Feb 1-4 2014

There is only one more mode of transportation left acceptable to Ray to get to Puerto Angel or Puerto Escondido from Oaxaca or Mexico City and that is to fly. The five hour ride from Oaxaca down steep, winding, mountain roads in a minibus we took in 2006 was too nerve wracking and stomach churning for Ray. We reached Pochutla at the bottom of the coast and he said he was going no further. We got off and stayed a few days in Puerto Angel. This time we bought tickets for a first class bus from Oaxaca to Puerto Angel on a 10 hour, supposedly easier route via Salina Crux. After more than two hours of stomach churning mountain roads, with a screaming 18 month old sitting in front of us Ray lost his breakfast. That route is now eliminated. If we ever decide to take that route again we will investigate Air Toucan and fly, whatever the cost.

We did make it to Puerto Angel and Ray has fully recovered. We are in a small, simple hotel across the road from Playa Pantéon, which means cemetery. We have been taking it easy, taking small walks, swimming, and snorkelling off the beach. There were quite a few colourful fish to see near the rocks at one end of the beach; a school of yellow and black butterfly fish, curious small square puffer fish, and a small yellow striped, moray eel, hiding in the rock crevasses. The town hasn’t changed all that much since we were here in 2006. It is still a fishing village with no big developments, just small hotels and beach restaurants. You can still buy plenty of bracelets, beach cover-ups and embroidered blouses, but the salespeople are not aggressive. It is a quiet spot to spend a few days before moving on to the larger Puerto Escondido.