The Margarita Miguel made us
Woodfired pizza
A dark shot of the band in the square
Sunday, June 19, 2011
I ended up going to see the band in the square last night. Sally came back and said they were amazing and I should see it. I didn't count the number of musicians but there were easily a dozen up on the covered stage in the middle of the square. They all wore white shirts and there was a heavy accent on percussion and horns. I only saw a few other tourists, most of the towns locals had turned out for this it seems, and some were dancing salsa and others just dancing. I took my cell phone camera and recorded it and in the darkness managed to get a little kid standing on a park bench dancing with his mother. It was raining softly and no one seemed to mind, least of all me! It felt refreshing. The rain, like the ocean, is warm.
The Margarita Miguel made us
Woodfired pizza
A dark shot of the band in the square
The Margarita Miguel made us
Woodfired pizza
A dark shot of the band in the square
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Day Two Sayulita
I waited for Sal to wake up, thinking she might want to surf, on this International Surfing Day. London girl had arranged for lessons already. She kindly offered to take Sal along but she was sleeping and declined the offer. I told her maybe tomorrow, as she's going again.
At 9 the owner Courtney came in and started breakfast, which was granola, yogurt, cut up fresh local fruit, coffee and fresh squeezed juice. Wow. After breakfast the three of us hung out on the upstairs porch and got acquainted.
After that we went for a walk along the beach and went the other way (south) and ended up at Villa Amour, which is a fancy place more like a private resort. We walked through the grounds and ended up at the old cemetery and from there to the second beach. This beach is quite small and only some local Mexicans seemed to be enjoying it. There was a huge party of locals in plastic chairs in rows at some kind of meeting, and a few families. There was a roped off area for swimming and the water was amazing. I forgot how buoyant you are in salt water. There were big crabs on the rocks, and hermit crabs in the sand. A small puppy was running around and came and jumped on Sal.
The old cemetery. This is my favourite shot from the cemetery. It looks guilded but it's not.
The beach puppy
Beach rocks
an inhabitant of the beach
Villa Amor
At this point the previously overcast day cleared and we decided to head back to town to get our sunscreen. We came back through the back roads of town, where a lot of the locals lived. It was an interesting trip through the jungle, with a cacophony of bird sounds, some huge butterflies,
a lot of closed up houses and some incredibly steep hills! We went into town for lunch and had a bowl of beans, a wrap and a lemon squeeze at Chocobanana, and of course a chocobanana for dessert. This is a frozen banana on a stick, covered in chocolate and sprinkles.
In the afternoon Sal went swimming and tried the balance board, and met a six year old friend who made an impression. She sat on the wall waiting for this boy to have his turn on the balance board, and he simply got off it, came and sat beside her. He only had Spanish so they shook hands and she went and tried the board.
In the late afternoon we headed to Miro Vino. Earlier in the day we had run into the guy who is the bartender so we decided to go and visit him. He made us some amazing huge margaritas (2 for 1) and we had a wood fired pizza with arugula and goat cheese. At the end of the evening, he told us he would take us in his car to a beach further away. He will pack an umbrella and a chest of ice and some boards, including a big board for learning. He's going to meet us at 10 tomorrow. 10-2 surf lesson!
As I write this, there is live music in the square, and Sal has gone out to hear it. Another noisy night ahead, but I hope to acclimatize. The music sounds quite good actually, lots of brass (even a tuba) and singers. What a town!
Love the colours in this photo. Click on it to make it bigger so you can see the wrestling poster. Following is a slightly altered version.
At 9 the owner Courtney came in and started breakfast, which was granola, yogurt, cut up fresh local fruit, coffee and fresh squeezed juice. Wow. After breakfast the three of us hung out on the upstairs porch and got acquainted.
After that we went for a walk along the beach and went the other way (south) and ended up at Villa Amour, which is a fancy place more like a private resort. We walked through the grounds and ended up at the old cemetery and from there to the second beach. This beach is quite small and only some local Mexicans seemed to be enjoying it. There was a huge party of locals in plastic chairs in rows at some kind of meeting, and a few families. There was a roped off area for swimming and the water was amazing. I forgot how buoyant you are in salt water. There were big crabs on the rocks, and hermit crabs in the sand. A small puppy was running around and came and jumped on Sal.
The old cemetery. This is my favourite shot from the cemetery. It looks guilded but it's not.
The beach puppy
Beach rocks
an inhabitant of the beach
Villa Amor
At this point the previously overcast day cleared and we decided to head back to town to get our sunscreen. We came back through the back roads of town, where a lot of the locals lived. It was an interesting trip through the jungle, with a cacophony of bird sounds, some huge butterflies,
a lot of closed up houses and some incredibly steep hills! We went into town for lunch and had a bowl of beans, a wrap and a lemon squeeze at Chocobanana, and of course a chocobanana for dessert. This is a frozen banana on a stick, covered in chocolate and sprinkles.
In the afternoon Sal went swimming and tried the balance board, and met a six year old friend who made an impression. She sat on the wall waiting for this boy to have his turn on the balance board, and he simply got off it, came and sat beside her. He only had Spanish so they shook hands and she went and tried the board.
In the late afternoon we headed to Miro Vino. Earlier in the day we had run into the guy who is the bartender so we decided to go and visit him. He made us some amazing huge margaritas (2 for 1) and we had a wood fired pizza with arugula and goat cheese. At the end of the evening, he told us he would take us in his car to a beach further away. He will pack an umbrella and a chest of ice and some boards, including a big board for learning. He's going to meet us at 10 tomorrow. 10-2 surf lesson!
As I write this, there is live music in the square, and Sal has gone out to hear it. Another noisy night ahead, but I hope to acclimatize. The music sounds quite good actually, lots of brass (even a tuba) and singers. What a town!
Love the colours in this photo. Click on it to make it bigger so you can see the wrestling poster. Following is a slightly altered version.
We checked in to our hotel, La Casona. It's in town, a short block from the water, and is incredibly beautiful. The room is comfortable, with a double and a twin, ceiling fan, standing fan, and an incredible wrap-around porch with chairs, a table and a hammock. There are no spider webs here, and a noticeable absence of bugs. It turns out the geckos keep them down. The geckos are hard to see but easy to hear. At first I thought there were birds in the house (no screens, and lots of open spaces, but oddly, the birds do not fly in). The geckos make a loud chirping sound, especially at night.
The first thing we did was go down to the water. Sal went in but I had my camera so we strolled along the beach quite a way, past the river, and then back again. We wandered around town and had a fish taco at the place called "Fish Taco" not to be confused with Sayulita Fish Taco or many of the other fish taco stands. Burrito Revolution is closed for the summer, unfortunately.
We came back to the hotel, feeling tired from all the travel, and hung out for a while on the porch overlooking the street. In the evening we wandered the square and weren't quite sure what to do for dinner when a diner on the street hailed us and asked us what we were looking for. Turns out this guy is from Edmonton but he is building a house here, and he suggested we have a burrito at this place Olga's. So we did, and it was delicious. Seems most of the people here know each other. The tables are set out right on the cobblestone streets, and the traffic roar by inches from the tables. He said it was quiet compared to high season when the traffic is non-stop. The streets around town are mostly one way, but there are many streets leading off the main roads that rise steeply into the hills and once the cars turn onto them they gun it up.
Once back at the hotel for bed, we put in our supplied ear plugs. I hit the sack and fell asleep immediately but woke in the middle of the night with the noise. One of my earplugs was loose and somehow when I tried to re-insert it, it ended up across the room in the dark, so I spent the rest of the night sleeping with that ear into the pillow. Once the bars closed and the noise finally ceased, the birds started chirping. I rose at 6:30 and went to the balcony to take pictures of the street cleaners and their dogs.
Olga's Kitchen
The first thing we did was go down to the water. Sal went in but I had my camera so we strolled along the beach quite a way, past the river, and then back again. We wandered around town and had a fish taco at the place called "Fish Taco" not to be confused with Sayulita Fish Taco or many of the other fish taco stands. Burrito Revolution is closed for the summer, unfortunately.
We came back to the hotel, feeling tired from all the travel, and hung out for a while on the porch overlooking the street. In the evening we wandered the square and weren't quite sure what to do for dinner when a diner on the street hailed us and asked us what we were looking for. Turns out this guy is from Edmonton but he is building a house here, and he suggested we have a burrito at this place Olga's. So we did, and it was delicious. Seems most of the people here know each other. The tables are set out right on the cobblestone streets, and the traffic roar by inches from the tables. He said it was quiet compared to high season when the traffic is non-stop. The streets around town are mostly one way, but there are many streets leading off the main roads that rise steeply into the hills and once the cars turn onto them they gun it up.
Once back at the hotel for bed, we put in our supplied ear plugs. I hit the sack and fell asleep immediately but woke in the middle of the night with the noise. One of my earplugs was loose and somehow when I tried to re-insert it, it ended up across the room in the dark, so I spent the rest of the night sleeping with that ear into the pillow. Once the bars closed and the noise finally ceased, the birds started chirping. I rose at 6:30 and went to the balcony to take pictures of the street cleaners and their dogs.
Olga's Kitchen
Sayulita Day one
This is my first time in Mexico. I write this on my balcony overlooking the Pacific, listening to the sounds of the town below me. Music, people singing.
We left Toronto at 10 and were in Puerto Vallarta by 2ish Mexico time (one hour behind). As soon as we cleared customs we were inundated by men trying to solicit our business for taxis. I walked right through them, but it wasn't easy. They blocked your way and were very in your face. Finally one guy followed us out and said "are you taking the bus?" I said "Maybe" suspiciously. He said "welcome back, enjoy your stay." Obviously if you take the bus here, you must know what you are doing. I then asked him for directions to the nearest ATM and he showed us. We put in our bank card and it said it was going to charge us $29 for the fee. I said "no way!" and cancelled the order. Then a Mexican guy and his girlfriend came up and I told them the fee was outrageous here. We went to try another machine, thinking it was the particular bank and while we were in the lineup for that machine he came over to us and told us it was in pesos, not dollars. $29 pesos equals about 2.40 Canadian. Okay...I'm in another country!
We got our money ($3000) and then had to break the large bills for the bus. So we went to the nearest bar and pulled up a barstool and had a shot of tequila. Two tequilas, and they gave us a plate of succulent limes and a free plate of chips and salsa (spicy!). Awesome so far. Then we went across the street from the airport, over the footbridge to the other side, and there was the bus stop. There was a little bar there and a very friendly nice looking Mexican lady asked us where we were going. We told her and she consulted a man standing by the road with a clipboard. He said the next bus to Sayulita was coming in 15 minutes. "Would you like to sit down and have a beer?" Nice little racket they have. So just like they said, the bus pulled up and we got in, and it was $50 for two to Sayulita. The bus followed the four lane highway and at first it was rather affluent - weber bbq's, and New Holland tractors, car dealerships, even a Walmart. Eventually the road became a two lane highway and the business were smaller, even people parked under the underpasses selling fruit from their cars. The country is hilly, heavily treed, and dry. Even the creek beds are dry. I saw several cows and horses foraging in them.
The bus stalled twice going up steep hills. A woman across the aisle from me said Ooops! loudly and when I looked at her she smiled broadly. The transports and cars and pickups behind us simply pulled around us and passed, going uphill on the wrong side of the road.
Sayulita is the last stop and we almost missed it even then. The bus did a U-turn and started going back the way we came. A woman from London was sitting next to us and I asked her where she was going. It ended up we are staying at the same hotel. Luckily she has lived in Mexico for a year and spoke Spanish so she asked the driver if we were at the end and we were. I'm not sure what he thought we would stay on the bus for if we'd reached the end of the line. He pulled over and let us out. The stop was in the middle of a dry dusty road and there were several dogs milling about. The London girl pulled out her guide book and consulted a map. We started walking towards the ocean and town and I recognized the hotel from pictures.
The town is home to many dogs that seem to wander at will.
I love how the dog's body repeats the design in the sidewalk beside him. I could photoshop out the power lines.
We left Toronto at 10 and were in Puerto Vallarta by 2ish Mexico time (one hour behind). As soon as we cleared customs we were inundated by men trying to solicit our business for taxis. I walked right through them, but it wasn't easy. They blocked your way and were very in your face. Finally one guy followed us out and said "are you taking the bus?" I said "Maybe" suspiciously. He said "welcome back, enjoy your stay." Obviously if you take the bus here, you must know what you are doing. I then asked him for directions to the nearest ATM and he showed us. We put in our bank card and it said it was going to charge us $29 for the fee. I said "no way!" and cancelled the order. Then a Mexican guy and his girlfriend came up and I told them the fee was outrageous here. We went to try another machine, thinking it was the particular bank and while we were in the lineup for that machine he came over to us and told us it was in pesos, not dollars. $29 pesos equals about 2.40 Canadian. Okay...I'm in another country!
We got our money ($3000) and then had to break the large bills for the bus. So we went to the nearest bar and pulled up a barstool and had a shot of tequila. Two tequilas, and they gave us a plate of succulent limes and a free plate of chips and salsa (spicy!). Awesome so far. Then we went across the street from the airport, over the footbridge to the other side, and there was the bus stop. There was a little bar there and a very friendly nice looking Mexican lady asked us where we were going. We told her and she consulted a man standing by the road with a clipboard. He said the next bus to Sayulita was coming in 15 minutes. "Would you like to sit down and have a beer?" Nice little racket they have. So just like they said, the bus pulled up and we got in, and it was $50 for two to Sayulita. The bus followed the four lane highway and at first it was rather affluent - weber bbq's, and New Holland tractors, car dealerships, even a Walmart. Eventually the road became a two lane highway and the business were smaller, even people parked under the underpasses selling fruit from their cars. The country is hilly, heavily treed, and dry. Even the creek beds are dry. I saw several cows and horses foraging in them.
The bus stalled twice going up steep hills. A woman across the aisle from me said Ooops! loudly and when I looked at her she smiled broadly. The transports and cars and pickups behind us simply pulled around us and passed, going uphill on the wrong side of the road.
Sayulita is the last stop and we almost missed it even then. The bus did a U-turn and started going back the way we came. A woman from London was sitting next to us and I asked her where she was going. It ended up we are staying at the same hotel. Luckily she has lived in Mexico for a year and spoke Spanish so she asked the driver if we were at the end and we were. I'm not sure what he thought we would stay on the bus for if we'd reached the end of the line. He pulled over and let us out. The stop was in the middle of a dry dusty road and there were several dogs milling about. The London girl pulled out her guide book and consulted a map. We started walking towards the ocean and town and I recognized the hotel from pictures.
The town is home to many dogs that seem to wander at will.
I love how the dog's body repeats the design in the sidewalk beside him. I could photoshop out the power lines.
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