New Tunnel is Open!!

With so many projects going on in Puerto Vallarta these past few years it is hard to remember to talk about them all!  One of them is the behind the scenes on the less familiar Hwy 200 aka Libramiento that bypasses the Malecon.  It is mainly used by us daily travelers to the South Side and is much quicker than the more touristy streets through the center of town.
To my surprise the project was begun over a year ago as I never thought I would be around to see a 2nd portal being built on this road as the first one was probably built back in the 1970s.   It was certainly showing its age with leaks and decay, so I suspect the Federal government needed to address the situation as this road is the only way for truck traffic to proceed to the south of Puerto Vallarta.  They would never be able to negotiate the small streets through the center of town.  A new highway that bypasses all of Puerto Vallarta is still in the works and no one has a completion schedule, although I heard that the first 30 km of the 120 km was completed.
The new tunnel is much wider, higher, and even includes decent sidewalks on both sides.  The lighting seems to be temporary and of course no ventilation was installed, so it is quite smoggy during heavy traffic periods.  But all in all a great addition and will now allow for 4 lanes of traffic through the area, after the renovation work is completed on the old tunnel.  Enjoy it as I certainly do every day!!

Grand Opening of Los Muertos Pier!!

After many years and much angst the Los Muertos Pier opened this past January 4th, 2013 to much fanfare and celebration.  I was fortunate enough to see the whole thing from the comfort of Cuates y Cuentes the restaurant located right at the corner of the new pier.  I had been watching all the time the progress that was and was not being made on the pier that seemed to take forever.  As usual the funds to start the project were there and then 1/2 way through the funds ran out.  Luckily the State of Jalisco came to the rescue with the funds need to finish the project and so it finally came to be!
What a fantastic addition to the area and just another attraction not only for Puerto Vallarta, but for the Los Muertos Beach area!  With its modern architecture and sloping winding walkway to the grand sail-like structure in the center, it is quite a display.  It reminding me of such grand projects as the Opera House in Sidney, Australia or the Denver International Airport.  The added feature on this structure is the lighting.  With many different combinations of colored lights that allow the "sail" and the pier itself to alternate colors certainly makes it unique at night.  The have even created a spectrum that depicts the Mexican flag.
As usual the naysayers said it was not appropriate for Puerto Vallarta and the design was all wrong, but once they see it lit up at night........What can they say??
The evening of the Grand Opening Celebration was started with some Jazz entertainment (Beverely and Willow)  and then skydivers came in.  Turns out of the skydivers was the Director of Tourism for Puerto Vallarta!  The usual speeches by the government officials was followed by a 15 fireworks show right on the beach.  Then we had more entertainment by Xiutla Ballet, while the dignitaries enjoyed hors d'ouvres and cocktails on the newly inaugurated pier.   After their show the Jazz music resumed with a Latin Jazz band and the pier was opened to the public to explore.
While there were hundreds of people around to enjoy the festivities, I waited a bit to go explore it myself.  But after a while I ventured out and enjoyed the new structure and the views back to Los Muertos Beach.  Just Fantastic!
I am sure this new addition to the area will become a new visitors "Must See". It will certainly bring lots of people to that area helping the local businesses and may even increase real estate values.  Now is the time to buy as prices will probably never be this low again!

Princesses of Violin from Budapest at Teatro Vallarta

Things have a been a little busy the past few months, but I need to get back into my Blog and post some new things going on around here!!

Back at the end of November I was back at Teatro Vallarta for a show, Princesses of the Violin.   These three talented women from Budapest, Hungary certainly put on a great show!   How we were able to book this internationally renowned group at this small theater in Puerto Vallarta shows that we are a world class city.  Touring groups around Mexico want to include Puerto Vallarta and we have a great theater to do so!
Consisting of three remarkably attractive and talented young ladies, this violin trio perform in a crossover style that blends classical music with contemporary modern elements.  They all have long performance and educational histories and in Hungary almost everyone recognizes the group.  They have appeared in several TV shows and become instant sensations not only in Hungary but all over Europe.  And beginning in 2010 they made their first appearance and tour in the United States.
With simple changing lighting and their white show costumes the ladies were able to put on a great variety of music from the classical styles of Johann Strauss, Rossini, and Brahms to Mozart and Bach.  Their electronic violins sounded as well as any normal woodwind instrument.  The 2nd act concluded with vibrant toe tapping tunes with a little Mexican flare.
The almost sold out crowd was very enthusiastic and the ladies certainly did not disappoint   Another great show at Teatro Vallarta!

Motorcycle Ride of a Lifetime!!-Part V-The Ride Home to PV

Leaving early from Fredicton at first light at 6am gave me the chance to head south quickly and in about 1.5 hours I was already at the border in St. Stephens/Calais, Maine.  Usual hassle a border crossing with the stupid questions; "Where you been" "How Long were you gone" "Why does your motorcycle have CA plates and you are coming from Colorado" etc. etc.;  After the I assume correct responses, I was on my way and rode some nice Maine roads into Bar Harbor for a quick stop for photos.  Then after a stop at Acadia National Park to get a stamp in my National Parks Passport, I was headed south to a suburb of Portland, Maine to visit with my friend Roberta.  After a great lunch, catching up and chatting about things, we headed to dinner at a local restaurant in downtown Brunswick along the Brunswick River.
The next day was spa day for me as Roberta owns a place in downtown Portland called Soakology.  www.soakology.com  It is a great place to relax, unwind, and I enjoyed a nice head, shoulder, neck, and foot massage for about 1 hour.  I needed it!  I had had some long days on the motorcycle and this certainly got all the kinks out of my shoulders.  If you are ever in Portland, Maine you need to experience the place.  So after the lengthy relaxing morning I was not on my way till about 2pm.  Once again I took the interstate as I needed to be in Niagara Falls for my room reservation the day after tomorrow.   I made it all the way to Syracuse area of New York State for a short ride the next morning into Niagara Falls, New York.
As I promised myself I would enjoy the day here seeing everything there was to see and participated in an all day tour of the area including the Cave of the Winds, all the falls, the boat ride into the Horseshoe Falls, the local up river scenery, and even the Niagara Falls Power Plant!  It was a great day and all I can say is that all the photos I had seen over the years, this place has to be seen in person.  It is definitely one of the Wonders of the World!  Maybe not top 7, but definitely top 10.  My hotel reservations for the night were in Niagara Falls, Ontario as  I wanted to see the falls from the Canadian side as well.   After the overnight, I went down to the falls and saw the awesome view from that side of the Niagara River and then rode along the river for miles and miles to the north to one again enjoy the sights and the massive homes along River Road.  Finally I looped back around to the south and made haste to the border crossing back at the same border we had crossed a few weeks earlier.  Of course it was just as busy and it took about 30 minutes to get through.
Hit the interstates again and even though I had planned to take 2 nights to get to Chicago, I was able to make it in one day and spent that evening and the next day there with a friend.  In Chicago I had things to do like some helmet repair, visiting with a friend in Aurora, and then finding a shop that could work on my carburetor problems once and for all! The helmet shop turned me onto Motorworks where Steve knew my problem, so I left the bike there over night as a rear tire change was due anyway.   The next morning I was all set to go and I highly recommend Motorworks to anyone needing service in the Chicagoland area.  They were fantastic!
Short ride north to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to spend a relaxing weekend with my friends John & Jeanne in Muskego.  As usual it was a wonderful time of eating, drinking, and enjoying the Milwaukee area.  But the real tough riding was coming on Monday morning by me leaving there at 7am sharp to make it as far south as possible.  I arrived in Tulsa, OK at about 730pm after a 740 mile ride very tired and after my GPS started acting up, I finally found a motel near a large Indian casino for the night.  Early up the next day again at sunrise and as the day was progressing well, I decided to go all the way to the border instead a planned stop with my friends Ira & Linda Horowitz in Dallas.  Arrived in Laredo under darkness at about 8pm after another almost 700 mile day.  My butt was getting sore!
But I knew the next day would be the usual all day legalization process, so I could certainly rest.  I arrived at the Hermanos Cuevas office around 1000am and it took a couple of hours to prepare paperwork and wait for one of their agents to take the motorcycle through Mexican customs.  As you know from one of my previous blogs, cars are much more difficult than motorcycles!!  I was given a ride across the border with all my possessions, as the bike had to be stripped, to their office in Nuevo Laredo to await the agents arrival.  About an hour later he was there, everything completed and by about 330pm I was on my way south to make it to Saltillo by dark.  A little small thunderstorm while I was fueling up along the toll road, it was a very hot ride south. I am sure well over 100F, probably 110F.   I stayed at my usual place the American Business Hotel in the northern area of Saltillo.
My next day's plan was to head south to San Miguel de Allende to visit my client Sharon and spend the evening with her.   Somehow the GPS go all screwed up and it was routing me on these side roads and it took about 30 minutes to get back on the toll road that I wanted to be on heading south.  But finally got on the way and as I was nearing San Miguel it looked like afternoon thunderstorms were heading into the area.  I have been around this area before in my car, but never made to the birthplace of the Mexican Revolution, so a quick stop in Dolores de Hidalgo was in order as I was just passing by.   Then onto San Miguel to find Sharon's house.  Since I could not get the address programmed into the GPS, I had to use her directions and after a few wrong turns, I called Sharon and she told me to stay right there and she would come to direct me to her house.   A few minutes she was there and I probably would have never found her house without help!  A beautiful development and house that was a museum to all of Sharon's travels around the world.   We had dinner at her favorite fast food Mexican restaurant, as I was happy to have some food from my place of residence, Mexico.   I actually missed it!
The next morning after a great breakfast made by Sharon and a fresh baked Balillo from the corner bakery I was off at 9am to get to Puerto Vallarta before dark.  As I was leaving San Miguel I was passing a lot of Mexican people walking along the road.  It seemed to be some kind of pilgrimage and then the road was closed due to construction.  The GPS once again routed be somewhere along the lake near San Miguel and I thought about going back to get back on the highway. It turned out to be a fantastic 2 lane road where I could get into some nice speeds, no traffic, and start to even the wear on my tires as they were getting flat from all of the highway riding I had done the last few days.  I am sure it added time to the ride home, but it was worth it.
Back on the toll roads and I am going past the big cities of San Luis Potosi, Leon, and into the heart of Guadalajara.  Before and since the Goodwill Games last year there has been a huge effort in GDL to get a road built to get through the middle of GDL as quickly as possible.  Most of it is complete, but there was a massive traffic jam for a few miles of the construction zone.  I quickly learned some lane splitting skills (totally legal in all of Mexico) and made my way through the mess.
Onto the GDL-Tepic toll road I was back in familiar territory and was just itching to finally be back home after 32 days on the road.   Once you get to Compostelo you have to endure the 2 lane road Hwy 200 for the next 100 miles.  I was just hoping the traffic would not be too bad and with a motorcycle you can do a little quicker passing than with a car.  Things were rolling along nicely until.............San Pancho.  The skies began to cloud up and it looked like rain was coming, but I thought I could hold off with the rain gear.  Big Mistake!  By the time I got to Sayulita it was raining and there was also a partial lane blockage due some spill.  Good time to suit up, but only put the jacket on.  Another Big Mistake!
As I finally got back to 4 lanes and into Bucerias it became deluge of rain!!  Here I was down to the last 30 miles and I was getting soaked for the first time on this trip.  I was kind of numb and could not believe it.  But I just rode through it and by the time I got to Nuevo Vallarta the roads were dry....completely dry!  I do not remember it ever not raining in PV first!  But I guess the storm came in from the north or east this time.
Back home to my condo around 730pm, a little wet, a little weary, but glad to be back after my 10,500 mile ride!  It truly was a RIDE OF A LIFETIME!!

Motorcycle Ride of a Lifetime!!

Back in Puerto Vallarta last week after my extensive motorcycle ride of +10,000 miles!  I had originally planned to find an older BMW motorcycle here in Puerto Vallarta, but my friend in Denver had the exact one that I wanted.   He reminded me of his planned ride this summer to New Foundland and it would be great to have me tag along before I went back to Mexico with the bike.  It only took about 30 seconds to decide that I really needed to do this ride.  It was going to be a "once in a lifetime" opportunity and as I always say you have to live life to its fullest and do not have regrets about what you should have or could  have done!
After a little airline ticket change investigation, confirmation with the folks back in Denver, and a review of finances I was on board!  Things just seemed to fall into place and it seemed that the stars were aligned for me to make this biggest ride of my life!  This was no short ride and I would probably not be back in Puerto Vallarta until the first week of September. Flying back to Denver, Colorado on July 21st for a week to collect my things, visit with friends and relatives, pickup the 1988 BMW R100 GS (nicknamed the Bumble Bee), it was certainly a busy week.  I managed to even take afternoon ride with my best riding buddy into the Colorado mountains.
Departure date was set for Saturday, July 28th and I was off at 6am to hit the road on this grand adventure that would take me from Denver, Colorado to the northeastern and northwestern tip of Newfoundland and finally back to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  My calculations had put the ride at around 10,000 miles and I knew it would probably end up being a few more as little side roads and places along the road would need to be seen.  The group of riders was an eclectic group from all walks of life, but all retired and were fortunate to enjoy that life, while I was the youngest and still trying to make money for my eventual retirement.  3 bikes came from Denver, Colorado, 1 from Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1 from Omaha, Nebraska, 1 from New York state, and 1 from New Brunswick, Canada; so the grouped was loosely assembled along the way.  I do not mind riding a long day of 600-700 miles, so I would be leaving that Saturday, whilst several already had left the day before on Friday.  Most of group then met for the 1st overnight in Omaha, Nebraska.
Our 2nd night would also be along the interstate into Portage, Indiana.  Finally the 3rd night would be in Canada at our first real tourist stop, Toronto, Canada.  Arriving about midday we had the opportunity to ride the train into downtown Toronto and experience the city center including the top of the CN Tower.
A short ride up to Ottawa put us into the Capital City of Canada my early afternoon again, so we had the rest of the day to enjoy the sights and dinner in the Byward Market area.  The next day would be even shorted and we arrived mid morning at the hotel near the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada.  Only about a 10 minute walk to the subway we were in the center of town in about 20 minutes.  I decided to rent a bicycle and ride around the downtown area including the canals and locks that surround Montreal including a visit to the Atwater Market for some fantastic homemade ice cream.
We headed off early again to be in Quebec City by lunch time and once again were able to take the public transportation into the Old City parts of Quebec City were a local festival was recreating the way of life in those earlier days.
Now the ride was heading into our leader Roy's backyard as he was born in Moncton, New Brunswick.  The longer ride that next day put us into Fredericton, New Brunswick where we met our rider, leader, and host for the ride into these Provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia.  Too keep these blogs from getting too long, I will divide them up.

Guadalajara, Mexico- My 6th Trip!

Once again I was off to Guadalajara (GDL) last week for my 6th trip to this wonderful city since I moved to Mexico in December of 2009.  This trip was to visit the sons of my friend Pablo as well as do some shopping and the usual sight seeing of our favorite places.  We brought along another friend from the US who was a "virgin" visitor to GDL.  Upon arrival we checked into the Dali Plaza Hotel which has become my new favorite hotel at the right price of 475 pesos including breakfast for 1 person.  The room was similar to last time and on the 8th floor it was a great view of the city below.  The hotel is located right in the heart of the shopping area and about 1 1/2 blocks from the Main Cathedral of GDL.
After a quick lunch at the corner taco stand, we were off to orient our friend Andy and walked to the Main Cathedral, along the plazas all the way to San Juan de Dios (Indoor Flea Market) where we made some great purchases of shoes and leather products, and then finally over to Plaza Los Mariachis for a bucket of beers and a little rest.   We headed back to the hotel to freshen up, as dinner would be at my favorite restaurant 9 Esquinas (9 Corners) that have written about before here in my blog.  They specialize in traditional Mexican style of food preparation and their specialty is Goat and Lamb.  Great meal as always and even Andy decided to try the goat (chivo), and of course he loved it!
On uur next day Andy decided to do a double decker city bus tour, while Pablo and I went to visit an ex-coworker from Puerto Vallarta who had moved to GDL last year.  He was managing a small coffee bar/restaurant in Colonia Bugambillas inside a new shopping mall called Plaza Panoramica.  It is located high up the hill in the western part of GDL and has fantastic views of the city from high above.  The Plaza was built by a local developer and he built the shopping mall as a service to the surrounding community by offering all the things you would need when living around the area including 9 restaurants, bowling alley, laundry/dry cleaner, children's day care, movie theater (opening soon), spa, grocery, roof top amusement park, and underground parking!  It was all on 5 levels serviced by escalators and elevator......very nice!
We re-connected with Andy at the hotel and headed over to Tlaquepaque to do some shopping for items he was interested in bringing back to the USA and I found some wonderful handmade loafers for myself.
We had a great lunch at El Patio, another favorite restaurant of mine, as it has a great menu and always some entertainment including an all female Mariachi group.  After shopping and getting tired we enjoyed a few cocktails in the center square where there are many restaurants around a main raised patio.  Back to the hotel for a refresh and we are back out to check out the night life around the area including a gay bar.
Since this was Andy's first trip to GDL we let him decide if we would go back to Lake Chapala or enjoy the GDL Zoo that my ex-coworker had recommended to us the day before.  Since Pablo and I had not been to the Zoo, we all decided to make the visit on our final day.  For about 145 pesos we gained entrance to all parts of the Zoo including the train ride, safari excursion, the aquarium, and the Australian Outback area.    We oriented ourselves with the train ride around the park and I was immediately impressed with the cleanliness and upkeep of the Zoo.  Certainly as nice as any North American or European Zoo that I have been to....just smaller and not of such a grand scale.  Some of the most interesting aspects was the Monkey Land area where you were allowed inside a small spider monkey habitat and the monkeys interacted with the zoo visitors; the Safari Jeep ride where African animals were in an open range and you were allowed to hand-feed the Giraffes with carrots given to you by the guide; the Aquarium where you could feed the stingrays; and the Australian Outback area where Kangaroos were allowed to roam free in the area.  Well worth the visit and I will be going back to see it again when I have more time.
We are off back home to Puerto Vallarta around 2pm and make a quick stop in Tequila for a first time visit there.  It was also an interesting place as many of the Tequila manufacturers allow sampling of their tequilas and it is certainly the best place to buy tequila for the discounted prices offered there.
Back in PV, I began to think about the wonderful few days in GDL (as always) and how there seems to always be something new and interesting to see while I am visiting there.   Looking forward to trip #7 in the fall!

Playa Tehuanmixtle

Another drive today south of Puerto Vallarta to the lovely town of El Tuito and beyond to the beaches of Cabo Corrientes had me going to the small fishing village of Tehuanmixtle.  Tehuanmixtle is located around the corner about 1 mile from Mayto Beach by keeping straight on the El Tuito to Mayto road and turning right down the steep road into the fishing village.   What makes this little village unique is that there are about 4 different restaurants to choose from and we decided to go to Cande's Place as the owner Candelano made a point of welcoming me to his village that he has been a part of for over 50 years!  He told us that his mother has been living here and had another restaurant down the beach a bit for over 120 years!
We were looking for some whole fresh Huachchinango (Red Snapper) and that is what we got!  Since the size of the fish were larger the server suggested we share one and I am glad we did!  That 2.2 kilo fish was huge and plenty for 3!  It was accompanied by pablano chile rice, salad, tortillas, and salsa.   It was wonderful and perfectly cooked with garlic and butter it just fell off the bone and we could not stop eating it!  After the wonderful lunch we moved over the beach side of the village and enjoyed some warming sun rays as it was a bit cool in the shade of the restaurant.
The village is very small on the steep down road and just provides a place to rest, enjoy lunch, and see some different views of the Cabo Corrientes area with miles and miles of beaches in the distant.  Tehuanmixtle is unique in that it is positioned in a very rocky area and has only a small beach, unlike Mayto and the other beaches around the area.
Located about 2 hours south of Puerto Vallarta this area is connected via a dirt road that is about 22 miles away from El Tuito.  The road continues to be improved and paved, but there is still plenty of dirt along the way.  The first 6.2 miles are paved, then dirt until a small town for 1 mile of paved, then back to dirt until you are about 4.5 miles away from Mayto, the road becomes paved again.   So plan on driving at least 1/2 the way on a dirt road that winds itself up and around the hills but steadily downhill to sea level.  El Tuito is at about 2000 feet of elevation, so you have to head back down to sea level.
Any good vehicle can make the drive, but take your time and do not rush.  There are some other small villages along the way and most have a place to stop and get a cold beverage.
It is easily a day trip but you have 4 hours total of driving back and forth.  Get out of PV and enjoy the other parts of Mexico, it is well worth the drive!

Guadalajara One More Time!

Spent another great weekend in the City of Guadalajara this past weekend!  This time I had to do some service for my BMW at the dealership as there are none in Puerto Vallarta, and working on importing the car to Mexico was part of the main reasons for the trip, however, I always make a point of going to the city a few days early to enjoy it.  The overnight stay this time was at the Frances Hotel www.hotelfrances.com about one block from the Main Cathedral.  This is the oldest hotel in Guadalajara and was built in 1610, so if affords the opportunity of a well built old hotel with wooden floors, basic gated elevator, and a great atrium lobby.  The have a large assortment of types of rooms ranging in price from 643 pesos-1200 pesos for a mini suite.  Some have air conditioning, but not all so be careful to get the type of accomodation you wish.  The covenient location is not too be beat for the price!
It was Childrens Day in Mexico, so there was lots of children all around with many stores offering free drinks and snacks to children.   Spending Saturday afternoon around the city again with a quick bite to eat next door for Tortas Ahogados, (the drunken sandwich specialty of Guadalajara) we walked around and spend some time in San Juan de Dios Flea Market a favorite place of mine.  Right next to Plaza Los Mariachis for a few beers and crowd watching makes a great afternoon.   Dinner would be at my favorite place again, Birrieria Las Nueves Esquinas  http://www.las9esquinas.com/inicio.html  that serves their own lamb and goat dishes with homemade salsas, tortillas, and all the fixings.  Fantastic!!
Sunday it was the day back in Tonala for the madness called the Sunday Flea Market.   Besides the usual sensory overload, I finally made it all the way through the market from beginning to end.  Only took me three visits!   This time I was more familiar with the area as know what I was looking for, so it becomes much easier.  Lunch was at a great Seafood restaurant across from the Flea Market Mariscos de Arandense  http://mariscoselarandense.com/ on the main road.  They have an extensive menu with large portions, fast service, reasonable prices, large seating area, and good quality of seafood.    They have been around since 1998 and provide 2 locations around Guadalajara.  I recommend it as it away from the flea market madness and crowd to provide a little oasis for your lunch.  There are however, many other vendors scattered about the Flea Market area and you can rest your feet, feed your hunger and thirst very easily through these small vendors that seem to have some great selections and quality of food.

Sayulita, Mexico

I decided to drive the back way into Sayulita for the first time since last year and this was via the turnoff road to Punta Mita.  Then there is a turn off to your right,  just before the back entrance to the Four Seasons Hotel that takes on a wonderful 4 lane road northward past Lumbia where it turns in a 2 lane road for the rest of the way to Sayulita. This part of the road has visible signs of damage including washed out bridges from the heavy rains last fall that also washed out the main bridges into Sayulita and San Francisco.  If you want to go there the quick way just follow the Federal Highway 200 out of Puerto Vallarta northward and the entrance from that direction is clearly marked.  Sayulita is well known in the area for its great surfing waves and that is evident by the many vendors and stores related to the surfing business including board rental and lessons.

Upon arrival in Sayulita on a Sunday, it was very busy and I was lucky to find parking.  It was also the flea market day, so many stands had been setup along a road towards the beach.  We decided to grab some drinks and appetizers, so we headed towards the beach and I was amazed at how many people where on the beach!  It felt like I was back on Los Muertos Beach in PV!  This could have all been because of the 3 day holiday weekend as well.   We enjoyed a bucket of beers (7 vs the usual 5), deluxe nachos, and shrimp cerviche all for a very cheap 250 pesos so about $20.00 at El Capitan Pablo Restaurant right on the edge of the beach.  Service was great and we enjoyed watching all the surfers and beach goers beyond.  
After our break, we decided to walk around and do a little shopping.  I had been looking for some cloth placemats around Mexico in my travels and had not found them, but walking into Galeria Hamaca and they had a wonderful selection from various parts of Mexico.  The ones I purchased were from the Chiapas region and I am very pleased to have finally found them.
Our drive back to PV was along the main 200 highway and we were back in about 40 minutes.

Driving to Mayto Beach

The next day after a great breakfast at El Jardin Del Tuito, we were off mid morning to take the only road to Mayto Beach area.  It is partially paved and mostly still dirt, but it has greatly improved from the first 2 times I ventured out that way over the past few years!  I am sure someday it will be finally paved all the way to Mayto.
You drive past a few small farming towns going up and down the small hills and finally only downhill toward sea level.  Remember El Tuito is a high altitude desert town!  The last 5 miles are actually nicely paved and the drive is great.  We arrived at Mayto Beach, but I wanted to explore a little bit of the other beaches as I had only briefly stopped at the small fishing village of Tehuamixtle the last time I was out there.  I had only done the overlook, but decided to go down to the village itself today.  It has several restaurants and is a oyster fishing village with oysters served as the specialty in the restaurants.  For some reason a large stuffed shark was right at the edge of the pier and I am not sure why?
After leaving Tehaumixtle I saw a sign straight ahead for a restaurant and thought it might be a place to have dinner later.  So we followed the dirt road around the hillside of rocks and found overselves over on the other side of a very long beach we could see in the distance fromTehuamixtle.  Located there was a resort of bungalows for rent on the hillside.  It was a simple place with basic amenities, but a nice pool and restaurant was available.  It was quite a view from there to miles of beaches with nothing and no one on them!
Back to Mayto Beach where our Mayto Hotel was prearranged for the night.  This is a 12 room hotel that was fully equipped including AC, Sat TV, nice towels, full baths, and a great pool right on the Mayto Beach.  They had their own restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner with palapas and lounge chairs on the beach.  The also provide massage services for an extra charge, full bar, and usually ATV rental eventhough they were out for repair.
It is just a wonderful beach with very few people and the ability to walk for miles and not see anyone!  There is a government run Turtle sanctuary on Mayto Beach with usage during the breeding season.  All of this will probably change one day as a large developer is beginning to sell lots for a rather large development just inland from the beach........so we will see how quickly that all changes!
If you are looking for unspoiled beaches miles long this is the place to go!