Got up to go find another room. I didn't even want to shower in here!  
Mazunte is just around the corner (1/2 mi) from here. Took a walk there yesterday, but most places are either too expensive or too ratty. Of the three beach/towns - Mazunte, San Agustinillo, Zipolite - Mazunte has the nicest town: it has a lot of nice shops and restaurants, brick paved streets, and it's the largest.  

Mazunte's beach is nice, but a little small (1/3 mi). San Agustinillo has the best beach (1 mi). Zipolite is okay (1 mi).  

Took a cab to go to Puerto Angel (4 mi). Forget it: the beach is awful and small; fishing boats at one end; military base at the other; crappy housing in the center. There is a very small beach on the other side of the bay, half of it occupied by a hotel. Didn't check out the town, but what I saw was uninspiring.  

Headed back and got dropped off in Zipolite. Walked from the south to the north. The beach has a bit of slope at the shore, but after the high water mark it's flat. The southern half doesn't have much: a few so-so restaurants on the beach and some so-so 'hotels'. The northern half is the town and the better lodgings and eateries: still nothing fancy, though you couldn't tell by the pricing.  
The far south part of this beach is actually called Playa del Amor. You know I'm all about love, right?! So this had to be the place for me. Found a place that would do, even though it was away from the main part. Checked in town for a bicycle rental: $6 a day. Asked a couple of cabbies for a price: $0.60 - 1.80. Sticking with cabs. Walked back to Estrella de Mar. Internet price: from $38. Desk clerk said $27. Got the manager to okay $24 if I paid for a week up front. That's what I paid for the not so nice place I stayed at last night. I was planning on some sun time: just had to find the right place. So I hailed a cab; went back to my room, grabbed my stuff, returned my key, got back into my waiting cab. I was gonna take pics when I returned, but I was in such a hurry, I forgot. You're not missing much.  

 
 

So here I am, in a small, but clean and comfortable room, with a balcony and a window, with screens, overlooking the beach. I have two chairs, a small corner table, two coat hooks (no closet - on my budget, there's always something missing) and a ceiling fan (only a couple hotels even offer a/c in this area). The bathroom, although looking nice (clean, no broken tiles), has no towel bar, no toilet paper holder, no shower soap dish, no shower curtain; these have all been broken, which seems the case with all rooms for under $40/night. No hot water either, which is a hit or miss affair, as are good showerheads.  


Comfortwise are nice chaise loungers, with thick cushions, under umbrellas. Most of the places I looked at in this area had mosquito nets over the beds. My first room had screens over the openings and I had no problems with mosquitos. No net here, but I kept the screen door closed during the evening. When I got here, the wind was onshore. My room is open to the ocean on one side; the entry door, on the opposite side, is open to the center part of the u-shaped hotel, creating a great breezeway. At 3pm, it was 85º, 69% humidity, 4mph breeze in my room: really comfortable. Kept the door closed after sunset. About 8pm, the wind turned to offshore, so I turned on the ceiling fan.  

 













 
 Views of the area from the top floor rear of the bldg.






 
 
I got checked in around 10am. Around11am, I walked into town, checking the mini grocery stores on the way, looking for a cooler.  

   


 










 




 
Got all the way into town, saw a cooler, went to lunch about three doors down. Ordered tortas 'something': about three tortillas with beans, onions, tomato, avocado and goat cheese. Good. 2 for 1 strawberry daiquiris (sort of small glass, but under $4), and a glass of wine.



















 


 Missed my cat, but saw this beautiful sailboat way out on the horizon.  











 
Picked up my cooler, ice, rum, and coke. Back in my room, door open, excellent breeze, worked on yesterday's blog (no internet there). Internet here is only in the lobby area, but my room is in the area (2nd floor, just above the lobby/dining area - they only serve breakfast), so I'm getting to do this from the comfort of my own room. The internet is slow though, so it took me a long time to complete that blog (almost to bedtime).  


   
 
Took a break at 5pm, went looking for dinner. Didn't want to go too far, so I tried a place close by. Had garlic sautéd octopus and limp, greasy fries. Sunset and waves were nice.  


 
 















 
 
Haven't been right on the ocean since Melaque. I'm closer to the waves here, so maybe that's why they sound so loud: a couple of times I thought I was hearing a jet engine! I was never fond of the constant pounding of the surf, but I've been enjoying it, and missing it when I'm away from it. I may have to rethink my lake plans! For me, it's not about the swimming: it's about the view, and the breeze coming off the water.