Refusing Complacency: Paradise

Our last night in Oaxaca was awesome! We had visited the Zocalo area before but not the central square. We hiked down the mountain, snagged a cab into the city and arrived at what looked like a festival. It was actually just a normal night in the Zocalo. People were everywhere, couples kissing on benches, kids running around playing with toys, street vendors hawking their wares, clowns performing comedy routines....all amidst an archaeological wonder. The ancient churches surrounding the square were beautiful. We walked around looking for a place to eat. Luckily we look foreign and an English speaking waiter grabbed a menu and invited us to dine with him! Holy moly! The food was delicious! I had a filet mignon shish-kabob and Jay had his new favorite, Mole Negro con Pollo (chicken with Mole sauce). Jay now refers to this as chocolate chicken; mole has chocolate, 7 peppers and lots of other yummy things in it! What a way to say goodbye to Oaxaca! Monday it was hard to say goodbye! We were spoiled at La Villada, but we grabbed a taxi to a microbus station in town. The microbuses are the way to get around. The trips are shorter because they can take roads that big buses can't take. They also will stop if you want or need to and they only hold about 15 people. The ride from Oaxaca only crossed about 150 miles but because it is through mountains 2 miles high, it took 6 hours to arrive. Though it was beautiful terrain, it was extremely curvy and speed limits do not exist. There are speed bumps everywhere, but the drivers make up for having to slow down at these spots by driving at break-neck speeds in between. Needless to say, our microbus stopped a few times for passengers to throw up! There were only 14 people on our bus, and I know at least 3 got sick! I almost succumbed to the nausea, but because we had to buy an extra seat for Oscar and he rode on the floor, I got to lay down! Thank goodness for Jay trying to keep me from puking, such a sweetheart! We arrived in Pochutla, the largest town near the beach. We called up a decent looking hostel, made arrangements for the night, and grabbed a taxi to the beach. Our excitement grew the closer we got. We arrived at Lyoban http://www.lyoban.com.mx/main.html . At first it looked a little sketchy, but its common for the entrances to these places to be on the beach side...we arrived at the back! We walked into an open air paradise! It is charming, tables in the sand, hammocks upstairs. Our room is one of the fancier ones, with a bathroom. Juan, from Argentina helps run the place. We were greeted with kisses and information! He is so very nice and helpful! This place is simple, rustic, and just our style. Oscar made friends with Pancho, the house dog, though Oscar seems to like Pancho more than Pancho likes Oscar. There are tons of dogs that live on this beach. They all seem friendly so far. We found a little place to eat last night called Sal Y Pimiento (Salt and Pepper). Grabbed some burgers, met some locals relocated from the states , sat on the hammock deck, ate and watched the waves .Morning brought glorious sights of the beach. We couldn't tell just how beautiful this place was at night. It is simply paradise! We are going to look at places to rent this afternoon, and maybe take a swim! Chao!