Aerotucan to Puerto Escondido to Mazunte

We got up reluctantly at 5:20 this morning because the collectivo was picking us up at 5:45 to take us to the airport. When we got there, we learned that no, Aerotucan doesn't leave from the main airport, there's a tiny little building and runway over there, to the right. We'd packed a few things in backpacks and left our suitcases behind in Oaxaca, so we walked over to the small building and eventually boarded the tiny little plane. We had to crouch low inside the plane and duckwalk to our seats; the plane could hold 11 passengers and the lone pilot (no co-pilot in this operation), and it was a nearly full flight, us and 7 others.

we've been in smaller planes, but not very often.

mountains along the runway, blanketed with morning clouds

we flew pretty low over the crumpled mountains

When we got to Puerto Escondido, we still had a one-hour taxi ride to Mazunte, where we have a room for three nights at Casa Pan de Miel (Gingerbread House, I think, though there's nothing fluffy Victorian about it, at all). It's stunning, and we'll be coming back next year for sure. We have full access to the kitchen and the fridge ("you Americans love ice"), and our room overlooks the ocean, with a big terrace out front complete with a hammock and two lounge chairs. I keep thinking I'm in Night of the Iguana (except for the drunk ex-pastor, the dead grandfather, and the rum cocos....but there are iguanas, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Ava Gardner dancing with young men and maracas down on the beach).

that's the pool in the foreground with a bird on the edge, and the Pacific

the view off to the left

Since we got up so early and didn't have coffee or breakfast, we started our time here with a wonderful meal -- Marc had huevos rancheros and I had fruit and yogurt with homemade granola (complete with pepitos and lots of other seeds, in addition to normal granola stuff. YUM.)

huevos rancheros on handmade corn tortillas.

and this is our cabana, awfully shady in this picture because the sun was overhead.

We spent a long time in the pool, and then lounging in the sun -- we're both a little burned but it feels so good after our sequestered, hard winter. There's a lot to do here: hike down to the beach, walk into town, swim, relax, eat, repeat. That's more than enough for me. :)