed a cab – quickly – and headed back to the hotel. As usual, Salvador was waiting for us with an aperitif. Since we had taken a late long nap, we weren’t tired so we stayed up having our drinks discussing our latest adventures. Marcia thought we were lucky to be alive. I thought she was being a little melodramatic. Nonetheless, we settled down and went to sleep. The day was truly filled with ribs, Pozolé and probably what turned out to be some gunfire thrown in the mix!

[Jorge&Marcia]

We were feeling a little lazy today so we slept in. By 9:00 am we called the front desk and ordered our usual spread.

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The day was cloudy and we weren’t too much in the mood for the beach after yesterday’s drama so we lounged around the room for a while.

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It was a good time for me to catch up on some writing.

Marcia took the time to get ready.

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By late morning, we decided to take a stroll through Zihuatanejo’s Mercado Municipal. Salvador called us a cab that took us downtown. First, we would pose for a picture.

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Downtown Zihuatanejo was busy and as usual, the military had a strong presence.

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Marcia wasn’t too happy I took this picture and warned me that she wouldn’t bail me out of jail if I got in trouble.

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The Municipal Market (translated) is a labyrinth of small stands located on Avenida Benito Juárez between Avenida Nava and Avenida González. Similar to the pushcart peddlers of the Lower East Side tenements, these stands sell just about everything but the kitchen sink. Well, actually, they also sell that too.

The following are some pictures of what we saw.

This is the local butcher.
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It sold everything from beef liver, beef stomach, cow foot and intestines. At $100 pesos, the tongue was quite reasonable.

This stand sold fresh poultry.
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It still amazes me how orange the chickens in Mexico are compared to those in the US.

This is your local fishmongers or female fishmonger as is the case here.
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This stand carried fresh eggs, among other dried goods.
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While this stand sold fresh cheese.
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Notice the pomanders? The combination of oranges and cloves help mask the ‘strong’ aromas that constantly permeate the air.

Continuing on our tour of the market, we stopped at a produce stand. We couldn’t believe the size of the fruits and vegetables.

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This is Manzanilla which is Spanish for Chamomile.
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This stand carried dried chilis.
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And this one sold teas for various ailments.
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The midday sun was hot and we had walked quite a bit so we decided to stop at a taco stand and have some lunch.

We noticed a line of people at this particular stand so we decided to give it a try.

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The proprietor was chopping up two types of meats so we ordered two tacos of each kind.

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One was beef and the other was a mystery meat. Marcia said it had a funny taste the texture of cheese but I thought it was pretty good. I didn’t tell her then but it definitely had the taste and texture of cow brains!

We paid the $24 pesos and continued on our tour of the market. Since we knew the tacos weren’t going to be enough to satisfy our appetite, we stopped by another stand selling quesadillas.

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The quesadillas here were made right in front of you over this huge comal. For only $15 pesos, you could choose from an array of meats. This time we played it safe and ordered a quesadilla filled with chorizo.

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For the next few minutes we sat outdoors, sharing our quesadilla and watching this man flip ready quesadillas by the dozen.

After lunch, we headed out of the market and into downtown Zihuatanejo. Unlike downtown Tulum, this place is loud, congested and full of people. Here are some pictures we took.

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The sun was becoming unbearable so we stopped in a store to get some water.

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Marcia was checking her answering service for messages.

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By now we were a little tired so we took a cab back to our hotel. We really enjoyed visiting the Municipal Market and Downtown Zihuatanejo. Except for the continued presence of heavily armed military roaming the streets, we always felt safe. As for the street food, we would find out soon enough whether it would wreak havoc on our intestines.

As usual, Salvador greeted us back at the hotel and inquired how our day went. He was surprised to hear of our culinary ventures. He offered us some sodium bicarbonate as a precaution but we opted for some cold Pacificos poolside instead.

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And of course, no drink could be complete without those awesome limes.

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Noting that we hadn’t had a ‘respectable’ meal since the morning, Salvador sent over some Ceviche that Chef Mario was preparing for dinner service.

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Perhaps this was a sneaky way to entice us to stay for dinner but we weren’t going to complain.

After a few hours of lounging around by the pool the clouds starting moving and it started to rain. But despite the rain and being a little tired, we decided to go into town for dinner. While it may have been Salvador’s desire to have us stay for dinner, he was gracious enough to suggest a restaurant that specialized in Molcajete. He also warned us that the road up to the hotel would probably be very slippery so he was even nice enough to take us down to meet our cab.

We asked the driver to take us to Bandidos and we were off.

[Jorge&Marcia]

Bandidos was definitely a place that was geared more towards tourists. At first we were a little hesitant but were comforted in that Salvador hadn’t let us down yet.

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As usual, the place was empty.

Molcajete is actually a stone mortar and pestle used in various Spanish countries to grind various ingredients. The dish is basically a tomato-based stew made with chicken or beef, fish, shrimp, or cheese and served in the Molcajete along with onions, nopal, and cheese.

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We first started with a little salsa made in, what else, a Molcajete.
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Together with some pretty potent Margaritas and chips and we were ready for dinner.
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I had the chicken Molcajete.
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Marcia decided to try the beef.
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All this was served with some blue corn tortillas.
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Dinner was great and the place was not bad. We admit we had been too quick to judge. Although a little expensive at $620 pesos, the food was fantastic. And while the place was initially empty, it was now filling up with revelers. The background music was now loud enough to dance. But despite the festive atmosphere, we wanted to head back. Perhaps those ‘firecrackers’ from last had shaken me up more than I care to admit.

The rain had stopped but the ground was definitely slippery. I knew that getting up that hill would probably be a little tricky. So when we arrived at the base of the hotel, I asked the cab driver that he could drop us off there. His insistence to make it up the hill was foolhardy as the car quickly started spinning its wheels and rolling back. He hit the accelerator to no avail. The scent of burning rubber filled the air.

As if this wasn’t enough, the driver’s side of the car keeled over and now the driver lost control. I told Marcia to get out of the car slowly and I followed right behind. As I walked to the front of the car I was shocked to see that the right rear wheel was hanging precariously over the neighboring properties steps. A wrong move and the car would tilt over completely and fall down the side of the mountain.

I instructed the driver to slowly turn the wheel clockwise and let go of the brakes. He fortunately followed my instructions and avoided what would have probably been a pretty nasty fall. His embarrassment resulted in a free ride which we graciously refused. We tipped him well and he drove off.

So here we were, once again, at the bottom of the mountain in the darkness of night with a full stomach and a whole lot of steps in front of us. In retrospect it seems almost comical but I assure you it was anything but that night. The thought of us lying upside down in a car off the side of a mountain in a foreign country wasn’t our idea of fun. As we made it back to our room safely, we kissed each other goodnight and went to sleep. At least now we would have a great story to tell all our friends.


He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

[patrick]

Great report! Brings back memories, we where at Club Med in Ixtapa for the family vacation last summer. A lot different from the east coast.

Pat