Mexico 2016

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Melaque

Monday

This morning we took off for a hike to try to find Playa (Beach) Cuastecomatito. Bob saw it on an online map, with a trail close to Melaque. We walked up to the highway and turned west toward the town of Cutastecomates. Before the highway turned right to this town, we took a left on to a road leading up the mountain. We passed a little shack where a guy was fixing his fishing net. He tried to tell to go to Cuatecomates to a beach, but we went left instead. He told us that this beach was gated and we couldn't get down there, but we decided to just check out the view. Apparently the land had been bought and closed off to visitors. The road we followed was good, a little rocky but available to car traffic. We went up and up and up, but it was quite gradual. The views were spectacular, overlooking the ocean and the rock formations. Saw several hawks and a pelican overhead. Many big trees with white flowers along the road. We ran into a few people, all tourists. The main road lead us to the gate and we turned around a bit further down the road.

There was another path that lead off the main road, probably a 40 minute extra walk, that lead to an old restaurant, long ago closed, at the end. We ran into a couple who walk this area frequently. They said there used to be many more birds here, but think they have probably been illegally captured and sold. We also heard that someone had seen a panther cross this path, and that students from the University of Guadalajara had been in the area studying the plants and animals. I'm not sure if it was really a panther, but glad we didn't run into him.

After our hike, we spent some time reading by the hammocks. The mama of the sock thieves was there, but not the pups. The dog owner's little boy was also there, very cute and just as friendly as the puppies.

Later in the afternoon we went to eat at Roosters (chimichanga and beef ribs). Good food. Tomorrow we head back to Puerto Vallarta for a day, then back home to the cold.

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