We arrived in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, in the late afternoon.

Travelling along the water we ended up on a street that took us back to the highway.

On the highway we found ourselves crossing a bridge and then realized we were in a Southern suburb, Zicatela.

As it was late in the day our first order of business was to find a hotel and have an afternoon swim.

Calculating that the suburbs would have cheaper hotels than downtown, we started to look for side streets, running towards the water.

How can I tell you where we found our pearl?

About 3 Km. South of the bridge, across the highway from a Vet hospital, turn onto a wide parking area. Go North along the West side of the highway.

Immediately the rough, dirt, road drops down. On your left will be an auto wrecker or a towing service. I just remember the tow truck(s).

Immediately turn West, toward the water, go down hill for a few meters, then start up hill, and stop.

Ahead of you will be a 6" lip of concrete, take the side of the road where there are some rocks against the concrete. This will get you over the lip without scrapping bottom. Remember this when you come back out.

Once you have reached the crest of the hill you will realize why the pavement is so rough.

So you don't slide to the bottom if it is raining.

When you reach the bottom, which isn't very far, follow the curve to the left, drive a few meters, pull over and there you are.

A pearl amongst the oysters.

Hot water, 2 beds, fan, and a hammock out front. Only P200

HOTEL DIVISADERO

Outside each room is an amaca (hammock). Ours didn't look that trustworthy so I lowered myself, slowly, and was able to pull myself back up before I went all the way through.

I warned Paul, so when he tried to use it he sat in the other end, He also went through.

I imagine the hammock must have been hanging there for a long time, unused

VIEW FROM THE HOTEL	PLAYA ZICATELA

Just a short walk to the water but far enough that the waves won't keep you awake at night.

Though early in the morning, about 8 AM, if you could zoom in on the right hand side of the picture, you would see many people on the beach and in the water.

I don't know who the girl is, or who took her picture. I took the three pictures that make up the panorama. My friend Angelo X. put it all together.

The other three panorama pictures used to look like the picture above, different colour saturations. My friend Angelo smoothed them out for me.

I left this one original so you could see the difference. The others were worse.

FROM APRIL TO NOVEMBER THIS BEACH IS NOT FOR SWIMMERS. HUGE WAVES ATTRACT SURFERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

	PUERTO ESCONDIDO FROM PLAYA ZICATELA

After our daily swim we went back into town to do some shopping and have supper.

Puerto Escondido reminds me of Port Alberni, San Francisco for you Yankees, all up and down a steep hillside.

Near the bottom of the hill, just a short distance from the beach, is a street that is blocked off for several blocks. Pedestrian traffic only.

This is souvenir row. Most of the stores and vendors are open till late in the evening.

END

RELATED WEB SITES

MEXICO VACATION TRAVELS Puerto Escondido	PUERTO ESCONDIDO INFO . COM Live Beach Cam	SURF MEXICO Puerto Escondido	TOMZAP . COM Puerto Escondido

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