PV - Thursday, 28 Feb 2013

Left side of beach where most of the surf schools are located.

Enjoying lunch on the beach.

The 'Candy Man'. He pushes this wheelbarrow up and down the beach and does a booming business.

Right side of beach which is almost deserted.

There was a steady stream of surfers going from the rental shop to the best surf locations.

We had a brilliant day! We decided we would take the bus (the kinder, gentler one vice the 'crazy' bus) to Sayulita. It's a small town about 40 kms from Puerto Vallarta and well known for it's numerous surf schools and beautiful beach. Note to self: we picked up the Sayulita bus at Walmart and cost was 30 pesos ea). The bus cuts through the mountains going North and although it stops at every goat-path along the way, the hour's drive was fine.

The bus pulled in to the 'bus depot' which turned out to be a row of chairs under a sun shade and once we all departed the bus, the load of people going back to PV got on and it was about a 10 minute turn-around. We followed the crowd--there was really only one direction to go--and our first stop was at a juice stand where Wayne got a huge glass of fresh squeezed orange juice for 20 pesos or $1.60. I think the fellow squeezed 8-10 oranges to fill the glass. Can you buy that many oranges at home for $1.60? Don't think so.

We continued across the bridge to the sign that said 'Beach' and after a very short walk, stepped out into Utopia! It's part of  Banderas Bay and the smaller bay where Sayulita is situated makes for very good waves. There were lots and lots of surfers and a later walk down the beach revealed many surf schools. There is also a very long, less-developed beach in the opposite direction.

We rented a big umbrella and chairs from one of the restaurants and spent the better part of the day people watching, wandering, and fending off the beach peddlers. While we didn't get into 'town', I didn't see any big condo complexes or mega-resorts and Sayulita is still supposedly a diamond in the rough. It was a popular destination for the hippie/surf crowd in the 1960s and there's still a few old guys with 3-foot rat tails hanging down their backs and lots of dread-locks. There are more tattoos per capita than anywhere else I've ever been and I suspect some of these bodies display their owners complete life story.

The waiter who brought our lunch to the beach pointed out a small hotel on the beach, just around the bay, where rooms are still $50 per night. We've already decided we are going back on Sunday and will check out the hotel...and the price. I know I overheard someone on the bus saying his friend's in-laws rent a 2 bdrm place for $45 a night. We'll see. We didn't walk downtown, which is one street, but there are as many English signs there as Spanish so it may be worth a better look-see. I only had my point-and-shoot camera so I'm looking forward to going back with the heavy duty equipment and taking more photos.

I sure hope the worst of that f'n snow is gone and the temperature rises before next Sunday (10 Mar) when we get home. We are leaving here on the 9th and staying overnight in Chicago but any tour we take there may have to be in a heated bus if things don't change. Thanks for posting all those snow photos on facebook guys...we are even more grateful for these warm, sunny days!

We ended the day with our little restaurants Thursday special....BBQd spareribs. We always split an order as it's a full rack and far more than we can eat with all the other things on the plate. All in all, it was a memorable day which is always made special when you discover a new place. Hope everyone at home is well. Until next time, love and hugs to all. xx