La Cancha

Been a while since we were there. I understand that the whole area has been changed. What is the status of the Sunday evening family programs and entertaining there or has Covid halted it temporarily?

The Domingos Culturales began again last weekend. No vendors in the plaza anymore, not really much of a plaza. Just a remodeled basketball court with my alma mater's logo painted on it (GO GATORS!) in carnivalesque bright colors. Not sure why but I'll accept it as a compliment since I may be the only Gator in town. You have to watch where you're walking because of the new coconut grove where our main plaza used to be.

From the photos I've seen, I share your lack of enthusiasm for the "improvements". If memory serves, hasn't it been several years since the food vendors were moved out of the plaza and on to Calle Juan Alvarez?

The Sunday food vendors were moved onto the street, but other vendors including several that catered to families and children with arts and crafts simply lost their means of income as have many of the vendors that used to be Plaza del Artista. Plaza Olof Palme (next to the museum) was unceremoniously erased from the face of the earth and its vendors also lost their means of income. But at least one cement-company-owning politician made a nice bundle. The beautiful yellow-flowering tree in Plaza del Pescador in front of La Porteña is gone along with the plaza and now there are so many new stalls for vendors I saw they were advertising to rent stalls to more vendors on Facebook the other day. Let me know if you're interested in selling arts & crafts, I've got their number.

I wonder if the Zihua International Guitar Fest is planning for the usual March events in 2022. Seems the previous beach venues, at least on Playa Principal, no longer exist. Back to Playa La Madera, with its high tide problems?

Very unfortunately successive local governments have allowed La Madera to become so invaded with constructions of different sorts that it's hard to imagine we used to play soccer and toss frisbee on the beach without bothering other beachgoers on their towels and petates. Same with the Playa Principal now, too. The two meters more of beach paved over and the planting of a bunch of small palm trees and the new huge palapas with cement posts left no room for soccer or really any events at all. Very shortsighted. La Ropa would be a good place, but no chairs are allowed on the beach anymore except at restaurants and hotels. But then again the new tourists we're getting by the busload wouldn't appreciate the event as much as the tourists that have been chased away by all the stupid Blue Flag rules.