>>The road between Oaxaca and the coast is around 300 km and 6 hours of unrelenting twists and turns ("Curva Peligrosa" ...... many people recommend the flight instead) across a range of spectacularly steep and forested mountains, through plueblos set along ridges, and past houses and stores perched precariously on stilts beside the highway. There are frequent comedors (food places) with great views and apt, if not understated, names like "Linda (pretty) Vista" and"Curva Comedor".
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We were lucky to have broken the trip in half at the cloud forests before descending (twice - had 2 days at the coast on my B'day) the 3000m to the warm Pacific Ocean and a Mexico remarkably like anywhere in tropical Asia.
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We're currently at one of a series of beach spots strung between 2 ports. This one (San Agustinillo - a fishing village plus tourist spot) is just perfect. Beachfront (waves, sand and then our room) accommodation, pretty safe (but big) surf (great for body surfing) and restaurants with beach lounges and tables and chairs to chill out in during the day and relax at over seafood (thank god it's not frijoles and bistek) and an iced margarita or (otherwise impossible to source) wine at night. The water is extremely warm .... a cold shower after a swim to cool off!
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People wander along the beach during the day trying to sell you stuff constantly. We take turns (to give the other a chance to read) to politely fend them off. Except my favourite man in Mexico. An old fellow who wheels a barrow along the sand carrying a beautifully shiney vat containing several flavours of homemade helado (gelato).
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Today we moved to one of the spiffiest places in town and into what we think is the best room (up top and jutting onto the small headland between two pretty beaches) for three nights for my (belated) 50th B'day.
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