The Road Bike Path Less Traveled

During the time I've lived in Zihua, I've gone stretches of up to 4 months without venturing beyond city limits to Ixtapa. Everything I need - las playas, el mercado, sufficient quantities of vino - are all here so why bother? I don't drive (and try to only take taxis when transporting dairy products home from the grocery) so my forays to Ixtapa are usually limited to tagging along with friends and the occasional paraffin pedicure at Lavender & Roses. In these last few weeks, I've found myself over in Ixtapa on an almost daily basis between a slew of doctor's appointments and 7 trips to Telcel on a quest to switch my prepaid cellphone to a contract with data access (success was had!). I suppose because my trips to Ixtapa have always been at the mercy of friends or bus drivers, I've always thought that going to Ixtapa was a long haul. But really, it's not such a big trek. How do I know for sure? Because I've literally "trekked it" 9 times now. Nine times.

The first time I walked between Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, it was quite by accident. Those readers who know me personally don't need any further explanation. Things like that happen to me on a regular basis - I met my partner through a misdialed phone number, I came to Zihua for 2 weeks and am still here over three years later, I once even accidentally gave a man the Heimlich Maneuver by rushing into a restaurant and colliding with him as he stood up to try to get help. So yes, walking well over 8 kilometers by accident is something I would do. I had dillydallied one afternoon on the way to Ixtapa to first apply for my new Telcel account. I wasn't watching the clock - and the late summer sunsets were throwing me off - so I arrived 30 minutes after the office closed. I didn't feel like hopping right back on a bus so I went to Lilian's Coffee Shop on the main drag and bought a triple espresso. I started walking while I sipped my coffee drink and figured I would hop on a bus once I finished. By the time my cup was drained, I had a good pace going on as I walked the paved sidewalks and so I decided to continue on "just a little further". Walking through downtown Zihua is often a lesson in patience, balance, and quick moving as I navigate around meandering tourists, sidestep potholes and broken up cobblestone, and try to avoid oncoming traffic when forced into the street by a mass of people (or a lack of sidewalk). It was such a treat to amble along the smooth sidewalk in solitude, only interrupted by the occasional bus slowing to see if I wanted a ride.

When I reached the stretch of green grass (such a rarity in ZIhuatanejo) that sits at the convergence of Paseo de Pelicanos and Ixtapa Boulevard, I couldn't resist but sit down for a few minutes... and then I couldn't resist taking off my shoes to enjoy the feeling of soft grass tickling my feet.

From the grass, I came upon the bike path and I decided to follow it up to the top of the hill so I could look down on Ixtapa. Recent rains have transformed the area into a green-carpeted jewel and I wanted to take advantage of the vista.

And then I realized I was on the wrong side of the road to get a bus back to Zihua and there were several barricades (and a bunch of traffic) between me and the correct side. And so, I pressed on. Occasionally a biker passed me but I pretty much had the path to myself. I stopped along the way to enjoy the view...

the scampering of lizards and iguanas...

and the interesting perspective walking provided me...

Zihuatanejo came into view much sooner than I expected it would and I happily continued on home. I was pretty tired and, at times, I wished I had brought my iPod with me, but the walk was a nice diversion and a refreshing change in my usual walking routine that takes me on several laps of Playa la Ropa.

When I returned to Ixtapa the next day (making sure to go earlier so I could actually accomplish my errand), I brought along the iPod, money for an espresso, and my sturdy walking sandals. Two weeks later, I had my new cell phone (and the doctor's visits complete) but I kept finding reasons to head back to Ixtapa, even if it was just to have an espresso and sit in the grass and write for a while. I highly recommend making your own trek - or using the bike path for its original purpose and biking it. It'll give you a fresh take on just how close Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo are - and yet, just how different they are as well. In a brisk 60 minute walk (from downtown Ixtapa to Zihua centro), you'll go from high rises to bungalows, smooth sidewalks to clunky cobblestone, time share salesmen to chiclet saleschildren, stunning vista to spectacular view, one version of a tropical paradise to another.

(Of course, the one drawback from my new walking route is that I'm going to need to make yet another trip to Ixtapa - and this time in a vehicle - because the dusty path has completely wrecked my feet and I'm in desperate need of another paraffin pedicure!)