MAZUNTE

Mazunte is a different kettle of fish altogether, a small village on the beach with atap roofed-houses, devoted almost entirely to tourism.

It is full of back-packers, mainly young (apart from us!!) and has a “turtle museum”, as local beaches are used for nesting by green and leatherback turtles. We travelled by public transport, which in the last stage meant a pick-up with canvas roof… We only spent one night here and in the morning I managed to organise a dive with an Italian who has been in Mexico for 20 years.

Visibility was not great but we saw quite a lot of fish, including a few little rays, a small green shark and another type of sea snake, pale with brown spots. When we got back, Magda found them preparing for a wedding on the beach!

Then we set off on the 7 hour journey to Oaxaca, 250 km inland. The road wound up into the mountains for 3 hours and we climbed into pine forests to reach San Jose del Pacifico at over 2,300 masl.

Then we dropped down the other side to a plain, hedged by mountains to east and west, which we crossed to reach Oaxaca at a mere 1,550 masl. More about the city and surroundings when we have had a day or 2 to explore…