[Archives Home] [Zihuatanejo Ixtapa Home] [Zihuatanejo Ixtapa Troncones Message Board]
Escrito por Jen desde 65.66.121.253 (xtoenergy.com) el día jueves, 28 de julio, 2005 a las 17:31:18 horas :
Obviously, they weren't for us. As I thought that staying at Casa Bambu Treehouse was going to be a magical, wonderful experience, I feel compelled to caution others who may be looking for an adventure that this may actually be a bit MORE adventure than you are prepared for. Here's our experience:
Casa Bambu Treehouse is something of a maze of rooms that seem perched almost precariously off of stone steps that one could easily imagine toppling off of (and thus, down the side of the mountain) should one awake in the wee hours of the morning and have to do something totally ridiculous. Pee, for instance.
It took us a bit to find the turnoff to the Treehouse while we were still in the car, but eventually we found the cobblestone road, drove straight up it and found a place to park. Then we proceeded to go up and up and up ... Numerous concrete steps, as well as boulders and piles of rocks that were placed here and there to create steps. Few handrails, and when there were bamboo rails to hold onto, ya had to make sure you weren't placing your hand atop some deadly-looking arachnid. I'd have to say that the hike to the Treehouse was more of a CLIMB, and in places almost reminded me of the bouldering I'd done in the past when I thought I wanted to learn to rock climb.
I guess I was surprised at how much of the place was totally open-air. There was no indoor bathroom. There was an outdoor shower, that trickled out the water, and the toilet was up some more steps in sort of a bamboo lean-to hut, with a curtain that you could pull for privacy, but it didn't quite make the full span of the doorway. So ya never knew who (or what?) was looking in on you, watching you "make". There was also no flusher -- you "flushed" by scooping a big ol' plastic bowl full of water -- from the water barrel (a/k/a giant plastic trash can) located next to the toilet. DIY Flushing.
I was trying to make the best of it, and all the while Husband was trying to decide how he was gonna break it to me that he was not spending an entire week at this place. It was hot beyond what we expected, and having lived at one time in SE Asia where it's ALWAYS hot and sticky, I thought I'd be prepared. But I wasn't.
In general, I liked the overall decor and IDEA of the place, but was a bit put off to find that some of the furniture upholstery and bed clothes seemed to be either dirty -- or stained. Everything had a rather fetid quality about it as well, which may be common for "jungle living", but it's still not all that pleasant.
We made it down to Playa La Ropa, and settled ourselves at Paty's where we placed our dinner order. Dinner arrived, and so did what must have been DOZENS of flies. We ate with one hand, while both conducting a constant shooing motion with the other. Food was excellent though.
Made our trek back up the hill after dinner -- again, arriving covered, head to toe, in sweat, and tried to turn in for the evening. Apparently, the mosquito netting around the bed where we were to sleep had not been completely drawn before evening set in (perhaps we should have been cautioned? We are, after all, silly city folks), and when I flicked on the overhead light, I discovered to my horror that the scene from that Expedia.com commercial was unfolding before my very eyes. But with one minor twist. The bugs were all on the INSIDE of the mosquito netting! Husband came up (after I screamed) and tried to help me shoo bugs out of the bed, to no avail. I ended up sleeping one level up in a bed suspended from the ceiling by ropes (which was actually kinda cool). It was completely enclosed by a thick mosquito netting, which meant that absolutely no breeze penetrated whatsoever (well, had there actually beena breeze to penetrate), so I tossed and turned all night just trying to breathe in that "bed o'suffocatin' death".
Husband fared even worse -- attempting to sleep in the hammock down below, where he stayed awake all night long, swatting bugs from his body. He'd swat, they'd fly away momentarily, and then reland, a few inches from where they had originally been. Oh, and these were not itty-bitty cute little bugs either. Some of these suckers were four inches long. And hideous.
It then proceeded to rain all night long, which brought up even more of that fetid scent, along with the pungent aroma of dog poop from on down the hill. We both crawled out of our makeshift beds early on Sunday morning and just got the hell outta there as quickly as we could us. Especially after I saw the outdoor sink, which was full of dead bugs. Mostly June bugs, which I am horribly phobic about. Getting outta there wasn't easy, as we had to haul our bags down in the mud, again desperately trying not to turn an ankle or go careening head-over-heels. Husband was ill after the exertion and heat and sleepless night. We drove into Ixtapa and after some searching for another place to stay, booked in at Las Brisas. We have never been so happy to feel air conditioning and see indoor plumbing.
I think we honestly just weren't sure what we were getting ourselves into, and do think that the owner of the accommodations was possibly not as as forthcoming with information about the ruggedness of the place as she could/should have been. Her website also indicates that the place "overlooks" Playa La Ropa, but unless you go armed with a machete and care to chop down the jungle foliage, you aren't going to see any water from these accommodations.
I'm really not as wimpy as I must sound here -- I'm a seasoned camper/backpacker and am used to roughing it. I'm NOT used to paying $600 for that privilege though. So, it appears that our one night in Casa Bambu Treehouse cost us $600. But the lesson learned? Priceless. Never ever attempt to have "an adventure" if you aren't 100% sure of exactly what kind of "adventure" you'll be having. Worrying that an insect was going to crawl where it wasn't welcome when I sat on the toilet, or fearing a slip on the rock steps that would mean a disastrous fall down the hillside is not the kind of "adventure" this old 43 year old gal needs or wants to have anymore. I thinks I'll just take my "adventures" at the nicest resort I can afford from now on, thank you very much.
Of course, if it still sounds up your alley and you are so inclined, by all means - check it out. You may fall in love with it, as I'm sure others have. Or, you may leave as quickly as you can haul your pansy-butt outta there (like we did) and chalk it up to experience.
ZIHUATANEJO
MEXICO IXTAPA
MEXICO TRONCONES
MEXICO BARRA
DE POTOSI MEXICO
When we did reach the top, my husband and I were both drenched in sweat. Husband thought he was gonna have a heart attack, and I felt as though I could pass out or have diarrhea (probably in that very order). It took a good 20 minutes to just catch our breath.
I decided to take a quick shower in the outdoor area, which actually lasted about 45 minutes, because I decided to wash my hair, and could not get the soap out with the trickle from the shower. Lousy water pressure. Finally got that taken care of, so we headed back down the hill to find some dinner, slipping and sliding our way back over the boulders, being careful (and actually praying) not to slip and twist an ankle - or worse.
This forum is a community service of
ZihuaRob's Z.I.P.®, Servicios Internet
in Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa, Mexico.