Via San Cristobal in an all-night bus with Whoopie Goldberg´s Sister Act playing loudly, we arrived in the morning to Mazunte, sweltering heat, flip flops, sand and surf. Our second attempt at taxis since our trip began was a rip-off, as our driver demanded 150 pesos, waaaaaay more than he deserved, but we arrived all the same at a posada called Balam Juyuk, perched at the high point overlooking Mazunte beach, a cluster of small thatch-roofed cabañas and a banging restaurant officiated by none other than Emiliano, who must be channeling some of the reckless energy of his namesake Zapato, yet providing a more constructive outlet in amazing, if often delayed until 11PM, food.
Cat and I hunkered down in a screened-in building where our first night, I stuck my arm out the mosquito netting and allowed countless bloodthirsty insects into our little haven to devour poor Catherine, who it turns out is deadly allergic to them. I did not make the same mistake the second night...
Mazunte, with its small community of bungaloes and thatch roofs, is actually a boom town. Compared to Cat´s last visit here, the place has grown by leaps and bounds, despite the economic downturn. New places are everywhere, and everyone it seems is offering rooms to let, regardless of what that means. Our stay with Emiliano was great, punctuated by countless games of backgammon, which Catherine promptly learned and mastered (Grrrr...) and many naps in hammocks and days spent reading our books.
We also, surprise surprise, got to swim a good deal in the Pacific Ocean, which is warm and salty, and wonderfully clean. The waves were great for getting thrown around, though not for body surfing, but we survived all the same. We also went to the ¨Jacuzzi,¨ a tidal pool with a slot opening onto the ocean where waves push in with great force, causing the entire pool to bubble and roil, before being sucked back. It was great except for the little fish nibbling my mosquito bites.
Perhaps the most beautiful part of our stay at the beach happened with our last night´s hike out to Punta Cometa, the peninsula arm that shelters the bay of Mazunte from the open ocean. On the point is a giant Saguaro-type cactus with dozens of ten foot tall arms sprouting from its trunk, and high cliffs that you can hike around to see the waves break against the rocks.
The day before my birthday (July 25th, #26 if we are keeping count), we switched digs to an upscale neighbor of Balam Juyuk where we stayed in the lap of luxury, with our own private bathroom, porch and hammock. Not to mention a fan and room that was completely mosquito-proof.
On the last night of our trip we walked out to the point just before dusk, when the light was getting soft and the western horizon began to glow. As we walked towards the point we could see four donkeys that were being grazed on the sheer cliff edges and huge waves breaking over the rocks. We situated ourselves on a slab of granite that was fractured in the middle all the way down to the water, and delighted ourselves with the huge waves that broke occassionally over our little spot, inundating the crabs that stalked the cliff edge and sending them running for cover.
Walking on from our cliff we came to a beach open to the Southwest, where we were able to see the sunset fill the sky, and turn the waves crimson for a few moments before it passed on, and we walked back in darkness. The next morning we packed and left via a colectivo (pickup truck) for Pachutla, from whence we caught a minibus that took us to Oaxaca, the capital of the state, and one of the most interesting cities I have seen.
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