Gringos and Fish Tacos

Our first night in Sayulita was a little rough for me... Eva was sleeping in the closet. I was on edge because if she squirms enough she could fall out. It would take a lot but it still made me nervous. Plus there was music blarring what seemed like all night long. They know how to get their party on here that is for sure! There was a band playing until at least 11pm and then there was loud piped in music for at least another hour. But eventually it quieted down and I was able to get to sleep. Ken didn't seem to have any problems sleeping. And we were snug as two bugs... in what they are calling a queen. I find it hard to believe it's not a full - it looks so tiny compared to the king we were sleeping on in Puerto Vallarta.

Well, I am pretty sure I wouldn't want to live in Sayulita. There are too many gringos here. And it isn't exactly that they are gringos, it's the kind of gringos... a bunch of hippie, dirty... I don't know. I am being super judgemental, but they own all the shops in town, sell bread on the beach, and are generally everywhere. I think being here in the off season might be a better barometer of what it is like here when it isn't overridden by tourists. Then I think about why this is a successful place for both Mexicans and gringos... because of the tourists and gringos who come here and spend their money. And if I was to live in Mexico I would want to own a business that was successful... and I am thinking most of my money would be made from gringos... so who am I to judge.

The towns to the north of here a much more low key than here. There are drawbacks though. For one thing, mostly the beaches aren't as nice. You can't swim in them easily because they aren't protected by a bay the way Sayulita is. And, there just isn't much going on. That can be good at 1am when the music in the zocalo is so loud you can't sleep! But maybe not as good if you want something to do by day... besides sitting around drinking beer on the beach?

Today we had breakfast at a place called Rollie's. It started out as a breakfast place and now they also have breakfast. I think he has been here for at least 10 years, maybe longer. They do a rocking business and Rollie himself is right in the mix. He sells fresh roasted coffee, organic of course. And he is quite a character. He has his own restaurant song that he sings with his son.. it's taped and played over the loud speaker, but it's really cute. He is extremely friendly and makes a point to make friends with everyone in the restaurant. He made friends with a little kid who had drawn a picture and then posted it ceremoniously on the wall with other creations from other kids. And we had an excellent breakfast! I had their version of eggs benedict with a sauce that was delicious... with chipotle and something else with a green hue. Ken had the breakfast burrito he had been craving since we got to Mexico... although the breakfast burrito is hardly Mexican. It was delicious. I had breakfast burrito envy. When we were all but rolling out of there, Rollie offered us pancakes on the house! And they were delicious. And they served butter just like Ken thinks it should be done... at least a cup of butter on the side, so you can use the whole thing or leave a little. Those pancakes were the size of a large plate... no joke!

Last night we had our requisite fish tacos. Actually Ken had fish fajitas - a huge plate of grilled fish, peppers, onions, beans, rice and tortillas in a delicious butter sauce. I had a marlin taco which was served sauteed in a tomato sauce and a Baja fish taco, fried with special sauce on top. Both were served with cabbage salad on top, yummy salsa, rice and black beans. We also had guacamole which was excellent. And not too crazy expensive. I think we spent about $20 total. Of course it would have been lots more if we had been drinking beers and margaritas! So, that seems like a lot for Mexico, but I have found that the prices here and in PV are just a little bit better than at home, but not much. The further you get from the tourist spots, the better the prices.

So, I don't want anyone to get the idea that it is cold here, because it really isn't... But last night I was freezing my ass off. And there were a couple of times in PV that I was cold too. Last night I finally got warm after a hot shower. I wasn't the only one walking around all wrapped up in my sweatshirt. I saw plenty of people in sweaters and scarves. It is definitely much cooler here in December than it is in October. Same with PV. I am guessing the farther south you go, the warmer it gets. I do remember being quite cold in San Miguel de Allende when I went in October. I had to always layer up. SMdA is in the mountains and has weather much more like in the states than the beach in Mexico.

I am not sure what we are having for dinner tonight. As usual I go from one meal thinking about what I am going to eat at the next meal... and where! That is the only way to ensure that I don't lose my mind with hunger. That is not a pretty sight for sure.

Tomorrow I think we are going to take a little tour of the coast north of here. We want to check things out and get some use of the car. I guess I will be able to use my Spanish a little bit more too. We may try to go to see the turtles. There is a sanctuary at Playa del San Francisco, aka San Pancho. They release baby turtles from August to December. I think they release them at night, so we may only be able to see where they hatch or something. I am not sure. And maybe we will drive a bit farther north to see some other beach towns too. It would be fun to go into the mountains, but the town that I know of is pretty far away.. It would have been a better trip from Puerto Vallarta.

Well, Eva just got up from her nap. So, my time is up...