Sayulita

Sayulita -

Junto al Rio was fun in that it was close to the beach. But the cacophony of birds from 4-6am was unbearable, as was the stench once we realized a sewage plant was next door.

Casa Caracol was beautiful with the caveat of not being near the beach and having a steep walk up gringo hill with two kiddos at least twice a day.

Paloma played in the sand.

We SUP'd for 30 minutes each. It was tough for me, easier for Zoey but I would do it again.

The food was mildly disappointing. Breakfast at Cafe El Espresso was probably the most disappointing - canned tomatoes and canned salsa for Huevos Rancheros and Chilaquiles. Tacos from El Ivan were the highlight though the return trip they weren't as exciting.

Nighly ice cream was Paloma's favorite treat.

Mexico is chaotic. Radio ads blasting from early in the morning, maybe more annoying because we were up on the hill.

Mexico is dirty, vibrant, loud and a bit wild, but not too much of any of these things. There were parts to love and parts that make you scratch your head.

Five of the six days we were on the wrong clock. But it didn't matter.

It was a good trip.

Corn rows
Watermelon
Playa de los Muertos
Junie and Paloma playing
pasta dinner
Montezuma's Revenge




It's been almost four years that we've owned a Mexican restaurant and we finally returned to Mexico. Every year we try to go, but something comes up - money and time are usually the main prohibitors.

But this year we finally decided we would regret not getting away before the summer. So we booked our flights in March (?) and then worked on finding a place to stay.

Zoey had been to Sayulita about ten years ago with some friends and she liked the place she stayed so we decided to go back. What we missed in the recent reviews was that in the time that she had been there a sewage treatment plant had been built next door to the Junto al Rio.

Passports secured and all packed up we headed out early on a Monday morning. Paloma in her pj's rolling her own suitcase through the DIA parking lot as the sun came up, June strapped to Mama. One nice thing is that we wouldn't be traveling with a car seat and stroller.

There was an extra presence of security at the airport - drug dogs greeted us at security line. No coincidence that the Denver 420 festival had been the day before and a lot of Cannabis Cup t-shirts were around us.

The flight there was a breeze. FROZEN for $6 on Frontier - yes, please.

As soon as we cleared customs, the bartering and selling began. Not like it was a huge surprise, but still going from the United States where there is a certain respect of personal space to another country and another language where suddenly people are very open about approaching you and selling you their services is a little bit of a wake up call.

We found the driver Zoey had hired, we played with the kid's seats, which were pretty terrible and poor fitting, and then we were off along the streets of Puerto Vallarta north.

A stop at the ATM for money and MEGA for groceries, pizza in the car for lunch, a short drive up the hill and through the jungle (beautiful trees, though most everything is still sort of brown until the rainy season of June & July) and down into the cobble stone streets of Sayulita.

We turned off the main road, across a river bed, mostly dry, on to a small narrow street lined with vendors to find the entrance to Junto al Rio. Is any of this looking familiar Zoey?

The smell hits us right away though we want to shrug it off. It's only occasional - is it the river? is it Junto's sewage system?

We find our thatched roof bungalow, a nice size little place with two double size beds and a loft. The porch is sand with a little table and chairs. We are in the jungle but only a very short walk to the beach and the ocean.

Paloma is immediately in the sand, Junie and I are immediately asleep for our afternoon siesta.

We head out on the town that night in search of dinner. Zoey had raved about a certain pastor taco guy on the streets. They had it the first night they were in Sayulita and then could never find him again until the very last night.

We stumbled upon Tacos El Ivan pretty quickly and sat down for some tacos al pastor right off the spit, right on the street, in the plastic chairs, plastic bags over our plastic plates to keep them clean. Paloma would have nothing to do with it so we went off in search of a real restaurant.

Carmelita's - the food was nothing special, kind of akin to what one would find at Efrain's, though mildly better and more appropriately priced. Paloma refused to eat her quesadilla until threats of no ice cream started gnawing away at her. Suddenly she had a great appetitie - "full, but for ice cream".

Off we went to Wai-kika ice cream, which would become a daily stopping point for us. Cookies & cream for Paloma and she was happy.

We spent Tuesday exploring the town a bit. We ate tostadas de ceviche camaron and pescado as well as fried fish tacos on the street. I ordered a large horchata which was big enough for ten people. I tried to buy a wooden tortilla press from the woman at the place. She told me it would be 300 pesos but that a carpenter would need to make it. She told me to come by the next day and check to see if it could be done.

We returned to Junto for naps. Woke up and had margaritas and micheladas on the beach while Paloma played in the sand and while the bros next door "taught surfing" in between drinking beer and just being dirtbags.

Summer time fun

Pretty mellow Fourth of July. We hiked down to South Boulder Creek from Walker Ranch. So hot, but Paloma hiked the entire way down and about a quarter mile back up. Creek was running high but it was so nice and shady and cool down there. 

We returned home, cooked some burgers and corn, ran in the sprinkler and then set off the tiniest of fireworks with Oliver, Inez and Shawn. 

When this kid is having fun, she's having so much fun!

Father's Day 2013

Picking strawberries with my girls after a long week. Hoot & Hollow Farm on Jay Road. Paloma wasn't much interested in the picking after a few, but she loved seeing the chickens.

We brought home 10 lbs or so of strawberries?

Dance party this morning. I asked Paloma what kind of music she wanted - "rock'n'roll!" We settled eventually on Macklemore and she ran into the bathroom where Zoey was finishing showering - "we're having a dance party but not with rock'n'roll, with Macklemore".

John and Laura coming over for mediterranean hanger steak, Mexican corn on the cob, salad from the garden...

Mt. Princeton Camping, June 2013

We spent my birthday camping at Mt Princeton campground near the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs. Tough camping trip. Paloma sick, sleep hard to come by, wasn't one of our better displays of parenting, we are still trying to figure out the camping thing, but overall we at least left in good enough spirits to give it a go again sometime.