February 2, 2019

Our mornings unfold slowly around here. There are always a couple of surfers that either come from our bungalows or have permission to access the wave action through our premises. By the time the cloak of darkness lifts and skies leave behind their twilight shades, said surfers have completed their morning runs and are shuffling back in to rinse off under the outside shower directly in line with our pink hued horizon “Buens Días” view from our window whilst we remain in bed! Sometimes we have desayunos (breakfast) here. Just as often we get to walking and grab a bite along our way. Since arriving Tuesday, I have been filling my personal cup with coffee from our on-site restaurant, doctoring it up bulletproof style with the butter and MCT oil that I packed from home and foaming it up in my blender. That lasts me several hours so I can accomplish my goal of intermittent fasting (aka not eating a real meal until after 11:30). This day, Bill had huevos just steps from our casita, I enjoyed my café – and soon we were off for a field trip!

Dave and Shelly (and dachshund, “Willow”) picked us up in their rental car and drove us north to another popular surfing village, Saladita. It’s mostly a straight shot on highway 200 – until it’s not!! Our turn off had us going through the small and colorful town of Los Llanos dotted with about forty casas, convenience tiendas, one school, and of course – a huge basketball court and a soccer field (many of which we drove by as we initially missed our turn). A rutted dirt road brought us a short remaining distance to the beach – a surfers paradise with a variety of wave breaks for beginners and skilled boarders alike. The beach shoreline was haphazardly strewn with dining emarandas, one room surfer bungalows with outdoor cooking fire pits, lots of “privado “ and no parking signs resulting in very few options for pulling over our vehicle, plus stands for lessons surrounded by groups of students already underway. Luckily, our friends had been here before, knew “Lourdes” had comidas (food), and baños (toilets) and we found a parking spot adjacent to their pallapa covered picnic tables and chairs.

We strolled in the toasty sand, watching other strollers, watching surfers – some with their “hands up in the air like they just didn’t care”, looking at the interesting array of lodging and homes and eventually plopped down into some lawn chairs that we brought to continue our spectator sport. We hung out for a couple of hours, lunched and then drove back to Troncones before the real heat of the day set in.

Back through Los Llanos there must’ve been twenty or so Federales in their full uniforms, machine guns resting across chests, masks over their faces and helmets atop heads. Yesterday there was a carjacking between Troncones and here and fifteen cars were robbed as well some of the vehicles stolen. We had heard about this and so Bill and I didn’t bring our phones, no valuable and but a few pesos. We have heard about Mexico‘s crime as long as we have been coming here the last twenty years. Our feeling – there is crime everywhere, even back at home. One needs to exercise caution, keep a sense of where one is, eyes open like a ninja, and just plain use commonsense when and where to go certain places. Our friends had not heard the news and we didn’t share it with them until after we passed through and got back onto the highway. Thankfully we had no frightful incidences, however I was not able to take any pictures without my phone!

Even not being gainfully employed and corporate crazy at home, from which many come here to escape and unwind, it takes a few days in Mexico for me to slow down. I think I‘m there!! Once again this afternoon we just enjoyed the pool and also some air conditioning! No long walk… We did stop in to see Dave and Shelly’s spacious and well designed new condo nestled into inviting, shady tropical grounds and even though it was just over a mile back to our abode, we took them up on the offer for a ride, me pulling out my “inappropriate footwear excuse…”. No regrets here!

Belem was wearing her manager’s hat at the Inn, Wil joined us for our last dinner here and we tucked in for one more night listening to the roiling waves lulling us to sleep as they crashed on the shore just steps away.