Hola Sayulita

Greetings from the enjoyably sweltering heat of Sayulita, Mexico!  We arrived Sunday evening and kicked off our vacation by jumping right into our token travel kerfuffel.  At the airport, we hired a taxi company to take us the 30-40 miles from Puerto Vallerta North to Sayulita. They offered us a shot of tequila at the counter, and we both obliged. Then, in the cab, our driver asked if we wanted some beers for the road, drinking in a vehicle being something of a novelty to us gringos. Porque no? We said! Unsurprisingly, I managed to forget my bag in the car when we were let off two beers later.  Luckily I had a number for the company, and went into town to find a phone to use. I paid to use one at a convenience store. After watching me wait for some time for the company to track down my bag and call back, a mechanic enjoying his evening beer out front took my taxi ticket and without solicitation used his own phone to call for me and check in on the situation. Several phone calls later I spoke with the gentleman who had arranged our ride at the airport counter. He tracked down my bag, and instead of charging full price to have it delivered by taxi, or my making the bus trip back to the airport to pick it up, he offered to drive it up to me for just the price of gas. We arranged to meet him at the gas station at the entrance of town, and he told me he would be driving a Ford Explorer, so that I could recognize him. 'Thanks,' I said, 'I have purple hair, so I'll be easy to spot.' 'Yes,' he laughed, 'I remember.' Although it dominated our first evening here, it was in the end a minimal inconviece, and a proving ground for the friendliness and helpfulness of everyone we met.

It rained off and on all day on Monday. We didn't make it out into the water, party due to the rain and party due to our need to adjust to the heat and humidity.  Instead, we spent most of the afternoon on the covered patio of a cafe, sipping beers and munching on guacomole. There we met a teacher from Vancouver, Lindsay, with whom we became fast friends.  We talked travel, west coast culture, education, and surfing, and plan to join her and her friends tomorrow for a trip a bit south to Punta Mita, another surf spot.

Now that the sun is out and we're a bit more acclimated we've fallen into a really nice routine.  In the morning we go out for a surf, coffee, or breakfast (or some combination) before retiring to our shady cabin during the heat of the day to read, nap, study Spanish, etc.  Our cabin is perhaps a bit rustic by some standards, but perfect for us, with a private little courtyard.  Bananas, coconuts, and mangos (unfortunately not yet ripe) grow in the cabins' common courtyard/walkway, where there's also a larger outdoor kitchen (we have a small two burner/sink kitchen setup in our cabin).  The noise is something to get used to, as our neighborhood back home is an exceptionally quiet one. The wide variety of birds here can be at times deafening, the shriller ones balanced by the soft and familiar hoots of a nearby owl.  Like many places in the world, here many things, like gas, are sold in roving trucks which signal their approach with loud music or announcements. I think I may forever remember the jingle for "Cinta, Cinta, Cintagas!" after our stay.

We've had excellent interactions thus far with locals and other travelers alike.  Many people here seem to have roughly as good a grasp of English as I have of Spanish, although there are plenty who are completely fluent and plenty who speak not a lick (including the mechanic who came to my rescue on the first day).  I get plenty of opportunities to practice; unlike some other places I've been people here don't seem to be chomping at the bit to practice their English, and generally conduct business in Spanish unless someone approaches them in English, or they happen to be completely fluent.  Most people I've talked to are happy to help me learn, to speak a little slowly, and graciously correct me when I say something silly or can't find the word I want.

More in a few days on our trip down to Punta Mita, town explorations, and continued social adventures!