Visiting Sayulita

For several days last week we had stormy weather over night and during the day periodic rain showers. It was exclaimed everywhere – so unusual for December! – but last December there were similar periods. The new weather encroaches even in Paradise! The rain slowed little activity down, however, as the weather was still warm, the rain for the most part light and alternated with patches of sun. In the midst of this period we embarked upon a little adventure: renting a Jeep and going over to Sayulita. The rental office is half a block from our condo; there, Mark spent close to a half hour going over the terms of the contract with the owner, inspecting the Jeep itself, and waiting while various wiper blades were attached to the functional arms, in an attempt to find one which would fit. Next, along Badillo St. on its cobblestone road together with tight, fast-paced morning traffic; out through the tunnel road leading to Pitillal (a Vallarta suburb,) curving along the path to join the main highway route through the hotel zone, past the marina and Walmart, the airport, Nuevo Vallarta, and to our first stop: the Mega on Highway 200. Mega is a chain of stores rather like Walmart. This particular one, out in the boonies but close to Nuevo Vallarta, a seriously up-scale and fairly gated development, sells all varieties of consumer goods of an excellent nature: wine, cheese, chocolate, from all over the world, fresh produce -- whatever you want, it’s there. A walk through consumer paradise. In fact we stopped only to pick up some ibuprofen to stanch my beginning headache brought on from riding the cobblestones. In the event, I purchased a large chocolate and coffee gelato cone which somehow rendered the medication unnecessary.

Back onto the highway: past Bucerias, another small town on the beach which has managed to spread out along the highway for miles in the form of businesses of every nature. Not too far beyond, the highway narrows from four to two lanes. It is the main route from Vallarta to Tepic and then to Guadalajara so is quite busy. It is a winding road over hills and through magnificent jungle topography. Flora of every kind is blanketed with dense ivy – scenes of intense beauty. The pleasure to be enjoyed in this drive is greatly limited, however, by the speed of and close contact with immense buses and transport trucks coming in the opposite direction, perilously close as we manoeuvre around tight corners. Along the route are little shrines commemorating those who died at that particular spot. A reminder and a warning.

But then we have arrived. The simplest way to come to Sayulita clearly is by the public bus: it costs 25 pesos – a little over $2 Canadian; you can sit back in your seat and trust to the experienced driver to get you there; and, you are not able to see the on-coming traffic that might be on a course to do you in! The bus drops its passengers at the edge of the small village proper. Immediately beyond lie the streets that lead to the beach. Each is lined with restaurants, hotels, hostels, art shops, tattoo parlours, massage kiosks: all painted in bright pastels of red, orange, green, blue, and purple. The Christmas-New Year’s weekend was possibly one of the busiest of the year and the pavements and cobblestone roads were crowded with tourists and locals. We drove some distance around the neighbourhood before finding a place to park close to its entrance.

Down at the beach we joined hundreds of others ignoring the periodic showers, gathered under large umbrellas on beach chairs provided by the open-air restaurants that line the long arc described by the sand and the ocean. We were welcomed by a waiter who brought us to reclining lawn chairs under our own umbrella and provided us with a menu for lunch. Because of the intermittent rain, chairs and umbrellas were drawn together closely. This made for a cosy atmosphere but a sizable intrusion of chatter. Much was blanketed, however, by the groups of 5-8 young people who roamed the beach playing music – mainly percussion – as well as singing, dancing, and even performing acrobatic feats. At the end of a set one of their number would comb through the rows of beached tourists, soliciting recompense. In spite of all the action around us, Mark and I both fell asleep for some time after our lunches. Most delicious.   

During a break in the weather we walked along the beach and headed up a road leading south. Elizabeth had spent a day in Sayulita when she was visiting us last year and had told us of a lovely path and clearing in that area. We didn’t find either but did get some great views of the beach area and of a couple of beautifully designed and decorated resorts nearby. We returned to Vallarta in the late afternoon.

There are a number of small towns and beach places around the bay or higher up in the mountains, all worth a visit. This week we plan to take the daily water taxi to Yalapa, a spot on the southern coast of the bay. A friend gave us a film made there and we are going to see it for ourselves. The beach is fine and there is a resort/hotel of a modest sort where one can eat lunch and relax. When Mark’s brothers come to visit later this month we will rent a Jeep again and travel farther afield up into the mountains to visit some of the older villages. I think that my next trip along the curvaceous and lovely highway to Sayulita will be by bus, however.