A Day At The Beach

Christmas Break at Stinky's beach.  No school?  Might as well surf.

Christmas 2014

For me, Christmas in Sayulita is a totally different event then it was back in the States.  If you never went into Walmart, Home Depot or ventured into Puerto Vallarta you may never even know the holidays were here.  That's ok with me.  Not being exposed to the "marketing machine" this time of year is just fine.  We don't even have what some would consider a normal Christmas tree.  This year the kids decorated our "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree and they were just as proud of it as anyone could be.

We usually have two Christmas events.  One event for when Ashley is home and one for when Santa's presents arrive.  This year was no different.  As usual, Ashley was scheduled to work Christmas week so we had a small present opening before she left for Atlanta.  This way she can see some of the gifts she bought for them as well has gifts from her family.  Christmas morning Santa's gifts are opened as well as other family gifts.  Lego Friends and Logo Chima were high on the 2014 wish list.

Christmas Morning

This year, our fourth Christmas, it really started to sink in how different it feels down here during this time.  I grew up in cold weather climate all my life so what use to be a snowy, mid-winter, warm drink holiday is now a sun soaked, palm tree, surf, sand and tequila holiday.  It's like drinking a diet soft drink.  The flavor is still here just not full strength.  Granted the holiday is about family and friends and good will and there was plenty of that going around but the fact that I was running around in board shorts and a T-shirt give the holiday a different feel for me and I miss what use to be the norm...at least for a day or two.  Then, I would be happy again putting my feet in the sand and going for a surf.

I will say the same thing I said last year.  Without the marketing monster, our kids are very happy with the few items they get and we love that.  Bigger, better, more is just not the way the roll.  No countdowns, no tears, no jealousy, no comparisons etc.  Once again they were very happy and appreciative with anything that was placed under the tree.  In the end, I really don't have any complaints other than Ashley being on the road during this time of year but that's just the way it is again this year.  Next year may be different we hope.  For now our family is healthy, happy and looking forward to the things we have planned for 2015.

Feliz Navidad From Sayulita!

Finding the Best Bartenders in Sayulita

We like this 5 minute clip about town but it shows a "scene" we rarely see...after 9pm.

An Adventure In Our Own Back Yard - Punta Negra

One of the things we enjoy most about this area is the variety of beaches to visit.  Sayulita has it's surf scene and vibe unequaled for those who are looking for that sort of the thing.  To the north is San Pancho with a smaller surf scene and great beach for hanging out on but not always very swimmer friendly with it's beach break. 

The Gang

When we are not looking for waves there are great options to the south as well that are only 15-20 minutes away and offer a refreshing change of pace.  This can be extremely important if getting out of town once in a while will help your sanity level. 

Ashley and Alex

Only about 15 minutes to the south, just passed the small town of Higuera Blanca is a long beach called "Punta Negra".  We have started to go there quite a bit this fall/winter since we have some friends, Jason and Sophia, who live there and our children are friends.  The sand is white, the beach is long, the crowds are thin and the venders are few.  

Alex, Trace, Louis and "Sass".  

If there are waves, they won't be great for surfing but our kids have had a great time boogie boarding and just plain playing on the beach. If there is a day where surfing is not on your list of required activities and you are willing to get out of town then Punta Negra is a hard to beat location for the day.  It will always be on our "go to" list beaches for a family day.

"Us" in 2014.

Halloween And Dia De Los Muertos

Earlier this fall we found a new place to live here in town and for a long while we didn't have internet.  As a result, our ability to post events was interrupted for more than two months.  So, some of the posts found here may be a little dated or just plain out of order.  What do you want for "nuthin'" right?  Enjoy them anyway.

Halloween in Sayulita is a gruesome affair.  Lots of gore, blood and down right creepiness.  The first couple Halloweens spent here in Sayulita the kids went as very tame characters.  Trace has gone as a superhero and a skeleton.  Alex has dressed up as a princess and a witch.  This year the "scare" level went up a notch adding blood, fangs, rotting skin and other costume alterations.  Costa Verde International School's annual Halloween event is always the place to go.  A big social event with games for the little ones and a haunted house for the bigger kids.  The kids love it and many of the adults get in the spirit and dress as well.  

Dia de los Muertos is another thing entirely and should not be mistaken for Mexico's equivalent of Halloween.  The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died.  The kid's school, Escuela del Mundo, participated in a San Pancho community event building it's own alter, a traditional activity on this day.  The alter is often lit with lots of candles and decorated with flowers, photos of loved ones and even favorite items of those being remembered.  Other groups built their own alters, sold food or played live music.  There was even a "Calavera Catrina" costume contest.  This was the first year for the event and very well attended so we hope it happens again next year.

Escuela del Mundo's alter

Alex' friend Luna as "Catrina"

Two different holidays just a few days apart and we enjoy both of them when they come around this time of year.

An Adventure In Our Own Back Yard - A River Walk

Sometimes it just takes someone else to show you what has always been right in front of you.  Such was the case a few weeks ago when we tagged along for a "river walk".  We were always of the mindset that the river here in Sayulita, like many urban waterways, was something to be avoided.  Street runoff and who knows what made the thought of walking in the river an unpleasant one.  But go upstream just a short distance from where town ends a new world begins.

The hot days of summer were dissipating but not entirely gone and we headed out piled in the back of a pick up truck with a bunch of other day adventurers.  We followed a road that I was familiar with but soon we took a route that brought us well upstream of town.  Green, cool, quiet with the houses beginning to thin out considerably.

As we walked ankle deep in the river it didn't take long to start to see and appreciate the scale of the jungle.  Huge trees and vines covered the steep hillsides making the river the only path to follow.  The jungle in town is always controlled in someway as everything is cut back or burned each year but here it was allowed to grow naturally and wild.  A different world.

After close to an hour of splashing our way upstream we found the perfect spot for lunch and to construct a rock dam to create a small dipping pool.  Everyone pitched in and the effort was rewarded quickly as the pool filled up deep enough for the kids to splash around in.  Once the kids were sufficiently water logged we left our cool, shady spot and headed back down stream.

Again, it never would have occurred to us to go for a walk upstream in the river here.  But the three refreshing hours slogging through the river was definitely a highlight of late summer.  Sometimes it just takes someone with a different perspective and experience to show you the possibilities that have always been right in front of you.