Notes of a traveller

Alan Dodds – photographer (among other things)

Notes of a traveller


Along the Coast of Mexico

Posted on Sunday, October 8th, 2017 at 5:11 am

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

At the very tip of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, is the small town of Cabo San Lucas. This is basically a holiday resort for California, being easily accessible by air, or by a recently built road. It is the beach town of choice for the schoolies when they are on their end of school blow out. Luckily we managed to avoid that. We discover lots of friendly people, harbourside restaurants and endless condominiums stretching along the beaches and up the hill sides.

The harbour at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Overlooking the prosperous holiday resort harbour at Cabo San Lucas
The restaurants along side the harbour at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Harbor side buildings reflect the dominant pseudo-Mexican style that predominates
Condominiums in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

The rear of the beachside condominiums … just for the wealthy!
Building in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

If you build your house on a rock, why of course, you need a lift!
Vulture in flight, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Lucky to catch this vulture in flight.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

The next day, we find ourselves on the mainland of Mexico at the port of the substantial city of Vallarta. Near the port there are large shopping centres including a Walmart just in case you have forgotten any essentials!.The main tourist attraction here is a pedestrian only “Sculpture Walk” along the shoreline. Boasting some pretty amazing sculptures, it lies just a short taxi ride away from the port along the busy highway to the cobbled roads of the old town.

Sculpture on the Scupture Walk, Vallarta, Mexico

The first in a long line of Sculptures.
Sculpture on the Scupture Walk, Vallarta, Mexico

Extensive cobbles of the old town
Sculpture on the Scupture Walk, Vallarta, Mexico

Vallarta is a favourite tourist destination for Mexicans.
Sculpture on the Scupture Walk, Vallarta, Mexico

We decide to take a rest and watch the passers by. See how much weight we’ve lost 🙂
Senor Frog in Vallarta, Mexico

Senor Frog seems popular here.
Performers on the Scupture Walk, Vallarta, Mexico

Performers spin around the pole to the delight of the onlookers
Sculpture on the Scupture Walk, Vallarta, Mexico

More food please …
Milk shop along the Scupture Walk, Vallarta, Mexico

Anyone for Milk!
Sculpture on the Scupture Walk, Vallarta, Mexico

Photos, photos and more photos … we all snap away.
Sculpture on the Scupture Walk, Vallarta, Mexico

The locals call this the “Training Ladder”. They are preparing for “Trumps Wall”
Vallerta, Mexico

Mmmm … sugar and tabacco … just the thing!
Vallarta, Mexico

Walking back towards the port we go though a somewhat more worn part of town.

Huatulco, Mexico

Another day, another port in Mexico, this time the small port of Huatulco. It is cloudy and rains now and then as we survey the tourist shops and restaurants. We try to find the nearby town without success and then discover we had taken the wrong road. This is the first place we notice a definite police/military presence complete with automatic weapons.

Huatulco harbour, Mexico

Keeping watch …
Huatulco harbour, Mexico

Dive boats await custom
Huatulco harbour, Mexico

This sign has left out the “America” of Holland-America. Sign of times to come?
Huatulco harbour, Mexico

This was the most amazing piece of reverse parking into a narrow bay I have seen in a while!
Huatulco harbour, Mexico

Jacqui doing as Jacqui does 🙂
Huatulco harbour, Mexico

A cruise ship along side a pirate ship … tarred with the same brush you think?
Huatulco harbour, Mexico

They do love their pink!

Puerto Chiapas and Tapachula, Mexico

Just north of the Guatemalan border is the small harbour of Puerto Chiapas. There is nothing in the port to speak of, so we have paid our $10 each for the shuttle bus and take the 40 minute drive to the nearby town of Tapachula, a “real” Mexican town at last. It is a large bustling town which has little to do with tourism and so is a chance to see Mexican life in action.

Shoe shine stalls in Tapachula, Mexico

Judging by the long lines of shoe-shine stalls in the main square (this is a small sample), Mexican men must get their shoes really dirty.
The Church in the main square of Tapachula, Mexico

The beautiful ceiling of church in the main square
Masks in Tapachula, Mexico

They don’t seem to think much of Mr Trump down here.
The market in Tapachula, Mexico

The bustle of the local market
The market in Tapachula, Mexico

They play music to their vegetables here … keeps them fresh apparently!
Tapachula, Mexico

Getting old can be pretty difficult.
Tapachula, Mexico

I think they must have cornered the market of pink paint.
Tapachula, Mexico

The stained glass window in the municipal building. The missing panes of glass are luckily not obvious.
Tapachula, Mexico

No brush cutters here … a machete is all you need to keeps the weeds away.
Tapachula, Mexico

We bid farewell to the glorious tropical skies of Mexico

And so we leave Mexico as we sail south towards the equator. Next is Guatemala with it’s volcanoes and the UNESCO heritage listed city of Antigua.

Enjoy!
Alan


12 responses to “Along the Coast of Mexico”

  1. Irene says:

    Thoroughly enjoyed reading of your interesting time in Mexico and all your wonderful photos. I kept wanting to comment on individual ones and reminded myself I wasn’t on Facebook. Best wishes. Irene

  2. regina synnot says:

    Catching up with computer time and your blog. Gives me the travel bug every time. Maybe when I get to retire,as well? Have a wonderful trip.

  3. Lynn Ayiotis says:

    Wonderful pictures and humour as always!! Thank you.

  4. robin says:

    I get the feeling that you don’t like pink paint – It says Mexico
    I am glad you at least saw a ‘real’ Mexican town.

    Antigua will be nice for you – I stayed there a couple nights on my way to Lake Atitlan ( 4 hours journey from there) You can sit with the mermaids in the square:):) Hope your having a nice time.

    Lotsa love

  5. Helen says:

    I smiled through this dearest Alan and Jacqui. More please xx

  6. Domi Cohen says:

    Guatemala, I cannot wait! Where is this trip going to take us to? Wonderful pics. A permanent sculpture promenade along the river in Noosa would be such a good idea….
    🙂

  7. Jac-Aileen says:

    Noticed the loss of weight straight up w that ‘sculpture’ of u both! Gr8 pics as always tks dear Alan. I see The World ship is now on same route atm. Looks so lush n i must use the Machete tricjk wen my mower off colour. Hugs to u both 👏😘 Gr8 times!

  8. Andrew says:

    Great to see some of your posts again. Maybe I should try a blog too…. Anyway, enjoy the rest of your trip!

  9. Christina says:

    Terrific and getting more ‘like it’…looking forward to Guatemala. Cheers, love Christina x!

  10. Christina says:

    Terrific! Looking forward to next post. Cheers, Love, ChristinaX!

  11. Heather says:

    Amazing. Glad to see you boldly conquering Mexico. Keep safe my darlings

  12. Mike says:

    Hi quite the journey guys, what a contrast with your California photos, a bit more ‘life’
    I was in Antigua very briefly a long time ago, remember very cheap great pavement cafes and cheap local beer

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