San Paulo with its 18 million inhabitants has not impressed us a lot and after 12 hours wondering around the city center we gladly board an airplane for Mexico City on 10 November just before midnight. Nine hours flight had few rough and bumpy sessions, especially above Amazon basin. Perhaps this year wet season comes bit earlier with its storms and strong winds. Mexico City is bathing in early morning sunshine though outside temps hover just around 12C - after all, what do we expect at 3000m altitude - but later all days turn out much warmer. We take advantage of one of the best metros in the world and next three days spend exploring different parts of this amazing and modern city yet with many historical imprints blended in. Our hostel is conveniently located near metro station at historical centro with many nice and cheap reataurants around and lot of music coming from all directions. Also we would like to get in touch with Julio who we met on plane from Mexico City to Lima three months ago. Lucky I got him on mobile just before he flies to Australia tomorrow and he invited us to join his farewell dinner at his sister´s house. On the way he zig-zags through town showing us the modern part of Mexico City - to our surprise we see Boulevard Presidente Masaryk at Polanco who was the very first president of Czechoslovakia. Next day we come back here again to discover a statue of Tomas Garigue Masaryk with plague. Quite fascinating to find very important part of Czech history in Mexico! Walking around lakes in adjacent park is very relaxing and also tiring but guess what - metro stations are everywhere and we happily use one. There is one more thing we want to see before we leave Mexico City - archeological site Teotihuacan with magnificant pyramids build around 100 AD. The Pyramide del Sol is the third largest in the world and one only wonders what kind of motivation made ancient people to move 3 million tons of rock. Nowdays the most Mexicanos certainly do not show the same enthusiasm for work and definitely concept of final touch is missing here. Well, we have enough of sightseeing - it is a beachtime!
Acapulco is our first destination on the Pacific Coast and cannot wait to see this famous seaside. Six hours on bus has gone quickly and here it unfolds! Blue sky blends with aqua waters of the bay and the coast lined up with string of highrise hotels looks very resorty. This will be great change after spending four months in cool dry mountains and deserts. Quickly find a hostel and hop into swimmers! Water is warm, beach sand hot and cerveza under umbrellas very refreshing. It is going to be tough! Twenty four hours in Acapulco and we have good picture about life on the mexican coast. Dancing salsa on bar tables, bungee jumping into a swimming pool next to disco floor, midnight exhibition of cars flashing in electric colours and shaking from the big loud speakers, unreal traffic jams still at 1am - that is Acapulco. Infected with its buzz I cannot resist to try parasailing next morning right here on beach. Not much explaining or training given, just hook on the shoot and the boat is already in full motion. Before I realise what is going on they yell at me ´Run, run!´ and I am flying! So simple. Well, sort of simple. Landing was bit rough with the shoot falling over few nearby beach umbrellas and holiday makers. Ten minutes in the air is quite intoxicating experience, and all for $25. Not bad,uh? Romantic dinner with spectacular sunset tonight watched from the best spot in the bay is just nice ending of our Acapulco vacation.
Zihuatenejo (nicknamed Zi-What?) is small coastal town just few hours by bus north of Acapulco. This tiny town is flooded by crowds of american tourists from ocean liners landing in the bay almost every day. Also many fishing boats lying around the town beach do not look very appealing and we decide to take watertaxi to Isla Ixtapa where the snorkling supposed to be superb. Iva is very excited being on this tropical island full of coco palms beaches. Sunbaking, swimming and sipping cold Corona is once more very demanding. However this little town of Zi-What left an unpleasant scar in our memories - locals here learned how to suck dollars out of tourists, mainly by means of incorrect change given back. In one day we were ripped off four times, in one case the change given back to us was short of $20. We never had such an experience elsewhere, before or after. This little town has obviously small attitude problem.
For some unknown reasons the only overnight bus goes further north and we arrive to Manzanillo at 6am while it is still dark. Hmm, need to kill some time at the bus station, a cup of coffee and reading Lonely Planet helps. Well, this time Lonely Planet was wrong because recommended Zona Hoteliera was quite run down and reminded more of a ghost town. We see often this picture of extensive constructions and building which are either never completed, or let to deteriorate beyond its use. Many ugly large structures located in amazingly beautifull waterfront locations are abandoned and ruined. What a pitty! We picked the best out of badies and stay for twenty bucks right on the beach. With no tourists around this turns out to be very tranquil and relaxing day with ocean only for ourselves. Anyway, place to be skipped if we ever come again.
Wakey wakey at 6am to catch bus further north with its final stop at Puerto Vallarta. It is easy to like this part of coast where jungle meets the ocean and only yellow strips of beautifull beaches divide these two. No wonder this place attracts the same crowds of tourists we had seen in south (can we ever escape their presence?) but the bay is large enough to satisfy anyone´s taste. Many US and Canadian citizens settle here and the whole town has strong american flovour, including prices. Long strip of hotels north of historical centro is highly commercial and we rather settle for hotel in downtown after advice from Nancy - canadian girl living here who gladly offered us a lift. Next three days we will chase beauties of the nature: explore beaches, jungle (here was the Predator filmed and Arnie bought a gem on the hills with 180 degree view of the bay), waterfalls, rock arches and crystal clear water all around. Day trip on Beach Boy catamaran was a mix of activities like snorkling around arches and hiking in jungle, followed later by excellent fun on board with open bar and disco dancing. We return home late in very light mood. And who could leave these lush jungle hills without zipline flying? Sixteen cables lined through thick jungle and over canopy rised our adrenalin levels to max. Wonderfull! Unfortunately we do not have any pics from ziplines.
Mazatlan is next town further north and here we board Baja Ferry which will take us overnight accross Gulf of California to La Paz. We should not be surprised the twelve hour trip took twenty as time in Mexico is very relative term. Somewhat dissappointed with level of commercialism in this otherwise scenic coast where hotels line up beaches like pearls on a string. With the exception of amazing Arches de Cabo where we spend one day, it is not the place for us (=backpackers) and we are getting restless. Everything is greatly overpriced and we do not feel relaxed around posh looking restaurants and hotels (with equally posh looking tourists). Just after two days staying in San Jose de Cabo we catch return ferry to Topolobambo on mainland. From here we continue by train to Creel near Barranco del Cobre.
Ferry arrives late evening and we decide to continue by bus to Los Mochis tonight to have better choice of hostels at this time of night. Apparently the first part of train journey to Creel is not so scenic so we take local bus (cheaper and faster) from Los Mochis to El Fuerte where we are going to board the train tomorrow morning. Small country town El Fuerte is nice change from overcrowded and touristy coast and we must be the only forigners here. We quickly find a cosy hostel Guerrero just opposite the bus stop and after home made breakfast prepared by carring lady-owner we are heading off to train station. And guess what? Train is late! Never mind, we´ll wait with 20 or so locals until it arrives. By now we have learned nothing runs here on time. Seven hours of scenic ride through rugged mountains was worth waiting for and by the dark we arrive to freezing Creel. And we mean freezing with sub-zero temps over night. Monday we spend mostly around plazza thawing on mid-day sun and absorbing life of real mexican outback. On Tuesday at 7:30am we take local bus to descent 2000m to the bottom of canyon, mostly on a dirt road cut into steep rock walls. So cold in the morning that even water does not come out of tap and we sit in an old squeeky bus without any heating. Six hours later of bumpy ride the village Batopilas suddenly appear out of nowhere. Staying one night at Batopilas will be pleasant as it is much warmer down here but there is bad news. The only bus returning to Creel leaves at 5am but we are tough! By 10:30 we are on another bus to Chihuahua (these little anoying doglets originate here) and here we need to organise tickets to Cuba. And yes, we are flying tomorrow 5 Dec to Havana. Hasta luego Mexico. We´ll be back!
