The day started well. I woke early, still dark and checked my phone for the time. 6:30. I quietly rose and dressed and went down to the water. It was so dark I wondered if my phone was wrong. I went right to the water's edge and sat and waited for the dawn. The sun didn't come up in that glowing orb kind of way. It just got progressively lighter. At first I wasn't sure if the sun was coming up or the moon, which was still high in the sky, was lighting the beach. But then suddenly it was day. I decided to walk along the beach to the end, where Sal and I were yesterday, to see if the crabs were more active at this time of day. I passed three fishermen in a boat a ways out and they started waving their arms and whistling. I thought they must be hailing a friend behind me and I looked around but there was no one there. When I got closer they yelled out "How are you today?" What the hell? Are there really people this nice in the world? Broad smiles all around. They weren't having much luck but the pelicans were bobbing about beside the boat, so close they could have reached out and patted them on the head like obedient Labradors.
I walked to the end of the beach and up to the rocks, but the crabs were all in their crevices and not much was happening. There was an eerie sound coming from the rocks that I wasn't quite sure could come from a bird. I thought a lizard maybe, since now I know they can make bird-like sounds.
I turned around and started back and I saw a little silver fish, about an inch long, flipping and flopping at the edge of the water, desperately trying to get back to the ocean. I scooped it up and tossed it into the waves. Thus my birthday begins with saving a life.
I continued up the beach where I could now see a few people starting to join me. Some surfers, some more fishermen throwing nets from the beach. I saw a fellow we had spent some time with on the street chatting and he was fishing with a rod from the beach. He's about 25-28, deep brown and dreadlocked, and dressed in the official Sayulita uniform of board shorts worn low on the hips and nothing else. As I passed he grabbed my hand to shake it and pulled me in and kissed me on the cheek! It's official - the people here are so friendly it's shocking. I'm not used to it. And let's be clear here - I'm a middle aged grey haired lady. No beach babe.
I came back to the hotel to shower and breakfast and check my computer. I think Paninos is in order - some cake for the day!
ps the baby bird was gone by nightfall.
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