By: Zdenko Kahlina

Our Mexico adventure continues on the road from Escondido to Acapulco
Two days stay in Puerto Escondido has come to an end and we are again moving closer to the end of this Mexico adventure. Today we are moving from Escondido to Acapulco, which is about 413 km on highway 200.

Acapulco – picture perfect, but reality is different

Our route from Escondido to Acapulco – coastal Highway 200

I heard this trip should take about 6-7 hours. People who say 6 have probably driven this road a lots. Tourists definitely need more time. We left Escondido at 8:40 in the morning and arrived in Acapulco’s Zocalo by 16:30 (almost 8 hours). Be prepared for about 150-200 topes (speed bumps) and some heavy traffic once you get close to Acapulco.

Short stop in Manialtepec Lagoon

Shortly after we left Puerto Escondido (10 km) on the main highway, we were driving by a lagoon on the left side of the road. The Manialtepec Lagoon (Laguna de Manialtepec) has kayak rentals and boat tours for observing spoonbills, storks, pelicans and cranes, and a variety of migratory birds as they feed in the mangroves. A little further, about 56 km west of Puerto Escondido on the same highway is the town of Zapotalito, the Chacahua Lagoon and National Park (Laguna de Chacahua). We stopped at the lagoon for a few moments and could tell this is another place worth a visit. The lagoon is open to the ocean part of which has been designated a preserve since 1937.

Very colorful small hotels by the road

Group of cyclists on the highway 200

Route 200 leaves the coast after Manialtepec Lagoon and heads inland towards the town of Pinotepa National. At San Jose del Progresso, a road leads into Chacahua, another beach, with palapa restaurants and lodging. After San Jose del Progresso the highway heads deeper inland and into the mountains to Pinotepa National.

This is not a scenic road as views of the ocean are rare. The villages yield some interesting churches but otherwise the road to Acapulco is long and bland. Did I mention to watch for Topas? The road reaches Acapulco near the airport and continues along the beaches to the city of Acapulco.

Acapulco map

The worst stretch was just as we were approaching Acapulco (from east) as they are still digging up the road for some way. I was advised to make a right turn onto the toll road signed “Mexico”. But I missed it, thanks to a poor signage! So, instead we went straight over the Las Brisas hill on Escenica road into downtown Acapulco.

Traffic shock in the city
On arrival to Acapulco we were immediately engulfed in its heat and humidity, but that was the least of our problems. TRAFFIC! Driving in Acapulco is quite a bizarre experience that is better to avoid if you can and this is coming from the guy who drove all over the world in many different countries and cities. This was something, I’ve not seen before. It was so clogged that nobody was moving, and even though I was driving like racing on my bike, which means I had to fight for every inch of the road, it was really crazy! Lawless! But we made it to downtown without any incident (BIG success!), and once I passed Zocalo, we stopped to take a breeder and think where we’re going to look for a hotel. I was really in need for a beer by that time…

Picture can’t show how these drivers were moving thru traffic

We continued our ride on the Costera Miguel Aleman Avenue until we spotted several hotels near by. We were somewhere in between La Pinzona and Las Playas area in the western part of the city. I spotted one hotel on the top of the hill and we stopped there. This hotel (Caleta) had available rooms and within 5 minutes we checked in.

Hotel Caleta – on top of the hill

Hotel Caleta
Hotel Caleta is on the Western Edge of Acapulco, on top of a small hill, away from the main strip of discos and bars (though cab fare to the main strip is only 20-30 pesos), on a family-friendly point, called Playa Caleta. Beautiful beach on an inlet between main Acapulco Bay and Isla. Hotel itself was breathtaking from the outside. But closer look from the inside, tells you a different story. Hotel is completely falling apart, and it reminded me on Cuba buildings, that don’t have any maintenance done since the late 50s. This hotel in its heyday was a great hotel for its location and its huge terraces. Now, the place is just deteriorating and not much maintenance is going on. The gardening is well kept but the hotel itself needs a lot of major work.

Hotel Caleta – Picture perfect from the outside

It gives you a feel of “old Mexico” and does not resemble traditional Los Cabos resorts, for example. Our room was very comfortable, though sparsely decorated. One bed was broken, but we could use second bed, so this didn’t matter to us. Balcony was a huge shaded terrace that was larger than the entire room, and was overlooking the bay and two hotel pools on the west side. The shower was O.K. and there was cable TV with a good selection of channels in English (we didn’t watch TV). They still use traditional room keys and not electronic cards, like most western hotels do.

Beautiful view from our terrace in the hotel

Caleta beach – view from the hotel pool

Vera and Zdenko by the pool

Two swimming pools, one fresh water and one salt water, with very nice decks for laying out, and bars next to each of the pools. Hotel Caleta provided the perfect relaxing place to be in Acapulco! Best of all you have a small path beating down to Caleta beach, which is the best beach in Acapulco for children, especially youngsters; gentle waves, no currents and the rest of the beach will be full of other kiddies for them to play with. 

Front desk staff was very pleasant, but none of them spoke any English. All in all, this hotel was the best part of our stay in Acapulco!! It provided a beautiful and relaxing place from which to explore the city. Staying in the hotel provided me with beautiful beaches nearby and breathtaking pools stacked at the edge of the Pacific. Going out was easy, as cabs and buses are plentiful and cheap. We used buses that come very often and cost is only 5 pesos per person.

Hotel is very close to the public Caleta beach

Final hotel tip: weddings, events etc take place on the bay side of the hotel, which can be noisy and last well into the night. If you want peace and quiet, get a room towards the Caleta bay end of the hotel. You’ll also be away from the noisy pool area. The higher the room, the further from the mosquitoes you are.

The best way to see Acapulco – local buses

In the evening we took a bus and returned to main Costera Miguel Aleman and Zocalo. There are many buses for local trips along the coast and they are very affordable. Destinations are printed on the front window of each bus. There is no need to be at one of the buses regular stops in order to get on. Just wave your arm or look at the driver. He will stop and encourage you to get in. The buses cruise around blaring out traditional Mexican music, or more often some rap music, racing each other to each bus stop as they compete for passengers. All of this makes for an unforgettable ride.

Driver and his helper chat during the ride

We didn’t eat at the hotel restaurant. Instead we walked down the hill and there were several restaurants by the Caleta beach. We walked into La Cabaña restaurant which had a huge patio overlooking the beach (and live music, which unfortunately stopped when we arrived). Restaurant was offering a very tasty food, reasonably priced throughout the day. We would also come here next day for a breakfast that should not be skipped, because of the fresh pastry served here.

La Cabaña restaurant

La Cabaña restaurant is the best in the area

Best seafood specialties… jummy.

ACAPULCO City 
Acapulco is the oldest and most beautiful seaport on the Pacific slope of Mexico and also the most popular seaside resort for tourists. It is pleasant winter or summer, for it is far enough south always to be warm in the winter and the breezes from the Pacific almost invariably keep it cool in the summer. It has a vibrant nightlife, postcard-perfect beaches, an amazing array of local food, and visitor-friendly locals.

Beautiful panorama of Acapulco

The city is divided into three main areas surrounding the Bay of Acapulco. On the west side is the old city, with its Zocalo and market. Acapulco Dorado (Golden Acapulco) occupies the central and east sides of the bay. This is the main tourist area where hotels and nightclubs abound. More upscale resorts are located in the newer Acapulco Diamante (Diamond Acapulco) area to the south of Acapulco’s main bay. The Costera Miguel Aleman is the main drag and runs all the way around the bay.

Colorful restaurant in Acapulco

The BAY is 4 miles long and 2 miles wide, and as there are mountains all around it, the vegetation is both tropical and mountain and is as varied as the scenery. Acapulco is Mexico’s premier beach resort areas. There are beach areas where you feel you are far away from the city in an un spoilt natural haven. Acapulco is also a very popular honeymoon destination.

Safety in Acapulco
As long as you steer clear of the Things to Avoid and are generally aware of your surroundings, Acapulco is not very dangerous for tourists. However, petty theft is very common, so keep an eye on your possessions at all times, especially on the beach. If you need help, look for police along the main strip wearing dark shorts, white shirts, and dark hats (and not carrying guns). Perhaps the best advice is to avoid other Mexican police at all costs!

Spell trouble – Police

You have no doubt heard horror stories about the Mexican police and Mexican jails. They hold true in Acapulco. If you feel that you need to go to the police for some reason, it’s probably a better idea to go to your Embassy instead. The ones in blue uniforms are more likely to hassle you just for being a gringo, if you stray from the main strip at night. Try to avoid them especially when driving, as they will go after you, stop you and hassle you until you bribe them to let you go. It did happen to us on the day when we were leaving the city towards Mexico City. We were stopped for no apparent reason, had to pay 500 pesos and they even gave us instructions how to get thru to the famous Acapulco tunnel and leave the city as fast as possible. Way to kill what’s left of the tourism!!

What to Do in Acapulco
Primarily, Acapulco is a place to loaf. It offers the usual pleasures of a smart seaside resort. Only one day that we have planned to spent in Acapulco, we decided to spent it somewhere on the beach. So, again we jumped on one the buses with our backpacks loaded with all the necessities for the day, and left hotel early in the morning. Our destination – playa Hornos.

Playa Hornos is one of the oldest beaches in the city. Sometimes it is also known as Playa Papagayo, because it is located in front of the recreational park with the same name. It is one of the best known and most visited beaches because there are sun shades and lounge chairs available for people who want to spend their time leisurely. Its waves are calm and shallow. Every year Playa Hornos hosts the celebrated traditional Sand Figure Contest. This beach is easy to get to by the Avenue Costera.

Acapulco Hornos beach

Hundreds of vendors on the beach is an annoying problem

Lots of local tourists on the beaches

Day on the beach

We spent the whole day on the beach and sat under the umbrella and two chairs, that were promised to be free if we purchase drinks. We did, but at the end of the day they came and wanted to charge 100 pesos for it. We argued but in the end paid 50 pesos. That episode left us with bad taste about it and we would not return to the same place again. In addition, there were way too many vendors walking by, offering many different things and we had to say “no, gracias” too many times during the day.

Big church on Zocalo

Zócalo – Zócalo, Acapulco’s town square, lies on the western side of La Costera. It’s cool, shady and peaceful during the daytime. There are two fountains and many mature, multi-trunked trees that are a sight in themselves. The Zócalo tends to expose more local culture than other, more tourist-centric, areas. Zócalo contains Acapulco’s cathedral, as well as many restaurants ranging in size from sidewalk bistros and tiny street-corner kitchens. Many of the smaller restaurants will provide full dinners for as little as 35 pesos. The Zócalo at night is worth experiencing. Between 8:00 and 11:00 pm the place is flooded with locals & chilangoes. Clowns entertain the crowd for tips. One was dressed as some sort of aztec warrior/statue thing.

Beautiful local performer getting ready for her performance

Evening show on the Zocalo

Famous Acapulcoo cliff divers
No visit to Acapulco is complete without watching the cliff divers perform their impressive jumps into the shallow stream of water of dangerous tides that forms in the bottom part of La Quebrada. They have been doing it since 1934. One look at the city map, and I figured that if we take a bus from our hotel to Zocalo, we can than walk to the area where the local guys are jumping into the water from high cliffs.

La Quebrada area 

La Quebrada – divers jump from these cliffs

So, we did just that. I can tell you it was an interesting walk thru the non-touristy part of the city. We climbed the hilly streets and once at the top we could see the place where the famous La Quebrada cliff divers jump from. But of course, we didn’t get there at the show time, so we took several photos and returned back to the Zocalo.

What to Buy in Acapulco
There are good small stores and many vendors’ stands in and around the plaza and along the beach. The GOLD CHAINS and EARRINGS made by the local goldsmiths are extremely attractive. ORNAMENTS MADE OF SEASHELLS are a feature of the Acapulco market.

The POTTERY is attractive, as it is everywhere in Mexico and, of course there are the inevitable BASKETS, BLANKETS, and what not.

Conclusion
Acapulco is in the state of Guerrero – along with Sinaloa and some of Michoacan, a state where opium poppy and marijuana is grown, and a state where the “Hatfield-McCoy” feuding has gone on for many years. The criminal activity has on occasion invaded Acapulco, and has caused many a traveler troubles outside of Acapulco. In particular, driving at night and wandering / camping in remote areas is to be strongly discouraged. Daytime driving on the expensive toll highway is generally quite safe, and these are patrolled by the “Green Angels” roadside assistance service.

Vera and I didn’t enjoy this city. It looks nice on the post cards, but the traffic, deteriorated tourism, annoying vendors on the beaches and corrupted police, made our stay not pleasant. I will not return here…

By: Zdenko Kahlina

Four amazing pyramids, endless opportunities for discovery.
Muttart Conservatory pyramids are indeed a “jewel in the arctic”. With eight months of the year shrouded in wintry weather, Edmonton is the most populous northern city in Canada. Naturally, if you live here you would develop a craving for other earthly climes especially in the middle of winter.

I moved here from Europe twenty years ago with my family. My first winter saw me in bouts of extended depression. Then one day I discovered Muttart – four heavenly pyramids set in the middle of the arctic desert. Each one is special in its own way. You can experience an arid, a temperate, a tropical or a show pyramid or all four at once depending on your fancy. Entering any one of the pyramids is akin to entering an enchanted land. You soon forget all your troubles and mundane activities and immerse yourself in the sublime environment that pyramid has to offer oblivious to the -30C weather outside.

The Muttart Conservatory in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada consists of four glass pyramid greenhouses. Each pyramid has a different theme.

The conservatory, launched with a $1 million gift from the Gladys and Merrill Muttart Foundation, was officially opened September 3rd, 1976. Set in Edmonton’s lush river valley, the four pyramids of the Muttart Conservatory shimmer in the sun, home to thousands of species of plants, both domestic and exotic. It was billed as the most northerly botanical conservatory in North America, but it was the “pyramid power” that seemed to garner the most attention.

More than 30 years since the Muttart Conservatory opened, the pyramids have become such symbols of the city that it’s hard to imagine Edmonton without them. When you look at any promotion picture for Edmonton, almost always one of the images is the view of the city skyline, taken from the hill on Connors Road, with the Muttart Conservatory in the foreground.

Tropical Pyramid

The dense growth of plants inhabiting the Tropical Pyramid is lush, green, and fragrant, while the air is humid and warm. The colorful plants and canopied fig trees are typical of a tropical rain forest.

The tropical and temperate pyramids are 24 m (79′) high at apex; their base side length is 26 m (85′) and their overall area is 660 square meters (7,100 square feet). The arid and show pyramids are 18 m (59′) high at apex; the base length of their sides is 19.5 m (65′) and their overall area is 381 square meters (4,200 square feet).

Temperate Pyramid

Environmental conditions in the Temperate Pyramid are carefully controlled to allow the plants within to undergo a natural cycle of dormancy and active growth each year. The result is visually dramatic seasonal changes, much like what happens in Edmonton.  This is a very sought after pyramid in the winter when inside the plants think it’s spring and everything is alive with new growth while outside it is wintery, cold and grey.

Arid Pyramid

The plants that inhabit the Arid Pyramid originate in North America, the Mediterranean, Africa and Madagascar. These plants have the ability to survive dry air, irregular moisture and wide day/night temperature fluctuations. Many of these plants are of economic importance.

Feature Pyramid

The fourth pyramid has eight different themes each year. The Feature Pyramid is changed completely several times a year and each display features flowering plants that create seasonal celebrations of living color. The current one is celebrating Christmas.  There are more than 700 different species in the Conservatory.

Art Wall

The Muttart Art Wall is on the north side of the Conservatory’s central atrium and offers emerging artists an opportunity to exhibit their works.

A visit typically costs about $10. I recommend an Annual Pass for those of you living in Edmonton. With the Pass you can visit Muttart anytime all year round. My favorite pyramid is the “Tropical”; I simply love sitting in the pyramid reading a classic book, listening to the waterfall and the finches sing, surrounded by plants and trees of every kind.

The Muttart Conservatory, 9626 96 A Street, is open weekdays from 9 am to 5:30 pm and on weekends from 11 am to 5:30 pm. See www.edmonton.ca/Muttart or phone (780) 496 1403 for more information.

That was my vision of paradise. I don’t know what your’s is but I can tell you this much: create a mental image of your paradise and enter Muttart to find it realized. For those of you visiting Edmonton, my request is that please include Muttart in your itinerary. You will take away a memory, however ephemeral, that you’ll cherish all your life.

I really enjoyed my visit to the conservatory, because I learned so much about plants and trees from all over the world.

By: Zdenko Kahlina

Vanquishing the winter blues
From Huatulco to Pochutla takes about one hour and to Puerto Escondido another hour. We made a turn to visit Mazunte, beach town, just off of the main highway.

After about three hours, we were back on the main highway. Highway 200 follows the Pacific coast, however, we weren’t able to see the ocean for a long time. The entire leg of the trip was basically straight and flat with lots of… you know already: topas!

Puerto Escondido

As we got closer to Puerto Escondido, we passed miles and miles of road construction. There will soon be a new toll road from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido, which purportedly will cut the driving time in half; as an extension of the new road system, there will be a new four-lane coastal highway from Puerto Escondido to Huatulco. For the last half hour or so we also passed by lots of mango, papaya and coconut under cultivation.

Fruit vendors by the highway

Highway 200 crosses the Río Colotepec just east of Puerto Escondido

Mouth of Río Colotepec 

Puerto Escondido was much larger than Huatulco. Over the last 25 years, the town has grown from a small fishing village of 3,000 people to a bustling town of over 50,000. Puerto Escondido is also famous for its huge waves that draw hoards of surfing fanatics. Puerto Escondido is a great place for surfers and non-surfers. Most of the Carrizalillo area is actually visited by non-surfers. There are no ancient or historic sites in Puerto Escondido. There are a number of nature/eco type things outside of town though.

We did not have any reservations here, but I made email contact with one B&B place, so I was looking for this place, for which I knew was somewhere close to the light house area.  The light house was built in 1936 at the western entrance of the Puerto Escondido harbor. It warns boats and sailing vessels of the dangerous rocks and cliffs, emitting two bright flashes of light every 10 seconds. Visitors are not allowed.

Arial view of Puerto Escondido

We found the stark white lighthouse, appropriately named “El Faro” (which means “lighthouse”), quite easily. But finding the B&B place proved to be difficult. Soon we stopped looking for the B&B place and while still in the same area, we discovered a nice small hotel on the hill, right by the elementary school. The hotel’s name was “Barlovento”. Hotel was deserted almost empty… no tourists. I think at the time we were here, there was only one room rented out. But the hotel had all amenities we were looking for: affordable price, good location, free internet, nice spacious and clean rooms. They were also serving breakfast at extra cost on a beautiful terrace above the pool. We had a great ocean view from the balcony of our room.

El Faro area where our hotel was

View from our hotel room

In the evening we walked down the hill to the main street in old town, and it was only a 10 minute walk. The main street had plenty of restaurants and shops, but again, no tourists. Every restaurant had their staff outside on the sidewalk, trying to drag those very few tourists that were walking the street, into their place.

The town of Puerto Escondido was established in 1928 as a port for shipping coffee, although the area has been inhabited by indigenous populations for centuries. In the 1960′s it was connected to other coastal towns by Highway 200. Tourists began to discover the town and surfers found its beaches. Its importance as a port diminished as coffee shipments began going by truck instead of boat. The port does continue to support commercial fishing activity.

A Tale of Two Cities  
An interesting aspect of the area known as Puerto Escondido is that it actually is divided between two counties or municipios so that it is politically two separate cities. This division puts the Zicatela side of town into el Municipio de Santa Maria Colotepec, Pochutla, and the eastern portion of the city into el Municipio de San Pedro Mixtepec, Juquila. To make matters worse, there is disagreement as to the boundaries and legalities of this division that leaves many businesses caught in the middle with the burden of paying taxes to both. For years, there has been talk of making Puerto Escondido a city. The proposed limits of the new city would extend from Punta Zicatela on the east to just beyond the Puerto Escondido airport on the west. The president elect of San Pedro Mixtepec, Abraham Ramírez Silva, ran on a platform pledged to achieve the goal of making Puerto Escondido independent of both counties which currently control the area.

Today, Puerto Escondido is a home for fishermen, surfers, vacationers, and an eclectic expatriate community. On 10/29/09 Agencia Puerto Escondido was upgraded to Ciudad Puerto Escondido, reflecting its rapid growth and importance to the state of Oaxaca. The large waves of Zicatela beach put it into the top ten surfing destinations. It does not cater to the high end tourist as much as Huatulco to the east. Its sprawling beaches host numerous small to mid-size hotels and restaurants.

Playa Principal

The beaches
There are three main beaches, Playa Principal, Playa Marinero, and Zicatela, close to the main part of town, as well as several other smaller beaches. Avenida Perez Gasga is a pedestrian only street known as the Adoquín that parallels Playa Principal, where you will find the Information Goddess. The Andador Escénico Sea Walk begins at Playa Principal and winds along rocky ocean side cliffs. Up the hill from the Adoquín is the coastal highway 200 and on the other side of that is the downtown business district where you can find banks, the mercado, etc.

Playa Zicatela only for surfers

Playa Zicatela is a long straight beach on the east side of the bay and can be seen from Playa Principal. Zicatela is where the strong waves are that make Puerto Escondido a world class surfing destination, but this beach was not for us.

Arial view on Playa Zicatela 

Hotels facing Playa Zicatela

Puerto Escondido also has a number of small beaches that are family-friendly, with small waves and clear water. When driving around the town, we kind of just run into small exit road that had a sign pointing to Playa Angelito. Later, we discovered that we could even walk to this beach from our hotel. It was this close.

Playa Manzanillo is located west of the lighthouse and just east of Puerto Angelito, separated by a rocky outcrop. This rocky outcrop is seen on the left in the photo above and has a pathway that leads the short distance to Puerto Angelito, just out of view in this photo. Playa Manzanillo is a good place for snorkeling and swimming. Watch out for the boats that come and go to both beaches.

Playa Manzanillo

Playa Angelito

Playa Angelito

Restaurants on Playa Angelito

The beach was very relaxing. Every once in a while, a vendor would come by selling items—not in a harassing manner at all, but just offering his or her items/services in a soft, non-intrusive voice. We usually would say no thank you (we had the phrase, “No, gracias!” down—spoken very politely, of course).

Playa Carrizalillo

Puerto Escondido is a great place for non-surfers. We drove around the town and stopped at the Carrizalillo area. Carrizalillo is a residential area with luxury nice private homes for people that want very relaxing vacations or living. Most of the Carrizalillo area is actually visited by non-surfers. There are no ancient or historic sites in Puerto Escondido. There are a number of nature/eco type things outside of town though.

Playa Carrizalillo

A private stairway leads you towards Playa Carrizalillo

 Playa Carrizalillo

The beautiful Playa Carrizalillo, is surrounded by high cliffs. We walked more than 160 steps leading down, all the way to the beach. There is direct access to the beach via a private stairway from the front terrace. Carrizalillo is an excellent beach for swimming, snorkeling, fishing, as well as surfing and boogie-boarding.

The water was warm, with small but powerful waves and a sucking current that was a bit more intense than we had anticipated. The high cliffs that surround it ensure that it’s never too crowded. The aquamarine water here is clean, clear, and shallow—perfect for swimming and snorkeling, especially around the rocks that frame the beautiful cove. Sometimes there are waves large enough to be appropriate for beginning surfers. A handful of palm-thatched restaurants rent snorkeling equipment and serve food and drinks. It’s a two-minute drive or 35-minute walk from the center of town; a small sign indicates where to turn onto the unpaved road.

Coconut harvest on the beach

O.K. Gringo, how many Coconut drinks do you want…

Vera and her Coconut drink – fresh from the tree

The Rinconada is a beautiful section of town, close to Carrizalillo. Rinconada begins a short distance north of Playa Carrizalillo and is dominated by a straight divided boulevard named Blvd. Benito Juárez that runs along its southern edge. This boulevard is more popularly known as The Rinconada and the many businesses that face Blvd. Benito Juárez are said to be “on the Rinconada”.

Follow this link to www.mexico-condo.com for some nice aerial photos that show the layout of the area.

And this is all I can say about Puerto Escondido. We stayed here only two days. When we compared Huatulco and Puerto Escondido, we liked Huatulco better. It was more touristy and very clean with better roads. One of the things we didn’t like in Escondido was the main highway, which is in very bad shape throughout the town. Old town Escondido, just north of the highway, was also not very impressive.

Paradise on earth – Puerto Escondido beaches

By Bicycling Magazine

Bicycling’s 50 Golden Rules
Cyclists are innovators, constantly hunting for an edge. Over the last half-century, we’ve tried thousands of methods to become stronger, faster, and smarter on a bike—many of which have been discarded through the years. These have endured.

1. To corner, enter wide and exit wide.

2. Brake Less
It sounds counterintuitive, but the harder you yank on the brakes, the less control you have over your bike. The best riders brake well before a corner. Plus, laying off the stoppers forces you to focus on key bike cornering skills such as weight distribution, body position, and line choice.

3. Look Where You Want to Go
“When riding a tricky or dangerous section of trail (or road), focus on the path you want your bike to follow, not the rock, tree, or other obstacle you’re trying to avoid,” says globe-trotting mountain-biker Hans Rey.

4. Avoid Helmet Hair
“For God’s sake, make sure your hair is under your helmet and not poking out the front,” advises Garmin-Cervelo pro Christian Vande Velde.

5. Take the Lane
You have a right to the road, so use it. It’s safer than riding on the shoulder, which is often cracked, covered in gravel, or worse. But don’t be a road hog, either.

6. Ride with the Best
Before he built his first mountain bike, GARY FISHER was an aspiring road racer. But his decision to stay in America rather than train in Europe derailed his chances of joining the pro peloton. “To be the best at the sport, you need to go to where the best are riding,” Fisher says. “If you’re a mountain biker, spend a couple of weeks at Whistler and you will be changed forever. If you’re a road rider and want to be a better climber, go to Colorado. Find the best, train with them, watch what they do, and learn their secrets.”

7. Set Your Suspension—And Check It Often
It’s frightening how many riders hit the trail with poorly adjusted forks and shocks. Not only will droopy suspension make your bike feel like a wet noodle, it can also be downright dangerous. A few simple adjustments are all it takes to have your suspension smoothly sucking up bumps.

Here are some general guidelines, but be sure to read the manufacturer’s recommendations (found online or in your owner’s manual) because they will provide the starting point based on your bike’s suspension design. And because air can leak through the seals, remember to check your pressure monthly.

Again, start in the middle setting. Ride a short, rough section of trail. If the fork or shock seems too springy, add a click of rebound. If it bounces back too slowly, dial it back a click.

8. Clean your shoes monthly. Also: wash your gloves.

 9. Warm Up
A slow start primes your engine by directing oxygen from your blood cells to your muscles. Spin easy for 20 to 30 minutes before you begin to hammer.

10. Always Carry Cash
Money can’t buy love, but it can buy food, water, a phone call, or a spare tube.

11. Race, At Least Once
It will push you to ride harder than you previously thought possible.

12. Drink before you are thirsty; eat before you are hungry.

13. Eat Real Food
On longer rides, easily digestible calories are key—and they shouldn’t come from just energy bars. James Herrera, MS, founder of Performance Driven Coaching, has a favorite: spread some almond butter on whole-grain bread and top with sliced bananas and agave nectar or honey.

14. Don’t Live in Your Chamois
When the shoes come off, your shorts should come off with them.

15. Ride Hard. . .
To become faster, you need to ride faster. Intervals squeeze every drop of fitness from your time on the bike. Try the following two or three times a week: Choose a route that includes a climb or stretch of road where you can go nearly all-out for three to five minutes. Warm up for 15 to 30 minutes, then ride hard—your exertion should be about a 7 out of 10—for three minutes. Recover for 90 seconds, then repeat the sequence four more times.

Thor Hushovd doesn’t ride hard every time

16. . . .But Not Every Day

Take 56-year-old mountain-bike legend Ned Overend’s advice: Rest often. And if you’re feeling cooked after a 30-minute warm-up, put it in an easy gear and spin home. “No workout is set in stone,” Overend says. “Your training needs to have structure, but it should be malleable based on how you’re feeling.” Which might explain why, 10 days before he won the 2011 Mt. Washington Hill Climb, Overend was surfing in San Diego.

17. Play the Terrain
Go hard on climbs and take it easy on descents.

18. Ride Another Bike
Explore the woods on a mountain bike. Throw down in the local cyclocross race. Mixing in different types of riding keeps you mentally fresh, boosts your skills, and reminds you that riding is fun.

19. Wear Out Your Shifters
You have lots of gears for a reason: to keep your cadence in the sweet spot. For silky-smooth gear changes, remember to shift before a punchy climb, sprint, or tight switchback.

20. Train Your Weaknesses
Professional endurance racer Mark Weir makes his living blasting through corners. But that wasn’t always the case. “I was a semi-pro downhiller racing in Park City, Utah, and there was a corner that I thought just sucked,” he recalls. “I told Jan Karpiel, one of my sponsors, about it, and he said: ‘The corner doesn’t suck, you suck at that corner.’ I realized then that training my weaknesses is far more important than sticking with my strengths.”

21. Check Your Tire Pressure
Here are some basic guidelines from Michelin.

Road/Commuter: If you weigh more than 180 pounds, inflate to the maximum on the tire sidewall. If you weigh 110 or less, fill to the minimum. Somewhere in between? Inflate to somewhere in between.
Mountain Bike: Target somewhere between 27 and 32 psi for most tires. Ultraskinny XC tires may require as much as 35 psi. Figure on 20 to 30 psi for tubeless tires.

22. If your knee hurts in the front, raise your saddle; if it hurts in the back, lower the seat.

23. Buy a Torque Wrench and Learn How to Use It
This is mandatory for carbon parts, but will also extend the life of all stems, handlebars, bottom brackets, seatpost clamps, and suspension pivots. Our favorite is Park’s TW-5.

24. Learn to Bunnyhop on Your Road Bike
Doing an unclipped hop shows you how changes in body position affect your bike’s behavior—knowledge that will boost your confidence on steep downhills, rough roads, and in corners.

A: Replace your clipless pedals with platforms and your cycling shoes with soft-soled sneakers.
B: Ride across a flat, grassy field at slightly faster than walking speed, standing on your pedals, cranks level with the ground, elbows and knees slightly bent.
C: Push down on the handlebar while bending your knees even farther so you are crouched over the saddle. Then immediately pull up and back on your bar as you shift your weight back to get the front tire up.
D: With the front tire off the ground, shift your weight forward as you push the handlebar ahead and hop up with your legs to lift the rear wheel.
To see a video of these moves in action, visit BICYCLING.com/bunnyhop.

25. Fitness Takes Time
No crash diet or hell week of training will magically propel you into top form. “You’ve got to work toward it all season long,” says Pierre Rolland, the best young rider of the 2011 Tour de France.

26. Take short pulls at the front.

A Rabobank team mechanic washes bikes at their winter training camp. (Jorge Guerrero/AFP)

27. Wash Your Bike
Especially after a wet or muddy ride. Mist it with a garden hose or soak it using a bucket of soapy water. Wipe it down and rinse, then dry it with a clean rag or towel. Don’t forget to lube your chain.

28. Speaking of Your Chain. . .
A well-maintained and lubricated chain could last 3,000 road miles or more, but check it every 500. Here’s how: Take a ruler and place the 0 at the rivet of one link. If the ruler’s 12-inch mark aligns closely with another rivet, you’re in good shape. If it’s more than a 1/16th of an inch away, replace the chain.

A well-maintained and lubricated chain

29. Respect Your Front Brake
Applying 60 percent front brake will bring you to a smooth, controlled stop. But on steep descents or during rapid decelerations, you’ll want to rely even more heavily on the front.

30. Stick with Your Group
Whether you’re embarking on a 500-mile charity ride or racing Paris-Nice, there’s safety in numbers. Teammates and friends can pull if you’re feeling tired, share their food, or help fix a mechanical. “I’ve seen this so many times,” says Chris Horner. “A guy is leading the race and is really strong and so he goes into a breakaway. But what happens if he crashes or flats? He is all alone. Stay with your group as long as possible.”

Be sure to shift your weight behind your saddle to prevent yourself from sailing over the handlebar.

31. Layer Like a Wedding Cake
Easily removable layers make it a snap to regulate your temperature. Booties, vests, and skullcaps, as well as arm, knee, and leg warmers, can all be stashed in pockets as the day warms up.

32. Keep Your Head Up
Looking far down the road or trail will help you see approaching traffic, spot the best line through corners, or recognize when someone’s making a break.

33. Carry a frame pump. And a spare tube. And a multi-tool with a chain breaker.

34. Listen to Your Bike
“A click or pop or scraping noise doesn’t heal itself,” says Calvin Jones, director of education at Park Tool. Pay attention to the sounds emanating from your ride and you’ll know when it’s time for some TLC.

Noise: Rattling over bumps
Common Culprit: Loose bottle-cage bolts or quick-release skewers
Solution: Tighten them

Noise: Thunk/shudder during braking or over bumps
Common Culprit: Loose headset
Solution: Adjust headset to remove excess play

Noise: Squeaking while pedaling
Common Culprit: Dry chain
Solution: Lube

Noise: Pop, followed by a skipping chain
Common Culprit: Frozen chain link; worn cassette and chain
Solution: Find and free frozen link…or replace chain, chainrings, and cassette

Noise: Grinding noise during braking
Common Culprit: Grit in brake pads
Solution: Sand pads lightly to remove grit and grime

Noise: Clicks, squeals, or whines
Common Culprit: Could be any number of problems—from a loose stem to worn bottom-bracket bearings
Solution: Head to the shop

Liquigas mechanics tune the team bikes during the Tour de France. (Spencer Platt/Getty).

35. Have a Plan
Improvement does not come accidentally. If you want to take your riding to the next level, you need to craft a strategy and set incremental goals to reach it. “Better yet, hire a coach to guide your way,” suggests three-time Leadville 100 champion Rebecca Rusch.

36. Embrace the Rain
Unless you live in the desert, soggy rides are a part of life. Just dress appropriately: Layers and a rain jacket are optional in the summer, but become essential when temperatures start to drop.

37. Keep a Spare Kit in Your Car
You never know when you’ll have the chance to sneak in a ride. Borrowing or renting a bike is easy, but it’s harder to find a spare helmet, shoes, and chamois. Keeping a kit in your car all but ensures you’ll never miss an impromptu ride. Scour bike swaps for secondhand shoes, pedals, and other items, but buy a new helmet—decent models can be found for about $75.

38. It’s Okay to Stop
Don’t be afraid to pull over for a good swimming hole, hot spring, ice-cream stand, cafe, bakery, or dive bar. In fact, some of the best rides are planned around these diversions.

Taking a breather at Keechelus Lake on Washington’s Snoqualmie Pass. (Gene Bisbee)

39. Keep Your Perspective
Like most young professional riders, Ted King is learning how to balance the demands of training and family obligations with the extensive travel and training his job requires. Here’s what he’s learned so far.

When training, set a goal for every ride—even if the goal is recovery.
When racing, ride smart, don’t chop corners, and remember that the local Tuesday-Night Crit is not the World Championships.
On the road, think like a motorist. Maybe there’s a reason the guy in the pickup truck was pissed at you.

40. Refuel Right
The key recovery window is the 30 minutes following a ride; that’s when your body needs protein to repair muscles and help reload its energy stores, so make sure to get at least 20 to 25 grams. Stacy Sims, a nutritionist at Stanford University, recommends six to eight ounces of nonfat Greek yogurt with walnuts or berries. Or try this protein-rich smoothie: Before heading out, put 1.5 scoops whey protein powder, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries or blueberries, 1/2 frozen banana, 2 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal, and 1 cup vanilla almond milk into a blender (but don’t blend it yet). Store in the refrigerator. Whirl and drink when you return.

41. Wait to eat and drink until you’re at the back.

42. Don’t half-wheel.

43. Work Your Core
Most cyclists have weak cores. To fix it, try the pedaling plank. Here’s how.
A: Assume the plank position, as if you’re doing a push-up, but rest on your forearms with your hands directly beneath your shoulders. Your legs should be extended, with your weight balanced on your toes.
B: Pull your right knee toward your chest without allowing your butt to rise.
C: Extend the leg back out and swing it to the side and back without your foot touching the floor. Perform eight to 10 times for one set, then switch legs and repeat.

Hushovd rode his wind-cheating Cervelo S5 to two Tour de France stage wins. (James Startt)

44. Know What The Wind Is Doing
On blustery days, pick a route that heads into the wind first. Then get aero to minimize drag—slide into the drops and bring your elbows and knees tight to your body. In a group, ride in a single-file paceline to slice through headwinds. If the breeze is whipping across the road sideways, form an echelon (an angled paceline created by overlapping your front wheel with the rear wheel of the rider ahead of you) to keep the wind out of your face. Pedal at a higher-than-normal cadence even if it means riding a little slower. Then, turn around and enjoy a tailwind as you speed home.

45. Know Your Gear
“Don’t ever use anything new in a bike race,” says former pro racer and cycling commentator Frankie Andreu. This advice applies to backcountry mountain-bike rides, charity events, or exotic cycling vacations. Log some miles on fresh equipment before embarking on any serious ride. You don’t want to be 60 miles from home when you discover that you and your new saddle aren’t soul mates after all.

46. Get Fit To Your Bike
There is no faster way to improve your comfort or performance on the bike. “Your ideal position will change over time,” says Andy Pruitt,EdD, director of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in Colorado. “As you get older—say, over the age of 35—you should consider a professional bike fit every few seasons.”

47. Bring Beer
It is the currency of cycling. A cold one can serve as payment for a borrowed tube, a tip for your mechanic, or a way to celebrate another great ride.

48. Pass Fast
In a mountain-bike race, make your presence known, then pass quickly. And if someone’s passing you, let him or her by.

49. Riding Hurts
Sometimes riders at the front aren’t there because they’re faster, but because they can suffer more. Train your legs for speed, but also condition your mind to love the pain.

50. Go—Even For A Short Ride
No matter what the excuse—it’s cold, you’re tired, Shark Week is airing on the Discovery Channel—you can always shoehorn in a short ride. Head away from home for 30 minutes. If you’re still miserable, turn around—you’ll have logged an hour on the bike. Or, just keep riding.

By Bicycling Magazine

http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/bicyclings-50-golden-rules?page=0,0

By: unknown

Read and remember!
No matter what our kids and the new generation think about us, WE ARE AWESOME !!! Our lives are living proof!

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930′s, 40′s, 50′s, 60′s and 70′s!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn’t get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes. Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren’t overweight.

WHY? Because we were always outside playing… that’s why!

 We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo’s or X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD’s, no surround-sound or CD’s, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms.

WE HAD FRIENDS!! And we went outside and found them!

 We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.. We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team… Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

 The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

If YOU are one of them? CONGRATULATIONS!

Does anyone these days know what this means?

 The quote of the month by Jay Leno:
“With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take”.

My father went to Germany to get us first radio

GOOD LUCK” out of our Lives?
People born before 1946 were called – The Greatest Generation.

People born between 1946 and 1964 are called – The Baby Boomers.

People born between 1965 and 1979 are called – Generation X.

And people born between 1980 and 2011 are called – Generation Y.

Why do we call the last group – Generation Y ?

Y should I get a job?

Y should I leave home, and find my own place?

Y should I get a car when I can borrow yours?

Y should I clean my room?

Y should I wash and iron my own clothes?

Y should I buy any food?

But a cartoonist explained it very eloquently below…

Getting old and my life
As I’ve aged, I’ve become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I’ve become my own friend. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world, too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it, if I choose to read, or play, on the computer, until 4 AM, or sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70′s, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love, I will.

I will walk the beach, in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves, with abandon, if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old. I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And, I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years, my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break, when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody’s beloved pet gets hit by a car? But, broken hearts are what give us strength, and understanding, and compassion. A heart never broken, is pristine, and sterile, and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don’t question myself anymore. I’ve even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).

MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT’S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!

By: Chris Kitching

Croatia’s capital is a cultural hotspot
Bleary-eyed from an early morning six-hour train ride and staring blankly at a tram system map like it’s an ink blot, I start to wonder if this episode is off to a disastrous start of Griswold proportions.

Trams in Zagreb are blue – favorite local color

  Sveti Duh, Savski gaj, Harambasiceva. Hieroglyphics would be easier to decipher than these tram stop names at this moment. Overwhelmed and impatient in the rain because of a lack of sleep, culture shock, foreign language, and absence of fellow tourists — which novice traveler hasn’t been there?

 The question is, how do you escape before your boil over? In this case, it was one of Zagreb’s finest ambassadors who scooped my girlfriend and I from this predicament — a young English-speaking woman who recognized two fish out of water and went out of her way to approach and assist. 

St. Mark’s Church in the Upper Town

Interpreter
Unsure which tram to recommend, the woman led us to an information booth, acted as an interpreter, and led us back to the tram stop and told us which one to catch. Crisis averted. The people of Croatia’s capital would put out a few more fires for us in the next 72 hours as we found our way around its tangled streets in what turned out to be a pleasant and surprising visit.

Zagreb is vibrant, comfy and cosmopolitan — a cultural hotspot with an abundance of museums, cafes, historic sites, parks and good shopping, and a mix of architectural influences. Old meets new in its medieval-like “old town” or Upper Town (Gornji Grad). More on that later. 

Zagreb – panoramic view of the city and its mountain Sljeme

Typical street in Zagreb

With one million citizens, Zagreb is Croatia’s largest city. Many speak at least a little bit of English. The tram system, it turns out, is easy to navigate once you pick up a map and find your bearings.

Before we embarked on a two-week trip to Europe, which included stops in Munich and Vienna, most friends and relatives asked, “Why Zagreb?” Some didn’t know where to find it on a map, lending credence to its reputation as an overlooked city.

“Because it’s out of the way and not as expensive as other cities,” I replied.

The latter part of that explanation isn’t as true as it used to be. Prices for most things are catching up to Western Europe as Croatia — birthplace of the necktie and ballpoint pen — prepares to join the European Union and shed its Kuna for the Euro. Food, alcohol (how does a pint of beer for $2 or less sound?) and souvenirs, however, remain a bargain. 

Cibona tower – local basketball team headquarters

Geography is to blame for Zagreb being lesser-known. Flocks of tourists bypass it for Croatia’s sunny beaches on the Adriatic coast or central European cities such as Budapest.

First impressions of Zagreb, which attracts about half a million visitors annually, can be underwhelming but don’t let that deter you or veil its true beauty and charm. Rolling in on a train, the immediate scenery is dull — cluttered yards or vacant lots, tiny homes and bleak colors.

“Zagreb?” asks a Croatian woman on the train. She recommended we visit a coastal city instead. Go figure.

Once we finally boarded that tram, we escaped Lower Town (Donji Grad) and entered a drab-looking neighborhood filled with rows of communist-era apartments or shops. Graffiti covers every grey concrete wall. 

The King Tomislav square

In many cities, this is a sign of a crime-ridden no-go zone. In Zagreb, it’s the norm and it doesn’t reflect the social status of the law-abiding apartment dwellers. These simplistic apartments in soul-leeching grey were built when Croatia, now a republic, was part of the former Yugoslavia. Croatia’s secession led to a deadly war in the 1990s. Zagreb was mostly untouched but emotional wounds remain.

Ban Jelacic monument

The best place to start the day is Ban Jelacic Square (Trg Bana Jelacica), the heart of the city. It’s within walking distance to all major attractions. During a break on our second day, it was this square where we grabbed a gigantic slice of pizza and soda for $3, sat down in 20 C weather that is unusually warm for late October, and engaged in people-watching. 

Zagreb in winter

The square is crawling with people, all of them locals. Tourists are scarce at this time of year. People spill out of the overcrowded trams. Young women strut with confidence, young men take notice, a senior feeds a crush of pigeons, and men in suits scurry to work. This is the spot to arm yourself with a map and comfortable pair of walking shoes and head out at your own pace or join a walking tour so you don’t miss anything.

To the north is Upper Town, a pedestrian-friendly area with cobblestone streets and red-tile roofs. It overflows with history. 

Upper Town attraction – Stone Gate

Stops must include Zagreb Cathedral and colorful St. Mark’s Church and square (home to the parliament building). For a panoramic view, visit the observation deck of the 13th-century Lotrscak watchtower. Visit at noon when its cannon is fired daily.

Dolac Market, steps away from Ban Jelacic Square, is a lively place that is olfactory heaven. Consider it an outdoor farmer’s market on steroids. Fresh vegetables, fruits, eggs, cheese and fish are brought in daily. 

Dolac market 

Flowers are sold on the street

Of interest to tourists is the souvenirs — crystal, hand-made crafts, soccer scarves, and other knick-knacks. Vendors are willing to barter, so let ’em have it.

Nearby, we found a decent restaurant, Pivnica Medvedgrad, specializing in its own brew, sausage and pasta. A filling plate of pasta and a pint of beer sets you back $6.

More modern Lower Town is south of the square and home to Zagreb’s collection of museums (archeological, arts and crafts, naive art), galleries and theatres (of those, the Croatian National Theatre is the crown jewel). 

Ban Jelacic Square at night – Zagreb downtown

For shopping, go to the boutiques and name-brand stores of Ilica, a street dividing the upper and lower towns. Or, take a 20-minute tram ride to the south, crossing Sava River, to Avenue Mall in “new” Zagreb. For women, there’s trendy stores like Top Shop and Zara. For men, you can have a beer in the food court. Did I mention beer is inexpensive here?

Zagreb’s grey buildings are countered with its colorful parks. Its gem, 316-hectare Maksimir Park, lies to the east.

New modern buildings

Away from bustle
Maksimir is an ideal place to burn a few hours. Away from the hustle and bustle of central Zagreb, it’s easy to feel alone here. Stroll the paths, paddle a canoe on a man-made lake, sip a drink at the outdoor cafe, or take in a free outdoor concert, depending on the season.

Or, drop by the animal kingdom at Zagreb Zoo, located within the park. The grand attraction is two African lions but there are more than 200 species. The zoo was a bit of a concern, however, because some animals are in aging, cramped enclosures. 

Arena – new sports center

The $6 admission is cheaper if you buy a Zagreb Card, providing unlimited travel on public transportation for 24 hours ($13.50) or 72 hours ($20), and discounts at museums, shops and restaurants. We bought our cards at our hostel but not once did a tram operator ask to see our cards or a ticket.

It’s tough to measure a city’s inhabitants in three days but I gathered the people of Zagreb are friendly, laid-back and very proud. Obesity doesn’t seem to be a problem here. So, it may not have white-sand beaches or glistening blue waters, but our answer to our prodding relatives and friends and the lady on the train remains the same: “Why not Zagreb?”

Lake Jarun

More pictures from Zagreb are available here:

http://zkahlina.ca/eng/photo-albums/?album=5&gallery=1

By Zdenko Kahlina

Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.

The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to “catch up” with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.

The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.

The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New Year’s Eve with a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great community. The communal feast called “surrounding the stove” or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations.

Probably more food is consumed during the New Year celebrations than any other time of the year. Vast amounts of traditional food is prepared for family and friends, as well as those close to us who have died.

On New Year’s Day, the Chinese family will eat a vegetarian dish called jai. Although the various ingredients in jai are root vegetables or fibrous vegetables, many people attribute various superstitious aspects to them:

Other foods include a whole fish, to represent togetherness and abundance, and a chicken for prosperity. The chicken must be presented with a head, tail and feet to symbolize completeness. Noodles should be uncut, as they represent long life.

In south China, the favorite and most typical dishes were nian gao, sweet steamed glutinous rice pudding and zong zi (glutinous rice wrapped up in reed leaves), another popular delicacy.

In the north, steamed-wheat bread (man tou) and small meat dumplings were the preferred food. The tremendous amount of food prepared at this time was meant to symbolize abundance and wealth for the household.

Chinese New Year Decorations

Prior to New Year’s Day, Chinese families decorate their living rooms with vases of pretty blossoms, platters of oranges and tangerines and a candy tray with eight varieties of dried sweet fruit. On walls and doors are poetic couplets, happy wishes written on red paper. These messages sound better than the typical fortune cookie messages. For instance, “May you enjoy continuous good health” and “May the Star of Happiness, the Star of Wealth and the Star of Longevity shine on you” are especially positive couplets.

Plants and Flowers 

Every traditional Chinese household should also have live blooming plants to symbolize rebirth and new growth. Flowers are believed to be symbolic of wealth and high positions in one’s career. Lucky is the home with a plant that blooms on New Year’s Day, for that foretells a year of prosperity. In more elaborate settings, plum blossoms just starting to bloom are arranged with bamboo and pine sprigs, the grouping symbolizing friends &endash; the plum blossom also signifies reliability and perseverance; the bamboo is known for its compatibility, its utility and its flexible stems for furniture and other articles;the evergreen pine evokes longevity and steadiness. Other highly prized flowers are the pussy willow,azalea, peony and water lily or narcissus.

The Chinese firmly believe that without flowers, there would be no formation of any fruits. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to have flowers and floral decorations.

They are the emblems of reawakening of nature, they are also intimately connected with superstition and with the wish for happiness during the ensuing year.

Oranges and Tangerines 

Etiquette dictates that you must bring a bag of oranges and tangerines and enclose a lai see when visiting family or friends anytime during the two-week long Chinese New Year celebration. Tangerines with leaves intact assure that one’s relationship with the other remains secure. For newlyweds, this represents the branching of the couple into a family with many children. Oranges and tangerines are symbols for abundant happiness.

Candy Tray 

The candy tray arranged in either a circle or octagon is called “The Tray of Togetherness” and has a dazzling array of candy to start the New Year sweetly. After taking several pieces of candy from the tray, adults places a red envelope (lai see) on the center compartment of the tray. Each item represents some kind of good fortune.

Taboos and Superstitions of Chinese New Year

House Cleaning  

The entire house should be cleaned before New Year’s Day. On New Year’s Eve, all brooms, brushes, dusters, dust pans and other cleaning equipment are put away. Sweeping or dusting should not be done on New Year’s Day for fear that good fortune will be swept away. After New Year’s Day, the floors may be swept. Beginning at the door, the dust and rubbish are swept to the middle of the parlor, then placed in the corners and not taken or thrown out until the fifth day. At no time should the rubbish in the corners be trampled upon. In sweeping, there is a superstition that if you sweep the dirt out over the threshold, you will sweep one of the family away. Also, to sweep the dust and dirt out of your house by the front entrance is to sweep away the good fortune of the family; it must always be swept inwards and then carried out, then no harm will follow. All dirt and rubbish must be taken out the back door.  

Bringing In the New Year and Expelling the Old 

Shooting off firecrackers on New Year’s Eve is the Chinese way of sending out the old year and welcoming in the New Year. On the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, every door in the house, and even windows, have to be open to allow the old year to go out.

New Year Activities Set Precendent

All debts had to paid by this time. Nothing should be lent on this day, as anyone who does so will be lending all the year. Back when tinder and flint were used, no one would lend them on this day or give a light to others.

Everyone should refrain from using foul language and bad or unlucky words. Negative terms and the word “four” (Ssu), which sounds like the word for death, are not to be uttered. Death and dying are never mentioned and ghost stories are totally taboo. References to the past year are also avoided as everything should be turned toward the New Year and a new beginning.

If you cry on New Year’s day, you will cry all through the year. Therefore, children are tolerated and are not spanked, even though they are mischievous.  

Personal Appearance and Cleanliness 

On New Year’s Day, we are not suppose to wash our hair because it would mean we would have washed away good luck for the New Year. Red clothing is preferred during this festive occasion. Red is considered a bright, happy color, sure to bring the wearer a sunny and bright future. It is believed that appearance and attitude during New Year’s sets the tone for the rest of the year. Children and unmarried friends, as well as close relatives are given lai see, little red envelopes with crisp one dollar bills inserted, for good fortune.

 More New Year Superstitions 

For those most superstitious, before leaving the house to call on others, the Almanac should be consulted to find the best time to leave the home and the direction which is most auspicious to head out.

The first person one meets and the first words heard are significant as to what the fortunes would be for the entire year. It is a lucky sign to see or hear songbirds or red-colored birds or swallows.

It is considered unlucky to greet anyone in their bedroom so that is why everyone, even the sick, should get dressed and sit in the living room.

Do not use knives or scissors on New Year’s Day as this may cut off fortune.

While many Chinese people today may not believe in these do’s and don’ts, these traditions and customs are still practiced. These traditions and customs are kept because most families realize that it is these very traditions, whether believed or not, that provide continuity with the past and provide the family with an identity. 

By: Zdenko Kahlina 

By: Zdenko Kahlina

The relaxed beach town of Mazunte
So, we left beautiful Huatulco early in the morning. Today we drove west to Puerto Escondido. After Pochutla driving west on a coastal highway 200, there was a turnoff for small beach town Mazunte at San Antonio intersection. Vera wanted to see the turtles, so I made the left turn.

Centro Mexicana de la Tortuga in Mazunte

Village Mazunte 

Only about seven or eight kilometers from the highway, further south was Mazunte, a quintessential beach resort, which is a bit basic and ramshackle, with buildings springing up rather haphazardly. There is only one paved street, the one that went straight through, on to the other beaches of San Agustinillo, Zipolite and Puerto Angel.

Arial map with nearby villages and beaches

Arial view of Mazunte and Playa San Agustinillo

In this small Mexican beach town, there aren’t any cruise ships calling, no college-age hooligans binge drinking and no towering hotels in all-inclusive resorts. No, none of that.

Instead, in this sunbathed town on the Pacific Coast of the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, locals come to dip in the ocean. Fishermen unload cases of sharks in the morning. Kids play beach soccer, with sticks in the sand for goals. Locals lounge on hammocks, their houses a few hundred yards from the beach.

Only one road goes thru the village

Small B&B in the village

It is a beautiful place, surrounded by jungle hills, and of course the beach cove. This town has the lively vibe, yet relaxed without being decrepit. And it is a hippy paradise. But with the coming carretara, there is a building boom happening and now most of the streets in Mazunte are being paved in one way or another. The hostels that allow you to hang a hammock slowly giving way to more cabañas, and dare I say, buildings with honest to God walls. Change is underway, and there is even a new church.

Playa San Agustinillo

Walking on Playa San Agustinillo

The beach is on federal land and drug laws are strictly enforced; nude bathing is prohibited. The safest swimming is at either end of the bay. The hippies are still coming here – from Mexico City, Europe, the US. There are meditation centers, yoga workshops, and an incredible dedication to building green.

Topas are here to slow down motorists

While Mazunte is still home to fishermen, the town has been dramatically changed by a ban on hunting sea turtles and crocodiles enacted about 20 years ago. Now the former turtle hunters have turned to eco-tourism. The Mexican government runs the National Mexican Turtle Center, which features sea turtles in aquariums. Mazunte, once supplied the turtle meat market until turtle hunting was banned in 1990.

Turtle centre – entrance

In this Centro Mexicana de la Tortuga turtle center, a collection of tanks lets you get THIS CLOSE to a vast array of turtle types. Just look at my pictures…

The conservation center was divided into distinct small areas, with different types of turtles in each part. First, we saw some rescued land turtles. We headed over to the large tank in which a number of sea turtles were swimming.

The turtles were beautiful, and we stood in awe for a long time. Here is one that had light coloring. In another area, there were many of these turtles (I think they are pond sliders): There was an area with many baby sea turtles, and of course we “oooooh-ed” and “aaahhhh-ed” our way through.

Small turtle pond

Turtle pool

They have guided tours in Spanish and English (Wed-Sat 10 AM -16:30, Sun 10 AM – 14:30, US$15), crowded with tour buses from Huatulco during the high season.  This is a government institute that studies sea turtles and works to conserve these frequently endangered species, as well as to educate visitors and the local population. There are interesting viewing tanks to observe many species of turtles underwater.

Guided tours for tourists and kids

A trail leads from the west end of the beach to Punta Cometa, a spit of land with lovely views of the thundering breakers below, a popular spot to view the sunset and well worth the 30-minute walk. With its proximity to Zipolite, Mazunte is also attracting the alternative crowd and signs for yoga, massage, vegetarian and vegan food positively abound. It’s a good place to try local therapies; by the cemetery there’s a spiritual healer offering to treat everything from stress to insomnia; he also does ritual cleansings.

Walking on Playa San Agustinillo

We spent only couple of hours here, but it was enough to get the feel of this place. I would love to return one day and stay several days, maybe even the whole two weeks of vacation. But right now, we turned around and returned to the main highway to continue our journey towards Puerto Escondido.

By: Dumneazu

Signs of Spring: Chinese Food!
Obviously, March is not a month that inspires an awful lot of comment. Now, February… that’s what I call a month! Stepping out of our building we saw the first of spring’s kolbasz buds on a tree in the back yard. Really…

I am not sure whether my neighbor was saving this for an outdoor snack or whether there is some folky reason to stick sausage on a tree branch, but it stayed there for several weeks.

My birthday was adequately celebrated by a trip to the new Chinese restaurant in my neigborhood, Master Wang’s. Chef Wang was the original chef at the Lanzhou Restaurant on Luther Utca, and this is his fourth Budapest locale.

Why get excited about a Chinese restaurant? Well, Budapest has a lot of them, but by and large they are mediocre, overpriced, or unspeakably bad. That last category is aimed at the numerous “Chinese Buffet” joints polluting our gastronomic scene, offering up cheap plates of faux-sinitic stew on rice. Due to a quirk in Hungarian immigration law, any ethnic restaurant has the right to sponsor a residence permit for its cooking staff. So the Chinese folks cooking your fried rice and aromatic duck at the corner take out in Budapest, are far more likely to have graduated from business or even medical school than culinary school. And they are far more likely to come from Northern China than from better known culinary regions like Szechuan or Canton.

There are some Chinese banquet restaurants dotting the back neighborhoods of the city, places where the local Chinese go to celebrate a business deal or a family holiday with an off the menu hot-pot party or dim sum blast, but these are constantly changing and none has ever stayed in one locality for very long. Chef Wang Qiang comes from Lanzhou, a region west of Beijing with a significant Hui muslim population. The Lanzhou always had a special Chinese language only menu offering various mutton dishes for errant Hui in Budapest, but at the new Master Wang on they go all out with a great spicy cumin lamb dish.

Since I had recently stretched my boundaries of icky food by eating sea cucumber and sea squirts at the a Korean Restaurant in the States, I also went for the Hundred Day Eggs. I had heard they were good, I had watched Chinese diners at the Lanzhou order them, but… black eggs? Eggs pickled in clay and salt for a few months until they turn black and gelatinous? And surprise! They were delicious. Run, don’t walk, to your local Chinese banquet hall and order these today. Wang’s were served with chopped tofu and peppers. Not smelly, not slimy, not really anything I had ever related to eggs before. I want more.

Fumie was laughing at me for never having tried them before, but then, I had never seen Fumie order them either. And yes, I have already looked at the wikipedia entry on Century Eggs with a perverse mind to making them myself at home, and just as quickly discarded the idea. Chef Wangs is only a few blocks away (off the 7 bus along Thőkőly út at Gizella út 46) so why bother? And they serve one of my favorite Chinese beer snack plates: spicy mixed offal salad.

Who says a salad need to be wholesome to be good? Sliced tripe, tongue, heart, and kidney in a fiery red pepper oil sauce topped with chopped garlic and Chile pepper. It is almost enough to make me like beer.

By: Zdenko Kahlina

Puerto Angel Mexico – Defines the Beauty of Oaxaca!
While spending our vacation in the village of Santa Cruz, Huatulco, one day we decided to drive all the way to Puerto Angel, which was 52 km away, or just around 1 hour of driving.

Puerto Angel

Arial view of Puerto Angel

Puerto Angel is located on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, in the state of Oaxaca. It is accessible via coastal highway 200 from Acapulco Gerrero and Puerto Escondido to the north-west and Huatulco to the south-east. From Pochutla it is only 7 km down the twisty road, towards the ocean. Puerto Angel is one of the more preferred destinations for tourists from all over the world. The rustic fishing village is located on the pacific coast of Oaxaca. They don’t have big hotels, only small B&B places…

Geographical location of the village between charming bay of Bahias de Huatulco and Puerto Escondido offers array of attractions and adventure. The sandy beaches and rocky mountains will welcome you with an amazing natural view.

Village centre is very simple

Almost every house is small B&B

In the past the village was an important shipping port for the coffee growers of the area, and its small protected bay provides safe harbor today for many. The town has a population of only about 12,000 inhabitants, and the pace of life is slow and peaceful. The town is tranquil yet provides ample of opportunities to feel the silent excitement while traveling through sandy roads. Romantic travelers find peaceful setting and much awaited privacy in the area. You can plan a day trip and explore the ruins in beautiful environment before enjoying the spectacular sun while sitting on the sandy beach. Shoreline gets darker with the overlapping of waves and you will find moonlight transforming the blue waters into incredible crystalline liquid.

Fresh fish is awaiting buyers

There are several beaches in Puerto Angel. Play Del Panteon, Playa Zipolite and Playa La Tijer are some of them.

Playa Principal

Playa Principal is located in the town beach. In the mornings one can watch the fishermen bringing in their catch. Fishing is excellent in the area, and fishermen regularly bring in tuna, red snapper and sailfish as well as lobster and octopus.

Playa Panteon

Playa Panteon, is located at the west end of the beach on a paved walkway curves along the rock cliffs, It is named for the cemetery located nearby, the beach is suitable for swimming but playa panteon is perhaps a little more sheltered and offers better snorkeling around the rocks. However, Playa del Panteon is the beach known for its wonderful marine life. Big waves and strong currents are boon for fishing boats.

Playa Principal

On the beach – Playa Panteon 

Playa Zipolite is located 4 miles to the west over a narrow secondary (gravel) road. Playa Zipolite is a long beach with perfect waves. Zipolite became popular as a nude beach in the 70′s when its mile long solitary beach was visited only by adventurous campers. But now it is a much larger community with a series of restaurants and cafes along the sand, elegant tropical residences and even telephone and Internet service. The beach is on an open ocean and care should be taken in the strong surf and undertow. It is still frequented by backpackers and campers.

Puerto Angel, has different kinds of hotels, one of them is Villa La Luna, located at the top of a hill in Puerto Angel. It is the nicest accommodation in the area. Villa La Luna is a combination of mexican style and French commodities. The hotel offer you private bath and terrace for each room, sweeping ocean views, pool, Jacuzzi, air conditioned, sky TV and even a garage.

Playa Principal

The small beachfront restaurants all serve delicious, fresh seafood prepare just as you like it. Remember this is a fishing village, so fresh fish comes in each morning. Dia del Pescador (Fisherman’s Day) is an important celebration in Puerto Angel and it’s celebrated on August 5th. Festivities include music, a foot race, swimming, fishing and boating competitions and land sports tournaments. Awards are given at the end of the day to the winners of the various competitive activities.

We stopped in the town centre for a few minutes only. One look around and we continued for another kilometer or so until we reached Playa Panteon. Again we were immediately surrounded by these vendor guys who are trying to get us under their umbrellas, but we ignored them. Once on the beach we walked to the end and back, before we settled in front of the Cordelia’s hotel.

Nightmare for tourists – These guys surrounded us even before we reached the beach and all of them were polling in different direction

Water was very warm, and the waves were small. There were number of fishing boats on the beach and only a few gringo tourists. We met a couple from Vancouver Island, Shirley and Jim, with whom we had a beer, and exchanged our Mexico’s experiences. Like us, they came only for a day, from Puerto Escondido, to check this place with the idea of spending their next vacation here.

Cordelia’s hotel on Playa Panteon

You can become lethargic and lie on the white sand else can kill the hunger for thrilling adventure with surfing and snorkeling. There are underwater caves, where you can dive and explore the enigmatic marine life. The colorful aquatic ambience will create a sense of nostalgia whenever you think of aquatic adventure. Do you want to get a closer look of crocodiles? Yes! You should visit the lagoon of Ventanilla where crocodiles are available in abundance. Other worth visiting places in the area are: the Los Reys waterfall and the tropical spring-fed El Paraiso. We didn’t go to any of these places… not enough time for all!

Chilling out on the beach

Since we didn’t do any of this stuff, we choose to stay on the beach and enjoy the sun. As the waves were getting closer and closer to our chairs throughout the day, due to the tide, I was watching local fisherman getting (parking) their boats on the beach. They would come with full speed, slide on the sand and I wondered if they will manage to stop before hitting chair and tables where we were sitting. But they did (manage to stop)…

Cordelia’s hotel on Playa Panteon

If looking for a place to stay, you’ll have to decide whether you want to be in the main part of town or on Playa Panteón. The latter accommodations have the advantage of being right on the beach, but they are often more expensive and have more of a family atmosphere; the former are farther from the surf but more laid-back; several also have beautiful views of the bay.

Puerto Ángel (pop. 12,000) is several times larger than Mazunte or Zipolite. Its center is bustling by comparison, with a steady stream of taxis and small trucks rumbling down the main drag. Beyond the Calle Principal, though, the old lackadaisical Oaxacan coast returns, with Mexican families lounging at Playa Panteón and backpackers swinging on hammocks on the hills overlooking the bay.

By: Zdenko Kahlina

Paulo Ongaro is coming from a cycling family
Everybody in Edmonton knows Paulo, he is very popular cyclist: sprinter and a track rider. Paulo is also successful business man. His biggest competitors are his own brothers; that’s where his pedigree is coming from.

Paulo is also my neighbor and a good friend. We sometimes go together for a Sunday morning training rides with his brothers. I try to stay in shape and control my weight, while he is preparing himself for a competition. His goal is to return into good form and participate in the 2013 World Master Games in Torino Italy, his ‘old country’, where his parents originally came from. He would like nothing less but to win the Olympic sprint!

This winter I mentioned to Paulo how I would like to write blog about his dad, Rino Ongaro, but I also needed some information about Paulo and his three brothers, to complete my story about Rino. He gladly jumped on board and provided me with the following autobiography, which I am publishing here in its original version.

Paulo Ongaro (right) and his buddy Lars Madsen

This is what Paulo has to say about his cycling life:

Paulo Ongaro (June 16, 1970)
“I have so many memories of cycling as a young boy, the smell of “A 535” on a Saturday morning as my older brothers and my dad were preparing to go out on a spring bike ride in the cold morning air. I also remember riding in a support vehicle with my dad as we followed Rudy in a local bike race.

I remember sitting watching Rudy training on the rollers when I was about 5 years old, captivated by how the wheels were spinning and why he wasn’t going anywhere I decided to test the equipment by putting my finger in the rubber cable and the steel roller…  not a good idea. One key memory though was the frequent visits to Velocity cycling store and the one question Joe Zombor (owner) would always ask me: “When are you going to start riding?”

Me beating Alex at the provincials in 1991, my greatest victory, I was so happy that I lost two in a row after that one!

As a young boy I was following in the footsteps of my brother Ross the soccer player. But soon the temptation of the bicycle machine and the shiny moving parts would bring me to the sport of cycling. At the age of 14 while my brother Alex was competing at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles the transformation began. I was riding my bike to soccer practice and enjoying the ride to and from practice, more than the practice itself. I didn’t realize it yet, but I was inevitably becoming a cyclist. At the age of 16 I rode my first race as a cadet. It was a criterium at Roper road industrial park where I finished 2nd to Kurt Innes from Calgary.

I tried to ride the road races for a season as a first year junior, but I found it very difficult. I discovered very quickly that I did not have the desire to suffer in long races. I’ve found some success in local criteriums… funny enough the same course in Namao on the Tuesday night races is where I found it easiest to hang in the group and blast out a sprint at the finish. Soon though Alex would take me to the track. This is where I had my 12th birthday party, so I was familiar with the velodrome. Actually you would find me on any banked driveway as a kid doing balancing track-stands, pretending to be a sprinter. After a few weeks of training on the velodrome, Trevor Gadd an English Born sprinter, was hired to coach the provincial team for the upcoming Nationals in Edmonton 1987. He selected me to ride the sprints and the Kilometer. I had only ridden two track meets prior to Nationals and never sprinted up to this point.

Steen Madsen and Paulo Ongaro

So for me the nationals were the first match sprinting I had ever done. I remember hearing the national team coaches mumbling something, as in my very first heat I track-standed my opponent to make him take the lead and then rushed him with a surprise jump with 300m to go for the easy victory. I remember I qualified second at those nationals and thought I could have won the title that year as a first year junior, but I was not confident and I was inexperienced. Looking back with what I know now, I should have won both junior national sprint championships.

But I didn’t have a coach with me and I just didn’t know how to ride, but the speed was there that’s for sure. In 1997 I qualified second and finished a disappointing fourth. In 1988 I qualified first and finished fourth again. As a senior I managed a couple of bronze medals in the match sprint and a silver medal at the Canadian world championship trials in 1990.

Doug Baron (Calgary), Steen Madsen and Paulo Ongaro (Edmonton)

Paulo beating Lars at the 2001 Nationals for the bronze medal.

Finally in 2001 I won a national gold medal in the Olympic sprint team event along side of Jim Fisher and Doug Baron of Calgary. 

Lars Madsen was their regular teammate and Lars was my closest training partner who I spent many hours along side. I think as a gift when he asked me to start the opening lap of the final, at the Nationals that year. I had two massive engines behind me, so I wasn’t to worried about the win, but I was really worried about the start. First of all I had never started Out of a UCI style gate, so what better place to learn than the nationals final. I never had to deal with the countdown clock and the final beep, I had no experience, but that’s O.K. I managed somehow
to get out of the blocks so to speak. In addition I had old toe straps that were starting to crack and I was worried about pulling a foot. My disc wheel was a rental and it was a piece of junk I Was terrified that the wheel was going to crumble out of the start. Also, just before the start my calf was twitching and I have always had issues with calve cramps, needless to say I was, worried about this start.

This is me giving Travis Smith a little bit of Experience with 100 meters to go at the Nationals in 2001. Travis went on to become a much more accomplished cyclist than I ever was…

It took me a bit extra to get the motor started out of that gate, but once I hit turn two I was feeling great. I simply finished my opening lap and the boys sailed on to a dominant victory. There it was my first and only national gold medal…  what no one knew was that my good friend Lars’ name was on that team list as well, since he had ridden the Qualifying round, and without a victory in the final, he would have lost his National carding/funding. He let me know this only moments before the start… NO PRESSURE!

In the same year at the individual race I knew I couldn’t beat him in the semi-final, so I saved my energy for the bronze medal ride. We made an agreement before the match; I would lead him out two straight rides. Just as we started the first heat at the line, he looked at me and said, “You are not messing around with me are you?”

I said something like, “No Steen, I know how much this means to you.”

He qualified in a track record time that I guarantee you, will never be beaten 10.48 seconds!

I qualified in a time of 11.10 seconds an impossible difference in speed, so the decision the night before was to use the semi-final rides as a warm up for the bronze medal.

I have raced in three decades. I rode the Nationals in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1999 & 2001. I am intending to race again as I have started training with hopes of competing in 2013. This will very likely be my last Nationals. We will see I guess, we can never know anything for sure when we speak of the future.

Moments before the launch, Nationals 2001 with Doug Baron and Jim Fisher

Me with my kids on the top of the podium, a very happy moment, that is Lars peeking over my shoulder

My first national bronze this match took seven tries and this was the most dangerous race of my life, this guy was completely crazy!!!!! He crashed twice by himself and he was disqualified twice for passing inside the apron, ultimately I won.

At this moment I reached my potential and satisfaction.
 
Moments before the big race Paulo vs Alex Provincials 1990
 
Me and Curt Harnett at the World Trials, I finished second and the top two were supposed to go to worlds, They didn’t send me. I quit the following year to start a career and a family.

On my way to my first sub 11 sec. on 200 m

Looking back the sport of cycling was a true journey and a pleasure, regardless of the accomplishments or lack of, you see in my family it was very difficult for me to feel accomplished as a cyclist. I have 4 National medals, 1 gold and 3 bronze, several provincial championships and medals. However, when you grow up in the shadow of an Olympian (in the family), anything short feels like a failed attempt. Only in the recent years have I found some feelings of success as an athlete. Everyone reaches different levels, and in the end it is if you feel you reached your potential. At one point I believe I did and it was enough for me to be satisfied. Now I found the most joy in the sport than I ever have simply riding on Sunday mornings with my brothers.

Paulo Ongaro 200 meters personal best
Calgary Hand Timed 10.69 sec, 10.74 sec, 10.89 sec,
Calgary Electronic timing 10.91 sec , 10.93 sec

Paulo’s three brothers were also heavily involved in sport. With exception of Ross, all of them were cyclists. Here is their short cycling biography:

Rudi Ongaro
Rodolfo Patrizio Ongaro, was born March 17, 1956 San Giorgio al Tagliamento, in Italy. He came to Canada in 1958 with his parents and lived in Edmonton until 1968 when the family moved back to Italy and lived there until May of 1969.

The family than returned to Canada once again. Up to this point Rudy was a promising young soccer player, until he caught the cycling bug at age 16. The first year Rudy rode with his father for fun, until together they decided they were ready to begin competing. What a learning experience that was… they were getting hammered by everyone. The next year was spent trying to learn how to train properly for competitive cycling. By the beginning of our 3 rd. year results were starting come. Rino and Rudy met Marijan Kahlina (coach and rider) and joined Alberta Cycle Racing Club. That year (last year as a junior) Rudy was selected to ride with the provincial team, both on the track and road. The Canadian Nationals and the Canada Summer games were the highlights. Rudy continued to race frequently at the local races, being selected to represent Alberta at National competitions. Rudy hung up his bike in 1985 only to find it again in 2005. Since then Rudy has been training mainly to keep fit and socialize with friends through the sport. His long term goal is to go to Torino and win the Olympic sprint with his two younger brothers, Paul and Alex.

In this photo: Rino, Paul and Rudy in Italy on a March training camp in 1976.

Ross Ongaro
Rosario Luigino Ongaro, born September 9, 1959. He too began to compete in some early spring races in 1970. Ross was already showing great promise as a soccer player, but decided to try a few races. He was a cadet, and I don’t remember too much because his cycling career only lasted 3 races. At that time there were maybe 3-4 boys that age riding , one was Shane Frohm and …..Heachock (spelling??) and Ross of course. Also it is important to note that Rudy Frohm, Shanes father would always follow the race in his BMW motor bike. Long story short Ross won the first race. He won the second and then won the third. Shane crashed following Ross’s wheel and Rudy Frohm was really mad and yelled at this 11 -12 year old kid. Ross quit, and went back to soccer. Good thing… The rest is history.

Born in Edmonton, he is a retired Canadian soccer player who earned one cap each with the Canada U-20 men’s national soccer team and Canadian Olympic soccer team. He played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, Western Soccer Alliance and American Indoor Soccer Association. He has coached extensively at the professional level and was the head coach of the Canadian Beach Soccer and Futsal Teams until September 2011. He has been hired for 2012 by the Chinese Football Association to become their National Beach Soccer Head Coach.

National team
In 1979, Ongaro played one game with the Canada U-20 men’s national soccer team. He was on the roster of the team at the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship but did not play a game in the tournament. Ongaro also played one Olympic qualifying match in 1979.

Alex Ongaro on the podium with another gold medal. Shaking hands with Zolt Zombor.

Alexander ‘Alex’ Ongaro (Oct 5, 1963)
Alex Ongaro, an Edmonton born athlete and 7 year member of the Canadian National Team was a silver medalist at the 1986 Commonwealth Games and 9th place finalist at both the 1984 Olympics and 1985 World Championships. In Bassano at the world championships in 1985 he clocked the third fastest time behind Luts Hesslich and Michael Huebner of the DDR. In 1986 unofficially he held the world record for 200m, after he rode a blazing 10.29sec 200m sprint in a heat with no disc wheels and no wind up.

Alex was a natural born sprinter on the track. He was in Canada Olympic team for Los Angeles 1984 games, where he participated in the Men’s sprint discipline on the track and achieved very good qualifying time of 11.23 sec.

In this photo: Zdenko, Alex, Marijan and Rudy (Paul was late… lol!)

By: Zdenko Kahlina

Charming Mexican town in Huatulco area
La Crucecita is a marvelous small town which you have to visit if you’re visiting the bays of Huatulco. From the coastal highway 200, beautiful wide Boulevard with 3 lanes in each direction and a green grass median, lead us to La Crucecita. This is charming Mexican town with a traditional central square bounded by shops and patio restaurants.

There is an amazing selection of goods and souvenirs. You’ll find a large market that sells silver, pottery, souvenirs, clothing and crafts. In addition to the market, there are stores around the plaza that all sell similar merchandise.

Huatulco refers to the resort area Bahías de Huatulco or the bays of Huatulco. The four main parts of Huatulco are Tangolunda, the area where the more upscale resorts are located, Santa Cruz, a small town with more hotels, the marina and Santa Cruz beach, Chahué, an area between Santa Cruz and Tangolunda and La Crucecita, another small town just inland from the beach area having a more genuine Mexican ambiance.

The modern Cathedral in Crucecita has magnificent murals – the biggest mural of La Virgin de la Guadeloupe. La Crucecita church is often referred to as El Templo de Guadalupe. It is located in the center of town surrounded by shops and a Zocalo park. The church is dedicated to the Patron of Mexico, the Virgin Mary. The interior of the church is covered with several frescoes and on the ceiling is a fresco of what locals claim to be the largest painting of the Virgin de Guadalupe in Mexico. Make sure you hear the birds at dusk in the plaza! 

Since we were there in December, the processions were coming to the church every evening, which was a nice entertainment for tourists like us.

Zocalo in La Crucecita

Vera and Zdenko on Zocalo in La Crucecita

Nightlife is more or less restricted to the bars and discos of the major hotels, although the nightlife scene in La Crucieta, has improved to the point of becoming worth a look.  Shopping, banking facilities and the many reasonably priced restaurants make spending a late afternoon or extended evening, in La Crucieta, a possible alternative to the hotel disco scene of Huatulco. You must go and sit in the square in the evening. The Mexican families gather here every evening, so many people. Total joy to watch these families… very safe.

Restaurants:
At Mexican side street restaurants in La Crucecita, tacos are less than a buck, and beer $1. You could probably get a good meal and a beer for about $6 but the same would cost more in tourist oriented venues around the square.

Tostado’s Grill: nice ambiance, but food was not so good

In our opinion the best restaurant in La Crucecita was Terra-Cotta, just across the street from Flamboyant hotel. Terra Cotta, part of Hotel Mision de los Arcos in La Crucecita, Huatulco is very popular with locals and tourists. They have a lot of Mexican and Oaxacan specialties but they also have baguettes, salads and really good pizzas. They have AC but if you prefer to sit outside, they also have a terrace.

From their menu we tasted “Tampiquena” and “Fajitas le Pollo” meals – they were delicious. This is an upscale place with reasonable prices, good service and English speaking personal and guests. Adjacent coffee-bar/ice-cream place at the front also has great big size ice-creams.

We played it safe at Tostado’s Grill on Zocalo square where we liked the location and their out-front patio. The food was so-so… nothing special.

Il Giardino del Papa serves authentic Italian cuisine. L’echalote is the other restaurant which I consider the two top restaurants in Huatulco. We visit both places but I have set my mind on simple rule: if there are no other guests inside, I am not entering, no matter how good the place might be. Both Italian restaurants were empty at the time we looked inside so we didn’t try their food.

Restaurants around Zocalo

Frente al Mar restaurant on Santa Clara beach is very good. The waiter Fidel, was very friendly and the food was good. We ordered “Tampiquena” and “seafood pasta” dishes. Mexican steak was also good. They sure make a good pina colada/huacoco drinks there. After couple of days, Fidel remembered our faces, so we felt he treated us really special as returning customers.

Tampiquena steak I had at Terra-Cotta restaurant

Try some food that peddlers bring on the beach: empanadas with pineapple or milk on weekends only, fried plantanos with/out condensed Carnation milk, tamales (black mole not a favorite), fresh raw oysters, scallops with a dash of lime and hot sauce.

Street food vendors offer plenty of food

Shopping 
Mescal degustation shop, Casa de los Albrejitos (nice choice and quality differ). Albrejitos vendors sell some good quality only there on Thursdays. There is no museum of the Artinisat as advertised on some Huatulco tourism website – the address was a chic shop in front of Los Arcos B’n'B which sells top quality barra negra, alebrejites, but pricey even when/if they bargain it down. There’s a shop – always on Bugambilla with a pushy saleman Leonardo’s trying to sell painted wooden bowls- the bowls are pretty – quality differs. Bargain not so much of a deal.

Boutique shops in La Crucecita

Good quality shopping can be had in Santa Cruz for real alejrites, barra negra pottery, and jewelry. Avoid on days when cruise liners invade them. The Santa Cruz market has cheap stuff. Few places sell the Mayordomo orange-flavoured Mescal. I liked the promotional degustation place better. We didn’t go to Museum of Mezcal under papaya club. Maderno shopping centre isn’t really for tourists except department store, movies, Z bar and grill, Jacky’s sandwich shop, new sushi Don Wilo chain, but worth a visit a nice pastry shop.

Typical colorful houses in La Crucecita

Parents waiting for their children at th school entrance

Flamboyant hotel on Zocalo

Climate
The climate here suited us perfectly. It was 29/30 degrees all week, with big blue skies. The locals say it doesn’t rain there until April or so and then only at night. An average daytime winter temperature is about 28C (82F) and spring/summer maximums are about 38C (100F). The hottest time is from late April to the end of May, when the humidity is building up prior to the rains. The winter evenings are pleasantly cool but never below 15C (60F). The Pacific coast is mountainous and the breezes from both the sea and the mountains go a long way toward keeping the climate comfortable. Every evening Vera needed her vest just to cover shoulders. I was O.K. with short sleeves.

Unlike many parts of the Pacific coast the ocean in Huatulco is sufficiently warm to swim almost every day of the year but from May to November it can be like a tepid bathtub.

Kids dressed up for celebrations

Mexicans like to party

Tours and activities in Santa Cruz Bay.
Having a car was again our advantage that saved us lot of money, as we could take all the tours on our own. We just need brochures or access to the internet… and we had both.

There are some very interesting tours and activities here and in the nearby mountains. One of the tours takes you to a forest where you can swing like Tarzan into a lagoon and swim through a waterfall. The more adventurous may enjoy rappelling down a 100-foot waterfall and during the rainy season white water rafting is available from levels 1 to 5.

Coffee growing was once a major industry in the nearby mountains and naturally grown Oaxacan coffee can be found at many gourmet coffee shops around the world. We brought home with us two kilos and it really is a good coffee. It is possible to combine a trip to one of the coffee “fincas” with a swim in a waterfall.

Kids dressed up for celebrations

Water sports will occupy much of your time in Huatulco and there is certainly no lack of water related activities here.  Great scuba diving and sport fishing is relatively close to shore and all of the other water sports you would expect at a world class resort exist here.  Snorkeling in some of the more protected bays can be downright incredible.  A glass-bottom boat tour to each of the bays is a must, if you have enough time.  If not, you can arrange to visit only the beaches you choose.  Horseback riding is offered on a few of the beaches and extended rides into the jungle can be arranged and provide an interesting alternative to spending the entire day at the beach or in the water. 

Local girls working in a restaurant

If you golf, you are sure to enjoy the beautiful Tangolunda Golf Course, an 18 hole (72 par), championship course, designed by Mario Schjetnan, which is beautifully blended into the surrounding jungle. The course features a spectacular waterfront green on the 13th hole. Many people are delighted to discover that this golf course is so under utilized that you can practically name your tee time.  

The Tangolunda Golf Course also has some very nice tennis facilities which, like the golf course, are open to the public. Most of the hotels in Huatulco also have tennis courts, but as a general rule they are for the exclusive use of their guests. 

The numerous hills make bicycling a bit too strenuous for beginners ability (if I had a bike with me, it would be enjoyable), but Huatulco has hosted a 1/2 Iron Man Competition for three consecutive years and there are those who enjoy the challenge.

Old style loom – machine for weaving cloth in La Crucecita

Safety concerns in Huatulco
Go to Huatulco without scare, because we have not experienced (nor even seen) any problems, violent crime or something else. Mischievous kids and loud arguments between neighbors, maybe, but hey, you see that everywhere. Aggressive vendors around the beaches (in Santa Cruz) was the biggest issue we had in Huatulco.

That said, and in no particular order, here are our top ten safety concerns in and around Huatulco:

1) Not drinking enough water on those 85-90 degree days

2) Forgetting how to tie our shoe laces (after not wearing shoes for weeks)

3) Forgetting to turn off the BBQ as we finish one meal and immediately start planning the next

4) Overeating

5) Losing track of the days of the week with the possibility of missing our flights

6) Too much sun

7) Losing our bathing suits in the surf at Chahue

Spending too much money on local crafts

9) Falling asleep on the beach with a rising tide

10) Deciding to stay in Huatulco (with all the violence everywhere else in world, who in their right mind would want to leave?)

It seems inevitable that Huatulco will, in time, become a success, given the natural beauty that the project had to start with.  For those seeking an, as yet, undiscovered beach paradise, this just might be the place you have been searching for.

If we do visit Huatulco ever again, we wouldn’t hesitate twice to come here and to recommend this hotel to friends. But it’s unlikely we will, as we prefer changing scenery every year and visit other real and non-commercialized destinations like Costa Rica or Belize.

This review is a bit long, but I hope it will help someone who is planning to come here. Our next stop is Puerto Escondido, on our way to Acapulco, so please come back to read my future blogs…

THE TOWN – HUATULCO

http://www.tomzap.com/FLIGHTplayas_M.html

Source: Edmonton History

A Salute to Edmonton’s History
What makes Edmonton special to me is city’s history. This history lets me discover and know where we’ve been and has indeed paved the way to what we’ve become!

Because many committed Edmontonians and various government departments have strived to keep the city’s history alive for residents and visitors, I can visit Fort Edmonton Park or the Prince of Wales Heritage Centre. Old Strathcona showcases many heritage buildings as does the downtown core. A tour the charming neighborhoods of Highlands or Glenora captures a sense of early Edmonton. Our High Level Bridge was opened in 1913 and continues to stand proudly as the North Saskatchewan River flows by.

Photographs and documents at the City of Edmonton Archives allow me to research Edmonton’s history. Have you ever taken a stroll along MacDonald Drive downtown to read the history panels? All you have to do is look over our beautiful river valley from that vista and know that Edmonton is one beautiful city!

The fur trade
5.000 years before European explorers and fur traders arrived in the Edmonton area, the land was populated by the Cree and Blackfoot nations. In 1795, the Hudson’s Bay Company established its first trading post near the present site of Fort Saskatchewan in order to trade fur with First Nations. The fort was moved several times, to be settled permanently in 1830 on land that is today known as Alberta Legislature Grounds.

The fur trade boomed for many decades. In 1870, the Canadian government bought the land from the Hudson’s Bay Company to open it for settlement. In 1892, Edmonton was incorporated as a town. At this time about 700 people called Edmonton their home. In 1898, the Gold Rush Edmonton became the outfitting center for many prospectors heading for the Yukon.

Edmonton – 101 St. looking north

North Saskatchewan River – Route of The Fur Trade
The Saskatchewan River watershed is approximately 1,223 km long and is the major eastward flowing river of the western Canadian prairies and was the major transportation route for the beaver fur trade, which through Europeans fashion calling for felt hats made from compressed beaver fur, brought European culture to western Canada. The main waterway is the North Saskatchewan River, which flows from its headwaters in the Canadian Rockies to Lake Winnipeg, covering all of Alberta and Saskatchewan and western parts of Manitoba. These waters eventually flow into Hudson’s Bay, the huge body of water that is western Canada’s ocean connection to the Atlantic Ocean.

Fur trade happens these days only in Fort Edmonton

Fur trade in Fort Edmonton

Whether traveling the river by canoe or boat, or using the highway system, travelers and historical trekkers can easily follow the North Saskatchewan River. Along the river and its tributaries can be discoverd the history of the western Canadian aboriginal culture and the two competing fur trade companies that opened up the west during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

The Hudson’s Bay Company operated from York Factory, near Churchill, MB and using large, sturdy york boats, moved the furs collected at western posts to the Bay. Canada’s best known department store chain, The Bay and HBC, is still the Hudson’s Bay Company.

Hudson’s Bay Traditional Point Blanket
The break off competitor was the Northwest Company, who operated with traditional birch bark canoes, from Montreal. Their route, to the west took them via the Great Lakes, portage routes (where canoes and gear are carried) and rivers to Lake Winnipeg and the Saskatchewan Rivers. They also, traded and explored, over the mountains, in what is now British Columbia. Their best known explorer/trader was David Thompson.

The Hudson’s Bay Company York boat

The following are the Hudson’s Bay and Northwest Company posts and forts and Aboriginal heritage sites that can be visited along western Canada’s fur trade river. Many of the posts had multiple locations and most don’t exist anymore, or have become towns, or cities, along the way. Some of the forts served a multi-purpose, first as a fur trade and then as a base for the Northwest Mounted Police (eg. Ft. Edmonton).

Fort Carlton Provincial Historic Park is rich in western Canadian history. The Fort was built in 1810 as a fur-trading post on a spot well-used for crossing the North Saskatchewan River.

Wanuskewin Heritage Park Heritage Park under the leadership and guidance of First Nations people that contributes to increasing public awareness, understanding and appreciation of the cultural legacy of the Northern Plains First Nations people. 5 kms north of Saskatoon on Highway #11, follow the Bison signs.

At North Battleford, Saskatchewan, you can also visit a Northwest Mounted Police fort, that was very important during the 1885 Northwest Rebellion

As the supply of beaver pelts were devoured by the hunger for beaver felt hats, by the summer of 1792 the westward expansion of the fur trade reached what is now Alberta and there we find the site of the two trading depots of Fort George (NWC) and Buckingham House (HBC). Though little remains of the structures, the Province of Alberta a very informative museum and interpretive trail between the two posts. For more information about this site go to the website.

There were a series of locations for Ft. Edmonton, but eventually it was located at ford near where the Alberta Legislature is, east of Edmonton’s High Level Bridge. Many famous people of 18th century western Canada, would have passed through Ft. Edmonton, including the cartographer David Thompson and the painter Paul Kane.

Edmonton – 101 St. looking south past Jasper Avenue

Gateway to the North
By 1904, Edmonton had a population of 8,350. Soon after, when Alberta joined the Confederation, Edmonton was selected as provincial capital. In 1908, the University of Alberta opened its doors. Edmonton entered a frantic boom period when Strathcona amalgamated with Edmonton in 1912, combining their population to over 40,000. In the 1930s Edmonton became the “Gateway to the North” flying medical supplies, food and mail to remote northern communities.

Edmonton’s face changed forever when oil was discovered in Leduc in 1947. Overnight Edmonton became the Oil Capital of Canada and Edmonton’s population doubled within a decade. Still today, the oil and gas industry remains the city’s economic cornerstone.

The 1960s brought the Edmonton International Airport, the Citadel Theatre, the 27-story CN Tower and the Provincial Museum of Alberta. The 1970s brought a further boost to development of Edmonton and the Northlands Coliseum (today Skyreach Centre) opened its doors to mark the NHL’s best ice surface. In 1978, Edmonton became the first city with a population smaller than 1 million to have a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system.

With the opening of West Edmonton Mall in 1981, Edmonton entered the Guinness Book of Records with the world’s largest shopping and entertainment complex. In 1995, Edmonton celebrated its 200th year.

Edmonton – Jasper Avenue looking east past 103 Street

Edmonton – Churchill Square

Edmonton – Jasper Avenue looking east of 102 Street

History of the Edmonton River Valley
Early inhabitants may have gathered in the Edmonton area as early as the end of the last ice age, possibly as early as 10,000BC when as the ice receded woodlands, water and wildlife became available in the region.

Saskatchewan River going through Edmonton

Saskatchewan River in Edmonton

Saskatchewan River is frozen during the winter

In 1754, Anthony Henday, an explorer working for the Hudson’s Bay Company, may have been the first European to enter the Edmonton area. His trip was part of HBC’s interest in establishing direct contact with the Native population of the interior rather than depending on Native middlemen to bring furs to posts located on Hudson Bay. In 1794, the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North-West Fur Company founded Old Fort Edmonton and Old Fort Augustus at the mouth of the Sturgeon River (present day St. Albert). By 1807, both Fort Augustus and Old Fort Edmonton had been destroyed by Blood Indians.

In 1808, New Fort Edmonton and New Fort Augustus were rebuilt on the present site of the City of Edmonton. With the amalgamation of the two companies in 1821, the Hudson’s Bay Company post was retained, as was the name Fort Edmonton. It become the distribution centre for the whole north-west and a major supply stage on the Hudson’s Bay Company trans-Canada route. In the late nineteenth century, settlers were attracted to the area by the fertile farmland in the region, and this helped to further establish Edmonton as a major regional commercial and agricultural centre. Throuhout this entire period the North Saskatchewan River served as the only major “Highway” in the region.

The area became part of the new Dominion of Canada in 1870 and modern Edmonton can be said to have begun in 1871 when it was incorporated as a village. At about this time legislation finally made it possible for private individuals to claim ownership of land. Prior to this all the land rights resided in the Hudson’s Bay Company. In the late nineteenth century, settlers were attracted to the area by the fertile farmland in the region, and this helped to further establish Edmonton as a major regional commercial and agricultural centre. Edmonton was also a stopping point for people hoping to cash in on the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897. Incorporated as a city in 1905 Edmonton became the capital of Alberta a year later on September 1, 1905. 

First public school in Edmonton

Proud to be Edmontonian
Unique past stories of Edmonton can be found at the Edmonton Public Schools Archives and Museum downtown. Our city also has some wonderful historic churches and cultural museums. At such venues, I can learn about Edmonton’s fur trading, aviation, transportation, arts and “people” history. In late July and early August, the 2009 Edmonton & Northern Alberta Historic Festival will take place with events, tours and activities showcasing history … this annual festival is amazing.

Alberta Legislature building in Edmonton

Modern Edmonton – panoramic view

Edmonton downtown

Edmonton heritage building – The Gibson block

Having lived here for more than 20 years now, I’m proud to be a part of Edmonton’s history. I’m grateful that I chose Edmonton!

A salute to your history, Edmonton!

Some interesting web sites about Edmonton:

http://www.edmontonhistory.ca/

http://www.edmontonkiosk.ca/history.php

Large photo of Riverdale neighbourhood

http://www.edmontonstories.ca/

Source: GraphJam

Funny snippets from our daily life
Somebody had enough free time to put together all these graphs about every day modern life. I find them very true and would like to share them with you.

Career path – funny

Isn’t this true?

Time…

Another funny but true fact

No comment…

At least true in last 10 years

Now this definitely applies to me…

Hahaha… KFC is in the last spot… go figure!

Good old Beatles…

This applies to many other TV shows these days…

Ah, women!

PCs, not Macs…

Supermarket people

Does anyone responds to a car alarm?

Exactly!

We’ve been married for a long time…

Haha… free booze!

By: Zdenko Kahlina

The best-kept secret in Mexico
So, after crossing Sierra Madre Del Sur Mountains by car, we are finally here on the Pacific coast, in place that’s called Huatulco. And the best part is we’ll stay here for ten days! Yippy! Only sun, sandy beaches and cerveza for next ten days… that’s what I call life!! Even the “commercial” beaches with palapa (palm thatch) restaurants, such as La Entrega, are rarely crowded at this time of a year (before Christmas holidays).

Club de Playa Chahue

I had vaguely heard of Huatulco before, but when I looked at the map of Mexico’s south as I was making plans for our trip, I knew immediately this was the place I wanted to see. Huatulco is accurately described as “the best-kept secret in Mexico”. For us this was one of the charms.

Air view of Santa Cruz and La Crucecita town in the background

What is considered Huatulco
But first let me explain what is actually a place called Huatulco. The name Huatulco in the “nahuatl” language means “place where the wood is venerated” surges more than 1,500 years before the Spanish colonization.

Huatulco refers to the resort area Bahías de Huatulco or the bays of Huatulco. The four main parts of Huatulco are Tangolunda, the area where the more upscale resorts are located, Santa Cruz, a small town with more hotels, the marina and Santa Cruz beach, La Crucecita, another small town just inland from the beach area having a more genuine Mexican ambiance, and Chahué, an area between Santa Cruz and Tangolunda. These areas are within a mile or two from each other. All this places together are simply called Huatulco.

Construction on the Huatulco resort area began in 1983; virtually all structures were built after that date. The existing population was relocated to Santa Maria Huatulco some 20 km away. The area is known for its beautiful isolated bays separated by rocky hills set against the backdrop of the Sierra Madre del Sur. For a look at the area see Aerial Photos of Huatulco. Traveling north of the area, the terrain rises quickly becoming a lush tropical jungle where crops such as coffee, bananas, cashew nuts are grown. For some specific recommendations, see The Best of Huatulco.

Huatulco is very Mexican — one has only to walk through the local market or sit in the central square in La Crucecita, on a Sunday evening and watch the local people to be convinced of this. Music and dance are an important part of the culture and frequently there are performances in the central square or in the ecological park. It is true however, that Huatulco is a cleaner, neater version of Mexico.

Some criticize Huatulco as not being “the real Mexico”, because it is a town constructed as a beach resort and many of its inhabitants are not local. I disagree. Although many of the people are from different parts of the state and indeed from around the country, they bring with them rich mixture of Mexican culture.

The wide, paved streets, lined with grass, flowering shrubs and palm trees, contribute to making Huatulco an extremely pleasant place to be. Huatulco beaches have been reported to be the cleanest in all the country and this is no accident. Benefiting from extensive government resources, Huatulco has a series of water treatment plants for processing and recycling all sewage, the product of which is used on the extensive green spaces around the town. Not a drop of sewage treated or otherwise, is deposited into the ocean, making Huatulco unique in Mexico.

Hotel Marina in Santa Cruz

This resort town was created to provide jobs for the people of Oaxaca, one of the poorest, most traditional states in Mexico. The government has invested almost one billion dollars in this resort to the benefit of thousands of Oaxacan families and also the foreign and domestic tourists who enjoy the world-class facilities of Huatulco.

Driving into Huatulco (wa-TOOL-co) my wife commented that the town center, La Crucecita, was charmingly Mexican with a traditional central square bounded by shops and patio restaurants. Beautiful wide boulevard lead us to Santa Cruz area, only 2 km further from La Crucecita, where we were going to look for the hotel.

We found our accommodation easily, even though we didn’t make any advanced reservations, in one of the all inclusive hotels in Santa Cruz, hotel La Castillo. Since we were staying here for 10 days, we wanted to stay at a nice place, somewhere near the beach, with free Wi-Fi and breakfast included. We purposely picked beginning of December for our trip, so the prices were very low and affordable.

Santa Cruz 

Santa Cruz 
It’s a small village and walkable in an hour or so but has lots to offer. A square shaped marina directly across from our hotel, a collection of market stalls where prices are better than at beaches or La Crucecita – except when the cruise ships are in town. There is also Zocalo, a nice small park with a coffee shop at its hub, and several stores, restaurants and mini hotels. On the far side of the marina is an HSBC bank with ATM that accepts major credit cards. At the Scotiabank down the street I exchanged my Canadian dollars into pesos with no hitches… and got better exchange rate than I would in La Crucecita.

Santa Cruz marina

Beyond the park, you come to more shops, a row of restaurants (including Jess y mar, Dona Celia) and the beach, though most other beaches are better. Little disturbing was seeing how many houses and future hotels are not finished and are left empty. Just on the hill above Santa Cruz marina is a big unfinished housing complex left standing there as a ghost town. Not a nice picture for all the tourists who arrive with the Cruise ships. I guess this is reflection on current situation in Mexico, all the negative writings about gang killings, which resulted in luck of tourists.

Hotel La Castillo
When we arrived in Santa Cruz, first we looked at the Marina hotel, but something told us to look around some more. La Castillo hotel was just around the corner.

All inclusive hotel La Castillo

La Castillo hotel was clean, with great food, and great service. The location and the price is why we considered this place. In La Castillo, we were just behind the Santa Cruz marina and close to the public beaches. We were on walking distance to Santa Cruz shopping area and market, banks – the ones which have the best exchange rates are also nearby, taxi terminus as well, to get into La Crucecita. We spent $800 CDN for our 10 days stay in the hotel, including buffet breakfast and secured free parking. Its location (on the main street) doesn’t mean it’s noisy except early in the morning when the marina boys blare music from their vans and boats which is normal since even on vacation one must wake-up at a decent hour to do things.
The hotel itself is low rise Mexican colonial style building with about 100 rooms. The pool is good but not always in the sun, with several umbrellas for shade. But, who wants to stay by the pool (we didn’t), when there is such a big selection of beautiful beaches. The rooms are spacious – ceramic floors and beautiful balconies, which made me feel I was in a Mexican telenovella (Soap Operas) set in colonial times. The lobby bar has live music on Fridays and Saturdays.

Marina Santa Cruz

La Castillo hotel seems well-organized with a shuttle bus to Chahue beach club which is only 1 km away from hotel (15 min if you walk). Though, the other beach – Santa Cruz beach is even closer, only 5 min walk nearby. We used shuttle bus only on our first day, but later didn’t want to depend on their schedule, so we always used our car. The shuttle leaves the hotel every 30 minutes for this 5 minute trip.

Chahue beach club
The beach club is fantastic, with a pool, restaurant, washrooms, volley ball courts, hammocks and lots of palapas. The beach is never crowded, bar and food service was well beyond expectations… everyone smiling and saying hello. Our server Eleuterio (Teo) did a wonderful job serving us, bringing cold cerveza under our umbrella on the beach in the bucket of ice. And most importantly, he wasn’t “pushy” salesman… if I order only one beer (it never happened) or several, it didn’t matter to Teo.

Chahue beach club – paradise

Chahue beach

On this beach, we didn’t get bothered by too many vendors. Few of them would stop and offer jewellery for sale, massage services or hair braiding (very popular). One local guy, walking the beach with an open suitcase full of jewellery, was there every day trying to sell his stuff. He would start talking to us and we learnt he visited Canada few years back. His name was Pepe, and to show us how he knows English, he kept repeating “Hole Mole, Guacamole!” Locals say you should never pay more than half the asking price in tourist stores or from vendors. Vera got a $45 silver ring with large red coral stone from Pepe, for $250 pesos (~$20 CAD). It has the .925 stamp on it, indicating real silver, and would be more in a shop. Besides we befriended him and he continued to stop by our umbrella every day to chit chat about Canada and Mexico. When I mentioned our next stop will be Acapulco, he gave me instructions how to get into the city and save time.

The clientele of this hotel is mostly Mexican families, try out your Spanish and make new friends. We did… but there were Canadians as well. We met great couple from Saskatchewan, Natalie and David, who were staying in our hotel. Hello guys… if you read this.

Croatian-Canadian on Chahue beach

While we were there, for several days we couldn’t go into the water because of the jellyfish. First three days were good, but than one morning there was jellyfish all over the beach. One day, when I was thinking they were gone, I swam into jellyfish and got stung several times but it wasn’t painful and diminished quickly. So, when swimming or snorkeling, look up occasionally to see if there are jellyfish. They were small, translucent, white, pink and blue. Again, locals told us they will disappear in about three days and they were right.

Restaurant in Chahue beach club

Vera on the beach

Chahue area has Best Western which looks into a dead end area but Eden Costa hotel in Chahue is lovely, well-lit and houses the excellent fusion-cuisine Echalote restaurant. Next door to the Chahue beach club was Xquenda Huatulco Spa hotel, which looked very deserted. There are condos being build everywhere in this area, but the prices are pretty high.

Boulevard Santa Cruz connecting with Tangolunda area
 

Barefoot on the beach
More than anything else it was the beaches that sold us on Huatulco. There are nine bays with thirty-seven beaches spread along 18 kilometers of rugged coastline. Several of the beaches are set into coves within the bays so that, unlike much of the Pacific coast, the waters are calm and safe for swimming and snorkeling. Some areas are accessible only by boat and many are virgin beaches with nothing but pristine sand and crystal clear water. We were surprised by how very few tourists were here at this time. Mexico’s tourism is really being hit hard by all the negative writings about gang killings and danger. We didn’t see any of this, especially not here in Huatulco area, and we felt safe at all times. I keep repeating this, but it’s true!!

With our car, we checked every strip of beach available and depending on our impression of a particular location, our stay lasted from one hour to whole day. Five of Huatulco bays have been designated as a National Aquatic Park. While the coral is not as colorful as you might find in the Caribbean, the abundance and variety of marine life will fascinate those interested in diving or snorkeling.

Vera on Santa Cruz public beach

Santa Cruz public beach was within walking distance. It has a few excellent seafood palapa restaurants. Umbrella and chairs given for free with the purchase of a drink(s). This is the democratic public beach for Mexicans. What was annoying was those first minutes when approaching the beach area. You are suddenly surrounded by several guys at once, who are trying to get you to their part of the beach, so they can sell you drinks and food later. We created our own tactic to ignore them at first, pick the place that we like and than move toward chairs and umbrellas.

Vera and Zdenko on Santa Cruz public beach

Vera in front of a restaurant in Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz marina

La Marina hotel has a private beach – so small and empty, not worth the visit. There is no beach club as advertised. Well, it’s physically there, but empty.

La Marina beach – very small

La Entrega is beautiful. La Entrega, with the best snorkeling in the area, is about a two miles past the Santa Cruz beach, by road. It is worth a cab ride. We came with our car at the end of the day, just to explore it. Water was clean and warm, but the beach can be busy during the day. To see schools of fish there, just follow the right side row of buoys that marks the swimming area. Use the attached rope to propel you along. Restaurants here are more expensive. Between the beach and Santa Cruz there is a nice vista, with the view on Santa Cruz bay. You should stop there and take a few pictures…

Beautiful La Entrega beach

Maguey Bay
We didn’t like Maguey beach because of the procession of vendors, who jumped on us at the parking lot above the beach. They followed us all the way down to the beach trying to get us to their restaurant. They were really annoying. The beach was nice, but not as big as we expected. With a 400 m long beach, this bay offers its fresh soft waves and soothing environment, ideal for the families with children to enjoy water sports, snorkeling and Jet Ski.

Maguey beach offers good snorkeling

Maguey beach: too many restaurants and very few tourists

The water was much warmer here than on our beach in Chahue. Approaching the beach there is about 2 km of grovel road, because you have to go through construction zone, as they are expanding Santa Cruz boulevard, all the way to Maquey bay.

Playa La Bocana
We fell in love with La Bocana. It’s a short 10 minute car drive from Santa Cruz. The ocean there is amazing! The few hours we spent there were most memorable. Huge waves crashing to the shore, local kids jumping from the rocks into the ocean. The surfers… it was all breath taking and a fantastic place to take pictures.

Entrance to La Playa Bocana – wide bouleward

La Playa Bocana

The restaurants at Bocana are right at the end of the beach – where the road stops. The beach goes on quite a bit after that….so if you want drinks and food you should stay at the entrance. If you go to the secluded beaches – Cacaluta and La India (we didn’t) are the prettiest but you might get seasickness since they are far away. You get to see them from afar in the seven bay tours.

Cruise ship pier in Santa Cruz Bay.
The newly constructed cruise ship dock in Santa Cruz is receiving on the average of 80 cruise ships per year. While we were there the cruise ship “Norwegian Star” arrived early in the morning on Wednesday and left shortly after 5 PM.

Cruise ship ”Norwegian Star” has arrived

Tourists from the cruise ship on the beach

Prices go way up in town when the ships arrive. We were told there are about 6 ships a month, depending on the time of year. It’s not too bad shopping on the same day as the cruise ship arrives; at least it provides some entertainment watching cruise ship people try to find their way around. However, you should avoid real shopping in Santa Cruz, when the cruise ship is in, because the prices increase substantially for the benefit of the tourists on the ship. Even the restaurants at the marina where the cruise ship docks, have all the prices jacked up on the day when ship arrives. As soon the ship leaves, the real menu comes out with everything nearly half priced. Vera and I stayed on the marina beach that day, curious to see tourists from the ship and all the events surrounding them, but the chair and umbrellas on the beach were $100 pesos on that day and the beach was very crowded.

Norwegian Star cruise ship