The price of living in paradise. Everything you reported is true! No pool or beach time for us today, but it is still paradise.

And we had another earthquake last night. A 4.2 in La Unión.

Back in the days before we had satellite imagery and weather reports in our pockets, lots of people here would get the weather report from what the Sector Naval posted on their wall at the plaza in front of the pier. Those were our only warnings of what to expect.

Lupita and I have lost count of how many of these hurricanes and tropical storms that feel like hurricanes we've been through together, but there's still nowhere else we'd rather be. There's something exhilarating about taking a walk during this kind of weather.

When I lived at the end of La Ropa Beach and was still courting Lupita, it rained liked this for about two weeks solid and there was no public transport through the then muddy road through La Huerta at La Ropa, so after not seeing my sweetie for two weeks, and after too many shots of mezcal at Rossy's, my local mutt Hershey and I set out one late afternoon down La Ropa Beach for town while the rain wasn't falling so hard. Of course I was quite a mess when I showed up at Lupita's doorstep drenched, reeking of mezcal and covered in sand and mud. I swore my undying love to her and told her I couldn't go that long without seeing her, and that we belonged together. She helped me get out of my raincoat and muddy boots and brought me a towel. Then I lay down on a small rattan couch on the ground floor of her home (that later became our home) and I told her I was going to spend the night there so I could be close to her. Of course, her parents weren't too pleased to see me. Lupita was amused and flattered by my crazy devotion, but she had to get me out of her home and on my way. So after letting me rest briefly, she gave me something to eat and drink and let me dry off a bit, then after a few hugs and kisses it was back outside with my dog and we were on our way back to La Ropa. The rain started back up in earnest, and the little canals along the way where the water flows through the beach to the ocean that I had easily crossed earlier had become raging torrents. I got past the first one next to the Catalina, one by Villa del Sol and another by La Perla, but the one in front of Casa Arena looked deadly, and I had visions of getting washed out to sea. So I walked back to La Perla and cut through their closed restaurant to reach the road leading back to the beginning of the La Ropa road through La Huerta. It wasn't paved then, and the mud was so bad no vehicles had attempted to get through it for days. But I had my Navy raincoat, my utility work boots, my small Maglight flashlight, and my trusty dog Hershey. About halfway through La Huerta the mud got deep, and I literally had to sort of wade-crawl through it. Somewhere along the way my flashlight disappeared in the mud and I never found it, but I made it back home okay in one piece with my beloved's kisses still fresh on my lips and another adventure in paradise under my belt.

https://youtu.be/tgYDzoSgRXY

No buses are running. The Autopista del Sol is blocked. The Carretera Nacional 200 between Zihuatanejo and Acapulco is blocked, and there are problems on the road between Zihuatanejo and Lázaro Cárdenas. Hopefully we won't get cut off from the outside world.

There's hardly been traffic at all today. Few people out'n'about. Finally the damn bars aren't blasting music! Public schools are closed until further notice. Few taxis are available. Combi service is spotty if they're even running. Some airlines cancelled flights.

All the dams are full, and El Infiernillo is having a controlled release. Most rivers along the Costa Grande are overflowing their banks. Many large trees are down along the roads. And it's expected to continue raining copiously for the next several days.

Because the storm is moving so slowly, around 4 kph, it's generating huge waves. In Zihuatanejo they're only reaching around 2 meters or so, which is large for in the bay, but outside the bay they are stacked up one after another at around 3 to 5 meters, pounding the coast and causing lots of erosion. One of the consequences of the erosion on local beaches are the lost sea turtle nests. I saw several sea turtle eggs washing around in the surf and strewn about the downtown beach this morning. I expect this Friday there will be even larger waves.

But the canal looks good, and except for the usual Cinco de Mayo and connecting blocks flooding, the downtown streets don't seem to have suffered much flooding. The rain hasn't been torrential for any length of time. Mostly light rains but continuous.

Oh, and there was a 5.2 earthquake with its epicenter near Ciudad Altamirano this afternoon. Never a dull moment in paradise!

Here comes the heavy rain and wind again. Be sure to keep an eye on our local weather.

Looking for an idyllic lodging in a tranquil setting within easy walking distance of the village at Barra de Potosí? Check out Villa Don Manuel. A bed and breakfast inn offering six comfortable one-bedroom bungalows located in a coconut grove across the road from the beach of Playa Blanca in Barra de Potosí just south of Zihuatanejo. Amenities include mini-fridge and pool.
Zihuatanejo Hotels

¡Cuidemos nuestro patrimonio!
#MásSeguridadPúblicaMenosCemento
#NoQueremosBlueFlagEnLasPlayas
#PreservemosPlayaManzanillo
#DenunciaElEcocidioEnLaRopa

Aves fragatas planean sobre la bahía de Zihuatanejo mientras sentimos los efectos de Huracán John.