thursday in Sayulito

Jan. 12 - mondayThis morning we took our time packing up and left Teacapan for the San Blas area.We navigated the maze of one-way streets in Escuinapa to find a bank to load up on pesos, then a Pemex station for gas and coffee at the Oxxo convenience store. Also some juice from the Jugo stand. Due to lack of espagnol skills we ended up this time with only Jugo de Naranja - orange juice. Nothing else. In Maz. we had a sort of fruit shake concoction, nice and fresh and fruity and good for breakfast. Guess we need to brush up on our spanish fruit words.The road winds up and around hills sorta like the road to Hana on Maui, Hawaii. It's jungly, too. We passed through some small, small villages and got bombarded with fruit-in-a-cup-sellers when crossing topes (speedbumps). About 5 or 6 of them stuck their arms right into the open windows of the van - very agressive sellers! We did buy some, it had coconut, cucumber, watermelon, papaya (yuk, tastes like cheese) and some sort of apple-pear thing. It came with a baggie with salt and some sort of chilliepepper spice. We put that on the cucumber slices. Not sure if that's what it's for, though.We decided on staying the night in Playa Amore, a nice little rv park next to the ocean on a little bluff. We had an early dinner in the fishing village, fish of course, shrimp and quesadillas.We met up with people we met at Mr. Moro's in Las Glorias. It gets a little stressful looking for a camping place when it gets to be around 3 p.m or so, just because we have no clue how far everything is really. The book does describe the routes very clearly but I have to continually flip pages and read descriptions, and it is easier just to drive by and if we like a place just pick that one. If you read ahead you always think there's a better spot just a little further on....We are contemplating splurging in Puerto Vallarta and getting a hotel and staying for a few days so we can walk around and explore the town and markets too.We have seen many different animals by now; iguanas by the riverside, geckos in the bathroom, frogs in the shower, big brown hairy spider, ants black and red, and many birds. Oh yes and a cucaracha. Really have to check your shoes in the morning. Good thing we've got flipflops!
jan. 13 - tuesdayWe packed up slowly in the morning and headed further south again. It is getting more jungly again, and more humid now. We drove through pineapple fields, yacca fields and we tasted yacca for the first time - very sweet, large fruit the size of a watermelon but prickly on the outside, grows on trees, kinda hangs like large melons off the tree. The fruit is large yellow bubbles inside with a pit. High in calcium the lady told us. We had stopped on the side of the road at a stand where a family showed us loads of veggies and let us taste some goodies. Megan had her wish - the man cut up a fresh coconut for her and we got the milk (actually coconut water, it's clear and was very fresh and cold and filling) and the coconut meat in chunks in a baggy with lime on it. Very tasty! 3 kg of little bananas, the best, ripe, sweet little bananas we've ever tasted! We drove to the town of Sayulito, on the beach we are camping in a small campground owned by a german fellow who's been here 30 something years already. He moved his car and that's our campspot for tonight. The roads are cobblestone and most people walk around town. We are seeing families both American and Mexican with kids and the feeling is generally relaxed. Lots of surfers here too. The ocean here is good for beginner surfers. It is a nice friendly atmosphere, a little cramped but easy to access everything on foot which is nice. We hear crickets, exotic birds and there are more geckos. Megan caught a small baby gecko. Now at night we hear that typical jungle sound, hissing and crickets and the ocean in the background. A little music, too, people laughing and talking. Very relaxing. The shot of tequila was helpful too, at dinner. The waiter insisted.... :o)
We'll be here another day, maybe leave friday for point further south. Doing some laundry in a washingmachine - yahoo!