Traveling in Mexico

[Festaefeeder]

I travelled round western an northern Mexico in 2005 as the first stop on a round the world trip, spent 4 weeks travelling from Mexico city to ciudad Juarez, loved it, people friendly, went to some random places like creel an los mochis an some more famous places such as Acapulco an peurto vallarta,

I would recommend it to anyone who fancies a trip there. As for crime, I didn't see any, but of course it's there, I think commonsense gets you a long way. Sorry no pics, but the pyramids at teotehaucan (not sure on spelling) were pretty amazing, largest pyramid outside of Egypt I was reliably informed by the guide Pepe

 

[Dan F]

Will do tomorrow. Im not on my own computer ATM or I would. I first started visiting Puerto Escondido (Zipolite) in 1990. Same thing, sleeping in hammocks under a mosquito proofed palapa on the beach. In the years since then it has improved drastically year to year. I was last there in 2003 and it had totally changed. The city that is.. The surf there was just as gnarly and dangerous as it was when I first visited, just more crowds.

I don't surf, but those sure are some gnarly waves, especially on the south end of Puerto Escondido.

interdesting. and thanks for the pics

krich is safe. thugs check under their bed for the boogie man. the boogie man checks under his bed for krich

Thanks, Sumo. I agree, krich seems like he can probably handle it, I just thought it was funny that they chose Philadelphia to compare to Tiajuana. I've never been to Philadelphia, but if it's worse than TJ it has got to be one rough place....

I travelled round western an northern Mexico in 2005 as the first stop on a round the world trip, spent 4 weeks travelling from Mexico city to ciudad Juarez, loved it, people friendly, went to some random places like creel an los mochis an some more famous places such as Acapulco an peurto vallarta,

I would recommend it to anyone who fancies a trip there. As for crime, I didn't see any, but of course it's there, I think commonsense gets you a long way. Sorry no pics, but the pyramids at teotehaucan (not sure on spelling) were pretty amazing, largest pyramid outside of Egypt I was reliably informed by the guide Pepe

You Brits really like your round-the-world trips, I've met several English people in South and Central America doing just that.

 

[Miguel]

Not only Brits. Europeans and aussies in general, i think, Dan.

 

[Pyramid_Party]

Thanks for sharing man, looks beautiful.

 

[krichardson]

Ehh I hate to derail but with all of the talk about Killadelphia going on here I thought Id share this...A few days ago a man in his thirties was riding on the train on his home from work. He got into a sports discussion with two young men,they were Sixers fans and he was a Bulls fan. Well the discussion got out of hand at some point and the two young men got up to leave the train at their stop.Just after they got off and before the doors could close,one if them pulled out a pistol and opened fire on the man they had been arguing with.This is truly a dangerous town,the shooter and his accomplice are actually brothers and teenagers....


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[Dan F]

Not only Brits. Europeans and aussies in general, i think, Dan.

Yes, and us Americans just go to work....

Thanks for sharing man, looks beautiful.

Thanks!

Ehh I hate to derail but with all of the talk about Killadelphia going on here I thought Id share this...A few days ago a man in his thirties was riding on the train on his home from work. He got into a sports discussion with two young men,they were Sixers fans and he was a Bulls fan. Well the discussion got out of hand at some point and the two young men got up to leave the train at their stop.Just after they got off and before the doors could close,one if them pulled out a pistol and opened fire on the man they had been arguing with.This is truly a dangerous town,the shooter and his accomplice are actually brothers and teenagers....


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No problem. It just goes to show that you can get killed anywhere. Mexico in general is a lot more dangerous than rural Oregon, but not necessarily worse than parts of urban America.

 

[Dan F]

Acapulco is a big city compared to many of the popular Pacific Mexico tourist destinations. This is the view from the hotel in the heart of old town.


Another view of the bay from an old fort.


The famous cliff divers.


VW taxis everywhere.


Tile mosaic murals Diego Rivera made for his girlfriend.


A local delicacy - the gooseneck barnacle.

 

[Dan F]

On the way from Acapulco to Zihuatanejo we took a side trip to see a rustic salt-making area. If you get very far off the main road you're bound to run into some livestock sooner or later.


View from the rest stop on the coastal highway.


Puffers are everywhere, but there seemed to be a lot around Zihuatanejo.


A hotel on the beach had a turtle hatching program and they let people participate in releasing the hatchlings.


The rental car guy had a half-price special on this "clown car" (that's what I called it). One morning we came out to find a plunger stuck to the hood.

 

[Dan F]

I like to do some caving whenever I can, so when I read that there is a cave located south of Zihuatanejo I drug my wife out to investigate. I asked how to get to the cave at the local school in Majahua. The lady (who was the P.T.A. president) went and got her husband to take us - that is the way it is in Mexico, a stranger asks for directions and gets taken where he's going.

After hiking through the most tick-infested jungle I have ever seen we came to the cave entrance. The view from inside:


Karst formations inside the cave.


A face scratched into a tree trunk outside the cave.


After checking out the cave we asked if there was anywhere in Majahua to eat, to which the guy responded "My house". He was a lobster fisherman, so that is what his mom fixed us.


This is their home. It is just a one-room block structure with an outdoor eating area, but they were quick to share it with us. I wonder how often foreign tourists get invited into people's homes in the U.S.....

 

[Dan F]

The Grutas de Juxtlahuaca is an extensive cave system about an hour out of Chilpancingo, Guerrero. It can only be entered with a guide that can be arranged for in the town of Juxtlahuaca.

The town of Juxtlahuaca.


Fortunately this cave was gated soon after it discovery (by Europeans) in the early twentieth century. Because of this the rock formations and paintings are almost completely intact.


The entryway to the cave.


Near the entrance are lots of bats and roaches that feed on the guano. Further inside you don't find these.


A trepanned skull covered in accretion.


A painting of a ruler and slave (of course this is open to interpretation) considered to be the oldest rupestrian painting in the Western Hemisphere.


The Jaguar and Quetzalcoatl, two very important deities for the Olmecs who are thought to have painted these about three thousand years ago.


The karst (limestone) formations in the cave are the best I've ever seen. The crystals were found in the wettest/deepest parts of the cave.


I have to point out that my wife is a very good sport about the crazy ventures that I drag her along on. She was three months pregnant with our first child on this trip.