Day 11 of our journey began in the coastal hamlet of Sayulita. A few of us had a wonderful, late evening with kind and generous locals and awoke to a mostly empty bus. Many were here to surf and they took off quite early, boards in hand, for surf lessons by Tony. After a rough 12 hours with a stomach bug, he started the day with a happier butt and no desire to waste any time missing another wave. The nice thing about staying here for a couple of days was that we could return to being individuals and spend some time pursuing our different interests. While all of us have developed a strong affection for each other, we nonetheless are 18 people traveling in tight quarters, so it was nice to spend some solitary time if we so desired. Thanks to Bill from Homer, Alaska for allowing a few of our bussers access to his home and his wonderful roof on which to sleep.
By mid morning, people began to return to make breakfast and clean the bus, and our impending departure became evident, as everyone wanted that last swim, wave, shower, coconut drink. Suddenly there was a mad dash to make it all happen. Weldboy and I took the opportunity to jump into the ocean and were reminded of how small we are by comparison. The sets of waves that rolled in were capable of giving quite a beating. Having grown up by the ocean, I’m comfortable diving under big waves, but some of these absolutely solicited a few “Uh oh’s!” from me. Weldboy is definitely a landlubber from Indiana, so it was quite impressive to see him get tossed about and go back for more. Having sprained his ankle the day before, however, his gumption was a bit ambitious, and he exited the water with his former contempt for Neptune’s fury.
The meeting time at the bus was noon and we all set about battening the hatches and washing the sand from our bodies. We finally pulled out of town far less conspicuously than we arrived and set out for Guadalajara. While the mileage to our next destination was about 250 miles, we were reminded once again how long it takes to travel here in a big bus. Roads are winding and Patricia, while a solid girl, sometimes needs to remind us that she is no spring chicken and is prone to hot flashes. Sometimes we must pull over and let her cool off.
The scenery was absolutely gorgeous. There were sweeping vistas and deep valleys that resembled a patchwork quilt with different colored pastures. We laughed, read, napped, and made up new songs in the many hours that it took to get to our destination. Not surprisingly, pesky sand began to appear on our large bed, reminding us of the lovely beach we left behind. We stopped at a fruit stand that was full of sweets. The open building was covered in colorful flags, tinsel and decoration. Though there was hardly anything in the area, they were apparently not leaving their visibility up to chance.
I took my hand at driving today! Though I have a CDL and have driven large vehicles before, I have never driven a forty-foot school bus on windy mountain, Mexican roads. I felt confident but needed to get comfortable with Patricia’s robust proportions, so I popped on the hazards and took it slow. It is amazing how folks pass here! It does not matter the size of the vehicle, the curves in the road, the oncoming traffic or the inability to see it; they just go for it. Most people did not even know there was a new driver, which made me feel great, but I still can’t seem to keep my foot all the way on the gas to keep the momentum that we need to ascend. The minute I see a curve or a big rig, I let off the gas or apply the brake. I’ll get used to it, but I need some more practice in order to not over heat in the mountains. While we waited a short while to let Patricia cool her jets, Vinicio started strumming the guitar and serenaded me. Then we made up a silly song about driving to keep it all fun.
Perched in the back of the bus again after we set off, a beautiful, pink sunset bid us good night. When we finally arrived in the city, we stopped for tequila for our next host and a bathroom break. We finally found one, if we were willing to pay or buy food, so a quick snack of tacos was in order. We finally found the home of our host, Sveglio, and his adorable Jack Russell pup, Tiara. The home is gorgeous, more than we all could have expected, and his impressive artwork is throughout. I’m quite drawn to his work that involves much resin and sculpture. The nautilus, which I love, is a recurring theme, as well as mystical beings. He has been a kind and incredibly welcoming host thus far. We ate a delicious, late dinner of sautéed pumpkins, onion, jalapeno, zucchini, curry, and almond, cashew and cocoa butters over red rice. Afterwards, we enjoyed blessings and words from our host, unwound and conversed, then settled in for the evening. Speaking of which, I will bid you a fond good night and look forward to our next update.
Austin Staunch
Lead Photo by Lane Allen
