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AGAVE BLUE
Condominios Punta Marina, #203
Colonia La Ropa
Zihuatanejo, Gro., Mexico
TO: Our Guests at Agave Blue
FROM: Robin Hill and Charmaine Ethier
RE: Suggestions for enjoying your stay
At the airport: Either get a taxi, (voucher required - you can't just go outside and hop in a cab!), cost about 350 pesos with tip. Or if you prefer, we can arrange a pick up in a good sized vehicle that should handle you and luggage for a cost of US$50, (about 500 pesos). If you decide on a taxi, most drivers know Punta Marina, but if he is unsure try to say: Playa La Ropa, Condominios Punta Marina. or “el camino a Playa la Ropa, y despues arriba en frente del restaurante La Escollera”. (Ask him to drive you down the steep hill).
At the Casa: You will be met by our representative, who will give you the keys and show you how everything works. His or her English will be limited, but will be very willing - but don't talk too quickly!
(We would appreciate our guests watering the plants, every other day, and Alvarez, one of the maintenance guys, will check the ph level in the pool about once a week).
If you’ve rented a car, once you’ve entered the city limits, at the bottom of a hill with speed bumps there is a traffic light. Almost immediately after a second light allows a left turn on a filter. After about 1/4 mile the road bends to the right, and a further 1/2 mile takes you past a big, (and very good), supermarket, (Commercial Mexicana). Follow this road a further 1 mile or so, to a roundabout. Take the last exit over the canal with a clock tower on your left. Enjoy some great views on this road for a little over 2 miles or so, and eventually the road turns sharp right to the beach - you keep going straight up the hill, and after a sharp right bend the Condominios Punta Marina is the large tan coloured/red roofed development on the right. Drive down the steep hill, and into the left carport at the bottom of the drive, (marked #203).
Olga, our housekeeper, worked at a restaurant before coming to us, and is available to bring her excellent cooking skills as required and can provide this service by arrangement directly with her (she charges $15.00 plus cost of ingredients for breakfast, up to six people; for dinners, $25.00 plus cost of ingredients; if the breakfast or dinner you want has an additional main dish, please keep in mind this is more time and work to prepare and therefore please pay her more or be generous with a tip). Her modest fees include shopping for the ingredients, cooking, serving and cleaning up. If she stays beyond 6:00 or 7:00 p.m., please give her about 50 pesos ($5.00 U.S.) for her cab fare home as there are no bus connections at night. Olga speaks no English so we have made up a list of dishes she can make. It is by no means definitive so if you have something else in mind, just ask if she can make that. By bringing this along, and pointing to the items (which are in both English and Spanish), it works out very well. Also, give her a little advance (maybe about $20.00) to buy the ingredients and if possible handle the payment for the cooking service on the same day to avoid confusion. Also give her at least a day’s notice as she has no car and will need to buy the ingredients early in the day she comes in. Please contact us via Email if you think you might want to arrange for olga's services and we will give you Olga's contact information.
We have a fully equipped kitchen with the microwave doubling as an oven. Included are professional quality kitchen knives, a drip-style coffee maker, juicer, blender, barbecue, dishes, glasses, for about 8, and all the pots and pans needed to cook from the most simple to the gourmet. There is a beer/wine fridge on the terraza as well as a full fridge in the pantry. The water from the small tap in the kitchen sink is potable as It Is purified by reverse osmosis. (Use this for brushing teeth of course). Also use this water for making ice, coffee, tea and soft drinks.
Unless you indicate to Olga otherwise, the towels will be changed every other day and the sheets once a week. These are sent out and washed by a laundry service. For your personal use, there is a washing machine on the second floor, along with a drying rack, an iron, ironing board and a hair dryer.
For stocking up on groceries initially, most people prefer the large supermarket, “Comercial” which you passed on the way into town. It Is very comprehensive with a bakery, fresh fish, meat and deli counters. There Is a good selection of beer/wine and liquor It’s a five to ten minute ride from Punta Marina. The fresh fruit and vegetables there are excellent and for a more "local" experience there Is an authentic Mercado Municipal located in the downtown area.
For telephone use at home, we use the "honor system" and ask that you use the phone only for local calls or emergencies. Please arrange with friends or family back home to make calls to you as international calls are still prohibitively expensive from within Mexico. Pre-paid phone cards are available in the downtown area of Zihua. We have wireless service for continuous access to the internet, should you wish to bring along a laptop.
In the living room, we have a satellite-connected television that allows you to get several U.S. stations including CNN. There is also a DVD player, a VCR and a small stereo system for playing CD’s. You may wish to bring along your preferred movie and music selections though you are welcome to play any from the small collection on hand. All bedrooms have air conditioning units as well as ceiling fans. If you find you need to turn on the air conditioning to suit your comfort level, we do ask that you turn off all units when you are out for the day. As they are very efficient and there is one in each room, they do a phenomenal job of cooling a room very quickly. Our experience has been that most times of the year, with windows open and fans running, the temperature inside is very pleasant. Also with the windows closed and air conditioners running you will miss the cooling bay breezes and gentle sounds of the surf lapping on La Ropa beach.
Many of our guests ask about scorpions, and as you will be in a part of the world where scorpions are present, I want to give you our advice for dealing with a sting. It hasn’t happened to us, though even with monthly fumigation, on rare occasions a scorpion has been found in the house. If you see one, it is advisable to kill it probably using a shoe. If anyone should be stung, to reduce the discomfort and pain, we recommend calling the physican in town, Dr. Grayeb, who speaks English, and getting some medicine from him right away. This can prevent an allergic reaction and reduce the pain that some stings can bring. If he happened to be unavailable, you can go to the hospital recommended below and they would likely perform the same treatment as Dr. Grayeb. In fact the local people are known to almost always go to a hospital, as the pain can be at times quite intense.
You will also be receiving two other lists, one of restaurants that we have especially enjoyed and another of things to do in the area that we consider to be especially worthwhile.
Below are some phone numbers that are might be useful:
- LOCAL GENERAL PRACTITIONER: Dr. Rogelio Grayeb (speaks English fluently, member International Association for Medical Attention to
Travelers); office phones 554-3334; 554-5041; cell phone: 044-
755-l3335. Office address in town: Nicolas Bravo 71-A. He is used
by all the Americans who live in Zihua, well-liked and considered to
be a very good general practitioner. He will make house calls in an
emergency and can be reached at all hours.
- HOSPITAL most frequently recommended by Americans living in Zihua: HOSPITAL DE ESPECIALIDADES, located in the neighborhood known as “El Hujal”; 554-7628 (all cab drivers will know where the hospital is, should there be an emergency)
- AMBULANCE: Cruz Roja (Red Cross) 554-2009
- Elizabeth Williams is the local AMERICAN CONSULAR AGENT and can be a resource in any emergency. Phone: 553-2100; cellular: 044-
755-557-1106. Office address: Plaza Ambiente, Local 9, Ixtapa, Guerrero
- TAXI (arrives within 5 minutes): 554-3311
There a minimum fare of about $3.00 from anywhere within the Zihuatanejo area. Some drivers will charge up to 10 pesos more from the center of town to our condo.
- You may want to have our phone number in the casa in Mexico to give to your family members/friends who might need to contact you. From the U.S., the numbers needed for direct dialing are as follows: 011-52- 755 103 6020. Locally, you need only dial 103 - 6020. If anything comes up that you cannot resolve with Fili, feel free to use the phone to call us in the Canada. That number is at the bottom.
For calling to the Canada or U.S., you dial 001 + area code + number.
Over the years, many people ask me for advice about tipping our staff. While it is customary, it is also a very individual choice. If you are happy with how the home is maintained and the help they provided to you during your stay -- and feel inclined to show your appreciation with a tip -- I assure you we, and they, will be very appreciative! One thing to keep in mind is that Fili and Olga are not family members so please give any tip to each of them separately. Another guideline that most people follow is giving the tip toward the end of your stay.
Before your return home, we ask that you write some comments in our Guest Book, including any discoveries you’ve made to pass onto others. We also welcome feedback and photos via email. More importantly, we wish you a trip and stay that is satisfying in every way!
Warm Saludos,
Robin Hill/Charmaine Ethier
1628 Stephens Street
Vancouver B.C.
V6B 3V3 Canada
Tel: (604) 682 3369
Cell: (778) 999 7020
Email: carewest@telus.net
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