Installment #3

Hola! Welcome to Mexico! We traveled overnight down the coastline of Oaxaca, the southern most country of Mexico. We woke to a dark morning, but were awed by the lights filling the coast. The seaside resort town of Huatulco was our stop for the day. Huatulco is a charming town nestled between the ocean and the mountains. Huatulco is known for its nine bays filled with beautiful beaches and clean water. Daughter 1 stated that it is a destination many nationals visit.

When we first left the boat, the pier, marina and small outdoor market were all just waking up. So, we hopped a taxi and headed to town. We found the small scene in town, but by time we finished our morning drinks, the town was coming alive, the horns were honking and the Saturday market was open. We found the market typical, yet enticing enough for the daughters to buy a dress each and earrings. I had fun taking pictures and showing them to the stall owners. They are amazed by the digital camera. The stall owners had fun deciding whose stale I had snapped pictures of. The beautiful colors in the fruit, vegetables and chilies caught my eye - even the shrimp looked colorful and inviting!

We grabbed a taxi and headed to a local hotel in search of a private beach. We were the first to arrive and were greeting warmly by the guys working. With a palm leaf tent overhead I was happy to watch the ocean as Daughter 1 sunbathed and Daughter 2 and Sir played in the ocean. Daughter 1 and I headed to the ocean before we gathered our belongings to meet the taxi driver at the designated time – you are right – he didn’t show! Oh well! We arrived at the pier in time to stroll through and shop. The sleepy area we left earlier was alive! The beach was filled. The merchants were walking around begging for us to look. The open air church was hosting a morning wedding. The cafes were filled with tourist looking for a way to keep cool. As were left the market area and headed down the long pier, a group of young kids, with instruments in hand, played a farewell tune for us seeking our last remaining coins.

We are back on board, enjoying another relaxing afternoon and looking forward to another activity packed evening. We are headed to bed early tonight – Guatemala is an early stop in the morning!