Trip report, 3/19 - 3/28. Mostly Troncones

Take it easy on me, it's been a long time since I've done a trip report.

I’ve just returned from another wonderful time in Zihuatanejo and Troncones. I looked for you Rob, I really did. We weren’t in town but a couple of days and only made it downtown once. I didn’t want to bother you at home by knocking on your door.

We flew in on the 19th of March. Alaska, out of Portland, will only get you to Zihuatanejo, on the same day, on Wednesdays. Otherwise it’s an overnight in LA. That cut our time in Zihuatanejo shorter than we had initially planned. We had wanted to come down Monday but it was not to be. With Casa Ki, in Troncones, reserved starting on the 21st, we only had a short time in Z.

We spent two nights at Casa Sun and Moon, on La Madera. I couldn’t have been happier with the choice. We’ve stayed at the Catalina for many years, along with a few other places, but we’d never been to Casa Sun and Moon. We’d only stopped in for a looksee one time. Based on that, and the fact that it was much less expensive than what the Catalina quoted me, I made reservations. The rooms were wonderful and clean. We had a suite (I think they called it) with a jacuzzi and a patio that had a great fridge, sink, stove and utensils. We didn’t really do any cooking but the sink and fridge came in right handy. A table and chairs completed the patio, which then went on to a shared veranda where I only ever saw evidence of people, not the people themselves. So it was private for the time we were there. There was an “American Breakfast” included in our stay. American insomuch as you had just about anything you’d imagine. I had chilaquiles one morning and the Mexican eggs another. Both were great. My wife had eggs with ham, both days. It came with chilaquiles. The breakfasts came with fruit or juice. She asked for and received papaya. I drank OJ.

From La Madera it is a quick walk into town. The hill on Calle Adelita (going on memory here, so if that isn’t correct spelling forgive me) isn’t bad. It’s only up at the top, by the Irma, that it’s brutal. We made it into town for a while on our full day there and did the normal tourist type things. My wife has a few shops she likes to visit, and I mostly sat outside while she visited them. We did some shopping, in anticipation of our daughter, son in law and grandchildren arriving on the 21st out in Troncones, then returned to Casa Sun and Moon to take advantage of their great pool. Our first night there we stopped by Daniel’s for a light dinner. A shrimp taco appetizer and a couple of drinks. Feet in the sand was the objective, and it was close. As I recall we may have been on a sandy cement pad, but all was good. The next night, Thursday, we stayed close to home and dined at an old favorite, La Casa Vieja. I had rojo pozole and Suzie had the verde. Both were excellent, as was the service and the cocktails. Some things don’t change and for that I am glad (I brought down my Pigmainia game for my grandkids to play, IYKYK).

Come Friday it was time to move on to Troncones. I’d been in touch with Pedro Moreno, to pick us up at the airport, and he also gave us a ride out to Casa Ki. He’s a good man, speaks perfect English, drives well and keeps a clean taxi. PM me for his number and/or email. I got the recommendation off the board here but am hesitant to just post them here now. After he took us to Troncones he doubled back and picked up my family at the airport, then drove them to Troncones as well. It was a busy morning for Pedro. *As a note, you cannot have a city taxi pick you up at the airport, you must walk off the grounds and meet up with a driver there across from the bus stop. It’s not far, it’s all level cement or asphalt, and even my four year old and six year old grandkids were able to do it.*

Casa Ki. Oh man! I was first made aware of the compound (my word) from one of Rob’s posts. He leaves links to hotels/casas he likes, and Casa Ki was one of them. After deciding it would be a good place to spend some time, I got in touch with Tina Morse, the owner and host. We made the necessary arrangements and were excited to see the place in person. Casa Ki has a casa, which has its own kitchen, dining area and two bedrooms (king bed and single in each) and bathrooms. There is a wonderful patio that faces the ocean and palapas out in the sand. My wife and I took one room, my daughter’s family the other. We did move the mattress from our room into theirs. Without asking, I might add, but Guadalupe didn’t seem to care so I suppose it was alright.

There are also five other bungalows that mostly fit two people, though I believe one or two can sleep three. Only a couple have AC. The rest, along with the Casa, are all fresh ocean air only. Opt in for no AC, IMO. Screen doors and windows allowed for the ocean breeze to keep the interior of the Casa cool and comfortable. I can only assume it is the same for the rest of the bungalows. Breakfast is provided for those staying in the bungalows. Not so the Casa. As such, I cannot speak to it but I am sure it was fine. There is also a common kitchen that can be used by the bungalow guests. It is where breakfast is served, I believe.

The Compound – What a great place Tina has made available to those fortunate enough to find it. Both people and cats (more on that in a minute). The grounds are kept by Imer, Tina’s partner. Believe me, he’s good at what he does. Winding paths, through lush gardens… I spent a lot of time just looking at the different flora he has growing there. Note; when I say he does this, she does that, it means that he or she seems to handle the bulk of a particular duty. At Casa Ki everyone seems to help each other as needed. Guadalupe was our care keeper and she did a marvelous job of it. Each day the beds were made, garbage removed, floors swept and mopped, and so on. Not the thing was overlooked. She’s a saint, really. Santa Guadalupe de Casa Ki. Tina was away for the first half of our trip but upon her return, she seemed to be helping a lot as well. There are plenty of things to keep them busy with accommodations and grounds so grand.

The Cats – Tina is a cat lady (joke). She fosters cats until they can be found a good home. Both at Casa Ki and at Casa Kitty, her hotel across the street, which unfortunately I never did get around to checking out. I believe she heads an adoption facility but am unsure of just what that means. Regardless, there are many cats at Casa Ki. I am not a cat guy. Not because I don’t like them but because they tend to make my eyes itchy and my nose runny. Not a problem. We made a good effort at keeping the kitties outside but I was next to them most all the time, I even played with the honorary house cat. I think it must be that good ocean air blowing all the bad juju away. My granddaughters absolutely went bananas for the kitties. In such a great place we felt fine with them wandering about the grounds playing with the cats. It’s a reasonably closed off area and the kids know not to go out to the street or down to the beach. For the first four days there were no other guests for the girls to bother. We were all alone in this paradise. A couple form Calgary came in on day four or five, and a couple of ladies from Quebec came in on day five or six. None of them seemed to have an issue with the granddaughters wandering about the grounds in search of thein next victim.

The Grounds – Okay, I’ve already mentioned the grounds but they really deserve their own heading. Besides the actual inner garden/pathway area of Casa Ki, there’s the pool, the palapas, the lawns, the brick and tile work, rock sculptures, coconut palms (fully loaded) and the wildlife. Man it’s cool to wake up to the birds singing outside your room. I think the cats keep away some of the natural inhabitants but there is still plenty to see and hear of the local fauna. The only real way to appreciate the grounds is to go there and see for yourself. The website cannot do it justice.

Troncones – If you’re looking for wild nightlife, this is not the place for you. A few places have live music regularly. La Mexicana is one. It has good food, is a pleasant place to hang, they make a good cocktail and the beer is cold. It is very close to Casa Ki. As is Indigo. They too have good food. We ate there a couple of times. They have a nice bakery and serve up a decent pizza. 7 Mares makes a killer mango margarita, if you hit it at the right time. I suspect that when they run out of mangos they just use juice but it’s still good, just not as good. We ate there a couple of times. Interesting to me was their shrimp tacos. Small shrimp, lots of them, cooked in sauce that is killer. Also good was the fish tacos and my personal fave, the Fajitas Arracheras. We had to do Tuesday night at Orbies, for his famed ribs. They were good, all six orders of them. We ate ribs for a couple of days. And I hesitate to say this, because we’re talking about the lowly potato, but his baked potatoes are to die for. Really. Check it out and see if I am lying.

Wendy’s and Gabby’s tiendas were about all we ever needed, in order to keep our horses (us) watered and fed. Both had a great selection of food, drink, OTC medications etc. We never wanted for anything, while in
Troncones, that we couldn’t find there. There is also a pretty good fruit stand just south of the main street, on the beach road. Lots of good fruits and vegetables.

ETC. - There are shops, other eateries, things to do, but we were mostly content with staying around Casa Ki. What with the swimming pool, the palapas, the cool gardens, the nice facilities and the beach, there isn’t much of a reason to leave. Other things included a horse ride on the beach for my daughter and the little ones. A trip up to Manzanillo Bay, where the surf is more friendly and we all enjoyed frolicking in the waves. Walks along Troncones Beach. Countless sunset picture opportunities. Meeting new people. Tequila and beer. Lots of tequila and beer. Troncones is not the perfect spring break resort, and thank the Lord. It is somewhat quiet. There’s a lot of building going on and trucks driving up and down the beach road, but from inside the compound you rarely hear them. Walking along the street is easy as there is a good sidewalk. The trucks are noisy there though.

I have only scratched the surface of our trip this time around, and not even the surface of Troncones itself. I’ve much more to learn. I hope to be back, to see and hear and learn more about this great part of the world.

I have a new happy place. My thanks to Tina. www.casa-ki.com

Viva Mexico