The drive from Oaxaca City south to the coast is a grueling six to nine hour roller-coaster ride (depending on weather, slow trucks, pit/baif stops). At the top of the majestic Sierra Madre del Sur you expect to see a guy in lederhosen yodeling to a St. Bernard with a beer keg around his neck. A Mercedes running up your tail pipe. But you don't. These mountains are inhabited by the same people who have been there for centuries. The road you are driving was dirt twenty years ago. And although it is now paved, you don't see much traffic. Not many of the locals own cars and most visitors have the good sense to FLY to the coast. Fortunately, my long time friend, exnver runner, raconteur Christopher Hogan joined me on this trip and helped with the driving (yes, Barbara, your husband really was useful).

Anyway, you see all this indigenous culture, the rural remoteness, and you finally get to Puerto Escondido on the beach. And what do you find? A turn-of-the-century pueblo caught in an incredible time warp, anticipating the day they will be blessed with electricity and a daily newspaper? Sumrise. Instead you notice the German inn-keepers, Italian restauranteurs, world-class surfers and bare-breasted Scandinavian girls all getting along marvelously. It's Club Med without the structure and expense. Gilligan before the Captain and MaryAnn. Vallarta before Dick and Liz.

You may be surprised by the vegetation in this part of Mexico. In the dry season, it is very dry. The rains generally end in October, and by March and April it is mostly brown. You would think that the farther south you are, the greener it would be. Not so. There are lagoon areas and river valleys that maintain their color and the palm trees look good, but it's not rain forest. But go in the rainy season or just afterwards and you'll see green, lush tropical everywhere. Of course it will be hot, humid, sultry...perfect. It will also be cheaper, in what is already an inexpensive place. The prices might go back up for the month of August when all of Europe travels and the hotels are fairly full.

Speaking of prices, it seems that southern Mexico hasn't heard about the 50% inflation the rest of the country is experiencing. My home away from home in Puerto Vallarta, Posada de Roger, has increased the price for a double from 140 pesos to 240 pesos in recent months. Of course that may decrease again after the season.

The beautiftil Zicatela Beach in Puerto Escondido is lined with hotels and restaurants but it is very low-key with no building over three stories. A small road, just recently paved, runs between the properties and the sand but you are essentially ocean-front. My large room with two firm double beds, private patio and ocean view at the Arco Iris was 140 pesos...$19 US. The patios have hooks to hang a hammock. This should be mandatory in every hotel south of Albuquerque. The third story of the hotel has a very good, open-air restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The pool and the manicured grounds are first class in this 20 room inn that caters to people of all ages. Young surfers amicably share space with older retirees who are in for the season. And as mentioned, they come from all over the world.

Just down the beach is the Beach Hotel Ines, named for the German daughter of Peter Voss. Peter (a Sean Connery look-alike) traveled throughout Mexico in the late 1980's looking for the best place to build or buy a hotel. The search ended in Puerto Escondido. The hotel has been a work in progress since. Situated in a palm grove, several buildings surround the swimming pool/restaurant area that serves as a central gathering place for socializing. The twenty accommodations vary from basic thatched roof bungalows for the younger crowd to a house suitable for a couple of families. Ines, an attractive late 20's lady, seems to run the place with the help of her father, his German girlfriend and his ex-wife. One big, happy family. The food is excellent with an obvious European flavor and draws an interesting crowd. At a recent dinner, we were sitting with the family, drinking, chatting with several Germans, when an American lady got up and started singing. Her best days (voice and otherwise) were obviously a memory but you could tell she probably did this professionally at one time. The problem (?) was in her choice of music. Cabaret. The Liza Minnelli song from the movie about the Nazis. What started out as a tense moment turned into a hand-clapping good old time. But that's what is so great about Puerto Escondido. It's a very accepting place where everyone seems to get along. There is a common thread of peace and decency amongst locals and visitors alike that I think stems from each person knowing they have found a unique place as yet untainted by commercial excess. It's a collective holding of one's breath, knowing that someday it will all change, and these days will never return.

There are numerous other choices for lodging and dining along the beach, but you'll see them when you go. I'm sure they all have things to admire, so check them out, and send your findings along to this newsletter so we can share the information.

The alternative to staying along Zicatela is to stay in town. And if you're an in town kind of person, instead of the beach, there are plenty of options. Some of the hotels do front the Bahia Principal and others are just a block or two away. I noticed primarily Europeans staying in town, as is much more customary on the Continent. Either way, everything is close by in this town of over 30,000 and taxis are plentiful if you don't want to walk (ten pesos - Zicatela to town). The actual majority of the town sits on the other side of highway 200, rarely seen by visitors. It makes the downtown and beach seem much smaller that the reported population.

The one in-town hotel I found appealing is Hotel Paraiso Escondido. The colonial style, rambling building has carved stone and other artwork scattered about with room terraces looking out to sea. It is very serene, oozing character, and I observed an older, affluent clientele. I didn't notice these people hanging out at Bruno's slamming tequila shooters later in the evening. But you never know. This hotel deserves consideration but you'll pay quite a bit more. A double will run 450 pesos ($60 US). I'm not sure it has that much character.

I guess, unfortunately, every place has its detractions. Sometimes you hear unfounded rumors that defy logic and you choose not to believe them. Other times you discover the rumors to be true. I had heard that there is a band of local robbers working the Puerto Escondido area. I talked to a girl who was robbed of $200 US at knifepoint. She and her boyfriend were out of town, away from any other people. The boyfriend was in the water surfing, she on the beach with her purse. I asked Ines, the German owner of the hotel, about these type of robberies. "Yes, they do happen. But people just need to use some common sense. If you're going to a remote area, don't take any valuables. The bandits aren't out to hurt anyone physically. They just want what you have. Other people have been robbed on the dark beach at night walking back from town. So you need to stick to the well lit road or take a taxi. The local police won't do anything about this. They seem to be protecting the bad guys."

So there you have it. You have to be careflil, as you would in many parts of the world. I don't want to make excuses for thievery, for there are none. But be aware that Mexico has undergone a huge financial disaster. Many of the Mexicans who cross our border seeking work come from Oaxaca. What has always been one of the poorest Mexican states has suffered mightily. In this area there is no industry, besides fishing and farming, to provide jobs. People will do what is necessary to feed themselves, and a small minority will break the law. Other than this risk, the people of Puerto Escondido are tremendously kind and helpful.