RV Park Price Survey

yes its true. We had the jajenes at Tenacatita. and just as we wanted to stroll over the few feet to the other side of the ithmus, to see the sunset, they would be lurking, unseen, awaiting their evening meal! It seemed there was never enough time to stop, plaster on something to elicit most if not all those noseeums to shake their heads enough to move on. Two weeks later one could be driving to town and the itch would return, with a vengeance.

But the thing to realize is they only fly about looking for you, for a short time in the evening. So no need to get coated the entire day. Or, just miss that sunset. I used to watch the coffee percolate in the dark every winter morning, and can never remember a bite at that time. And in the heat of the day they also spent their time in their little hidy holes, to everyone's advantage.

Mazatlan has OK weather, but the air is pretty bad in Maz, much of the time. Pollution from vehicles and the power plant drifts west after sundown and then comes back in with the prevailing winds around 1030am; where it then mixes with the newly made vehicle exhaust.

I, too, prefer the weather from Tenacatita down to Barra.

When a good stew "guisado" presents itself, I'll go for it. Home made restaurant soup is sometimes fantastic. But then there are truly pitiful areas - one is Lazaro Cardenas. We'll sit out on the street at a taqueria and people watch. They serve boiling hot consome in translucent glasses - free. And Pollo Feliz is indeed one of the girl's favorite stops. Pilar and Dalia have outgrown the play area, but they'll diddy-bop on their cell phones and watch Hermalinda and Yvette scamper and scream. The Arrachera at Pollo Feliz ain't bad, and the restaurant in Lazaro has chicken cooked over hardwood as well as chicken cooked over charcoal.

Zihuatanejo. The family adores the restaurant across the street from the now-closed US Consulate in Ixtapa. It's about 100 meters opposite the direction toward Zihuatanejo. The food is inexpensive if the comida corrida is chosen (a selection of which), and the place has tablecloths, chairs, and a great atmosphere. Brenda normally sneers at foreign tourist grade restaurants but this one caters to Mexicans - haven't seen a single extraneous in there yet (!). We just have not found a sit down restaurant to the family's liking in Zihuatanejo. Expensive, or noisy to the extreme or the food was not prepared very well. I could sure use some tips. The twin beach enramadas are OK on playa ropa. But even the grandchildren are adamant about their Ixtapa preference. The family Oohs and ahhs over Ixtapa landscaping but then freaks about about various resort prices -- we book straight to the beach in Zihuatanejo after eating.

Any time there are lagunas, estuaries, and other brackish water near a beach there will be no-see-ums. San Blas and Boca de Iguanas are notorious for weapons grade flesh eaters.

I get Pennyroyal Oil in the states. One single solitary drop applied to a hand can be spread over all exposed flesh (especially needed up to the knees). Works better than 100% DEET as far as repelling tabanos, a biting fly that irridesces blue in sunlight (horseflies are much larger and green). Of course the 100% DEET comes from the USA. I bring about one liter's worth, as well as a half liter of pennyroyal oil. It's primarily used to prevent Dengue for the grandchildren.

But it's definitely south of Manzanillo for me. I like a guarantee of shirtsleeve weather after dusk and I spent too many of my early years shivering as far south as Barra de Navidad. When I can stand around a night campfire, see my breath and need a heavy coat it takes the bloom off the rose.

All this food talk has made me hungry. I have a local Oaxaquena restaurant here in my northern "Medical Abode". Cafe de La Olla, huevos revueltos con nopalitos, a bolillo dorado, and authentic frijoles de La Olla are calling me...

In San Miguel de Allende you can have comida corrida for 35 pesos on just about any street. Pollo Feliz has two piece, side and salad bar for 60 pesos.

We like Mazatlan and have spent three Christmas´ there. Weather is great but not the no see ums. Makes it hard to enjoy the beach. The Isla is fantastic.

Hey MEXICOEANDER got you beat on the comida corrida, 50.00 pesos and it has all the agua made with fruit that you want no limit, soup, arroz del dia with an egg any way you want it cooked (rice), main entry with beans and dessert, and all the tortillas de maiz that you want or bolillos, tostitas, limones and really hot salsa, you can have seconds for the same price but the portions are generous, I eat there Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday they are closed so I go to the other fonda, that one is 15 pesos more it is good food also same deal.

All of this is in Ciudad Satelite a suburb of Mexico City

navegator

Wm.Elliot wrote:
The weather in Mazatlan is, IMHO some of the best weather in Mexico. The further south we travel the cloudier it gets. It is cooler due to its location but the skies are often clearer than the sky is in southern Mexico. The water is warm enough for me too.

Well for me. the weather from Cabo Corrientes through to Manzanillo, is the best winter weather I've seen in Mexico The water temperature we experienced only spaned mid-November through March 1st in this area, called the Costa Alegra. We dry camped on Bahia Tenacatita for two winters when we never had any rainfall, and cloudy skies seemed to arrive only once in a long while just after New Years Day. Campers there were all on solar power, there was no electricity to our area, and use of generators was highly discouraged. We had friends who stayed until New Years was over there, then they would depart for Zihautanejo. They would tell of high humidity there, such that they would get water dripping from the inside of their awnings. We had some morning dew, and for awhile we would have the coutemondies (similar to raccoons) climb on our towed car to lick up the moisture. We then put a pan of fresh water out for them, under a bedroom window, to watch them. There was never water dripping from the inside of the awning, though.

Where we were for seven winters, November 12th was our earliest arrival, with the water temperature then at 85 F. By the time we left, usually the end of February, the water would be about 78 F. In the dead of winter it was perfect, for gliding over the coral in the small bay. Never saw a shark in there, but sometimes a spotted eagle ray, or three, would float through, a beautiful sight. With all kinds of fishes present, including octopus, it got its' nickname, "The Aquarium." Sometimes we would hear of a weather report from Puerto Vallarta that said cloudy with some rain. We were only 200 kilometres south, but we would stay sunny. As usual.

We too have found the Mexico we love, and it's like yours. This doesn't mean that the Mexico that others find isn't wonderful for them, just that we are all different.
Our new home is on Playa la Ropa. We swim the dogs, ourselves and paddle every single day. It's important!

The dividing point between always warm at dawn and "can see my breath on winter nights" is Manzanillo. Why (?) is anyone's guess. Two hundred and fifteen miles to the north it can be 55F, while it's 73F here at dawn in the winter.

The "clouds" mentioned (In January) can turn an uncomfortably warm afternoon to near paradise. For comfort, I prefer summer. When the stacked clouds roll south off the Sierra Madre. I rejoice.

Some folks do not mind swimming in 68F ocean. I prefer 15 degrees warmer, thank you.

I spent a summer in Mazatlan years ago. Near Olas Altas. Took the blue & white air conditioned bus to the mercado municipal. Southwest corner has a 2nd story set of loncherias. Then, two dollar complete lunches. Sat out on the veranda watching Peregrine Falcons selecting fat pigeons. Their stoops were breath taking. Their nests were high in inaccessible nooks on buildings.

Those were the days of truly inexpensive camarones. As long as my index finger. I selected "cristales". They used to cost less. Their shells were ivory and tan instead of distinctly striped. Critales weren't as "pretty" when they were uncooked. But cooked, they were indistinguishable from regular shrimp.

The road into Empalme Sonora (off Mex 15) used to have a lineup of tarp and 2x4 stalls that sold shrimp. Probably not there anymore.

I really do not feel close to home until I clear Cerro de Ortega, southbound. Counting all expenses, I can head south to Tapachula and the Guatemala border AND RETURN for fewer pesos than it costs just on a 1-way trip to Nogales.

Barra is about the furthest north I will go and that is just to work on cruising saiboats and permit Jesus to sell his lobster to Cruisers. They love it and it is absolutely licensed and legal. But Zuhuatanejo is half the distance, and the girls love to swim at Playa Ropa. The bay is warmer than the open ocean by several degrees F.

I also found favor with Puerto Escondido. But the surf is dangerous for me. From there, the border tempts me and spending time at Lago Atitlan is appealing.

There is tourist Mexico and then the other part - the part that I bought New York Steak today. Unbelievably tender but little fat. Custom cut 2-fingers thickness. Converted to dollars $3.59 per pound.

I avoid tourist areas like the plague. It's not just the business owners fleecing the tourists -- the real problem is the property owners who charge unbelievably high rents.

When I am forced to go north, I jog several miles off the hwy toward a small town. Ask the counterperson where the best grub is. Load up with tamales and empanadas at the gasolineras.

Small hotels try the same trick as the RV Parks. When I run into 5-700 peso flea farms, I head for the gasolinera, then flip the catch on my seat back.

Mexico can be inexpensive if a person is unfamiliar with how Mexicans do things.
For seventy pesos I eat like a king with the comida corrida (dinner special)

I guess we all have different things we look for.
We found that the weather in Mazatlan in the winter was about the same as our home on a California beach, so we kept looking.
Yesterday we moved into our permanent home in Zihuatanejo. Yes, it's very warm, but so is the ocean!

We've enjoyed Tres Amigos on La Isla de la Piedra in Mazatlan. The road there from the airport is paved. Good electric and fun people.