Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25170
Ii: ~ o '" o "'- :J IT: ~ z « ::>: ~ o "'- :J IT: "'- ..1 ..J '" ::>: o w til ..1 ..J o o '" u '" ::>: w til u '" o If ~ "'- g ::>: o :I: "'- '" ~ U g U Vl 41 w Vl j; ff « ::>: o z Another downside of Baja is that along with proximity come lots of Mexico" (although Baja is certainly "true Mexico") then go south to Oaxaca, the second southernmost state in Mexico (just north of Chiapas, which lies on the Mexico/Guatemala border). If you're on a budget and thrive on the challenge of being the target of pickpockets, bumpy-road-motion sickness and general discomfort, you can take a six to nine hour bus journey for just US$10. For quicker more comfortable rides, contact Mexicana or Aeromexico for the one hour domestic flight from Mexico City to Oaxaca City (US$108). Oaxaca City is a colorful, vibrant old Spanish-colonial-style city, with other North American travelers. After driving 40 hours to get away from it al l, you may find yourself on a quiet beach inhabited by 12 campers, four of whom are old friends who moved to Colorado a few years back, and two others who run your local surf shop back home. If you want to venture fu rther to what people tend to cal l the "true old -fashion local Indian markets, churches, cafes and magically ominous Mexican sunsets. Stay a couple days there, then head to the coast where you' ll find a different kind of beach lifestyle. Puerto Angel is divine. Stay in one of the little hostels on the hills overlooking the seashore (like Penelope's, 011-52- 9584-3073) for US$10 per night. In the morning, head down to the beachside for some heuvos rancheros. Where Baja is the rugged land of cowboys and RVs, Oaxaca is Spanish-colonized Mexico. There are plenty of buses and you definitely don't need a car. Plus it's about four degrees warmer. The best surfing in Oaxaca is in Puerto Escondido, home of Playa Zicatela, also known as "The Mexican Pipeline. " You'll find more motels than quaint hostels, and more crime. There are some fun surf bars and general entertainment to be had in th is area. If you don't surf, you can experience the most chal lenging, fear-inspiring boogie-boarding ever, amidst local Mexicans all of whom wi ll be eight years old since they won't have graduated to the surf break yet. Rent a bamboo cottage by the beach. You can't surf at Zipolite beach, (zipo/ite is Nahuatl, the local indian language, for "killer waves"), in fact, you can barely swim. But if you want to spend your time lazing on the beach feeling the sand on your skin, this may be the paradise you've been waiting for. Many visitors come to strip down to absolutely nothing and relax on the beach. Be warned that if you choose to join them, you may be at risk of offending the locals, not to mention breaking the law. Stay in a rustic cabana at Shambala (US$5, no contact info, just ask when you get there), a calm retreat with a macrobiotic restaurant overlooking the beach, run by Gloria Esperanza Johnson, who stumbled upon Mexico in 1970 and never left. For US$2.50, Gloria wil l let you camp on her grounds. Or rent just a hammock, but beware of theft. This spot is reminiscent of los Island in Greece with a lot fewer people. It's a spot where alternative travelers are virtually guaranteed to find truly out-of-the-ordinary experiences. Continue seeking and keep going south, south central that is. Not to the heart of LA, but to Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in the Bahamas. A stay at this retreat, located on a small but stunning stretch of uncluttered beach on Paradise Island, Nassau, is a welcome tonic not only for the ails of life's usual stresses, but also for the commodification and even fashion accessorization of present-day yoga culture. More profound, though, is the breath of positive