Marlyn Manzanillo

Well we all knew it would happen sooner or later... We arrived in Manzanillo a little after sunset and set anchor just outside Lad Hadas Hotel/Marina/Resort. We spent several days here and decided to leave around midninght or so to make Pascuales for an early morning surf session. About two miles out we heard a loud knock and the engine started smoking and struggling to run. We cut power and ...

... was fine though and we got into the lagoon easy enough. Like I said Barra reminded me a lot of home, big but small town. Everyone seemed to know eachother and said hi as they passed, surfshops, markets, cafes, and shops were all pretty centrally located. We all agreed that this is a place we could definetly spend a lot of time in.

... I got some surf in and Helen did a whole lot of relaxing. Our room was literally on the sand. We occasionally had high winds due to a local weather phenomena that happens that time of year. We were only here two full days in this quaint little town but it was long enough for Helen to kick my butt in some pool and take a nap at a table in a bar where we were watching a band. She even forgot I bought her flowers. Some good deeds never go unpunished.

... American expat, the resort originally built in the 1960s belonged to the Atocha family. After the earthquake, "ejido people" occupied it. They reclaimed it as being theirs since it was originally built on "ejido land". Subsequently, the federal police took the land back. The town of San Patricio de Melaque then hired a firm from Kelowna, British Columbia to flatten the hotel complex to allow for its reconstruction. They were paid 30% of the ...

... entry point to the malecón that runs along a long narrow sandbar. It is tastefully done with ample use of palm trees and only a smattering of kiosks selling local handicrafts. As it turned out, the handicrafts were not local. We were immediately struck by the intricacy of their design and particularly the richness of the colours. We also noticed that the indigenous people who were selling the handicrafts had a look different from any we had ...

... As is our tradition at some point in the late afternoon, it was time to look for a good cup of coffee. Come to think of it, that was not an easy task in Barra de Navidad. We were therefore glad to find Deli & Espresso Café Gourmet for a fine cup of coffee and delicious pastry. It is always a pleasure to speak to locals. We were therefore glad to have the opportunity to speak with the owner ...

... a few "bons mots" out of him before saying good-bye. Among his musings: Many retirement destinations have become "Gringoland" and as a result have been spoiled. Don't sell everything and come down here. Rent and try it out for four months. Don't buy right away. People come and buy but often they want to return to the USA or Canada because of: one of the couple is missing the grandchildren, illness or death. The biggest problems ...

... left, but after confirming it was cold, it was all mine. Whilst he waddled off to retrieve it, I noticed the reason for his particularly short stature - he had bowed legs. Both of them. His knees bent out to the left and right beyond the width of his shoulders. I'd barely taken a second mouthful when a younger barman entered from the street with a bottle under his arm, and promptly presented it to 'ol bow legs, whom, after ...

Few nice days in Sayulita, relaxing on the beautiful beaches and just enjoy some sun. There was a small hippy community here. I almost wanted to rent a hammock at the beach for 20 pesos/night. Me and Dutch finally decided to check in to a small hotel instead. I'm off to Puerto Vallarta this morning. Vallarta is a big resort town, pretty much the pacific coast of Cancun, although not as busy. My first taste of mixing cultures of ...