January 22nd

Off to a warmer climate today with our friends, Mark and Arlette aka Marlette. We start with yoga on the airport floor while waiting to board our direct 5.5-hour flight. Neil and I watch 3 episodes of Peaky Blinders in flight. Sure, made the time fly. When we get off the plane, the heat on the skin feels FANTASTIC!  Inside the airport was chaos with major line ups and check points. We have never seen it this bad before. We meet up with our transfer to the condo and we are at the Cosmo residence in no time. OMG there is a huge wooden giraffe in our condo!! If only Brenda and Cathy could see her! We get settled in with cocktails and then have an evening swim at the peninsula pool. It is so pretty at night with the twinkling pool lights. And the stars are fantastic. We have paid for a pantry stocking so all our beverages and food is in the kitchen. We make a delicious supper of Pico de gallo with shredded chicken nachos.

January  23rd

We head in La Crucecita first thing to choose some fresh fish (snapper) for our supper tonight. Same fish shop and same mama filleting the fish as the years before.  Before heading to the pool, I try and show Arlette some hip opener Yoga stretches. Sure, wish we had yoga mats. We head down to peninsula pool. Of course, we see people we know from last year like Cliff and Susan from Ottawa. Neil and I bring lunch down and a pitcher of drinks. Neil and Arlette make a awesome supper of snapper with fruit salsa and rice. Delicious!


January 24th

First off to do the annual walk to Huatulco sign. It takes us about 40 minutes to get there and as it gets hotter and hotter, the slower we seem to walk! We need a swim when we get back and decide to check out the beach. This is a great little beach even though there is public access and it is pretty quiet. In the shade of the trees, we order ceviche and a few beers. For the afternoon, we do pool hopping. At the Cove pool, we meet up with a bunch of fellow Saskatchewanians! And of course, we get talking and we know people each other knows. It was a Melville reunion. And one of the men was wearing a Stentor hat of all things! Crazy!

In the evening, we head out for supper at 7 Tavoli at Chahue.  We didn’t have a reservation so we need to kill time and drink and eat bread sticks at a neighbouring restaurant.  Once we sit down at 7 Tavoli, the food and service was as good as always.   Allesandro comes out to talk to us and we may have had some Limoncello! Yikes!

January 25th
Boat day! We have all our snorkelling gear, snacks (or should I say our delicious chicken sandwiches?) and beverages packed. Our same guy from last year, Ramirez picks us up at the beach. With in 10 minutes we see 3 whales. So cool!!! as they breach the water and slowly bring their flukes up into the sun. We continue north along the shoreline past Chahue marina, Sant Cruz marina, the face in the rock wall, Maguey and Organo beach, Cacaluta beach, Chahacual beach and then finally at San Augustin beach. Some of the bays we stop and do a little snorkeling. The brightness of the fish colours are amazing. Mark has some crushed crackers that he sprinkled in the water and the fish came in swarms.  I never did see this because I didn’t have crackers  😦     San Augustin beach is a restaurant /bar mecca but also a major coral reef. Beautiful. We swim around the reef for a bit but find it a bit shallow and always felt like we were going to scrape on the coral.

We start to head back south but go farther off shore. We see a turtle with bird on its’ back and Dolphins . We continue past our Arrocito/Cosmo beach, past Secrets and then to Bocano beach. The waves at Bocano beach are good for surfing apparently. Bocano beach is a wide beach and there is a dangerous under tow in one area. Rumour has it that a Canadian died here the week before. We all need to have a swim = too much beer….. We start to head back and we see Celeste properties that we stayed at in 2016, then Dreams, The Barcelo, Las Brisas and finally back to our beach. What a great morning!

We have a bit of a “way lay”  at the Oceans bar as we start towards our condo.  There were Pina Coladas, Margaritas and snacks.  Back at the condo we decide we need a photo op in our deck pool and then the silliness starts with a “slow mo” of a Prosecco bottle being sabred.  In the evening, we walk over to Arrocito to the lookout to Lolos for drinks and appetizers. Yikes! And the place is filled with Saskatchewanians! We take a cab to Santa Cruz to the Italian wine store to get more wine and then we go to this icky restaurant at beach. Not a great place for us but it seems lots of locals are having a great time. We stay for an appie and head to La Crucecita to La Crema for pizza. Someone might of had a Paralyzer.  Then cab to Superche and send the guys in for beef and a few groceries for tomorrows supper.

January 26th

Today is a slow relaxing day. Pool, sleep, read.  Back to the deck to veg.  Actually clouds and rain rolled in.  WTH!  We hear later the locals haven’t seen rain in January in 16 years.  We prepare our steak for supper. It is a group effort. Mark runs down to the grill to BBQ.  Everyone else to making salad and setting the table etc.  Arghh……desperately missing chocolate. There is major lightening in the east sky that Mark is trying to capture with his camera.  Arlette gives us Salsa lessons. Forward, back, together, forward, back, together… and then step, step, something?  Can’t remember……. alcohol may have been a factor.  We go for an evening swim at the Peninsula pool. So nice and the sky is filled with stars.   Finally, I get some dessert……. Paralyzers !

January 27th
We were going to have cantaloupe for breakfast but……..it is hollow!  WTF?  Like the fruit flies ate the whole damn inside! Ick!!! We head to the pool for a swim and read. Donna and Al come over for a quick visit and to check out the place. We take them for a tour and a quick swim at the pool. In the evening, we venture out to Oceans for supper. Ceviche is delicious and some of it ends up on the back of Neil’s shirt.  I guess we didn’t take any pics today?  Strange…….

January 28th

First thing in the morning, we made 7 layer dip for lunch and then take a cab to Bocano beach for a swim and Cervezas. When we get back there is still time for a swim at the Peninsula pool. We are trying to use up our food so supper is a interesting mix but still delicious. Salad and rice pudding dessert. We are relaxing on the deck and feel a pretty significant tremor just before 7 pm.  Yikes! Another night swim since it is our last 😦

January 29th
Today, we pack up and we are sad. We head to the pool for a last swim and last bit of sun and heat. Mark and Arlette head to the beach to dip their toes in the ocean and sand. Our pickup arrives at 1:30 pm and we are off to the airport. We watched 2 more Peaky Blinders episodes in flight. We land in Regina and it is freaking COLD. Little did we know that the worse was yet to come in February!  Crap!  What a quick but great trip with our friends Marlette!  When can we go back?  Hey Mark – thanks for sharing your pictures!