ROHILAS IN IXTAPA AREA, MEXICO

March, 2010

Along with her brother and his wife, my wife, Kundan and I boarded an Alaska Airlines flight from Los Angeles Airport, on March 17. About 4-1/2 hours later we landed in Ixtapa, Mexico.

Ixtapa is relatively a new tourist destination. Most of the hotels are sandwiched between the two-mile-long sandy Palmar Beach and the main thoroughfare Paseo Ixtapa. And the hotels are good,

with all modern amenities and English-speaking, courteous staff.

They try to keep guests entertained with music, games, and competitions, such as drinking beer with a spoon, with one hand behind one's back.

The city is self-sufficient in terms of restaurants, recreation opportunities and services.

But choices are fewer, and the whole place is not as vibrant as some other Mexican tourist destinations. However, people are pleasant to interact with,

skies are bright and sunny,

sunsets are beautiful, and

sandy beaches slope gently, and are smooth and nice.

But the seas appear quite turbulent and currents are sometimes strong.

With its coconut-palm-lined beach, a small shrine and souvenir shops, Linda Beach is a favorite hang-out for Mexican families.

From Linda Beach many people take their picnic baskets on water-taxis to Ixtapa Island.

Also a nature reserve for iguanas and crocodiles is nearby.

One day we hired a taxi for a private tour of the area. We visited the neighboring fishing villages of Salitera,

Troncones,

and Zihuatenejo.

Zihuatenejo is only 4 miles south of Ixtapa but is reputed to be more authentice. With its flat dark-sandy beach, recreation facilities and restaurants. Playa Ropa is the most magnificient as well as popular with locals and tourists.

Another evening we hired a sailboat for a private sunset cruise. We boarded boat at the Linda Beach Marina.

The boat was manned by Camptain James.

His assitant Sandy served us drinks and snacks.

We cruised along the coastline and into the ocean.

Munching on snacks, enjoying drinks, watching stingrays jump up and flop back down in the ocean were fun.


The sunset was beautiful. Gradually the whole sky and the ocean tuned pink.