Time flies in Zihua...

Friday was a fun filled day and night. The girlfriend and I headed to Ixtapa around 22:00 with the small bus and got lucky this time getting a bigger one with AC and it was a comfy ride as we had a small combi last time and it was a pretty tight space for us. We got there and walked around for an hour. Ixtapa is a very pretty type of resort and looks great at night and we explored a good part of the hotel zone before heading back to Senor Frogs as my girlfriend enjoy salsa and my friends running the place wanted her back when busy there to give her a better idea of the feel of such a place when a good crowd is there as opposed to when we went during the week. And one of them wanted to practice his best salsa moves on her too and was sure better than me at it and it was great to see them move. She is still the salsa queen and impressed the locals The place was not that busy when we got in and by midnight there was less than 10 north americans left but the national tourists and locals started getting in and next thing you know the place is pretty busy and we are right in the middle of a bunch of folks from Guananato and Michoacan. My girlfriend does not speak a word of Spanish and we were making friends through the night and chatting up folks. Lots of friendly folks having a great time and it sure is fun to watch Mexicans party. I was starting to get tired but the girlfriend was having too much of a good time to leave and as I had left my watch at the hotel I was not sure of the time so we kept partying up. Then she got tired and we called it a night, said goodbyes to the friends and hail a cab. 140 pesos and 15 minutes later we were back at the hotel where I learned upon getting in our room that it was 04:05. Yikes! No wonder I was feeling it...

Woke up Saturday morning hurting and wishing I had some Aspirins as the one bottle of water I drank last night did not help enough to compensate for the beers we drank We slept some more and then it was time to go for a light breakfast at Margaritas, with fruits and fruit juices, to help the recovery. Then we headed just past the mercado to a watch shop as I ended up with water in one of my watches and went to get it fixed.I could have get a cheap cleanup but this is a good watch so it was worth doing it right with a complete cleanup, drying job to make sure no water is left and no rust can occur and then reseal the watch and do a water test. I left it there and was told it would be ready by 18:00. Then we headed to a great ladies shoes shop called Figone on Vicente Guerrero that a friend had recommended. I'm no ladies shoes expert but apparently my girlfriend is and she took 2 pairs for about $65 cdn and was very happy with them. We then headed by to our hotel for a quick shower/change after some rest and headed back to La Ropa beach as it was my girlfriend's last day in Zihua so we spent an hour there in the sand and ocean. We were in knee high water around the midpoint of the beach when I noticed a sea snake. This was a first for me in Zihua after noticing a couple of them in Ixtapa over the years. Got quickly out of the way and the snake was gone in the next wave. But we walked the rest of the way in the sand and out of the water and headed to El Manglar for a bite. We shared their famous 27 spices tuna and it was very tasty and I enjoyed it. We also saw a couple of crocs and they ended up fighting and then one caught an iguana and had it for dinner. Never seen this before. We enjoyed this place and will be back. Nice staff and met some interesting folks there as well. We then left and headed back to the hotel to relax a bit and shower/change and head back to the watch shop to pick my watch. Done on time and the work was done for 300 pesos which is less than half the price I would have paid at home for a well done job like he did. He also did a small repair on my other watch for 20 pesos. Happy I left and stopped by a corner stand after for a glass of horchata to replenish the fluids as I always find this drink so refreshing. We then headed for dinner and chose La Terracita for her last dinner in Zihua. Her stomach had been bothering her for a day by then due to a botched job in a stomach surgery so she decided to take it easy and go safe with her food order and picked the risotto with garlic shrimps and it was all so rich and creamy and so tasty. Good choice! I order 2 appetizers, with the 1rst one being the grasshoppers tacos. Yep, grasshoppers! It is a delicacy in Mexico and there it is served on warm small tortillas on a bed of lettuce with a tasty sauce and it was an interesting pick. It was followed by the tuna ceviche and I really enjoyed that one. My main was the chile relleno and for me it was just ok but still good and a nice presentation. The best one I have had here has been at Agave. All in all, a great meal with good service and we both enjoyed. We left going back to La Cancha as my friend had noticed this lady selling those candle holders and she wanted to buy one. We found the right one and dropped by El Cafecito for her to say her goodbyes and get a nice tea to help settle her stomach before we headed back to our hotel. We checked Lupita's boutique but she was closed already but we noticed that nearby, at Fruity Keiko, they were still open so we dropped in and 1 more pair of shoes was bought. On the way back we walked in front of Nardo's on Calle Adelita and Expression Immune was playing and there was quite a crowd enjoying this band. We stayed and watched them perform a couple of songs before leaving. We got back to the hotel and had a beer outside on the patio watching the bay and noticed some chinese lanterns being launched from la Noria. 5 of them went up and thankfully stayed up as there was barely any wind and they were staying inland. I guess the condo fire a while back did not change these customs...

Sunday we got up earlier and my girlfriend was already all packed for her flight back home so we took it easy and went for breakfast next door at Hotel Irma. Good selection but I still prefer Margaritas. We then got back to our hotel and I looked into a taxi and unfortunately forgot at home the contact info for the driver I used the last few times for that drive as the guys here were quoting and charging almost double the normal rate. But as we did not have time to argue and go elsewhere to grab another cab, we settle at an higher price than the rate we should pay and off we went. Her flight was on time so after dropping her off and making sure she was on her plane I got out of the airport and hop on a combi just outside the airport for 12 pesos and was dropped across the mercado 15 minutes by a friendly and chatty driver. Took a walk through the mercado, enjoying the scenery and then walked back to the hotel and relaxed there for a couple hours until a friend dropped in for some business and went back to her place for a while and then walked back to the hotel in time to drop by La Rana Rene for some guacamole and tiritas with a Victoria and watch the sunset. A lady from England had just arrived Sunday with her partner and came chat me up. She was having a great time. Went back to my hotel and relaxed in the pool for a while before going for a shower and change and heading to the Cancha to watch the show and get some tasty foods. That night on the schedule was a tae-kwondo demonstration, then a dance demonstration and finally a couple of artists performing. I spent a few hours there while trying some food and fruit juices and finished it with a roasted banana. After I dropped by Pelon tattoo shop to say hi to friends and see how the business was doing. Pelon and his other tattoo artist, Moises, are very talented artist and there was a shop owner from my home town that was there to get some work done. Nice to see them doing well. I was starting to feel sleepy after such a busy week-end I called it a night and hopped in a cab and went back to the hotel and done by 23:00.

Today took it easy, getting up around 10:00 and doing some work online then meeting a friend for a late breakfast at Margaritas. Then I headed to the mercado and had a glass of guanabana juice which was a first and will have it again. Fresh, tasty and refreshing. I then proceeded to get some coco rolls to bring home. Very addictive and love these. I was told they were just made and last 3 months on the shelf. I usually keep them in the fridge at home but they will never last 3 months at home On my way back to the hotel dropped by a bakery and had a coco and nut small cake to complement my juice. then back at the hotel and relaxed for a while before heading back to La Rana Rene for some guacamole and a Pacifico while watching the sunset. Then relax some more and a bit of work online before shower and change and headed to Nardo's for some campechana and a Victoria for dinner as I was not very hungry and that seafood is filling. Then walked to La Cancha but there was nothing going on tonight so dropped by El Cafecito and had an hazelnut latte and a chat with my friends before bumping into other board members which I had a nice chat with and ended up walking them to their hotel. Then took a cab back to the hotel...It's Monday night in Zihua and taking it easy and at my hotel by midnight tonight. It has been a busy week-end and just 3 full days left of my vacation and fully enjoying it all...

Thanks -another great trip report!

You're welcome! I condensed it as I had internet issues and lost my writings 3 times and had to rewrite it and save it before sending on the last try...I always hope if what I write will convince 1 person to come visit, I will have done my part promoting this area. They sure need a lot of help!