Right on the beach with a perfect view, the cabana was a perfect combo of rustic and nice. Brand new, comfy hammock on my deck, big bed with a mosquito net, mostly enclosed with openings for air in the large bathroom (no hot water) and huge doors in the front to open to the sea breeze. Relaxed for the remainder of the afternoon in my hammock and maybe bought homemade tamales and salsa from a plastic bag when a woman came up to my deck trying to sell them. Stomach of iron, don't fail me now!! 
They were pretty good. Tired after all the travel and trying to get off night shift, I headed across the street for dinner. The rotisserie chicken restaurant was recommended by my hotel owner and had choices of honey, pineapple, or mango that day. The mango chicken was super succulent with a pureed mango and spice mixture rubbed between the chicken and skin and then spit roasted to perfection. Met some ex-pats there and a woman from NY who lives here and runs her own jewelry business may be heading to Taxco and overnighting in Oaxaca City the same day I am heading there. She says she can give me a ride if it works out, which would be awesome. There is talk of air mattress surfing in the morning, which I agreed to maybe participate in and/or go laugh at. Early night, as I am exhausted.My hotel only takes cash, as do most places around town. The airport didn't let me take out much, so I need more pesos.
So the next morning, I wake up early and head to the next town of Mazunte to find the ATM. Saw huge birds in the trees that a few of us were trying to get a better look at. One guy asked if they thought it was a parrot (clearly not, as they were brown) and I said "no, but THAT is", pointing to a local on a motorbike driving past with a parrot on his head. So random. 
Continuing my quest, the only ATMs I could find were broken, but lots of cute restaurants in this town and stopped for coffee and breakfast of green chicken enchiladas with an egg and beans. This town appears to be full of yoga fanatics and hippies. Spoke with a nice, retired French man waiting for his daughter to arrive. Walked back to San Agustinillo. Everyone is so friendly and says hello or good morning. Laid in my hammock, reading, napping, and watching the surfers from my deck. 
Turns out, I can buy anything from my hammock! Tamales, fish and potatoes, jewelry, brownies and a shot of mezcal, or even another hammock! Watched the local kids fly kites and body board at sunset. At night, I head back to Mazunte for fish dinner. Only thing to note for others making the trip is that there is a stretch of the road with no street lights, so bring a headlamp or phone flashlight.
Such good sleeps here! The crashing waves, cool ocean breeze and so many stars at night are perfect for snoozing away. Woke up and heading back to Mazunte for attempt number two of obtaining cash. Ran in to the French man again on the street, whose daughter still hadn't arrived. We had coffee and breakfast at the same spot. Tried to switch it up and had entomadas de queso. We made a plan to meet up the next morning to check out Centro Mexicano del la Tortuga, the Turtle Conservation Museum featuring land and sea turtles, which had been closed since I arrived. Not five minutes after leaving breakfast, a guy walked past me selling empanadas and fresh pastries. 
I picked a mango jam with baked pineapple chunk pastry, which was amazingly delicious. Found the working ATM (I surely wouldn't have found it without the help of someone at the hotel, as it is tucked in to the side of a flip flop and beachware store with little signage). Then headed back to San Agustinillo. I had gotten sunburned the previous day, so tried to mostly stay out of the sun and read my book on butterflies, of which I have seen many here. There was a whale spotting way off shore, which we could just barely see from the beach. Chatted with others at my hotel and got some tips on restaurants in Oaxaca.The next morning I got up and walked the beach at sunrise. Met up with the French man for breakfast and then we headed to the Turtle Museum.
Great set up and loved seeing the little sea turtle swimming about and a big sea turtle that was likely about to outgrow its home and be released into the sea. We parted ways and I headed back to my hotel. By this point, I feel like I recognize lots of people along the way. Stop in to chat with the fisherman, who brought in about 70 shark today and are gutting them along the beach. Apparently, that is about all they can catch to survive around this time, and at least they are using the whole shark and not just cutting off the fin and letting the rest go to waste. They offered to take me out in the afternoon for about $10, but the seas got really rough and opted for a day of swimming at the next beach over, protected by some big rocks. The undertow is pretty strong here, so I stay close to shore. More eating random things brought by vendors along the beach and an afternoon homemade double scoop of tiramisu and plantain (like less sweet banana) ice cream from the small spot across from my hotel. 
Had an amazing last dinner of BBQ fish at this spot two doors down from my hotel. Beautiful candle lit tables overlooking the beach owned by this older gentleman that I have seen hard at work all day, the last few days. He brings out a charcoal grill and makes a mean BBQ fish (which was maybe shark steak, as that is all they caught that day and was similar in texture to the other time I had BBQ shark). Finalize plans to head to Oaxaca City the next morning with the woman I met the first night.Get picked up at my hotel by the woman I met and we pick another friend of hers up in Zipolite. So nice to be in a nice car instead of the initial plan of catching a colectivo and then what I heard was nicknamed the "Vomit Comet", a van that packs people in and drives fast through the windy mountain roads.
It is a beautiful drive with cool, fresh smelling air. Sometimes almost jungle looking landscape and then up the mountains filled with pine trees with air plants. Stopped in San Mateo, a little town atop of the hill for a yummy chorizo and cheese torta and delicious coffee (there are many coffee fincas along the road). Super cheap (lunch was a little over $2) and if I were to do it again, I would stay in this town for a night or two as the cabins have gorgeous views and fireplaces. As we get closer to Oaxaca City, the landscape becomes more like a desert. There are these beautiful purple blossoming trees which break up the desert landscape. We make good time, but hit Oaxaca city traffic, a bit of a jar after little beach town life. There are people selling boxing gloves and a mini punching bag, walking up and down stopped traffic. Maybe in case you experience road rage? Ha! Get dropped off at my hotel, Parador Del Dominico, which is centrally located and spacious. We make plans to meet up at the rooftop deck of Cafe Praga overlooking the church later that night for drinks. 
I headed out walking to explore and get my bearings and almost instantly love this city. Art everywhere, beautiful architecture, colorful buildings, and amazing food choices. Make it to Cafe Praga, in the pedestrian only area for my first mezcal drink with honey and hibiscus. Yummy but super strong. We have dinner at an amazing restaurant called La Biznaga, where I ordered chicken wrapped around plantains in a guava mole sauce. Oh boy, am I in trouble with all this amazing food.Now trying to decided whether to navigate the colectivos to a nearby town for their weekly market or explore the city more. So much to do, so little time! One thing I know for sure is that it will include food :)
Love,
Betsy
Visited parks to watch people practice their morning Tai Chi and wandered alley ways checking out street art. Visited Man Mo temple, sandwiched by high rises, and then took the mid level escalators just to see where they went, stopping to explore a mosque and some side streets. Wandered into the zoo and botanical garden on the way back down and hit up an art gallery showing an exhibit by a favorite artist of mine (Vik Munoz of the documentary Wasteland). Wandered the antique shop area and stopped for lunch at Dim Sum Square on Jervois Street. Headed to the Peak Tram to ride up to Victoria Peak. Long lines of people pushing and shoving, but luckily my Octopus Pass made it so I didn't need to buy a ticket and I got to cut part of the line. 
Took a hike around the peak along Lugard Road which was full of plant, bird, and butterfly information. Enjoyed my first Hong Kong eggette, this waffle cone made with a fluffy, thick waffle instead of hard cone with a scoop of mango ice cream and syrup. Enjoyed the free views from the top of Peak Galleria to watch the sunset and the nightly city light show before heading back. 
Didn't eat at the overpriced tourist restaurants at the Peak, so I stopped in an alley way and found plastic tables and chairs set up for dinner at a little place with a menu I was unable to read. When they came to take my order, I just pointed to whatever the guy behind me was eating and said "That!" I ended up with yummy noodles and some kind of seafood... cuttlefish, I think? Feet and legs are tired after walking 15 miles around the city, I headed back to my hotel to plan out my next day.
The next day, it was sunny and warm. I decided to get out of the city and head to Lantau Island. Took the subway to Tung Chung and then a bus to Tai O stilted fishing village. The island is so lush and green! I felt an instant weight lifted on the bus trip while admiring the view over the hills and around curvy roads. It was nice to escape the city hustle and bustle. 
I arrived before the hordes of tourists and jumped on a local boat tour with four other Chinese women to see the village from the water and to try spot a pink dolphin. Alas, the pink dolphin remains elusive after my many attempts in many countries to no avail (this search only cost me $3.90, so worth it I guess). 
Wandered the little village, which is a sharp contrast from the city. No cars, only bicycles and boats. Stopped for a yummy street lunch of grilled seafood (mochi fish cake, scallops, garlic oysters). I then walked across the long pier and behind another village for a quiet hike to the Man Cheung Po waterfall and "infinity pool" which is really water reservoir. 
Supposedly no swimming, although the two government official guys had a life saver buoy, which I presume they would only need if someone was swimming? I thought about trying to sneak a soak in as it looked so inviting, but thought better of it as I am still trying to preserve my run of not ending up on the TV show "Locked Up Abroad." I had the place to myself for a few minutes and only passed a few people on the hike.
Hard to believe in a place this populated, you can get away from it all. There also appears to be a hiking trail all the way around the island with some nice camp sites. Maybe some day I can come back with my hiking gear and camp out. By the time I got back to Tai O, the hordes of tourists had arrived and the line for the bus back to the subway was super long. I took a chance and opted for another bus, sans line, to the halfway point Ngong Ping. 
Another tourist attraction, there is a big Buddha statue and monastery there, but the tram is shut down for repairs. I was going to skip the trip to the top, but there weren't as many tourists as I was expecting (close to closing time and I think everyone started here and then headed to the fishing village). It was fun to walk up all the stairs for a lookout and see the big statue. Grabbed a bus back to the subway and then the subway to the Jordan station to check out the Temple Night Market and grab dinner. Stopping at the first place I found for food (partially because I was afraid to turn down the yell-ey lady when she shoved a menu in my face and ordered me to sit), I enjoyed a yummy dinner at The Spicy Crab. Met a nice Australian guy in town for business, who sat at a table next to mine and he showed me around the market after dinner. He showed me the little fruit and veggie food stalls, and I looked for mangosteens with no luck, as most were closing up. While we all know I am generally a bit of a loner when I travel, we agreed to meet up the next day, as he is super nice, easy going and up for adventure and he seems to like food and ice cream as much as I do!
We then headed to Mong Kok to check out the variety of markets. Hit up the flower market full of orchids and some bonsai and such, a bird market full of old men selling caged birds, the ladies market full of clothes and purses and stuff and the goldfish market.
Between my last work week and all the exploring, I was all tuckered out and nap time was in order. Then later that evening, we headed back to the Central district to catch the slow ferry to Cheung Chau Island. It was drizzling a little, but we sat at the upstairs at the back of the ferry and I enjoyed the view from the ferry as the city lights got further away. 
We arrived in a cute little town and found the small restaurant I had heard about. But we ended up getting denied. They don't speak much English and not sure if it was too close to closing time or they only had reserved big family tables on a Sunday? No worries, we found a little spot on the water to enjoy a yummy seafood dinner. Garlic scallops, spicy chili black bean crab, curry prawns, and seafood fried rice left me full, yet again. But oh boy, it was all dee-licious! Explored the little town a bit before it was time to catch the fast ferry back to the city.
The next day, I was invited by the Australian on a huge yacht, as the yacht was being moved to a different harbor for the cleaning and clearance for customs and transport case to be made. We took the subway to Kwun Tong and then a taxi to the harbor where the yacht was moored. 
We met up with the Hong Kong yacht brokers and driver of the boat and we all headed out. It was a cloudy morning, but I always enjoy being on the water. It was neat to see a different view of Hong Kong from the water as we passed a couple of fishing boats near the rocky shoreline, a golf course, and an amusement park. We arrived at our destination, Aberdeen Harbor, around lunch time. 
A small boat with a "take-away food" came over and sold our driver some soup noodles, made on the little boat kitchen. It reminded me of the women who sold pho along the Mekong River Floating Markets, as they row up to your boat and hand you a steaming bowl of soup. 
The huge yacht was completely pulled out of the water into a warehouse and there was a quick business meeting. The yacht brokers then treated us to lunch at this nearby fabulous restaurant called Jumbo on the water. Dim sum lunch was delicious, especially the roast duck. 
We went back to check out the boat progress and then bussed back to the Central district. Later, we returned to the Temple Street Night Market for dinner and walked around enjoying the lights and night city scene. I took in all the neon lighting, as I had read an article a few years ago that the iconic neon lighting was slowly creeping out of the Hong Kong streets and being replaced by LED lighting. The city streets are a strange, constant mix of old and new. We looked for ice cream, but were sadly unsuccessful.
Spent my first evening in Cologne checking out amazing nearby Christmas markets. The main one is next to the Dom Cathedral with thousands of lights, a stage with music, and stalls galore. Not far away is the Aldstadt Old Town Christmas Market with a theme of gnomes. 
There is a two ice skating rinks with a large ice loop connecting them both, a game played on ice like large shuffleboard at one of the glugwein stand, and traditional music with people singing along in German. 
Ate yummy potato dumplings covered in creme fraiche with fresh herbs, sauerkraut, onions and a smoked sausage. Then walked along the Rhine River to the Christmas market outside the chocolate museum. This one is smaller and nautical themed with Santa pirates singing German sea shanties. Followed the river pathway right back to my hotel.
The next morning, I visited the cathedral. It is hard to describe just how massive it is. So much detail every place you look with massive stained glass windows, some medieval looking and some more contemporary looking. It was fabulous to see it in person. 
Stopped for a snack of sautéed mushrooms smothered in garlic sauce with bread to soak up the sauce. I had planned to visit the Ludwig Art Museum and maybe the Chocolate Museum, but apparently museums are closed on Mondays. 
So I took the train for a peaceful walk around Melaten Cemetery outside the city center. Then went to check out the smaller Christmas Markets outside the city center. Went to Stadtgarden to check out their market with lots of handicrafts. Enjoyed a homemade hot buttered rum with spiced apple and then headed to Rudolfplatz to check out the Christmas market geared towards children. A short walk landed me at the pink, blue, and rainbow gay and lesbian themed market. And then headed to Neumarket with white roof stalls and star lights hanging in the trees. 
Snacked on grilled steak kebab in bread and fried cauliflower in dill batter with hollandaise sauce and can not possibly eat anoth.... oh hey! Waffles shaped like the cathedral with powdered sugar, chocolate, and banana!! 
I headed back for one more round at my favorite Alstadt Old Town Market for more ice skating and snacking. And finally, fully stuffed, I took a walk across the bridge outside my hotel to see the love padlocks lining the fence and get some night shots of the Dom.
The next morning was an early start to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. It is a picturesque walled medieval town with pastel colored Bavarian houses and cobblestone streets. The whole town is decorated for Christmas with window decorations. Lots of guesthouses and bakeries all throughout town and the air smells of wood burning fireplaces, baked goods, and roasted chestnuts. Apparently, Walt Disney once visited this town as well, and modeled Geppetto's town in Pinocchio from here. My guesthouse, Zum Breiterle, is above a small restaurant/bakery and conveniently located near the town square. 
The rooms are small but super clean and lots of wood like a small attic room. Walked the small Christmas Market and had delicious wild boar sausage, homemade gingerbread, and roasted marshmallows with nutella. Spent the day walking the entire massive wall surrounding the city, enjoying the views of the town and the surrounding countryside. Breaking up all the Christmas cheer, I stopped in to the Torture Museum (now called the Criminal Justice Museum for political correctness?). 
It was pretty interesting and sometimes funny (did you know that in Medieval times, if a married couple was quarreling, they locked them together with a piece of wood or locked them in their house with a wooden club and gave their neighbors a bit of wine to compensate for the disturbance?) I have also been a looking for just the right Christmas pyramid to add to my home holiday decorations. I have always loved them and wanted one with animals instead of the traditional religious ones that could use tea lights, since they are easier to find than the small candles specifically for the pyramids. Found one with a winter scene with fox and deer and all kinds of animals at a famous Christmas store and it was the last one. The lady who wrapped it for me said "since it is a winter scene so you can use it for more than just Christmas!" 
Little does she know I sometimes leave my Christmas stuff up for more than just Christmas because I love it so much. Back to the Christmas Market for some uh...second dinner (maybe I had already had dinner at a restaurant)? The town seems to have emptied out, as most people come on tour buses and it is drizzling a bit. I found a store to buy a gift for our work gift exchange, since I won't have any time to go to shop once I get home with my work schedule. 
The shop owners were super nice and gave me a little discount for being from the same area as their friend, Rick Steves (who recommends them in his guidebook and sends them a Christmas card each year). Three generations were working in the store, including the father who was as ex-policeman. He showed me a great black and white photo from when the store first opened 70 years ago and has been in the family ever since. Later that night, I went on a recommended night watchman tour in the evening for more town history until it started to pour rain.
Took a quick look around the center area before heading to a suburb called Ludwigsburg (incidentally, the hometown of my Iceland to Munich airplane seatmate, an eccentric physicist that reminded me of Einstein). Wandered around and visited the Baroque Ludwigsburg Palace, first built as a hunting lodge that grew to epic proportions. I was just in time for the tour of the Queens side in English. It was an absolutely fabulous tour led by an extremely knowledgeable woman full of stories. 
The inside of the palace was so ornate (sadly, no pictures were allowed). Dining halls full of chandeliers, sitting rooms and libraries full of beautiful furnishings, the most beautiful hallway I have ever seen with light blue walls like the sky and gold and chandeliers. 
There was also a theater, church, and an original window that works as a magnifying glass to make the Rapunzel tower on the palace garden grounds appear larger as you walk away from it. Later, I went to the town square Christmas market surrounded by large lit golden angels. I had some country potatoes with sour cream and a spit roasted pork neck sandwich followed by homemade gingerbread made with honey as the only sweetener, hot from the oven by the baker. 
Kids were on multiple street corners playing music or singing. Then back to the Stuttgart Night Market that was crowded but had a small ice skating rink and the best ride-able Christmas train I have seen yet.
My final full day, I was going to go to a nearby town called Tubingen. But in researching it more, I had missed the chocolate market by a week, it looked a bit like Heidelberg that I had already visited, and the Christmas Market was only on weekends. 
So I took the train a bit further to Hechingen and caught a bus to Hohenzollern to see a castle. Fabulous choice! I walked up the steep hill to the Castle (there is also a shuttle for a couple euro). 
It was perfect weather. The sun came out over a mist and the views from the castle could see for miles and miles in all directions. Had tons of fun exploring the towers, turrets, drawbridges, ramps, and the casemate bomb-proof vaulted secret passages of the neo-Gothic castle. Unlike the Heidelburg Castle that was ruins, this castle was built between 1850-1867 and well preserved and rebuilt. 
Went on a tour just to see some of the ornate woodwork and paintings inside with a small museum of knight armor and other things. All in German again, but their was some information plaques with an English translation (you have to be on a tour to get access inside, but again, no pictures allowed).
Then caught the bus and trains to a suburb of Stuttgart called Esslingen on the Neckar River to check out my last Christmas Market. This one had a medieval theme. I missed the knight jousting over the market, but it was a really fun last market to see. All kinds of costumed people walking around, medieval music performers, blacksmiths creating crafts, their ferris wheel was a water wheel that was hand cranked, a nativity scene that had live animals you could pet, and all kinds of fun games (like a betting game with live mice, a dunk tank, and other fun activities). 
I had a most delicious fried wedge of Camembert cheese in a thin pita-like bread topped with garlic herb sauce and lingonberries, a filling bowl of wild boar chili con carne, apple struesel and a marzipan hot cocoa. I didn't want to leave! 
But I had to head back to Stuttgart for a bit of rest before getting up early for my train ride from Stuttgart back to Munich. Sadly, I can't recommend Iceland Air since they were 0/4 flights on time, had one painfully slow person to check an entire flight in at the Munich airport, and had two flights leaving Iceland for Seattle about five minutes apart leading to mass confusion. But it was super cheap and they somehow did manage to land in Seattle close to on time around 5pm to make it to work by 7pm for a grueling 12 1/2 hour night shift. Still recovering, but it was all totally worth it. All in all, a wonderful trip. Germans tended to be really friendly, nice and helpful. They are straightforward and can seem stern at first, but are really lots of fun. Questioning whether I may be German at heart because they love Christmas festivities and to eat as much as I do (with the obvious understanding that potatoes, sausage, and sour cream make all meals better). I was saddened to hear about the recent event at the Berlin Christmas Market. I can't imagine places so full of joy, families, and fun take such a tragic turn. Glad I wasn't there for that (and thanks for those who checked in on me).