Cuyutlan

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We are leaving here today, and have really enjoyed our stay here. When we arrived, the bombed out look of the outskirts of town, the disrepair of the hotel, and the shacks (seafood stands) crowding the beach made us think we'd made a mistake...

But the quiet charm of the place quickly grew on us, and it was great fun being in the middle of Mexican weekenders....lots of families, no bad behavior (including the quietest Harley guys we've ever not heard...). We spent all of Sunday under the umbrellas on the beach, having things brought to us (freshly made tapioca pudding, beers, guacamole, hats, jewelry, hammocks, pistachios) but no pushy vendors... Lots of playing the surf, watching the life guards rescue guys who went past the breakers, and card playing. The Mexican families rented small swimming pools for their kids, ventured into the surf from time to time, and chatted with friends and relatives of all ages. Later in the day, a DJ played loud beats at a christening party, held under tents on the malecon, and we danced!

A few more stories:

On Saturday night, I was sitting on the landing outside our room, using the internet connection, and an older woman made her way very slowly down the stairs. We chatted and she told me about her arthritis, and then proceeded to bless me at length...the next morning, saying good bye, she kissed my hand.

Our 23 year old English-speaking hotel manager told us he lived in Pasco, WA from the age of 6 to the age of 19, when he was deported after getting a DUI. He left a young daughter behind, whose mother has married another man and he has no hopes of seeing the daughter again. He can apply for a visa in 6 more years. He seems very sad and lonely in this very small town, feeling more American than Mexican.

Met a few ex-pats here who live here part-time and love it. One is a painter from Colorado and the others are from Victoria, BC. They all love the small town atmosphere and friendliness of the people. If we come back and bring people, we would rent a house and a car...

The only ATM in town is broken, so we took the collectivo to Armeria, 10 minutes away, to get cash. Everyone was helpful, but the accent here is hard for me to understand...we finally found a bank of ATMs at the courthouse...bail money?

Off to Manzanillo in an hour....the big city!

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Comments

[Carol McClain]

Cuyutlan
You cannot imagine how lovely all this sounds to us. We have a foot of snow in our backyard and the Polar Vortex is about to attack us again tomorrow. Wish we were there. I'd say "wish you were here" but I'm not that mean! Abrazos…C.