Red Fish, Blue Fish, Yellow Fish and a Hotel Flamboyant too

La Crucecita, Bahias de Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico

Today, we left Puerto Escondido. My feelings about it are slightly different after 24 hours in the town. I now think of it as I think of other sport oriented places like Banff, Whistler, Lake Tahoe. You are either one of the people doing the sport...in this case it was surfing. Or you are one of the people who are really trying hard to get noticed. There were a lot of young people in bikinis, boardshorts and tanned to perfection. Brazilian wax shops were in abundance. There were also a lot of older "Hippies"in various forms of Oaxacan traditional dress - perhaps enroute to yoga classes or other forms of self-discovery as the metaphysical shops were also not to be missed.

Our last 3 days of beach exposure before we head to our mountain destinations, are destined to be spent snorkelling and exploring the various coves that make up the Bahias de Huatulco. This area is a national park, and the environment is struggling to compete with Fonatur's version of the Mexican tourist experience. Our goal is to see all 7 bays that comprise the park, so Gene and I decided to endure 13 kms. of dust, washouts and washboard surface to see the first of the bays as you head East. Bahia San Augustin is just far enough away from the main resort to be ignored by most tourists except those who go on the Ecotourism side trips. We were not disappointed.

Bahia San Augustin was one of those places that we all dream of. It jumped right out of the movie Y tu Mama Tambien..in fact, I swear it was the bay of that movie. An industrious restauranter, Manuel waved us into his enramada con estacionmento and we gladly left the dusty Ford behind to snorkel in one of the nicest waterfront parks we have seen. The bay has a large living coral reef that is easily accessed, and we were happy to see no one standing on it, feeding fish or otherwise fouling the area. After a long snorkel with most of our favorite tropical fish visible in crystal clear water, and a bit of a struggle to get Gene back up due to his reliance on one leg only, we enjoyed a lunch of filete pescado a la parilla (what else??).

We found the little Mexican town of La Crucecita right on the doorstep of the articial town of Santa cruz de Huatulco, and the developments along the coast. It is our kind of place - a zocalo, numerous authentic restaurants, shops and within walking distance of one of the bays we want to explore tomorrow.... And how could we pass up staying at the Hotel Flamboyant....a colonial gem across the street from the Zocalo. This just could be the best 3 days of my life!