We’re here! Estamos aqui!
(I haven’t forgotten about the wedding pictures I promise, just waiting to get all of them so I can post some great ones.)
We’ve been in Mexico for nearly two weeks now, and although we had a bumpy beginning (which I’ll write about in my next post), I pretty much love our new home. You can expect a lot of posts about beach life, local culture and of course, Mexican food. For starters though, here are my first impressions of Sayulita:
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It’s Not as Small as Expected
Sayulita is a tiny dot on the map, a small surfing town an hour by bus outside of Puerto Vallarta. We chose it because we knew it was bigger than popular nearby blogger town San Pancho, but it’s still a bit bigger than I had expected.
Sayulita is a tourist town, popular with American visitors and expats. I knew that, but it still amazes me to see blond families eating tacos out in the street, and the number of large homes, hotels and rental apartments is incredible. One of the neighborhoods is even called Gringo Hill.
That said, I don’t think the town is totally removed from reality. There are lots of Mexicans here, particularly on Sundays when local beach-goers pour into town. We even spent some time at a Mexican baseball game. You don’t have to look very far to find local street food, little kids playing in the creek and pick up trucks selling shrimp out the back. It’s an interesting amalgam.
Food is Cheap… And Delicious!
Well not all of it, I did spend way too much on some subpar enchiladas the other day, but for the most part we’ve been eating delicious Mexican food at cheap cheap prices. Mike and I have yet to have a meal that cost us more than $20 for two, although most meals are probably closer to $10. Today we’re lunching on an entire grilled chicken with salad and side sauces for 85 pesos (about $6.50).
My favorite? The churro vendor who fries hot dough out of the back of his pick up truck- 7 pesos (~50 cents) for an enormous sugar rush!
Dogs Everywhere
Like in a lot of Latin America Sayulita is overrun by (friendly) packs of dogs. Some of them have owners, some do not but they all seem pretty happy and well fed. It’s fun to watch them playing on the beach in the evening. I want to be a beach dog in my next life.
It’s Sleepy… for Now
Sayulita has a strongly defined “on” and “off” season. June-October are the hot, rainy quiet months and November-May are the sunnier, busy months. We arrived at the start of October to a pretty quiet scene with about 50% of the shops and restaurants still closed and few tourists wandering around. Since then every day has gotten a little busier, as it will continue to do until the pinnacle of tourism here: Christmas and New Years. We’re trying to enjoy both sides of the coin, although I’m anxiously awaiting the re-opening of the ice cream shop!
Oh and the Beach is Pretty Great Too
Not that we’ve spent much time on it! The beach is only two blocks from where we are staying and is wide and gorgeous, with startlingly warm water. Think I’ll have to convince Mike to go with me later…
I can’t wait to see and learn more! Life goes slowly here, and we are still adjusting to our routine of sleeping, working and eating mexican food. Honestly it may be hard to ever leave.
