On March 31st, ten days after we arrived at Playa Zipolite, all roads into the coastal towns are blocked by the local government. No visitors and no one new to the beach communities can enter, as the government of Mexico has issued a state of health emergency due to COVID19 and has finally started to take measures to try and flatten the curve, now that numbers of cases in Mexico have doubled since March 20th.
Again, we made it just in time!
Being in the mountains for four days, much as we enjoyed it (and it served as a good place to decompress after our long journey), reinforced for us that we want to live at the ocean. For this upcoming period we know that if we can go to the beach every day, that will make a world of difference to being housebound and in terms of boosting our immune systems.
Doctors have prescribed trips to the ocean for centuries, for several reasons: Ocean air and sunlight for vitamin D; Sea water contains several minerals and other compounds to rid the body of toxins; In particular, iodine which is great for the thyroid and the immune system; The ocean relieves stress and contributes to a good night’s sleep. Having lived close to beaches in both Sri Lanka and Viet Nam, we know that the beach is a valuable resource for us, even in ordinary times, but even more so now.
Zipolite is a one-mile long beach that has a unique culture. Long ignored by locals due to its ancient history of the Zapotecs (an ancient pre Colombian civilization that flourished in the valley of Oaxaca 2,500 years ago), offering the bodies of their dead to the sea. This unoccupied beach became a mecca for foreigners seeking an alternative lifestyle in the late 60’s and 70’s. Counter culture hippies began to congregate due to the beach’s isolated nature and beauty. There was little law enforcement and drug use was common. In the 70s and 80s, the beach gained a reputation as a “free love paradise”. In recent years this beach became the first and only legal beach in Mexico to allow nudism. Zipolite has another claim to fame, the climactic beach scenes in the Mexican block buster movie “Y Tu Mama Tambien” were filmed here.
Zipolite is a sleepy pueblo with one main street and no ATMS and no high rises. The one street in town was quite lively after dark with restaurants open and music playing and people strolling.
There are a few people who contributed to our decision to come to the coast of Oaxaca, because of course Mexico is a large country and we had to make some fast decisions as to where we would want to spend the “corona period” and where we would want to create a home base post corona from which to explore the region.
By serendipity, our oldest son Josh and his lovely American/Mexican partner Ana, visited this region from their home in California, just a few weeks ago. They loved it, sent photos and I had said to Ben at the time “That sounds like a place we want to check out one day, when we are ready to explore Mexico.” Their travel to Oaxaca put the beaches of Mazunte and San Augustinillo (close to Zipolite) back on the radar for us. Before that, our youngest son Adam, had raved about the food in Oaxaca City, which he had visited a couple of years ago.
And then comes a story of global connections and friendship, which is the direct link to how we come to be renting a house near Playa Zipolite.
About ten years ago when we lived in Granada, Nicaragua, we lived directly opposite a yoga studio, which was owned and run by our friend Warren. One day when Ben was in Haiti for our bamboo business, Warren asked me if I would mind hosting a guy coming for a yoga teacher’s training ~ seeing as the studio’s rooms were full up and our house was across the road. I agreed, and shortly thereafter met Adam B. when he came in, hot and dusty from his bus ride from Costa Rica. We said our hellos and I told him I was going to a salsa class and then we could go across the road together to the house.
“Salsa? I love salsa dancing!”, said he. I watched in amazement and awe as this Canadian stranger took over the floor and salsa-ed like a pro! Whaaat? That was my introduction to Adam, ex dancer and singer on broadway, now about to become a yoga teacher. We spent the next five days enjoying each other’s company, talking about our respective histories and futures and goals and solidifying a friendship. We stayed in touch over the years via social media, but somehow for the past ten years our paths did not cross.
While in the mountains in Malinalco I posted photos of the market on my instagram story. Soon after I got a note from Adam B.
“You are in MEXICO???!!!!”
“Yes, just arrived as #coronarefugees, long story, why, where are YOU?”
“I’m in Mexico! I am in Oaxaca at the coast for a few more days before heading back to Canada. I have been coming here every winter for the past eight years!”
“What??? We are heading to the coast in two days, to Puerto Esondido or Mazunte to find a rental house!! Where are you exactly?”
And Adam responds “Right next to Mazunte! We are in Playa Zipolite staying in a really cute guest house right next to the beach. He describes Playa Zipolite as “Queer, Nudist and Progressive.” Shall I ask the owner if there are any rooms available?”
“Yes please. In fact starting from tomorrow for three nights. That should give us time to find a rental house hopefully. We have to move quickly before things go into lockdown.”
And so… we arrive to the guest house and a reunion for me and first time meeting for Ben, with Adam ~ He and his boyfriend Alex, already had friends coming over for a goodbye dinner, and graciously invited us to join them.
Over dinner Adam suggests we ask his friends if they know of a rental house available in the area. They connect us with a few people in their local network and one of them does have a house that is available right away and five minutes walk from the beach.
We see it, we love it and take it.
We move in the very next day. Boom. Done. We have a house. And a beautiful unique house at that. Sweet reunion and grateful for Adam leading us to what has become our new home base.
Playa Zipolite
“Casa Luna de Piedra” ~ (House of the Stone Moon)
Welcome to Casa Luna de Piedra, our new home for the foreseeable future. We have rented this beautifully designed house till the end of July, with an option to continue renting.
Readying for Quarantine / stay at home period
Our priority, now that we have found a house to live in, is to organize our food supply and to get the kitchen user friendly: Ideally,we need a French press for Ben and a juicer for me, a stock of dry goods and a reliable source for fresh fruit and vegetables.
We go for lunch at an upscale beach restaurant nearby, and order an organic spinach salad. We ask the waitress where they get their spinach and other produce from? She comes back with a name and the phone number of a supplier. Mission accomplished. (We have had good luck before with this strategy of tapping into a restaurant supply chain in other countries.)
The next day we have our first delivery to our door from an organic farmer/supplier.
We are his only non-restaurant customers. He can deliver twice a week to our house. And exciting for us, (especially after Sri Lanka and Viet Nam), is that the produce is organic!
The fruits and vegetables are very high quality. It is hugely important, especially for the days to come, to have secured a good vegetable/fruit source. I prefer not to keep meat or fish in our home. Our diet at home is primarily plant based. Having a good farmer connection is really valuable to us.
Before stores inevitably close, or movement is restricted, we manage to get in a trip to the super market, which is a thirty minute cab drive away, in the town of Pochukla.
The house is fully furnished and very comfortable; just the kitchen needs some extras. Hmm, we just sold or gave away all the things we now need, and so again, we start over: Juicer, blender, french press, lemon squeezer, storage containers, jars, pots etc.
The latest development as of April 1 is that we need to go to the road closing area, at the entrance to the community of Zipolite, in order to get a “official pass”, which will be proof that we live in the area, so that we can go in and out of the cordoned off area, if need be.
If we had arrived just one week later ie today, we would have been out of luck and unable to live here.
Physical road blocks at the main road, just before the entrance to Zipolite.
Family Zoom ~ a new tradition
A few weeks back, in Viet Nam, I was telling Ben how ultimately, sooner rather than later, I would want to live closer to our kids.
Yes, I love Asia but it was starting to feel like it’s just too far from a time zone difference. We had limited hours in which to connect.
And so, now on the same time zone, and having used Zoom for business meetings, Ben suggested we try a family zoom. A new family tradition was born.
We use the family zoom time to check in with each other and see how everyone is holding up both psychologically and in terms of health and food supply. We also discuss the impact on our respective businesses and how we are all coping with the current challenges.
Mission accomplished!
We have lived in our new home for a week now and have a social distancing routine in place. We go early to the beach when there are very few people and then return home for online work, for the rest of the day. We go back to the beach for sunset when we can.
What great outcomes for both of you. Well done!
Thanks Peggy.
Beautiful house and setting!
Thanks Anabel.
Nice post and pics. I think you found the perfect place to ride out the storm.
It was a pleasure to see you again.
Hugs, Charles
Thanks Charles. We are pretty pleased with our new digs and the location to hunker down in for the next few months.
Abrazos
Peta
Looks and sounds pretty ideal, I’d say. Good on you for pulling this one off! Hope that gorgeous beach does stay open , in Puerto Rico they’re all closed & yes beach/ocean time is essential. Enjoy that organic celery juice……you reckon you have enough there?!
Johnny, so far, so good. We feel very fortunate to be here and to have stayed one step ahead of border closings every which way.
Ahh one can never have enough celery juice. It’s the best tonic to have, first thing in the morning, fresh and not mixed with anything else. Tremendous health benefits. That crop is good for two days of juicing.
xoxo
Peta
It is amazing to follow you in your constant adventures..How you manage to find friends in various countries, find a house in two minutes and readjust yourselves to the new circonstances no matter where you are…Again I am in awe 👵👵👵👵👵
Gorgeous house‼️Love it….
Madame Bell!!! LOVELY to read you here. This is one of the strengths of being a global nomad and staying in touch through social media. We love having friends all over the world because it makes the world feel smaller! You know that your son , ton fils, could adjust to life on Mars if he needed to, no problem! That energy and spirit pervades every time we have to readjust. With him, it is instant adjustment, no matter when, no matter when.
We knew you would LOVE this house. Loving the orange and yellow and all the design details. Very aesthetic and comfortable.
xoxo
Bisous
Peta
Looks like you’ve landed in paradise and landed on your head Peta! Stay safe and sane!
Judith, we are amazed ourselves at what an incredible place we have landed in. I always land on my head. Been seeing the world upside down since I was 10…. It has served me well.
Stay safe and healthy
Peta
I’m so glad to know you got to Mexico on time and have found a house and a reliable source for fresh food! That house is just lovely, and I think having to “shelter at home” near a beach sounds perfect… Please keep us posted!
Ann we marvel every day at the fact that for each step of the process we were just ahead of the curve of closings! Finding the source for fresh fruit and vegetables so quickly was for us an absolute game changer. Even in normal times, no matter where we are, this is my priority and our staple for healthy living ~ our health insurance policy.
Having the beach so close is fantastic! Hopefully it will stay open. Yesterday there were police/army in uniform with huge rifles on buggy cars telling people to leave the beach but the bizarre thing was that no one took them seriously! We started to make our way off the beach while noticing that everyone else had gone right back into the ocean as soon as the police had moved further along….
Peta
Your adventures, flexibility and determination are awe-inspiring.
I absolutely LOVE the tree trunk in the middle of the wodden staircase.
Beautiful home!
Donna thanks. Determination was a function of the risk we faced of being closed out. It is easy to be determined when the alternative is beyond sub optimal.
The tree trunk feature is fabulous, and as well all the woodwork on the banisters which use irregular pieces of curved wood. So aesthetically pleasing.
Peta
You have not only landed on your feet but landed in a very sweet spot … and just in time AGAIN! Holy cow – you are most impressive movers and readjusters. The house looks fantastic, and I’m glad you were able to get out and supply it with a few of your necessary items before things close down further.
You two also look great. I’ve seen all sorts of photos of you over the past few years, but there is something lighting up your faces these days, and even an impression of movement in your bodies that I can sense from afar. You just seem confident and content and able to roll with whatever the world hands you. Keep it up!
(Loved the Larry David-inspired caption – haha)
Lex, had we stayed a week more in the mountains, which was tempting because it was so beautiful there and free, being a home exchange, we would not have been able to enter the beach area here. Whew!! Ben thinks his grandparents are the angels watching over us and keep us moving forward just as they did in war times.
Well thanks for such a lovely compliment. For me, being so close geographically to my kids is a HUGE relief and psychologically knowing when this is over, that we are a short four or five hour flight away, is a game changer and was my ultimate future goal. The fact that we fast tracked to this, due to corona, has kind of put us “ahead of the game”.
We try to strike the right balance between fate (accepting what the world delivers) and self determination (i.e. what is in our power to affect) to sculpt our lives… which means at this moment in time, to situate ourselves in an environment that would be optimal in these turbulent times
YES!! So glad someone caught and commented on the Larry David inspired caption… IN fact, there have been many Larry David moments.For example, yesterday going for our end of day swim in the buff and being faced with armed military telling people to get off the beach. Us naked. Them with full uniform and huge machine guns!! Classic.
Peta
I have just spent time reading your latest posts in order so I am now up to date with your location and wow what a story! You have landed on your feet so to speak with your new house looking amazing and in a fabulous place. It’s been great to connect through Sue’s blog and I look forward to following along on your journey now. Stay well. Debbie
Debbie welcome to our Green Global Trek! Thanks for reading us and leaving your feedback. Been nice to find your blog via Sue and look forward to reading you as well.
Peta
Isn’t it amazing how things work out how they’re meant to. Your new home looks beautiful and the beach is a wonderful bonus.
We think there are multiple parallel possible alternative futures at any point and that it is our job to orient the “needle” in the direction of that which we seek. We would like to think that we have accumulated good karma over the years and look to our protective angels to nudge things in our direction so that they work out well.
Thank you
Ben
It sounds like you’ve landed in paradise!
Alison we feel very fortunate indeed. Of course, the virus has not played itself out in Mexico yet so we are expecting hard times ahead but will do our best to weather the upcoming storm like everyone else all over the planet, at the same time.
Ben
The universe has definitely been on your side! Awesome. Love it when all the pieces fall into place. Enjoy!
Eileen yes we think our job is to come up with a clear picture of what the puzzle pieces should be. Then we toss it all up in the air and ask for our guardian angels to help them land just right and in place. This approach works for us. Grateful to have a responsive guardian angel network in place…
Ben
You sure did do good! Beautiful place.
Thanks Tracey. Be safe.
Peta
I love your new digs and being closer to your kids is a bonus. As always, you have landed on your feet. My dad would say you have horseshoes up your ass. I say you are just very clever. Our beaches are closed but for good reason, they can get very crowded. But we are close enough to the sea to get the benefits and we overlook an abandoned lemon grove. Dot misses running on the beach. Please take care and stay safe.
PS I enjoyed your report on Sue´s blog. sending hugs. xo
Darlene, thanks for your comments. Being closer to our kids actually was the motivation for being here and was a long term goal. Corona just pushed our plans ahead of schedule. We do hope we have accumulated good karma, perhaps the Hindu/Buddhist equivalent of “horseshoes up your ass”.
The “clever” part is reading the writing on the wall and moving quickly and that is built into our Jewish DNA.
So far so good with the beaches, but that remains to be seen whether they stay open or not. Yesterday the cops were asking people to leave ~ although no one seemed to take them seriously even though they had huge machine guns!!
Stay safe and healthy
xoxo
Peta & Ben
Wonderful all round!!
looks so beautiful!!
Well done!!
oxoxox
Stan
Thank you Stan. Very happy with our decision.
Mexico is behind the curve with Corona, so it remains to be seen if this aesthetic paradise provides safety as well. For sure we would rather be here than anywhere we have read about so far. Vietnam has been doing a great job with their protective measures but obviously we lost that option….
xoxo
Peta
Very happy to read that you are “settled”, for the time being, and so nicely!
Isn’t techology great? I have been “zooming” and FaceTiming with friends and family and it really helps someone like me, who lives alone. Last night I “met” my in-laws for cocktails at the FaceTime Bar…hehehe!
Deb
Thanks Deb.
Zoom is amazing. Love how we can all be in the same “room” at the same time and that the visuals are dynamic and voice responsive. So great. I have seen on instagram that a bunch of people are meeting for happy hours and so forth…:)
Peta
So happy to read every word of this. Congratulations on all the serendipity. Stay well.💕💕💕
Thanks Sharon. Serendipity indeed. Lots of love your way xoxox
Pete
I could seriously use a walk on the beach right now. Our neighborhood backs up to the woods where there are trails and a river which makes for lovely hikes, but I think at day 21 of “stay at home” I’d very much enjoy a long walk on the beach, but I’d wear my clothes. “wink-wink”
Enjoy this new and serene chapter.
Patti, we are about to leave the house and go for our daily ocean swim. Yes one can certainly wear a swimsuit here, although you would be in the minority haha. Yesterday the police were telling people to clear the beach. Given that they had huge machine guns, we were quick to comply. Others seemed to not take them very seriously. We watched as the young surfers popped right back into the ocean once the police left
Hope this chapter is serene. We are on the first page, so way too early to tell. This virus is unpredictable and lethal, so yes definitely hoping for serene….
Peta
Looks like you’ve got it all set up! Congrats! Very familiar with the “making a house home kitchen necessities buying” followed by a long ahhhh. Glad you got it done.
Really interesting their process for id’ing “locals”. The small villages here are locking down their own roads too. Hope your beaches stay open. Ours are closed here in Baja. Luckily we at least have the sea breezes and can see the water from our house. Oh and don’t worry about the guys with guns. Mexico is one of the most militarized countries we’ve ever lived in and it takes getting used to but it’s a result of fighting the cartels mainly and so we welcome them.
We once lived in a town with no ATM here in Baja. It can be a real challenge in a cash society. Hope you’ve figured that out as well!
Best wishes on what looks like a great start to surviving Corona-craziness.
Oh and not sure you saw but you did make it just in time. Starting tomorrow all short-term rentals including timeshares and AirBnB are ended and all hotels are closed.
Wow. Whew. Breath of relief!!
Thanks March & Scott
We are glad we got all the work done to get the house to a place of organisation and comfort. Now we are enjoying having a kitchen and cooking almost all our meals at home.
We noticed how no one even blinked at the military and police with guns and no sooner had they moved on down the beach and everyone was right back on the sand and in the ocean. This morning no police, but way fewer people on the beach. So it seems that perhaps at sunset when there are more people likely to go to the beach they may try to break it up but so far, no closings thankfully.
We are used to the visual of seeing police with machine guns after living in Nicaragua. Just a little strange to see it on a nudist beach.
We can go to the ATMs at the nearby Mazunte beach which has two of them and is a ten minute cab drive away.
Thanks hope all goes well for you both as well!
Peta
As if the universe showed you the exact spot to land. Not to mention your openness to adapting to a quickly evolving situation. I adore your new home and not to mention the beach access. Looking out at the snowbanks here I am transporting myself, albeit virtually, to your paradise.
Living in a large urban centre we are staying pretty much at home other than a quick trip to the grocery store every 7-10 days. Many years ago I had a baking business so am getting back to making more things from scratch which gives me quite a bit of satisfaction.
Stay well friends and keep posting photos of your beautiful new spot. It brightened my day.
Sue that is a perfect way of seeing it. The universe surely did provide and someone was watching out for us. Borders and airports and access have slammed behind us within hours and days. We were so determined not to get stuck in Sri Lanka once we anticipated this might happen, that we moved fast to adapt to our new reality.
I remember a chat about your bakery business on instagram once. This is the perfect time to be doing that… I am not much good at baking but I do enjoy cooking. It has been so nice to have an actual oven and a really big fridge. what a treat.
Thanks Sue… thanks for your support and enthusiasm.
Peta
Wow! In the Nick of Time, Peta and Ben. So true on the ocean and our immune systems. Fascinating about the history of the Zapotecs. Also fascinating about serendipity and how paths cross. I am in awe as to how quickly you made it all happen. Truly a good place for social distancing and staying healthy on many levels.
An amazing house with unique details. Smart score on the fresh, organic fruit and vegetables.
Major lol on Winnie the Pooh. And yes, Peta, the world feels upside down right now. My husband and I are on day 21 of completely social isolating from friends, family, stores. We live 10 minutes from a rural area and we get our daily dose of walks/mental and physical health. We also stay in contact via Zoom and Video Chat. We always count our blessings on all the good in our life. We will get through this together. Take care and stay healthy.
Erica, we are definitely feeling grateful and lucky to have been just ahead of the curve in SO many instances! We had no choice but to move quickly and at first as we started to search Air BnB options, there seemed very few that would be good as long term monthly rentals. However, within in three days of our arrival we DID find the right perfect place. All thanks to my friend Adam.
Those of us that live near nature are very fortunate indeed to have somewhere to go outside, exercise, get fresh air and in our case, a does of sunshine.
Gosh you already have 3 weeks of social isolation behind you. We are all in for the long haul that is for sure. Things will no doubt get way worse before they get better. When you look at what is happening in India and Africa, where social distancing and fresh water are luxuries most don’t have, and food supplies are tragically already dwindling, we have so much to be grateful for.
Thanks so much for reading us and for your thoughtful feedback on this post. Stay safe and healthy.
Stay safe and healthy
Peta
Never a boring day with you two! And talk about your ability to always manifest on point!! I’ll see you in Mexico soon. It’s happening;)
Haha Brook, you definitely fall into the same “never boring” category as we do haha.
Can’t believe you had time to read and respond to our blog while you are trying to get out of India.
Travel safe and look forward to seeing you here in Mexico! YES!!
xoxo
Peta and Ben, the universe loves you!!! Your quick thinking and reacting with a dash of serendipity have ensured you have arrived in the right place at the right time. Wonderful that you are now in the same time-zone as your kids, it does make regular communication so much easier. Sounds like your sons are also all doing well and have found creative ways of adapting, no doubt you guys are great role models. Your new abode is just gorgeous, living so near the beach is fantastic. Enjoy and stay safe!!
Hi Gilda,
You came to visit us in Hoi An JUST IN TIME too! Indeed we have arrived “in the right place at the right time”.
Even though the logistics were a tad rushed, we are now in the process of discovering the charms of our house (for instance having a kitchen with an oven and a big fridge, and screens on the windows) are all huge new benefits for us… And we are starting to make this house into our home, by developing a relationship with its various spaces…
Maybe we will see you here in Mexico as well?
Big hugs to you both
B&P
Doors open for those who dare. That house looks like something that you would have picked out on your own in a very calm time, and here it was, just waiting for you to show up, Serendipitous. Have some sailor friends who managed to get clearance from Panama and have just sailed up to Marina Chiapas …just on the other side of the Tehuantepec from you!
And dare we do!
True that this house had our names on it and we are extremely happy with our find. It has a lot of creature comforts we did not have before: an actual oven!! counters at our height, a large fridge, screens on the windows, and a super comfy bed. Ah and then the location.
Serendipity indeed.
We just heard about Chiapas which is supposedly very beautiful. Hope to explore once the COVID19 is history.
Hugs
Ben & Peta
Looks like you really lucked out on the home you found. It’s beautiful! Your flexibility and cunning decisions worked out very well for you. Enjoy the beach and stay safe.
Hi Marty,
Welcome to our Green Global Trek.Thank you for stopping by to read us and for leaving a comment.
“Cunning decisions” ~ well thank you. So far so good. We are doing our best to stay ahead of the game and to make sensible decisions for ourselves and people around us. Corona is just rearing its ugly head in Mexico so we have a long way to go…
Hopefully the beach stays open and we can continue to enjoy it.
Peta
What fortuitous timing for you! It looks like an absolute paradise, so far from the madding crowd. That fresh produce looks so healthy and delicious. Have a wonderful sojourn there. xx
Sylvia Mexico is just at the start of COVID19 curve, so we don’t know yet how bad things are going to get here. Finally the hotels and guesthouses have been forced to close to visitors but it has taken a long time for precautionary measures to be put in place.
The beach thankfully is still open and continues to provide us with fresh air and a swim each day.
For me fresh produce is the key to happiness. Given I eat very little meat and fish (and none at home) fresh fruit and veggies are my mainstay.
Stay healthy and safe
Peta
What a gorgeous place you have landed! You two always do manifest the most magical, serene places to be. I know you work hard for it, even simply by being open to the opportunities presented to you.
After so much travel in these uncertain times, it must feel wonderful to exhale and sink into your new surroundings. Be well, and enjoy your beautiful new home, the delicious healthy food, and the fabulous beach (I hope it stays open! Ours is closed here in the Florida panhandle. So sad, but I understand why).
Thanks Laurel. We are fervent believers in the power of manifesting… and magic and serene are definitely qualities that make the top criteria 🙂
Travelling during COVID19 outbreaks is definitely not stress free. The most vulnerable we felt was upon landing at JFK and being herded into the tunnel from the plane to the airport where we were stuck with all the other passengers jam packed while we waited to have our temperatures taken one by one and have someone ask us “are you feeling ok today?” Very bizarre, especially seeing as in Viet Nam, this process is all done automatically with the use of infrared cameras as one passes by without even knowing your temperature is being registered!
So far we have been able to go to the beach daily. The police and military do tell everyone that it is closed, but then as soon as they move along, the surfers are back in the ocean and the sun worshippers back on the sand. However, there are very few people on the beach these days. Mostly probably due to the fact that all the hotels and guesthouses and restaurants are finally closed.
Stay safe, big hugs
Peta
Ahh…I’m right there with you! Not only do I think Oaxaca one of the most wonderful places on the planet, but I too feel lucky that where I live is neighbor to woods, hills, and a tiny piece of the ocean. It allows me to safely venture out into nature without endangering other people. Marvelous that you were able to find yourselves a temporary home during this time and are also able to stay in contact with your family. Wishing you good health in mind and body as we manage through these times. Take care!
Most wonderful place “on the planet”!! Okay, those are good accolades for our new home base. We feel very fortunate to be here and grateful too, for the ocean, the fresh produce…all of it!
Stay safe and well
Peta
Yay! This all looks and sounds fantastic. Again, things fell in place and having social connections (and using social media) helped out tremendously. I’m a tad envious of your new rental house and location. And the weather. What’s the chance of having a house again (that you didn’t alter) with so many natural materials and influences! I so love the looks and feel of it. Aaaah, to be settled for a while…:-)
Enjoy your time there and I hope you’ll be able to keep going to the beach every morning and evening. What a great way to begin and end the day.
Liesbet, our nomadic ways really do yield a personal network of global friends. The gift that keeps giving. And while it is true that most of our friends live in different places from us, it does mean that there are often sweet and surprising reunions such as this one.
Fantastic to be able to move into a house that is so aesthetic and so comfortable. Actually this is the VERY first house that this is the case. Plus lots of extra goodies: A stove, a big fridge, mosquito netting on the windows… Like WOW! Feels great to know we won’t be moving or going anywhere for the next few months.
So far so good with the beach. The police do come every day and tell people that the beach is closed, but no one really pays attention. That said, there are way fewer people on the beach these days seeing as all the hotels and restaurants and guesthouses are FINALLY closed. Very easy to social distance now at the beach and we are so grateful for our swims and morning stretching on the sand.
xo
Peta
Wow, you guys truly have fantastic timing! You’ve been in just the right place at just the right time throughout this whole thing. I love, love, love the house you rented. The covered patio looks incredibly inviting and I like how spacious it all feels. You were certainly smart to tap into the restaurant supply chain for fruits and vegetables. That’s one thing that is stressing us out these days is trying to get fresh fruits and veggies. Between shortages at the stores and just not wanting to go out a lot, it presents a challenge. But they really are so important. In any case, I’m glad to see you guys safe and sound and you can finally relax. Stay well.
Laura… very true. Each time, we got to where we needed to be, and then BHAM the borders or airports or roads closed behind us.
We are loving the rental house too. SO spacious and comfy and very aesthetic. There are no doors in the whole house, which suits us fine, it is like a big open loft. So many added things that we have not had before…. A stove, a big fridge, netting on the windows, a comfy couch. Can you tell we feel like we traded up?
We use that strategy for fruits and vegetables in many places we go… It is also a great way to support local farmers while at the same time getting the fresh produce we want. Are there no local farmers in the area you are currently ? Where are you anchored right now? They are the best source for produce.
Thanks so much and to you both as well,
Peta
Wow and wow again. Although we have only connected recently, after reading 4 or 5 of your posts it seems as though this house has your names all over it. Beautiful and artistic, right from the outside in.
I am happy for you to have had this fall into place, but sure part of it is your flexibility, being sure of what you want and need and so much more.
Hoping and praying you stay safe, hope you have continued access to the beach, but perhaps even if it is closed for a time that you may be close enough to hear the beach and smell it.
Blessings, Micheel
Well Michele it is interesting you say that about our names being all over this house, because years back we lived in Granada Nicaragua where we built a house. It had many features that were the same as this one… the open space and particularly the rounded edges everywhere. We had no sharp corners or straight lines, and this house is the same.
Thank you for the compliments…
So far so good re the beach. There are a lot less people here now and supposedly the beach is closed, however, it is not enforced and remains a good place for social distancing.
Peta
You folks are like cats. Flung by fate into unusual situations you always seem to reorient, twist around, and land on your feet. And near a nice beach no less! It looks like a great place to hunker down.
Meow meow. We may have used 3 0r 4 lives, but we should be good for another 3 at least.
You hit the nail on the head. Love the visuals you stir up… 🙂
Peta
Wow! It sure looks like you’ve ended up in an idyllic spot. That beach is gorgeous and your casa is so pretty with that floor inlay, spiral staircase and all the nice wood detail. Thanks for the tour. What a crazy and serendipitous bit of timing and connections that led you to Playa Zipolite. That’s a great story about your friend Adam. You guys just keep enjoying the health benefits of that beautiful ocean, and soak some up for me while you’re at it. Keep safe and I like forward to reading more about your new life in Mexico.
Thanks Caroline, we are pretty pleased with our choice of Mexico and Playa Zipolite in particular. It’s really just a tiny village by the coast… very laidback and just our speed. Looking forward to experiencing it past corona virus as there are lots of restaurants we want to try. Finally the hotels and guesthouses have all closed and so there are way fewer people here but we can still access the beach thankfully.
See you in Mexico?
Peta
How absolutely wonderful you made it to a place where the beach is accessible during lockdown!! Great photographs by the way.
I am currently in Da’Nang just a couple of minutes walking from the beach, but it has now been off limits for about a week. Shame really, because it is one of the few places where you can walk with plenty of distance between people. We are still – some days – allowed on the promenade, but nowhere near the sand and the water…
Although we officially are in a period of social distancing, this news has not yet tricked down to the wet market – which is as crowded as ever – and in the streets, people sit outside chatting, no masks to be seen… It’s hard to know in a society where normal life and home spills over onto the pavements and streets how ‘masks when in public areas’ can and will be enforced.
Interesting times.
Lieve
Lieve, thanks for the compliments on the photographs. We are loving our daily swims at the beach. So far it’s still open, although it does get policed at sunset to tell us it is closed, but that is not enforced (yet) and access is not blocked either.
We read that An Bang in Hoi An is closed too. I can’t imagine living there without beach access!
Here too social distancing at the market is not a concept. People are pretty much going on with street life as normal. The gov has requested people stay at home but it is not an order. We are self quarantining at home with daily beach trips and the occasional but rare supermarket visit.
Stay safe and healthy
Peta
You done good! It all looks wonderful 🙂 Love your photographs and this must truly be a slice of heaven. Take care and be well.
Yeah we did huh! Thanks Susan. We are pretty pleased with how things worked out. Some crazy logistics and quick moving to get here, but now we can just hunker down in our new found home.
Peta
What I continuously learn from your Covid-19 saga, from Vietnam to Sri Lanka and now Mexico, is how adept you and Ben are at finding quick solutions to problems that can otherwise be too big and overwhelming for some people to deal with. Your story also teaches me that if we do good things to people, whoever they might be, one day we will reap what we sow, although this is of course shouldn’t be the main reason to be kind to others — we do it because that’s the right thing to do, no more no less.
I’m glad you made it to this idyllic part of Mexico just in time! I wish you and Ben good health during these crazy times (it really was a wise decision to bring that rebounder!).
Bama well thank you! We are great believers in karma. As you say, it is not the reason we do good, but we do our best to be generous with our time, effort or money when we see an opportunity to have meaningful impact. This applies not only to humans but to animals as well. Good karma has a way of rebounding and going full circle.
Ben feels that finding quick solutions to what feels like larger than normal problems requires two simple steps: One is breaking down the large complex issue into smaller “bite” size ones and two, stifling all peripheral noise relative to external stuff we cannot control.
And finally, generally remembering that change is our friend, as it has always been.
Haha, even though it was quite a schlepp to bring the rebounder, yes it was worth it. Hard to get stuff like that here! I am wishing I brought my yoga mat and yoga ball as well. Oh well…
Good health to you too and thank you for your thoughtful comments.
Peta & Ben
From “Monica P”
Just amazing. Those pictures of the beach are so exotic and I guess after being in shutdown for about three weeks they look more tantalizing than ever….And what an absolutely beautiful home you have found as well as the possibility of connecting more with your kids!I really enjoyed seeing their pictures.
Pete,I am totally in awe of you both and FULL of admiration in so many ways.
Thanks Mon, so good to hear from you and know that you are following our journey, all the way to Mexico!
xoxo
The Universe was smiling down on you for this move. The area. The luck of landing that incredible house. Those veg and fruit! Wow. I’ve been following the move on Instagram and wondered why you suddenly left Asia for Latin America again. The time difference issue makes sense. Wishing you radiant health and happiness in your new home. Julie.
Julie, you probably missed the blog post, a few back which tells the story of why we suddenly left Asia and how it came about that we are back in Latin America.
Very happy with our decision and the serendipitous series of events that led us to find a home here.
Peta
Thanks for taking us to coastal Mexico, Peta, as always. Playa Zipolite looks like a dreamy spot to live and/or visit. Your transfer from Vietnam to Mexico is impressive: quick, decisive and flexible. Thanks for all these great photos and words, and I’m wishing you the best in health and sweet living in your new home.
Thanks Jet. We were just saying today how we feel as though we are living in a place that most people come to on vacation for a week or so and yet, now it is our home. It will be interesting to see how things change once COVI19 is behind us.
Thank you for the compliment on the photos and the words… and for your good wishes. Good health to you too.
Peta
What an amazing coincidence of events took place for you to be able to find this beautiful home! And now I must research rebounding. Be well you two.
Karen welcome to our Green Global Trek. Thanks for reading us and for leaving a comment.
Coincidence or synchronicity?
Ah rebounding is something I started doing after I recovered from breast cancer because of its benefits to the overall lymphatic system. It is also a good workout.
Peta
You have created a brand new idea of what “hunkering down” means! SO MUCH FUN to see where you’ve landed and to read how you landed there, with smarts and lots of serendipity to match. What an amazing adventure. I never heard the word “Zoom” a month ago, and now I’m zooming right and left. Mainly with family – we had 22 last Sunday to enjoy “Easter” together – a beautiful way to connect with family near and far, just as you show here.
Stay safe, eat your veggies, and keep on blogging. Love reading every post.
Thanks Pam for these cheerful, upbeat comments. We are definitely feeling grateful to be hunkering down in a place where we are so close to the beach and can still reap the benefits from it. Serendipity for sure… and a feeling that somehow the universe provides, as long as we are on a path of trust and not fear and anxiety. Not easy in these challenging times.
22 people on a zoom, wow, that is impressive. Even with 8 on our side it can be a bandwidth challenge for our wifi here. It seems like the more people that get added to the zoom the less well it works for us here, which is unfortunate. We had been doing zoom with our kids once a month in Vietnam, but now we are doing them once a week. So great to be on the same time zone with our families.
Stay safe too and healthy. Eating our veggies and lots of yummy fruits too.
Peta
What a beautiful artist’s house you have found for yourselves! I love the colours. It must be great to settle in, and have a little time to process everything after the mad dash across the world as borders closed behind you.
Jude
Jude, this house feels made for us! It has so many design features we would have selected ourselves.. such as the organic wood banisters, the curvy corners, the colors. We are very happy to have settled in quickly and started the hunkering down process over here ahead of the “Mexican curve”. So nice just to be…
Peta
Thank you for such a wonderful and inspirational post, Peta. It has everything that makes me happy. I love the sea and the sun and your pictures looks so relaxing. You took me with you for a moment. Zoom calls have become quite common for us. I understand the time zone difference because someone’s going to be hungry or sleepy! 🙂 I’m so glad you and Ben are fine and found a wonderful retreat. Your journey is truly incredible! Take care and stay safe.
Cheryl glad to know that our post was inspiring to you. We are really grateful to be in such a beautiful setting, especially at these times.
With the time zone difference when we were living in Vietnam and Sri Lanka the only times we could zoom or call or skype were our mornings or our evenings as there was a 12 hour time difference with the United States. SO much easier now…
Thanks for stopping by to read us and for leaving us feedback!
Peta
This was such a great read. It sounds like everything fell into place so nicely, and how wonderful. I agree with what Bama said – you and Ben are quick to adapt and problem solve. Quick thinking, quick to move and being practical seems to get you through travel and times like these. Also it’s great to see you being open to others and cherishing connections over the years. You never know when you need a friend or a leg up, and sometimes that’s how the universe can work in your favour 🙂
It is a lovely house you managed to rent. From the outside it looks like a golden abode. Hope food supply is still going alright over there now.
Here in Australia we’re pretty much in the same situation at the moment – stay home unless getting groceries or supplies. It’s quiet, but if we all do our part, there’ll be better times sooner. Take care 🙂
Hi Mabel,
Nice to read you again. Our fast moving really did save us… as each time we got to where we were going JUST in time before things closed right behind us. I give all credit to Ben for the quick thinking and quick moving.. I would still be weighing up the pros and cons and left behind in the dust.
One of the best features of being global nomads are the people we meet and the friends we make along the way. And with social media it is of course wonderfully easy to stay in touch even if our paths have not connected in the physical sense ~ yet.
This house DOES look like an adobe house! You are right. Food supply is good although we have had to be creative and find a few alternative sources. Glad you are doing okay in Australia.
Keep safe and healthy and thanks for reading and leaving your comments.
Peta
Peta
The house is just perfect and the sound of the crashing pacific waves must be-so soothing . Mexico is magical from Zipolite to puerto Escondido to the colonial city of Oaxaca . As an artist you will be enthralled with the city of Oaxaca with the colonial museums and the cobble stoned roads in the square. The market is huge with everything to eat you can imagine and the mole yum and chocolate. And the outdoor markets where people come in from villages is astonishing. Enjoy ! Lots of envy and joy when I think of you guys lots of love. Barrie
Barrie we CANNOT wait to go to Oaxaca city as soon as it’s possible. We have heard so much about it from both of our sons who have visited and from other travellers, so it has been on our wish list for a while now. Looking forward to the art, the food, the architecture and the museums. All of it. So nice to read you… thanks for reading us and leaving your feedback!
Peta
Your new home is gorgeous. So glad you’ve settled in comfortably, finding all the resources you need to be comfortable. Really enjoyed seeing the photos of your sons and their loved ones. We’re trying new ways of staying connected to our sons and their families. The beach photos are spectacular. Makes me want to hop on a plane – oh wait – no can do…..
Thanks Sharon for your nice feedback. Glad you enjoyed the beach photos so much.. we are still taking advantage of going to the beach daily and now have a foster dog in our lives as well.
Hope your sons and families are all well and staying healthy.
Peta
Peta and Ben, what a marvelous place your have landed in! And your new home is gorgeous. Speaking from personal experience, all of our time in Mexico has been fabulous, so I know that you’re in for a treat once you’re able to travel again. I love seeing all the photos of you and family. Congratulations on landing on your feet … once again! 🙂 All the best, Terri
it is now August and i am wondering how Zipolite situation is today. are you still there? are the beaches open?
great story, very inspiring! i am looking for places to stay during winter as the second lockdown is on the way as they say. best wishes from London.