Looking for the Perfect Beach

The morning break at Nexpa was a little more reasonable, but still way too big and powerful for our liking. Besides, we still didn’t have a board. Time to keep moving. First, Bode had to read a book to Luca. Very proud!

We lingered, then drove aimlessly until we saw a pretty good looking arroyo after crossing a bridge.  We turned the bus around and followed the dirt path to the beach and a single palapa. Once again, I went inside and asked to camp in my best broken Spanish. “No problema,” with a smile was again the response.

This weird little place was Puente Mexcalhuacan and it is definitely not in any guidebooks.

“?Es suguro?”

“Si. no problema.”

We rearranged the buses and went back to patronize the palapa. “?Tienne cerveza?”

“No… mas tarde…”

There was no one around, but then suddenly kids arrived on the beach and Bode had more instant playmates. Teenagers or whoever, it just doesn’t matter. The kid will walk right up and ask anyone to play or join in the game.

We whipped up some dinner – more sea bass – and the lady at the palapa announced that beer had arrived. We bought a few to seal our camping arrangement and watched the kids chase each other all over the beach for the rest of the evening.

After another quiet night, we kept pushing south. We’re still traveling without a jack and it continues to be a bad idea. I keep thinking I’ll pull over to a yonke and just pick one up, but so far I’ve had no luck. I also continue to ask for “un gato” which I think is correct, but I can’t help thinking that I’m asking for an actual cat.

After a very brief stop in Lázaro Cárdenas for supplies and another brief stop in the sadly dilapidated Playa Azul for sandwiches (our own,) we made our way to La Saladita.

We pulled up and immediately spotted a ’70 Westy. A very good sign that we found the right place and yet another validation of our theory that 2 buses always attracts a third. Not long after, we met Aster and her boyfriend who walked up from their afternoon session carrying their boards. She’s from SoCal via Hong Kong and he’s from Montreal. He likes the big waves and she likes the smaller ones. They’re an interesting match. They’re wrapping up a three-month surfing trip and are slowly heading north again.

We wandered the beach looking for a good place to camp and found one close by. Right off the beach in a shady spot between a coconut grove and a mango grove. This is tough living.