El secreto está descubierto!

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10 years ago, Sayulita Mexico, a town of about 4,000 on the Riviera Nayarit, was a sleepy fishing village. Once the preferred vacation spot of hippies and surfers from California, Seattle and Portland, Sayulita's appeal grew steadily in recent years as families and retired expats began to rent affordable vacation homes on Gringo Hill and the shops and main surfing beach became packed during winter months with day trippers from Puerto Vallarta. With this influx of tourists came international cuisine, galleries, coffee shops, bars and night clubs, and while many lament a certain loss of Mexican authenticity, the town is still free of any large beach resorts or chain restaurants, the main fare in town continues to be the $1 street taco and many Mexican families continue to live and work in town, providing a comfortable blend of Mexican and Western atmosphere that appeals to many seeking an escape from the all inclusive resorts an hour's drive away in Nuevo Vallarta. The yoga and zumba studios, organic farmers market and juice bars create a kind of West Coast atmosphere that seems to be more symbiotic with the local people and culture than the large scale tourism embraced by Puerto Vallarta.

Dennie, Henry and I would become temporary residents of Casa de los Loros, one of the stately vacation rentals on Nanzal Hill over looking Sayulita Bay for one week in mid February. Joining us would be my sister and her husband, and four close friends. It is amazing how quicky one can become accustomed to a new lifestyle - the warm humid air, the sound of the tide coming in, and the cacophony of birds in the jungle surrounding the house. Our days were spent lying on the beach, bartering with locals selling blankets and Saskatchewan Roughrider gear, perusing the shops in town and eating delicious street tacos. The evenings brought drinks on our deck and more delicious street tacos. This is not to say that our trip was absent of adventure; taking a boat trip to the Islas Marietta's for snorkelling and caving, seeing sea turtles, dolphins and Humpback Whales, a failed attempt at surfing, exploring a Mexican grave yard near Playa de los Muertos, playing carnival games and drinking fancy drinks at a Mexican fair, seeing more than one Sublime cover band at a local bar, committing a break and enter into a walled compound while on a hike to the neighbouring village of San Pancho; you know, the stuff you do on a Mexican vacation. And through it all, Henry was a champ. This trip was a bit of an experiment to see how travelling with a little one would work. Turns out cold weather and the necessity to wear clothes is a major source of stress on babies who are much happier when they are naked, warm and surrounding by smiling Mexicans wearing bright colours.

We arrived back in Canada greeted by a -40 wind chill. I have been grumpy for the last two weeks, spending my days searching Sayulita real estate listings and crunching numbers to determine if we can afford to buy a home in Mexico. There is hope however, as the Weather Network informs me Saturday will only be 10 degrees below zero. Blargh!

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

From hippies and surfers to international cuisine
Sounds like a wonderful place.