My last day in Oaxaca was pretty much spent getting ready to leave although I did treat myself to breakfast at the Friday market. Tacos and fruit crepe. Great start to the day. Got my self packed and did a last minute check of the bus ticket. Just as well as it was departing a half hour earlier than I thought. No surprises that the bus station was busy and chaotic. Departed on time at 11pm for a 10-11 hour ride to Puerto Escondido (PE). It was very windy up and over the mountains, slow and bumpy and I struggled to get to sleep. We arrived in PE about 9.30am. The Airbnb I am staying at is a little out of town but still only a 10 minute walk to the beach and main restaurant/bar area. It's a beautiful place. I have a very comfortable separate bungalow that overlooks the pool. The hosts, Marina and Peter, are a Swiss couple. Fantastic people and have made me feel very welcome. Had a quick nap and then headed off or some lunch. PE is very much a holiday town with a strong surfing theme. The Zicatela pipeline is a revered surfing spot and surfing championships are held here. It also makes the beach quite dangerous and swimming here is not recommended. Close to PE is the Laguna Manialtepec. During certain times of the year, and when there is no moon, there is phenomenon that occurs which is called bioluminescence. Basically it is plankton in the water which when disturbed lights up or glows. Luckily it was due to occur that night so I booked a tour. Myself and a young Mexican couple boarded our boat around 9pm for a 5 minute trip into the lagoon. Out of the boat and into the lovely warm water and with every movement the water lit up. It looked like little fairy lights all around your body. Quite amazing but unfortunately it doesn't photograph so you'll just have to take my word for it! Another surprise was the jumping/flying fish. They would launch out of the water about 1-2 metres high and land with a loud splash a couple of metres away. PE is very much like Queensland. Warm/hot and humid. Daytime temps are low to mid 30's and night time is mid 20's. Humidity is high to very high. So after just a little bit of activity you are lathered in sweat. The entire beach front is lined with restaurants and bars so there is no shortage of places to eat and drink. Many are literally built on the beach. They are basically just a roof, no walls and the floor is quite often the beach sand. Great places to sit with a cold beer and watch the beach activity. It's a very relaxed way of living.

Monday arived and it was time to do some exploring. Caught a collectivo to the main market in town. A collectivo is basically a ute that drives a set route from one place to another. You wave them down, get in the back and get out wherever you need to. Set price of 7 pesos (50 cents). The market wasn't huge and didn't seem particularly busy. Perhaps it was a "Monday thing". From here made my way to the beach for a great Chicken Mexicana and then home. Having a pool outside my door is heaven. And a fridge with cold beer which works on an honour system. Just a nice way to spend a hot Mexican afternoon.

Marina and Peter invited me to join them on Tuesday. They were going to a beach called Agua Blanca about an hours drive away. A bit secluded, safe for swimming and about a dozen "restaurants". And not many people there. As is typical in the tropics the seawater is so warm. Quite relaxing just lolling about in the water watching the locals fish from the nearby rocks. A meal, a walk along the beach and a bit more swimming made for a great day. Topped off with a home cooked BBQ.

Wednesday morning it was time for breakfast at Brisas del Mar. A restaurant with an amazing view over the beach and great food as well. Then it was off to Playa Carizallilo. Another small secluded beach and very safe for swimming. Again lined with restaurants and sun lounges which they own. You can use a sun lounge provided you spend at least 200 pesos at the restaurant. It's a no brainer. So the next 4 hours was spent swimming, relaxing, eating and drinking. Hard life! Dinner and beers on the beach again, with some entertainment provided by a group of 10 people performing a flamenco style dance routine. They drew quite a crowd and it was very relaxing sitting under a palm tree watching them. It's going to be hard to leave this place. I can understand why my hosts have moved here from Switzerland.

Its now 7 weeks since I left home and unfortunately my last day in PE has arrived. I've decided it will be another beach day. Breakfast at my favourite place, Brisas del Mar, and then a collectivo into town. From there a little over a kilometre walk to Puerto Angelito. It's more of a locals beach and a bit crowded so I move towards Playa Manzanillo and find a restaurant with good sun lounges and good shade. Same deal as before, buy food and the sun lounge comes for free. It's a lovely beach, quite sheltered and good swimming. Fairly soon huge groups of Mexicans start arriving. By the bus load. 5 of them to be exact. And the tranquillity is shattered for a while as they get themselves organised. Soon its all back to normal and I enjoy a few hours of swimming, relaxing and eating. Interesting thing about Mexicans is that they seem to love the beach but very few of them can actually swim. They just spend their time lolling about in the shallows. I certainly would not want to rely on them if I ever got into difficulty in the water. Back home mid afternoon for a swim in the pool and the sad task of packing. My week here has been just what I wanted. Relaxing, but not spent doing nothing. I would be quite happy to spend more time here but Mexico City calls. What a change of pace that's going to be!