The sun still rises too early. At 6:45 it's already breaking over the hills in our eastern sky, and by 7:00 it's so hot and bright that it seems like much later. But at least the days are slowly getting shorter, and we'll be getting a wee bit more sleep.

It's been getting much warmer in the daytime. Around 37°C this Saturday. Hot by local standards. And only down to about 26°C at night. Fans are necessary but sleeping under sheets remains optional. The mar de fondo started to pick up some later this afternoon; however, visitors were still enjoying swimming in the ocean at sunset at Playa Principal in Zihuatanejo's bay.

Rain predictions keep appearing in our forecast, but the rain keeps eluding us. 55% for this Sunday. We shall see.

The pier continues to remain dark at night with no lighting, and not a word from the municipal government on the matter. Just the continuing insult to the community for putting a vanity project over the interests of the community, as if we really need another large area paved with cement while the global climate is growing hotter. It adds to the increase in local ambient temperature, and people are noticing the difference with the loss of trees and additional cement.

Quite a few visitors showed up this weekend, but I'm not seeing any that look like they're World Cup travelers. Tourist authorities at all levels for weeks were talking about how we would benefit from the Copa Mundial even here in Zihuatanejo, but I knew it was just BS. They look like the same old weekend warriors to me. Glad to see them, but we still need more affluent visitors in order to even get close to having any semblance of sustainable tourism, which isn't really a thing, but politicians and their appointees like to use the phrase a lot.

Mexico plays Ecuador this coming Tuesday at 7PM at the Estadio Azteca. Wish us luck! ¡Ponte la verde!

Villas Los Arcos at Playa La Ropa is a wonderful lodging I truly enjoy being able to recommend. As if La Ropa isn't beautiful enough, this exquisitely designed and decorated lodging is a place one feels instantly at home in. I wish visitors would simply spend more time in lodgings like this instead of cutting down more of our trees and clearing more land to build more vacation and retirement homes. (click to enlarge photo)
Zihuatanejo Vacation Rentals

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Un amanecer brumoso en Playa La Madera y el resto de la bahía de Zihuatanejo.

Woke up to brilliant sunshine early this Friday as scattered clouds provided little shade. Fishermen seem to have plenty of catch to sell. Their area of Zihuatanejo's downtown beach has been busy every morning this week except Monday. Ni las gallinas ponen los lunes.

Fútbol fever continues. You'd be surprised how many folks here manage to keep up with the games. We tend to try to follow the matches of the American teams as well as to root for them. We were rooting for the USA's team who played in Los Angeles last night. Unfortunately, Turkey scored a winning goal in the last minute of the extra 7 minutes added to the clock at the end of the game after the USA lost a player to injury with no substitutions left (remember not to make THAT mistake again). Rey Felipe VI of Spain is here to watch Spain play Uruguay in Guadalajara this Friday evening. Of course we're all cheering for the American team, Uruguay. But there are no hard feelings against Spain. We're all friends and family here. That's why we call it el hermoso juego.

There's a very slight chance of rain in the wee hours tonight. Two-meter high waves are expected to arrive this Saturday, improving the conditions for surfers.

Don't miss the Eco-Tianguis "Sanka" that happens every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 1:40 p.m. in the small plaza in front of the Vicente Guerrero school, across the street from the Museo Arqueológico de la Costa Grande in downtown Zihuatanejo by the waterfront where La Boquita canal runs into the bay. Besides wonderful handcrafts, they feature a variety of homegrown produce, fresh foods including pastries, breads and tamales, fresh coffee, juices and mezcal.
https://www.facebook.com/ecotianguissanka

Speaking of good surf, some of the finest lodgings in Troncones can be found at Inn at Manzanillo Bay. A laid-back luxury inn located on the beach at Playa Manzanillo with 10 individual air-conditioned tropical bungalow suites in a serene tropical setting around a pool and excellent restaurant serving some of the most incredible dishes in the region. A perfect location for surfers and those who like to watch them. (click to enlarge image)
Vacation Rentals & Bungalows in Troncones

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Pescadores en sus pangas trabajan durante el amanecer en la bahía de Zihuatanejo.

Wednesday night was one of great celebration all across Mexico and wherever there were Mexicans after the Selección Nacional beat Czechia 3-0, making history by remaining unbeaten during the first round of World Cup matches. There were folks all over Zihuatanejo celebrating and chanting in the streets and plazas. Around 800,000 aficionados turned out to celebrate on Mexico City's Avenida Reforma at the Ángel de la Independencia. A deluge around the monument during the second half of the game didn't deter any of the fans who splashed each other and cheered in the flooded streets. ¡VIVA MÉXICO!

Of course, Mexicans are also greatly concerned for our brothers and sisters in Venezuela who suffered the two devastating earthquakes one after the other. Such a beautiful country full of so much suffering today. Mexico's earthquake rescue team known as "Topos" will be helping to try to rescue people and pets from the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Thursday started off cloudy and refreshing, but the rain stayed away. The mar de fondo seems to have calmed down a bit. Waves are expected to remain around 2 meters for the next 3 days or so before settling down to around a meter by July 1st. The chance of rain increased from 40% to 70% over the next 3 days, but there were already a few visitors showing up this afternoon.

The pier is a total disaster area, still without lights. The fishing cooperative's tejebán that shaded their offices has been removed, and people must walk in mud and rubble to reach the pier now. Lots of our neighbors are saying the same thing as I am: that the mayor has no shame, and that this particular project is a direct insult to the community, including the fishermen, neighbors and our visitors who use the pier. Zihuatanejo would be a much prettier and more popular place with moneyed visitors if it weren't for its politicians.

If you're looking for the perfect family vacation villa or want to share a place with friends, Casa Estrella del Mar may be just what you're looking for. Located on the beach at Playa Troncones, this beautiful 3-story villa features 4 bedrooms with king-size beds, en suite baths, A/C, and balconies, as well as a large pool, covered parking, satellite TV and wireless internet. (click to enlarge image)
Troncones Vacation Rentals

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El amanecer en Zihuatanejo con el Cerro Viejo totalmente verde por las lluvias recientes.

My 64th nothing. His?? Between Patzcuaro and Tepic on our very last road trip to the US prior to being here forever and becoming citizens. We'll never forget, separate vehicles, both singing.

Life is wonderful!!

El Leñador (The Lumber Jack) in Centro Zihua has a Wonderful Night in-store, with lots of Music from Rock, Blues, Country and more. For a Great evening of Music and Food, Come and Join us this Thursday the 25th. Listen to so many of your Favorite songs and some originals. While there, try our Wood Smoked Oven Pizza, and also tasty Ribs, Burgers, Tacos, Taters, Drinks and so much more. So Come on over, The Fun Starts at 6:30pm This Thursday Night the 25th (Barring any heavy rain)

See You There !

Address: El Leñador Restaurant. Av.Jose Maria Morelos Y Pavon 31, Centro, Zihuatanejo. Located right across from the Zihua Olympic swimming pool next to Pops Bubbles with walk-in front and rear entrances and plenty of parking in rear.

This Wednesday is Presidenta Sheinbaum's 64th birthday. At the end of her morning news conference they played "When I'm 64" by The Beatles as she cut her birthday cake for the members of the press. A win by Mexico's World Cup fútbol team this evening in their match against Czechia would literally be the icing on the cake for her today.

A light drizzle this Wednesday morning is the only precipitation we've had since Saturday morning. It looked like it was going rain late this afternoon, but it barely sprinkled. Once again the geography of our coastline seems to have worked as a barrier for us as the storm seemed to almost curve around us before continuing up the coast towards Troncones and La Unión.

Good thing because there are thousands of people heading towards their favorite place to watch this evening's match, with several hundred at the Cancha Municipal where a giant screen and hundreds of chairs await under huge awnings. Literally a sea of green as everywhere you look everyone is wearing their Mexican fútbol team's t-shirt. Even at my bank this morning all the employees were wearing their green Mexican team t-shirts.

Last night's Telmex internet outage was repaired when I awoke at 2 in the morning. Cut fiber optic cables near Iguala have been blamed. Younger people this morning had a look of shock still on their faces from a half-day without internet.

Expect huge crowds of people to be out celebrating this evening if Mexico wins their match against Chechnia, as they're expected to do. In Mexico City there are likely to be hundreds of thousands of people gatehered on Avenida Reforma in both directions from the Ángel de la Independencia where it's become traditional to celebrate after our national team wins fútbol matches. Wish us luck! And ¡PONTE LA VERDE!

Whether you want to go sportfishing, whale watching, sightseeing or snorkeling, my friend Capitán Ramón Olea of the panga Oleaje offers an affordable adventure waiting to be enjoyed. Ramón knows all the local fishing and snorkeling spots as well as what else is worth seeing. His 24' covered panga doesn't offer much luxury, but his expertise in fishing and his local knowledge of our coast and its marine life is second to none! Ramón practices "catch and release" fishing when possible. (click to enlarge image)
Activities, Charters & Tours in Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa

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El amanecer en el Paseo de Zihuatanejo frente a la bahía de Zihuatanejo.

Somehow we keep not getting the rain forecasted for our area. Tuesday we enjoyed a partly cloudy morning that kept the temperatures mild, though it looked for certain that rain was coming our way. But the skies cleared and... nothing but another picture-postcard-perfect day in paradise. I suspect we may not be as lucky this Wednesday and Thursday. Lupita and I are anxious to see if our temporary repairs work on our leaky bedroom window, so we have to be home if rain looks imminent.

World Cup fútbol fever continues, and while the beaches remain mostly empty except for surfers at the local surf spots and Ixtapa's all-included hotel guests who mostly never leave their hotels, when there's a World Cup fútbol match folks can always be found sitting around a TV cheering their favorite teams and players. Personally, I tend to root for the American and African teams, but it's been fun watching them all. Don't miss Mexico's match against the Czechia Wednesday evening at 7PM local time. ¡Ponte la verde!

Telmex Infinitum is suffering a major internet outage in all of Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa this evening. Thank goodness for Telcel so I can at least get on the internet for minor things, but no IPTV service for now, only cable TV. Apparently folks with Megacable still have internet. Lucky them.

Located at a privileged location with a panoramic view, Vista Bahía Zihua is a very affordable 2-bedroom beachfront vacation condo overlooking Zihuatanejo Bay from above La Madera Beach. It features a full kitchen, cable TV, wireless internet and maid service. The condo complex has a pool and 24-hour security. (click to enlarge photo)
Vacation Rentals in Zihuatanejo

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Un bello atardecer en Playa Principal después de un hermoso día en Zihuatanejo.

Mexico is in Modo de Mundial. From morning until late in the evening, the Copa Mundial is on TVs in homes and businesses everywhere. The beautiful game. The most popular sport in the world. With Mexico as one of the host countries, it's taken on even more importance this year. A Mexican family's pet duck, Merlín, has become one of the World Cup's most popular icons after videos of it following its family around while wearing a t-shirt of Mexico's national team made the rounds on social media and news outlets. It was even in Presidenta Sheinbaum's morning news conference at the Palacio Nacional this Monday. Mexico's national team plays the Czech Republic this Wednesday evening at 7PM in Mexico City's Estadio Azteca. We've already won our pass to the next round, so this is mostly a symbolic match for Mexico. But tens of millions of Mexicans will be watching and cheering on our team. There's nothing else quite like the current World Cup spirit. ¡Ponte la verde!

Tourism remains extremely slow. We see very few visitors around downtown Zihuatanejo or its waterfront. I keep making the argument for diversifying our local economy precisely for this reason. Unfortunately, not one of our so-called popularly elected representatives in Zihuatanejo or Guerrero's state government even mentions such a notion. They're all 100% on board with tourism because it's an easy sell for simple minds even though it always eventually destroys the community and the natural environment. Especially politicians connected to the construction business. They like to sell MEGAPROYECTOS, even if they're in flood zones. And they use tourism as an excuse for constant "remodelling" to disappear millions of pesos from the public coffers. Nothing beats the steady income from clean industry jobs. Tourism is too fickle an industry for entire cities the size of Acapulco and Zihuatanejo to have to depend on.

Rain continues in the forecast, but so far none this Monday. Wednesday is looking like we might get some stormy weather. Hoping it's only a nice light rain. Nothing dramatic. And the ocean is expected to get more active in coming days. The mar de fondo is still barely noticeable in Zihuatanejo Bay, but the erosion of our beaches is becoming more apparent. Good surfing weather!

A much coveted vacation lodging located front and center on Playa La Ropa, Casa Gloria Maria offers air-conditioned 1-bedroom beachfront apartments with kitchens located centrally on the beach. Plenty of good restaurants are within easy walking distance. An easy place to relax and forget about the troubles and stress of the rest of the world. (click to enlarge image)
Zihuatanejo Vacation Rentals

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Una panga de la pesca deportiva se prepara para un día de acción durante el amanecer en la bahía de Zihuatanejo.

Yesterday I was musing on my experience in Canada that it is almost impossible to walk into a restaurant on Mothers’ Day without a reservation. But where I have lived the restaurants are almost empty on Fathers’ Day. It is a day when fathers are expected to fire up the grill and cook for everyone else.

(As an aside, I tried to go to Costco on Saturday. It was the busiest I had seen it in months. I gave up. On Fathers’ Day there were hundreds of parking spots available and about a two minute wait to check out.)

I hope all you dads out there felt the love today! I got mine, and it's a wonderful thing. It's nice to be appreciated for being a parent. Town was full of families celebrating together, especially in the waterfront restaurants. The Cancha Municipal also had a pretty good crowd for the games today.

Our absolutely picture-postcard-perfect weather continues. Although rain was forecast for today, so far we haven't had any, though there's still a good chance we'll get some later. Hopefully nothing more than a simple moderate rain without all the scary wind and thunder.

A mar de fondo event is expected over the next several days. This coming Wednesday, besides the match between Mexico and the Czech Republic, we're expecting large swells as high as around 2.6 meters from the southwest. Surfers have an excellent week to look forward to.

This Sunday marks the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. From here on until the Winter Solstice we get to enjoy sleeping a little later in the mornings. Oh boy! My favorite half of the year. This is more like it.

Got more Father's Day to celebrate, so I'm outta here! Enjoy!

A favorite location for many visitors, Amor del Sol located overlooking Playa La Madera is an extremely comfortable and nicely appointed condominium that offers from 1 to 3 bedrooms (only pay for what you need!). The complex has a pool, but the ocean at La Madera is often calm enough for easy swimming. (click to enlarge photo)
Vacation Rentals in Zihuatanejo

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Los pescadores venden el fruto de sus labores nocturnos durante el amanecer en Playa Principal en la bahía de Zihuatanejo.

I have had little issues at ZIH for at least 3 trips now. I believe whatever company working customs that was causing issues is now in Cabo. The last 2 trips there has been very similar to the intense searches we were getting at ZIH. Last time in Cabo they even stuck their gloved finger inside my bottle of Tums, I bring the rolls now.

Apparently, bots need more coffee early in the morning! THANKS!

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What a deluge we had this morning! Around 5:30 or so I thought I heard what sounded like someone counting coins, and I thought it was odd, but that it must be Lupita getting organized to go to the mercado. But when I opened my eyes and rolled over I saw she was sound asleep. I looked around for the source of the sound and realized it was our new bedroom window, the one that I didn't want. Water was pouring in, same as it was our daughter's bedroom where she and her partner were working feverishly to mop it up and cover the window with plastic. By the time I got the water soaked up, all our windows were jerry-rigged with plastic to stem the flow. Not the best way to wake up. Though it only rained around 40 minutes or so, less than an hour, much of downtowen Zihuatanejo awoke to incredible flooding.

Zihuatanejo has always flooded. But it used to take days of heavy rain to do so. Now in less than an hour we have major flooding downtown where various municipal administrations have disappeared grotesque amounts of money to allegedly deal with this problem with varying degrees of success, mostly none. Thanks to massive deforestation of our hillsides and the covering of so much soil with cement, including all the roads on our hillsides that were built with no pluvial drainage whatsoever, the flooding problem downtown is worse than ever. This is a longtime serious problem that needs attention. Instead, from our current municipal government we get a vanity project to pour even more cement where it isn't needed, tearing down more trees in the process.

The Cancha Municipal had a decent crowd this evening of folks watching the fútbol match between Ecuador and Curaçao, two American teams. Folks were getting into it, and off to one side some boys were playing fútbol with some impressive skills.

The only restaurant that was busy along the waterfront this evening was Sirena Gorda, full of mostly Gringos listening to music and ignoring the fútbol match on the large-screen TV.

If you're a fan of mouth-watering recipes, one of the best reasons for visiting Ixtapa is to go to Deborah's Restaurant. Whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, everything we've ever eaten there has been prepared to perfection and the service has always been excellent. Deborah also makes some of the best desserts around, so save room when you go.
Restaurants in Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa and the Region

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Una garza con unos pelícanos, todos mendigando de alguien limpiando pescado durante el amanecer en la bahía de Zihuatanejo.

Tragically, it appears that a woman from the USA drowned this Friday at Playa La Majahua between Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa. Newspapers haven't identified her. They only estimated her age at around 60 years old. I have never recommended swimming at this beach, and this is a reminder why.

It turns out she was from Germany, not the USA as had been originally reported by what passes for local newspapers. Apparently she was here with her husband. It appears they tried to get to the natural pool. While some tour guides may tout this place as something to see, it's a very dangerous place that has claimed countless lives over the years. I cannot recommend trying to visit it even on a calm day. Going during a mar de fondo event is simply reckless.

A check of the webcams shows why you shouldn't swim for a few days after a rain. The water is brown almost to the mouth of the bay.

It's not just that it's brown with mud, but it also contains human feces from the hillsides and various areas around the bay where people still go to the bathroom outdoors. Free public bathrooms would help some, but most of the damage has been done by politicians and professional land thieves fomenting land invasions and Fibazi not removing lawbreakers for political reasons. Let's remember who used to be the director of Fibazi before becoming mayor.

Mexicans everywhere celebrated their team's World Cup match win over South Korea last night. In streets all over the country folks were out chanting and singing, as is customary in a World Cup win. Close to a million people filled Mexico City's Avenida Reforma in both directions from the Ángel de la Independencia, and they partied into the wee hours. A scene we hope to see repeated if Mexico continues to win matches. Their next match is against the Czech Republic on Wednesday, June 24 at 7PM.

Tragically, it appears that a woman from the USA drowned this Friday at Playa La Majahua between Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa. Newspapers haven't identified her. They only estimated her age at around 60 years old. I have never recommended swimming at this beach, and this is a reminder why.

The mar de fondo is predicted to generate swells from 2 to 2.3 meters high this Saturday and Sunday. It's not so much the height of the waves that makes these swells dangerous for swimmers but the volume of water they push that causes swirling currents and riptides.

We're getting a nice rain at the moment. It'll probably keep us from taking a stroll this evening. Thank goodness we still have electricity, though it went off briefly a little while ago. A cultural folkloric music and dancing event that was going to take place this evening in Plaza del Artista had to be called off. Not sure if the fútbol watching event at the Cancha Municipal is also cancelled for tonight. I wouldn't want to be there in this storm. It started less than an hour ago, but the streets downtown are starting to flood already. This could be bad for some places. But instead of dealing with this and other historical local problems, our mayor is focused on an expensive and totally unnecessary vanity project at our municipal pier, a place she almost never visits, and that still has no illumination after dark after over 3 weeks since her vanity project got underway and cut the electric lines. I believe she displays an incredible amount of arrogance and disrespect towards the community with nonsense like this. It's extremely disappointing.

With this weather, our weekend tourism may not be what it usually is. I don't recommend swimming in the water for at least 3 days after a heavy rain due to the runoff. A shame our local health "authorities" don't put signs at the beaches warning bathers of the health dangers.

Looking for your dream home? Vega, Bravo y Asociados offers fine local properties for sale, including at the exclusive Punta Garrobo development near Cerro del Vigía at La Ropa. Follow your dreams and buy a villa, home or a lot in one of Zihuatanejo's most exclusive residential areas.
Real Estate Properties and Services in Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa

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Un arcoíris parcial se formó durante el atardecer al oriente de Zihuatanejo.

Uff! Wednesday night was another warm one. It only got down to about 26°C, but with the humidity and lack of breeze it felt warmer. A difficult night for a lot of people of scarce resources. It's hard for folks who visit and reside here now, especially newcomers, to imagine how we ever survived here without A/C or electricity. Like a lot of people from back in Zihuatanejo's more primitive days, I slept in a hammock and rocked myself with a rope tied above the hammock to keep cool if there wan't a breeze. Mosquitos were the only discomfort sometimes, but mosquito coils usually did the trick and kept them away. Plus we mopped our floors frequently with kerosene as did most homes to keep bugs away.

Since there aren't hardly any visitors here in Zihuatanejo, downtown seems especially quiet. The calm before the storm?

And a storm certainly looks to be brewing with rain expected any minute. It's expected to rain off and on tonight as well as much of tomorrow and the weekend. Keep your wet-weather sandals handy.

Congratulations to Canada for their win today over Qatar! Wow!

Okay, we've got a fútbol match to watch. ¡Vamos México! ¡PONTE LA VERDE!

If you enjoy spectacular views and balmy breezes, you'll LOVE La Casa Roja on Cerro El Almacén with two comfortable suites. The upstairs has 2 bedrooms with a king-size and twin beds, full kitchen, private bath, and 2 terraces. The lower level also has 2 bedrooms with a king-size and twin beds, full kitchen, 2 baths, and a terrace. A peaceful place within easy walking distance of downtown and nearby restaurants.
Zihuatanejo Vacation Rentals

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Un pescador lanza su atarraya frente a Playa Principal durante el amanecer en la bahía de Zihuatanejo.

Then there is Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon is an archipelago of eight islands off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, serving as the last remaining vestige of France’s colonial New France. Home to around 6,000 residents, it functions as a self-governing overseas collectivity of France where visitors can experience European culture, gastronomy, and architecture without leaving North America.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Are these people Americans?

¡Sacré bleu!

Of course they are with respect to their continental affiliation, same as everyone else from Tierra del Fuego to the Northern Territories and Greenland.