Getting Their Money's Worth

Vacationers in Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa certainly got their money's worth today. It was a picture postcard perfect day with light tropical breezes, plenty of sunshine, and clear calm seas: just what the thousands of vacationing visitors from all over Mexico as well as from abroad wish for when they imagine themselves on vacation here.

The streets, hotels, beaches and restaurants of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo are full of tourists, mostly nationals with their families enjoying their summer vacation, escaping from the inland cities, their jobs, and the daily grind of fighting traffic gridlocks to get to and from work and school. The smiles on their faces really leave no doubt they are having a good time and are glad to be here surrounded by Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo's simple natural beauty, far from the crowded hustle and bustle of larger tourist destinations with whom Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa really do not seek to compete.

Small groups of wandering musicians serenade vacationers on the beaches of Zihuatanejo and their music carries on the warm breeze scented by blooming frangipani trees that cling to the coastline around the bay. Families spanning generations congregate at beachfront seafood restaurants and under beach palapas and umbrellas, many with coolers full of food and drinks, soaking in the sun and simply enjoying being together in a still unspoiled natural tropical paradise.

Let's hope Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo can continue being that simple and natural tropical vacation paradise, attracting visitors who come here for what Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo is, and not what it isn't. Those who know and love the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo region, especially its residents, do not believe we should seek to compete with other overcrowded and overdeveloped tourist destinations. We believe that Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo is a unique enough destination in its own right, thanks to the natural beauty with which it is endowed: a natural beauty worth preserving and protecting for future generations.

RFK, Jr. Speech at Live Earth

This has nothing to do with Zihuatanejo, but I thought it was important enough that I should help diffuse its message. When Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. gave a speech at one of the recent Live Earth concerts, he struck out hard at the "corporate toadies" and their "indentured servants" on Capitol Hill whom he accuses of urging us "to treat the planet as if it were a business in liquidation, convert our natural resources to cash as quickly as possible, have a few years of pollution based prosperity, (so that) we can generate an instantaneous cash flow and the illusion of a prosperous economy." See the video and the complete transcript of the speech at the following link: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Live Earth Speech

Summer Rain

Just a note to say that after suffering an unusually cruel and mostly rainless summer in Zihuatanejo so far this year, we finally woke up to a cooling rain this morning. The previous night was one the most uncomfortable, and showering didn't help cool us much because the water came out of the "cold" faucet hot. The rain has been intermittent so far today, but at least it washed some of the dust away as well as the foul-smelling grunge on the streets left by the garbage trucks. Of course, the rain has also been good for the downtown shopkeepers since when the tourists aren't on the beaches they're often walking around downtown, and this is the first week of summer vacation for Mexicans. So far so good.