Our
first week in Puerto Escondido has gone according to plan. Walk, relax, eat, read, swim, nap,
beach, sunset cocktails, dinner, sometimes music - sometimes Netflix’s, sleep,
and repeat.
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Sunset From Our B&B Palapa - Is that a "Green Flash" I see?
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The
first few days were spent close to our Zandoyo B&B’s pool. Puerto Escondido is at 12 degrees
latitude. This is a long way south
for us and the heat takes some getting used to. I spent the early days dripping with sweat while Deborah
developed a noticeable sheen.
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Most Days Are a High of 30C & a Low of 21C
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Tony is our host here at the Zandoyo. He is originally from Saltspring Island in B.C. and still owns the Saltspring Tribune newspaper there. His wife is Mexican and they live here full time. The B&B is only one of his business endeavours. He also owns the Mexico News Daily. It is an electronic newspaper that publishes all the news of Mexico in English. It is relatively new and currently has over 300,000 subscribers. He employs writers throughout the country to provide written factual and commentary accounts.
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Relaxing Lunch at Zicatela
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The
one significant change from our earlier Puerto visits is an increase in our
walking. I returned home after the
last visit and had to dig deep into the closet for my fat pants. It took a significant amount of time
before I could return to my regular cloths. We both arrived this year carrying more excess than either
of us wanted after a very tasty but heavy Butter Baking Christmas season.
We
are committed to walking on this trip.
We have been setting our alarm clock for 7 am and are out the door for a 6 to 7 km. walk before breakfast. I
am not an early morning person but after the first few days I am actually up
before the alarm. It is a balmy 21
degrees at that early hour and it makes for a very pleasant walk. Fingers-crossed, we won’t gain and
possibly even lose some butter weight.
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Walking Around Downtown Puerto
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No Excavator in Sight on this Pipeline Project.
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Markets Opening on Our Morning Walks
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We Think the Sign Maker Meant "In" the Cup
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Deborah
had a full-day outing with sister Rita.
Rita & Mike gifted her a Mexykan Cooking class for her upcoming
birthday. Their host instructor
was Chef Tony. Tony is an American born
Kansas native with Mexican heritage, now living in Puerto Escondido. He was trained in Kansas and in addition to being an expert in Mexican cuisine, he is also a bit of a chili specialist. He has a deep knowledge of the various types of chilies used in Mexican cooking and is adept at using the Scoville Scale. The scale measures the pungency (amount of heat) a specific chili (or other spicy food) produces.
The
lesson group met for breakfast at the Mercado Comida for a breakfast.
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Huevos, Salsa, Black Beans for Breakfast Washed down with a Beetroot & Orange Smoothie
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The
actual lesson started at the local market to learn about, and purchase the ingredients
for the lesson recipes. The
Puerto Mercado is typical of smaller Mexican towns and is very colourful on
weekend market days.
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Always Important to Keep the Flies Off!
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Dried Crickets
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Chef Tony
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After
the market the group reconvened at Chef Tony’s private home just around the
corner from our B&B to prepare (and eat) the various dishes.
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Salsa Verde
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Fresh Tuna
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Tuna Swimming in Mole
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The
day ended with everyone enjoying the prepared meal and a few drinks.
