Posts tagged Sandy Beaches
The best and worst of Mexico
Dec 21st
Third among positives were beautiful women
Dale Hoyt Palfrey, 2005
There once was a questionnaire regarding what was best and worst about Mexico.
There was no available data about number of respondents or when or where the survey was conducted so I will concede it was unofficial and most likely unscientific. Just guessing that questions and answers were in English. Results were.
The timing was undoubtedly before competition in drug sales turned brutal. Fear of being beheaded was not among perceived problems.
The survey scene might have been the Lake Chapala region of Jalisco. Many Americans and Canadians are clustered there. Some have strong opinions about what Mexico should and should not be — for their greater convenience and enjoyment.
Even then, whenever then was, a few had the audacity to believe they could do a better job running the country. More of us are now convinced. Alas, it would involve raising taxes.
Wonderful winter weather was judged the single best thing about Mexico.
My first reaction was that Canooks and the Chicago crowd had stuffed the ballot box. But, then I remembered that favorable weather was our No. 1 retirement priority when we were choosing a winter home 14 years ago.
It is only fair to say that warm days with bright sunshine, songbirds chirping and flowers blooming are splendid tonic for the encroachment of age. Good weather is also good for creaky knees and stiff backs.
No need for anti-freeze, ice scrapers, snow tires or fuzzy gloves.
Mexico offers a variety in temp and humidity and places to find them, from sandy beaches to nippy mountaintops with many perfect plateaus and wide flatlands in between.
We generalize and say where we live offers golf-shirt weather year round. That is an exaggeration. Some December days call for a nylon windbreaker. It is a fact that our home has no heating or cooling system. We do have emergency equipment in a closet.
Compiled answers said the second best thing about Mexico was the food. Food was also listed among the worst things about Mexico. The ratio of favorable to unfavorable was about three to one.
I would not travel from far, far away for pozole. But I have gone out of my way for seafood Florentine at Bananas in Barra de Navidad and fresh salmon grilled lightly and sautéed in a wine sauce at Jose’s Place on the south side of the plaza in downtown Chapala.
Mexico is not famous for either dish.
Instead of Maya ruins or architecture in Guadalajara or ripe mangos at street markets, third among positives were beautiful women. Sarah says many Mexican women do have attractive facial features, ideal skin texture and lovely coloration. She also said she suspected that men dominated the survey.
Strangely enough, those Mexican beauties were mentioned among the disappointments, more specifically babes having babies and younger women allowing themselves to get old and dumpy.
Listed among the best features of Mexico, after friendly people, was cost of living, including low property taxes. Less government interference was voted a positive and lack of government services was judged a negative.
I do believe they are linked. If taxes are trivial, there aren’t so many government agents to trip you up or pick you up.
Friendly people, good neighbors, probably deserved more survey support. We live in a genuine Mexican neighborhood. Because our good friends speak almost as much English as we speak Spanish, some communications are limited to a simple greeting or maybe just a wave and a smile. Their kindness runs deep.
And, if you really need help, that’s what they do.
On down the list, among the worst things about Mexico, were topes and scorpions. Both groups are bad boys but if they are really “worsts,” it is a compliment to the country.
The mañana mentality took a hit. One critic, in favor of reorganizing the country, suggested a big clock on a pole at each street intersection “to help Mexicans learn to tell time.”
Punctuality is not a national strength.
Other grievances were the infamous mordida (police, government or service workers soliciting bribes), cobblestones, limited parking, motor homes and Hummers on narrow streets and petty foreigners.
I couldn’t believe somebody doodling with a questionnaire had looked in a mirror.
The Beaches of Costa Rica
Nov 11th
There are numerous Costa Rica Beaches on the over 1500 kilometers (1000 miles) of coastline in that country. Here is an overview of some of the great Costa Rica Beaches to be enjoyed.
Caribbean Coast
Limon
Puerto Limon is the main tourist center in the central Caribbean area, with the country’s largest seaport for import and export, as well as beautiful beaches and interesting nightlife with an Afro-Caribbean flair. In the vicinity are beautiful Caribbean beaches with the only reef in Costa Rica.
Cahuita
Cahuita is a beach that is situated nearby to Limon. A national park is situated here which protects the coral reef and marine life. Nice sandy beaches in the area.
Puerto Viejo
Puerto Viejo is further south further south from Cahuita and makes a lovely place to visit. There are a number of exclusive hotels and beaches along this area.
Tortuguero
This region is North of Limon. The whole region is comprised of natural canals that lie behind a thin strip of land and the sea. There are extraordinary jungle lodges and canal tours for you to enjoy. Garfish, Caimans, and Manatees are often seen here. You can only get to Tortuguero by airplane or boat. This is also a major turtle nesting region.
Barra del Colorado
Like Tortuguero you this is another of the Costa Rica beaches that must be reached by boat or plane.This is the place to go if you love fishing. Tarpon is the prevailing adversary here, but there are many other species as well. There are luxurious fishing lodges here.
North Pacific
Guanacaste
The Guanacaste coastline is known as the Golden Coast. There are many gorgeous Costa Rica beaches, some with full-blown resorts and others with few people on them. This is a very popular destination for tourists, especially now since the opening of the Liberia International Airport. Playa Tamarindo and Playe Grande are among some of the more poplar beaches in the area.
Central Pacific
Montezuma (Nicoya Peninsula)
Montezuma is on the inner rim of the Gulf of Nicoya, crossing by ferry from Puntarenas. It is a popular destination for the youthful foreign crowd. There are small hotels here but not all have telephones. The Cabo Blanco National Park is within reach.
Naranjo to Cabo Blanco (Nicoya Peninsula)
There are many lovely hotels along this area and plentiful fascinating places to visit. Situated in the Inner rim of Golfo de Nicoya. Considered difficult to get too by some but it’s not really the case.
Puntarenas
This is a good point to start expeditions into Guanacaste and down the Pacific coast. From here you can take ferries across the Gulf of Nicoya to the Nicoya Peninsula. This is the main city on the Pacific coast, with a boardwalk, plentiful hotels and restaurants. It is located on a small peninsula with the gulf on one side and an sluice on the other side. where there are numerousness marinas and numerous commercial fishing operations. This use to be the primary seaport of the Pacific coast.
Jaco
Jaco beach is about an one hour drive south of Puntarenas. Many Costa Rica beaches are great for surfing and Jaco is a excellent center for surfers. There is nice beach break in town and extraordinary great surf spots in the vicinity like Hermosa, Escondido, and further away are the long rides of Bocca Barranca. There are many hotels, and plenty of tours to take. San Jose is about a two hour drive away.
Manuel Antonio
Manual Antonio, although the most small of the national parks, is one of the most popular ones. Nice white sand beaches, rocky headlands, and a tropical forest for the backdrop. There are lovely accommodations along this Costa Rica beach.
Quepos
Adjacent Manuel Antonio is the town of Quepos, the sport-fishing hub of the region. Marlin and Sailfish are the big catch.
South Pacific
Osa Peninsula
A very natural region which contains the country’s largest national park, Corcovado. This is the southernmost peninsula on the Pacific.
Corcovado
Stupendous rain forest tours, sea kayaking and scuba diving are common in Corcovado. Isla del Caño is close, with its Indian burial grounds and awesome diving. Whale sightings are common among these Costa Rica beaches.
Golfito
There are cloistered hotels and lodges sequestered among the rain forest here. Golfito is the prevailing town and is the harbor in this region.
