Tag: Sayulita

Surfboard Run: Day Five

Leigh, surf, Surfing, Travel, Yoga

This is a recap of day five of our surfboard run from Houston, Texas to Sayulita, Mexico. If you missed day four, you can catch up here.

Day five began with leftover pizza for breakfast. We made quick work of that and made tracks for the beach. Edgar surfed the Sayulita break while I practiced yoga. I played around with handstands against a mural wall, and toyed with foot placement and shoulder activation. Our morning exercise complete, we walked a few streets into town and got coffee at a new place. New businesses are popping up all over town… restaurants, coffee shops, yoga studios and B & Bs. While we were walking around and taking note of the new spots, we found a barbershop, and Edgar decided to get a hair cut.

Not long after the scissors came out, another man came into the shop and had a heated discussion with the barber. He then went to a work station and began to pick up products and tools and put them in a bag. The barber working on Edgar’s hair didn’t seem to like that, and some more angry words and gestures were exchanged. Then the barber opened up the angry guy’s bag, and took some of the product back out, clearly claiming it belonged to the shop. Things were beginning to get uncomfortable so Edgar spoke up and asked if they could possibly settle the matter later, perhaps when scissors and razors were not so close at hand. They agreed and the angry guy left, and Edgar got a nice haircut. A boy of about eight came into the shop while we were there. He had a little money — it appeared he’d made it selling trinkets in the square. Edgar and the barber agreed to split the cost of his cut so he could keep his earnings.

Angry guy is packing up his work station in the background.

Another one of the new shops is a little less formal, but a lot more tasty. This guy set up a candy store just off one of the main streets. We struck up a conversation to see what he had, and he offered some free samples of the candied nuts. We purchased several varieties to take with us as snacks for the ride to the airport. Edgar’s youngest daughter Marie was making the drive back with us, and we needed to fetch her from Puerto Vallarta.

Don’t ask me what they are exactly, but they’re good.

We had to again switch hotels, since they were out of rooms, and we moved into a place just a five minute walk away. We didn’t have a bunch of time, so I walked across the street to get fish tacos, while Edgar got our stuff to the rooms.
You can’t drive past a surf break without at least having a look, so we took the scenic route toward the airport and stopped by Punta Mita. There wasn’t much to it so we kept on.

We also had another mission in mind. Casa Aves has had a table and chairs outside on the bodega since we’ve owned it, but the seats just aren’t comfortable. Several furniture stores line the way to the airport and we stopped at a handful, but didn’t see exactly what we wanted… at least, not for a good price.

The PV airport stays pretty busy, so we camped out in the stream of arrivals and kept a keen eye out for Marie. At only 18 years old, she’s already well-traveled and quite accustomed to this particular route. While we were keeping our eyes peeled for her, a familiar face appeared. Our friend and sometimes driver, Espie, was at the airport and we chatted for a moment about family, business and how things were going for him in general. Seeing people you know at an airport in Mexico, reminds us of how small the world is, and how much this section of it feels more and more like home.

After we grabbed Marie, we headed back to Sayulita and went for another stroll on the beach. There are always vendors walking up and down the beach and offering something. This time we ran into a guy selling Mexican blankets. We had seen them before, but this guy quoted a price we couldn’t pass up, and we wound up with a really nice blanket.

On our way back through the square we saw a group of little boys skateboarding, and showing off their tricks. We watched for a while and then Edgar asked if he could have a turn. They thought that was kinda funny but gave him a board. He skated for a bit and then said, “Wow! Why are your wheels and trucks so loose?”

“Because we’re surfers,” came the reply.

Little skater/surfer making it look easy


We had agreed to meet up with our house host for dinner. A local artist, who came to Sayulita by way of Italy, stays at Casa Aves year-round, keeps the house nice and is a great resource for guests. We met at Don Juan’s just up the street from Aves and shared a meal and good conversation. After dinner we went for another walk, and then turned in for the night. One of us planned to surf in the morning, while the other two had their eyes on a yoga class.

Surfboard Run: Day Four

Leigh, surf, Surfing, Travel, Yoga

This is a recap of day four of our surfboard run from Houston, Texas to Sayulita, Mexico. If you missed day three, you can catch up here.

On day four we decided to soak in the view a little longer, and have breakfast by the water. We ordered lattes and shared this plate of pancakes with fruit. It was as delicious as it looks.

We could have spent the day there just enjoying the view, but we also wanted to get to Sayulita and maybe find a wave. Sayulita has grown as well, in the 3-4 years we’ve been visiting. The official population is about 5,000, but there were tons of people in the streets and walking around the town square. We stopped off at Casa Aves to drop off the boards, but we were unable to stay as a nice family from Canada was renting the place for the week. Instead, we booked another place in town and then hit “Wild Mex” a coffee/surf shop across from a local break. They’ve expanded too, going from just a coffee stand, to a restaurant with lots of tables and open air seating.

The break, called “Burrows”, was pretty busy but we found our spots… Edgar hit the lineup and I headed down the beach where it was smaller and less crowded. I was comfortable in my shorty (wetsuit that comes to the knee) – the water temperature was on the way up but not bath water yet. We caught some rays and nice waves and enjoyed the beach.
We always seem to be starving after a surf session so we hit the showers then hit one of our favorite beach-side restaurants for Mexican pizza. People were still surfing the beach break, wringing every bit of swell out of the day.

Sayulita has a square where people are usually lounging or snacking, or just watching others go by. This visit we noticed a new selfie opportunity. New letters have been added to the square for pictures and there are no shortage of models.

There are a couple of places in Sayulita that serve ice cream and we’re quite familiar. We got our treat and then enjoyed an evening stroll. We spotted the guy who offers folks a seat on his burros for a small fee. He only had one long-eared friend when we first saw him; now he has three. Business is booming, and more and more visitors are enjoying Sayulita’s charm.

Surfboard Run: Day One

surf, Surfing, Travel

When I told my friends and coworkers I was going to vacation in Mexico, they nodded in an understanding way and asked, “Where in Mexico? Cancun?” Well, not exactly.

This was a vacation with a mission. A misscation. Edgar has some… let’s call them “extra” surfboards that he wanted to take to his rental house in Mexico, where guests could use them. The airline wanted $150 per board to fly them down there. We did the math and a new plan emerged… drive the boards down to Sayulita.

Houston to Sayulita is about 1,139 miles give or take, so about 21 hours of driving. That’s an average, but we were going to take Edgar’s 1992 Land Cruiser, and although it’s very reliable and roomy, it’s no speed demon. It’s a cruiser. We planned for three days down and three days back. We wanted our trip to be tranquillo, so we loosely planned out the stops without making a firm booking. After all, this wasn’t our first Mexico road trip. Edgar and I drove a baja bug down from California to Baja Mexico and across on the ferry to the mainland last year. (You can read about that journey here.) Edgar took his motorcycle down on one journey and back on another, and the Land Cruiser spent some time there over Thanksgiving a couple years ago. This wasn’t new territory, and what’s more, it sounded like fun to us, so we packed up a backpack each, and filled the rig with boards.

We left Houston on a Saturday morning, planning to spend the bulk of the day in Rockport, Texas, working on Edgar’s boat. He recently purchased a 40-foot trawler, and it’s been pulled out of the water for some TLC.

We spent a few hours working in the engine room and driving around town for parts. We paused for lunch at a place on the water serving chips and queso and oysters. (not combined) In the early evening, it was time to make our way to Laredo, which feels as much like Mexico as any city can, without the visit with the federal agents. We’ve done our research over the years, and always cross the border at daylight. We found a place to stay and a restaurant down the street. The order of mango habanero wings looked great, but when I took a bite I shot hot chicken habanero sauce directly into my eye, and it burned like fire. I had to rush to the restroom to rinse out my eyeball before I could get back to my meal.

After dinner we settled in for a good night’s sleep, our last one for a while on this side of the border.

On Day Two, we cross the border, hand out our first mordida of the trip, and run into a couple of dudes who claim they’re with the cartel.

Taking the baja down the Baja: Day Nine

Leigh, Surfing, Travel, Yoga

Note: This is a recap of Day Nine of our journey driving a ’68 bug from Sacramento, CA to Sayulita, Mexico.  You can catch up on day eight here.  

The most surprising aspect of the ferry ride was the timing.  We had given ourselves plenty of wiggle room, because we didn’t know if it would leave or arrive on time.  It did both.  We cruised into Mazatlan right before 9am, and everyone lined up in an orderly fashion to disembark.  I joined the exit line, rushed back to return the borrowed movies and remote control, then joined the line again while Edgar went down below to fire up the bug.

I walked off the ramp and met Edgar in the parking lot, where he was holding our exhaust pipe.  He’d lightly tapped a truck during the unloading process, and it was enough to cause the pipe to break off.  Once again our jar of bungees came in handy, and we headed off toward Sayulita with the pipe carefully fixed to the roof rack, while keeping a careful eye out for a welding shop.

At lunch time we found a nice little place right on the water just south of San Blas, selling shrimp and cheese empanadas and the now standard coca lites.  While we wrapped up the meal, we asked around about a nearby break called Stoners.  No one at the restaurant knew what we were talking about, so we went off-roading again.  We found some pretty beaches, but no swell.

We’d spent enough time in Nayarit to know where the swell is located there, so we got back on the pavement and headed in that direction.  In La Cruz we spotted what looked like a welding shop, and quickly turned in.  We used our spanish and a lot of demonstrative movements to explain the problem, and one of the workers said the magic words, “no problem”.  He brought out the torch, and waved off Edgar’s suggestion of a helmet.  A few moments and pesos later, the pipe was once again married to the bug.

We were close to home, but had enough light to check out one of the local breaks, so we took a quick peek.  Burrows wasn’t too exciting, but the pizza joint nearby had a live band.  They sounded good and so did a slice of pizza, so we settled in to enjoy both.

After dinner, it was time to go home.  Casa Aves has the perfect spot for the bug right out front.  We spent time unloading boards and supplies, and giving the green meanie a little dust-off as a welcome home.

The next day, we grabbed a ride to the airport, and a much faster trip home.

Miles traveled on day 9:  245

The story doesn’t end here; it’s just the closing of this chapter.  Thanks to everyone for following along and enjoying the recaps with us.  It was a great adventure and we enjoyed sharing it with you.  We’d love to hear your feedback and/or questions.  What surprised you about the journey? Is there anything we didn’t cover that you really want to know? Have you, or would you want to, make a similar trek?  Would you have joined Fibber McGee for dinner, or adopted a Mexican street puppy?  Share in the comments and let’s keep the conversation going.

Morning in Sayulita

Travel

Note: Contributor CK sent us this reflection upon her mornings in Sayulita.  If you’re not familiar with this creative little (for now) surf spot in Nayarit, Mexico, you can read more about it here. 

The collection of noises that follow the arrival of the sun are too many to count.  The birds provide the background upon which all other chatter occurs.  Chickens crowing, various indigenous birds chattering, warbling, cawing….

The insects also contribute, providing a consistent hum, carrying about their daily activities despite circumstance.  The stream gurgles to my right, occasionally interrupted by a creature crossing its path and stalling the flow.

At this time in the day, the noises from human development are slowly beginning their crescendo.  Construction picks up as countless buildings are constructed.  Commuters, like the insects, build up a hum of traffic, also bound to continue their days despite circumstances.

In the soft illuminating light, the voice of the people eases into the symphony of morning noise as the day begins.

-CK

Sayulita

Informational, Leigh, Surfing, Travel, Yoga

Sayulita, Mexico.

When Edgar first invited me there, I had never heard of it, and now it feels like I hear it mentioned everywhere! This eclectic, artsy little surf town is getting some travel buzz, and for good reason. It’s a great mix of locals and visitors, with a healthy dose of misfits thrown into the scene. It’s happy. It’s safe. It’s on the beach. It’s beautiful. It’s Sayulita.

Before you go:

In addition to researching where you want to stay, and what you want to do, you’ll want to check the current exchange rate and get some pesos in your pocket. Most places in Sayulita will take US currency, but they won’t give you the best rate. We’ve found the best deal is to order some pesos from your home bank before you go. Some bigger banks will have them on hand, but others will take a few days to get them for you. It’s worth it, and will save you money when you just spend like a local.

Getting there:

Flights to Puerto Vallarta are easy to find, and as long as you have some advance notice, pretty reasonable. We recommend giving yourself a couple of months to search, so you can see patterns of when prices fluctuate. Holidays are tough, as the airline industry is well aware that you’d love to go someplace warm and filled with sea air, but you can still find a deal if you get creative. Once you have your dates in mind, do some sliding around of days/times and see what works best. If you end up with a layover in Mexico City, make sure you plan for enough time to go through customs and find your way around the airport. Their second terminal is not well-marked and is up a level and a tram ride over from the main terminal. (I once had to “tip” an employee a $20 just to find the tram station, so learn from my mistakes and look for the escalator going up.)

Arrival:

The airport in PV is pretty easy. Once you flow out of customs (press the button and cross your fingers for no searches!) you’ll be ushered right into the main lobby. Don’t have a ride? No worries. Cab drivers are everywhere. If you have something arranged in advance, ignore all the people waving you over. They’ll ask where you’re going or guess where you’re going and act like they know you. A few “no gracias” waves will do the trick. Step outside and you’ll see two lanes of traffic and lots of pick ups and drop off, just like any airport, with maybe an extra dose of chaos. If your ride is arranged, they’ll be holding a sign with your name on it. If you don’t have one arranged, just tell any cabbie where you’re going. Trips to Sayulita can run you anywhere from 1000-2000 pesos, roughly $50-$100 USD. You’re expected to negotiate, so take whatever they quote you and whittle it down. If you say no to their price, they’ll probably ask you what you want to pay, so have that number in mind.

Getting around town:

Sayulita is walking city. Most of the hotels and B&Bs are right in the heart of the city, or a short walk outside of it. The beach is walkable from just about anywhere in town, so unless you like to pack a bunch of stuff with you, you’ll be fine to head over on foot. Some visitors can be seen cruising around on golf carts, since they’re easy to stash on side streets, but we’ve found these to be a bit pricey and prefer the exercise.

Restaurants and shopping:

There are good deals to be found on food and souvenirs, but like most places you have to be ready to look at little off the path. The shops right by the beach offer lots of swimsuits and clothing, but at tourist prices. Some of the best deals on blankets, hammocks, jewelry and so forth can be found right on the beach. Sellers walk the beach all day offering all sorts of wares, and they’re all ready to ask you what price you want to pay.

Some of the best food can be found right on the street, at the taco stands! The churros (fried dough) are also delicious, and the perfect post-dinner snack for your walk back to your hotel. If you’re more in the mood for a sit-down meal, there are plenty of great restaurants serving delicious seafood, pizzas, salads and of course, traditional Mexican cuisine. Prices are reasonable, and the service is almost always great.

After dinner, take a lap around the square. There are musicians, skateboarders, fire twirlers and all sorts of performers ready to wow the crowds. The vibe of the city between 9p-11p is fun and vibrant, and there are still tons of families with young ones milling about. I can’t speak to the late night crowd, but at least until 11 or so the majority of the city is just having an innocent good time.

Surfing:

If you go to Sayulita, you can rent a board for a day for about $15 USD. There’s a surf break right there on the main beach, and there are plenty of beginners paddling out on their foam boards for the thrill of their first white water rides, and more experienced surfers showing off their skills a little farther out. You can rent boards right on the beach, or at any of the surf shops in town.
If you’re an avid surfer and want more variety, there are a number of nearby breaks that the locals will help you get to, but keep in mind the best spots you may need to find yourself. Not every surf instructor wants to find tourists on his break on his only day off. But in all, folks are very friendly and if you’re looking for a wave someone will tell you what’s working that day.

Yoga:

Sayulita is a great place to practice your beach flow. I’ve enjoyed several morning sessions flowing to the sound of the waves. Because folks tend to have dinner late and then stay out late, the beach is quiet in the mornings. Surfers and yogis who want a little quiet time would do well to hit the beach before 8:00am. If you prefer to flow with a group, there are also several yoga studios on the side streets of town, and they’ll have morning and evening classes. It’s also a great place for yoga retreats, so keep an eye out for those ads and you can return to flow for an entire weekend. The instructors I’ve had have all spoken English and usually conduct their classes in a mix of both English and Spanish. For single classes, expect to pay a drop in rate of about $10 USD.

Other Activities:

Of course there other activities to explore, if you are not surf/yoga inclined. Sayulita offers horseback riding, zip lining, fishing, ATV tours and much more. You can make reservations in advance, or talk to your hotel clerk and other people in town to see what’s available. People are very friendly and eager to help you enjoy their city.

Safety:

I’ve always felt safe in Sayulita. But of course, whenever you travel you don’t want to leave common sense behind. Stay in groups when you can, but if you explore alone, stick to the main drag. Evenings are joyful, but as the night goes on, some folks transition from eating to drinking, and it can get a little loud. This is usually when we call it a night! If you do like to stay out late and enjoy adult beverages, just keep an eye on your drink and your friends. Look out for each other just like you would in your home city, and you’ll be just fine.

The fact that Sayulita is gaining in popularity is no accident. It’s a fun town that combines a beautiful beach with a vibrant cultural experience, while its reasonable prices and English-speaking residents make it accessible to all kinds of travelers. It offers adventure for the daring, and relaxation for the weary. For first-timers, it’s the perfect weekend getaway. After that, it will never be long enough.