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Zihuatanejo : 2020-02-14 : Xihuacan

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Activity
Type	Name	Description	Service Provider	Cost	Kms	To Date	Total	Notes	Actions
Sight See	Xihuacan			$0.00

Accommodation
Type	Name	Service Provider	Confirmation	Location	Cost	Notes	Actions
Bed and Breakfast	Villa Encantada, Dept 1	AirBnB		Zihuatanejo	$535.26	Host: Maria Adriana

Trip Log

Notes	Actions
Today was a day of experiences and adventures. We went out for breakfast, and then went walk-about (or, ride-about, as the case may be). We wanted to go out to Xihuacan, the archaeology museum, so we took the combi bus toward Petatlan, and got out at Palos Blancos. On the bus we passed, for the second time, the guy that we call 'Speed Bump Guy' because he sits on a speed bump in the middle of the road through one of the small villages, flogging... something. We think maybe snacks? Anyway, he must have nerves of steel to sit in the middle of the road like that with traffic whizzing by on both sides. Sure they have to slow down a little because... Speed bump... But still!! Unfortunately, for the second time I failed to get a photo of 'Speed Bump Guy'. We were the only ones who got out at the speck on the highway called Palos Blancos, and unlike on Wednesday when we went past there enroute to Petatlan, there were no pick up truck cabs waiting at the corner, but the bus driver pointed us to the little covered bench where Brent had seen the trucks before, so we were pretty sure we were in the right spot. After just a few minutes' wait a covered pick up truck came up the road carrying a few locals. He stopped, facing the highway, and the locals all piled out and started gesturing for us to get in (and made a gesture that the truck would turn around). Brent was a little nervous about getting in the back of a truck pointed the wrong way on the word (or gesture) of some locals but we piled in and to Brent's relief, the truck DID turn around and start taking us down the road toward the museum. We arrived, unscathed, at the archaeology museum where we were quickly joined by a guide, Jose, who, not only was related to the family who initially discovered the site, but also spoke quite good English. Jose showed us, and a few other folks, around the museum. The area was populated for over 3000 years until it was wiped out by a Tsunami in about 1300, when it was buried and forgotten. After the museum, Jose took us out to the active dig and restoration site where we saw some people working on restoring the unearthed pyramid. After the dig site, Jose took us out to his brother's house in his village where he showed us more artifacts, showed us how the people make cigars from the tobacco leaves, and his brother demonstrated how to play the traditional flutes. Interestingly, I thought the tobacco leaves smelled like chocolate, Brent thought they smelled like animal skins, and our two new friends, Warren and Cheryl from Ontario, thought they smelled 'earthy'. The visit to the village was an amazing and special experience. When we were finished, Warren and Cheryl offered us a ride to the highway, which we accepted, and a bus headed for Zihua showed up miliseconds after we jumped out of their car. Sadly, 'Speed Bump Guy' was not there for our return trip so I have probably missed my chance to ever get a picture of him. When we got back to town we picked up some groceries and I indicated that I would like to have lunch. Brent had thought of walking one of the streets on the far side of the canal, so we decided to do that and look for a place for lunch. Very soon we spotted a Fonda, which our cooking class guy said was a type of fast food restaurant that locals frequently eat at. Brent looked like he wanted to eat at the Fonda so I looked around for a menu or a sign, or any indication of how things work in a Fonda, but there was nothing, so we ended up standing around looking lost and pathetic in the doorway. The restauranteur (Fonda-teur??) enlisted the help of a young lady customer who used her google translate to ask us if we wanted to eat and what we wanted to eat. We got a lovely lunch of chicken and rice (Brent) and pork and rice (me). We offered to buy the young lady's lunch but she refused. Brent sometimes coaxes me quite a ways out of my comfort zone. Thank goodness!

Notes

Actions

Today was a day of experiences and adventures. We went out for breakfast, and then went walk-about (or, ride-about, as the case may be).

We wanted to go out to Xihuacan, the archaeology museum, so we took the combi bus toward Petatlan, and got out at Palos Blancos. On the bus we passed, for the second time, the guy that we call 'Speed Bump Guy' because he sits on a speed bump in the middle of the road through one of the small villages, flogging... something. We think maybe snacks? Anyway, he must have nerves of steel to sit in the middle of the road like that with traffic whizzing by on both sides. Sure they have to slow down a little because... Speed bump... But still!! Unfortunately, for the second time I failed to get a photo of 'Speed Bump Guy'.

We were the only ones who got out at the speck on the highway called Palos Blancos, and unlike on Wednesday when we went past there enroute to Petatlan, there were no pick up truck cabs waiting at the corner, but the bus driver pointed us to the little covered bench where Brent had seen the trucks before, so we were pretty sure we were in the right spot. After just a few minutes' wait a covered pick up truck came up the road carrying a few locals. He stopped, facing the highway, and the locals all piled out and started gesturing for us to get in (and made a gesture that the truck would turn around). Brent was a little nervous about getting in the back of a truck pointed the wrong way on the word (or gesture) of some locals but we piled in and to Brent's relief, the truck DID turn around and start taking us down the road toward the museum. We arrived, unscathed, at the archaeology museum where we were quickly joined by a guide, Jose, who, not only was related to the family who initially discovered the site, but also spoke quite good English. Jose showed us, and a few other folks, around the museum. The area was populated for over 3000 years until it was wiped out by a Tsunami in about 1300, when it was buried and forgotten.

After the museum, Jose took us out to the active dig and restoration site where we saw some people working on restoring the unearthed pyramid.

After the dig site, Jose took us out to his brother's house in his village where he showed us more artifacts, showed us how the people make cigars from the tobacco leaves, and his brother demonstrated how to play the traditional flutes. Interestingly, I thought the tobacco leaves smelled like chocolate, Brent thought they smelled like animal skins, and our two new friends, Warren and Cheryl from Ontario, thought they smelled 'earthy'. The visit to the village was an amazing and special experience.

When we were finished, Warren and Cheryl offered us a ride to the highway, which we accepted, and a bus headed for Zihua showed up miliseconds after we jumped out of their car. Sadly, 'Speed Bump Guy' was not there for our return trip so I have probably missed my chance to ever get a picture of him.

When we got back to town we picked up some groceries and I indicated that I would like to have lunch. Brent had thought of walking one of the streets on the far side of the canal, so we decided to do that and look for a place for lunch. Very soon we spotted a Fonda, which our cooking class guy said was a type of fast food restaurant that locals frequently eat at. Brent looked like he wanted to eat at the Fonda so I looked around for a menu or a sign, or any indication of how things work in a Fonda, but there was nothing, so we ended up standing around looking lost and pathetic in the doorway. The restauranteur (Fonda-teur??) enlisted the help of a young lady customer who used her google translate to ask us if we wanted to eat and what we wanted to eat. We got a lovely lunch of chicken and rice (Brent) and pork and rice (me). We offered to buy the young lady's lunch but she refused.

Brent sometimes coaxes me quite a ways out of my comfort zone. Thank goodness!

Photos

Heading for Palos Blancos
Hoping for a Pick-Up Truck Taxi
Brent in the Pick Up Truck Taxi
Happy Mezcal Artifacts
Jose said all these artifacts had smiling faces because they drink Mezcal
Members of the Pyramid Restoration Crew
On the Unearthed Pyramid
Jose's Village
Jose's Village - aka the Middle of Nowhere
Lunch at a Fonda

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