"When the afternoon sun drives you off
of the tennis courts, you may want to follow our example and
get married in the beautiful courtyard at the Beach Tennis Center
in Melaque - we loved it!"
Jean and Doug Dalton, Los Angeles
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Dear
John, Fergie and Paco,
Thankyou so so much for lightening my day up by coming home to find
these pictures. What a great shot at the Ceviche bar. All my photos
are not great at all and need better camera. They are all too distant.
Then Barry has sent on ones of my serves and of us. It is wonderful
and yes had to wait a long time for them to chug out of my computer.
Was it a dream? Could it be possible that only 2 weeks ago I was lazing
in your pool, trundling along to the tennis courts, eating those delicious
bananas, the morning Smoothies, the shrimp etc etc. It was all so
wonderful, so relaxing, the foods, so so good. Thank you all for making
it that way for us. I will never forget particularly the kindness
of Fergie and Paco on my first 2 days feeding me, seeing the wreck
I was!! Thankyou
We really had the best time with you. It was perfect for us as we
so love to play and every day came another variation, sometimes very
low key and sometimes very high key, like doubles with Martin, Fergie
and Osvaldo or Mario!! Hey I never played with you John! Then my change
of serve, and wish I'd had more time to practice.
My trip back was very good (except for going through with 3 bananas
and had to go through Agricultural X ray etc!! I offerred them the
bananas too) and made my connections OK. I have only played once the
day after my return and was quite jet lagged and worked every day
since except for Sunday, yesterday.
I miss you all, had such a great time , and Barry and I really want
to return possibly November time. Thank you for everything and sending
such great pictures. I think your place is so great! My tan is already
fading!
Wish I could return,
Love, Vanessa
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Running and hitting with the bulls
After spending a week hitting with John and the
young toros on the clay at El Palmar my game mentally and technically
improved. More importantly I had a good time.
My uncle Arturo, a novice, accompanied me and each
morning Fergie would hit with arturo, allowing me to focus on my 3.5/4.0
game. By the end of the week it was great to see my 75 year old uncle
hit two handed backhands and enjoying tennis. John taught me the intricacies
of doubles and in several games with 4.5 players I held my own. If
you're looking for singles play, the young guns who show up on weekends
have enough game to keep most club and college level players challenged.
John's place is a half block from the ocean and
is tastefully designed and furnished. I borrowed his mountain bike
and tooled around town, went snorkeling and sea kayaking up the coast
which has some of the most spectacular seascapes in Mexico.
I had been to tennis camps elsewhere and prefered
El Palmar's pace and pressureless approach. Getting to meet the locals
and play with them made me forget that I was a tourist. If you're
looking for a no pressure, quality tennis experience in a beautiful
setting close to home, this is it.
Steve Ginsberg, El Sobrante Ca.
Arthur Bornstein, Los Angeles
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John,
I want to make a few comments regarding our vacation to Tennis El
Palmar. Travelling with my cousin and both having been to Mexico many
times we were't sure what to expect. Also, I am a tennis a player
and she is not so there were questions like how long would it take
me to get to the courts and back, what would she do while I was gone,
and when we were together where would we go and what would we do.
But the first thing was the trip getting there.
In a word, EASY. The flight was simple and short. Next was getting
to the resort. That, too, was easy as there are so many taxis at the
airport and English was spoken everywhere. Then came the resort itself.
I want to choose my words carefully. Let's see, how about "neat
as a pin". In fact I would characterize the resort as "charming",
"lovely", "clean", and "excellently maintained".
The rooms were well laid out and everything we could want was available
including a microwave oven, refrigerator, silverware, knives, etc.
So, in all, the accommodations were perfect.
Because there are so many restaurants in the town
of Malaque, the best word I would use to describe the food was "choices".
The one we went to was excellent but then we found out that there
were neighboring towns with even more excellent restaurants so we
had even more places to go. Yes, we had lots of choices.
After dinner we walked around in a setting that
was perfectly safe so I guess that is how I would describe our feelings
of the town. I say this also because the next day I left in a van
for the tennis courts and my cousin was alone to wander. I didn't
get her reaction until I returned so first, let me say something about
the courts.
The drive to them was very short, and everywhere
there was construction. I mean, I was expecting rumors about developments
that were to take place in the future, like manana. But, this was
not the case. The development was occurring right then and there.
What I saw at the courts was every bit as nice as what I see in Paris,
France where I live part time. They had what we call "terre battu"
or real beaten earth. Furthermore, there were local players who could
"wack and smack" with the best so I had plenty of competition.
When I returned, I walked in the front gates and
found my cousin floating around in the clearest blue pool I had seen
in some time. She was having a wonderful time and rolled over to tell
me about her morning on the beach and walking around and that she
was ready for some more exploring. So, I got in the water, got cooled
off, got out, and off we went.
I guess what I am saying is that all vacations come
with certain expectations. Ours was relaxation. I got mine and my
cousin got hers both together and on our own. There is always a bottom
line question to whatever one does and that is, "would you do
it again?". We both give a resounding, "YES". With
that we both say, "Thank You, John" for everything.
Very sincerely yours,
Eric,
Seattle, Washington
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"My wife and I just returned from a wonderful
week at Tennis El Palmar. It met our expectations in every way. We
are beginner/intermediate players who were looking to play a lot of
tennis in an informal environment along with some private instruction.
The four, clay courts are about a 20 minute drive via the resort's
shuttle van. They are surrounded by banana trees and flowering trees.
We played for about 3 hours every morning, ending
play just as the noon sun started making things a little uncomfortable.
Fergie was an excellent instructor, very patient and encouraging.
John has designed and built a first class resort. It is exquisite,
with lush, tropical landscaping, colorful Mexican tiling everywhere,
a swimming pool and modern amenities. The Pacific Ocean is just across
the street. Tennis El Palmar is located in the town of Melaque, which
is a popular vacation destination for Mexicans and Canadians. If you
are looking for a slick and shiny resort town, you will be very disappointed.
This is an authentic, small Mexican town with dirt roads and small
houses, many with grass roofs. There are several excellent restaurants
here, however. We especially loved Maya, with a very talented Canadian
chef, Peg, who we wish was here in Manhattan, New York!"
R.C.,
February 2002
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I have recently returned from a wonderful
two week tennis holiday at Tennis El Palmar located in Melaque. I
always take my tennis Racquet whatever type of holiday I'm having
just incase I can pick-up a game. Often however there are courts and
no one to play with. This is not the case at Tennis El Palmar. The
hosts personally arrange matches not only with other guests staying
with them but with the numerous Mexican tennis players. The level
of tennis ranges from beginners all the way up to professional level
tennis.Tournaments are arranged and weekend tennis events are not
uncommon. All guests who stay with John in his new and beautifully
appointed accommodation, (mostly one bedroom condominiums) are given
preferential treatment at the tennis club (4 beautifully kept red
clay courts). For those of you who would like a truly Mexican tennis
experience or would just like to sit in the sun on the adjacent beach
or by the pool I would highly recommend a visit. This is not the 'Big
Box' resort type vacation where you get the same 'buffet' everyday
but rather a personal exposure to a true mexican tennis club. There
are a variety of very good restaurants both in Melaque and Barra de
Navidad to make your visit entertaining You can expect to be picked
up at the airport and be very well looked after during you stay. They
are kind and gracious hosts. You won't be disappointed with this very
affordable tennis retreat. You find them at www.mexicotennis.com
D'Arcy Boulton
Victoria, BC
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We just returned
from a week's stay at Tennis El Palmar. We booked on the strengh of
their brochure and the website and found the advertising to be very
acurate. Their new apartments are tastefully appointed and well fitted
-open plan but private, small garden/pool area is very well maintained
and stocked with a variety of flowers and shrubs. Each morning we
were driven into Cihuatlan to play tennis at the Tennis El Palmar
Club which has 4 wonderful clay courts. The gentle clay and hot sun
provide almost a soothing balm to the sore knees and backs of most
hard- court players. We played with local club members and other visitors
and, to us, this was the highlight of the week. In the evenings we
wandered through Melaque and Barra, enjoyning the life and sampling
the various restaurants and bars. One week was hardly enough and we
will most certainly return for longer!
Carolyn
British Columbia, Canada
cpirani@home.com
December 2000
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How I spent "Ski Week" in Mexico
- by Alex Epstein (abridged version ;-) )
During ski week I went to Melaque, Mexico. At Tennis El Palmar,
the hotel that I went to, the owner had a dog named Chato. Chato
means flat. The dog was a boxer and had a flat face. My family was
really tired. So when we got to the hotel we walked to a nearby
restaurant called Alcatraz. When we got there I ordered some chicken
fajitas. They were really good. When I went to sleep I slept right
next to the door and I could hear the waves from the ocean rattle
the door.
The next day my family and I went to a town called Barra. There
was an outdoor market that we walked through. There were a bunch
of jewelry stores and my sister and mom tried on bracelets and a
lot of other jewelry. There was a store with a bunch of little things.
I saw really cool Mexican marionettes. The marionettes were Mexican
people with beer bottles in their hands. We stayed in Barra until
dinnertime and we went to a really nice restaurant. I had fish and
chips. When we went back to the hotel there were people outside
talking so my family and I introduced ourselves and we started talking.
The next morning I played and snorkeled in the pool. Then I just
hung out in the little Mexican style apartment we had at the hotel.
Later my family and I went to the beach.
The next day my dad and I took some bikes that the hotel owned.
We rode into the town to get some American money changed into Mexican
money. Then we just cruised around the town. When I got back to
the hotel I played in the pool for a couple of hours. When I finished
playing in the pool, I took a shower and went to the beach for three
hours with my family. Then we went back to the hotel, had dinner
and went to bed.
The last day we were there, John took us to another town to another
beach called Tenacatita. There was a restaurant at the beach where
we ate lunch and hung out. John owned about fifteen snorkels and
I went snorkeling in the water. I saw schools of clear fish trying
to get under my shadow for shade. I went a little deeper in the
ocean near a bunch of big rocks and saw a big brownish-yellow fish.
When I went back to our table I took a short nap in the hammocks
and when I woke up I went to the tide pools with my mom and my little
sister. Then I got dried up and we went back to the hotel and my
family got packed up. We took the airplane back to Los Angeles.
The End.
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My wife and I have been going down to the
region for the past three years. This January will be my 4th year
in a row. My wife will have accompanied me on all of these trips except
last year when I took my 16 year old son. If you are looking for a
holiday that is full of fun and love playing tennis besides, then
this is a great place to go to. The beautiful red clay courts are
just one of the attractions for us. The people that are there to play
and visit with are the main reason that we keep going back. (Let's
face it, there are a lot of places to go to play tennis or lay around
on a beach.)
J. R. Pollard
Vancouver, B.C.
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Destination: Mexico
There aren't enough superlatives to describe the week my daughter
and I enjoyed at Tennis El Palmar, near Manzanillo. They are new apartments
within 100 meters of a beautiful mile long beach (hope everyone likes
a booming surf!). The tennis courts were magnificent red clay and
groomed to perfection; these were surrounded on 3 sides by a combination
banana/papaya/coconut plantation. The January weather was in the 80's
(F), with no wind, a high sun and wonderful new friends. The accommodations
included most of the amenities of home plus the close proximity of
'abarrotes' (convenience stores). Rates, including tennis, were $89/night!
We're definitely returning; it's a great place, with or without the
tennis.
John Slade - thelooseend@webtv.net
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Hola John,
Muchas gracias para su hospitalidad. Even though several
Canadians had been to Melaque, I wasn't prepared for the beaty of
the hotel, beach and tennis courts. Stupendous!
From the very first day everything was a delight;
the ambience and friendliness of your hotel and staff, the beauty
of the beach and the artistically appointed and well equipped apartments.
The pretty and well maintained clay tennis courts cannot surely be
matched. I was particularly impressed by Fergies's skilful and
patient lessons. They were the best! The positive interaction
of all the people I met through your tennis camp was the highlight
of my trip. A great experience!
I have shown the pictures to the Ladies at our club and they were
very favourably impressed. Let's go they say! I'll get
them organized for next winter.
Thanks for the great vacation,
See you again for sure,
Saundra
Hola Fergie,
Thankyou for showing me your high level of skill and quiet style of
instruction. Your knowledge, patience and support is
to be commended. I appreciated you ability to take a skill apart
so that others could understand it. The repetition to help skill
learning was another bonus. So were the tips to use in training,
play and tennis in general. You are a true professional and
provide unlimited inspiration to the game.
Muchas gracias!
Saundra