Prologue......The Beaches...
If the coastline of Mexico is her necklace, then the beaches are her shining gemstones.....a lover's gift....they dazzle and shine....all sizes, shapes... the sand soft to touch....golden, brown...even black...the grains ....fine or coarse...slip through fingers easily...like talcum powder on a naked back ......wild and free.... civilized and tame...the hidden coves ..... glistening bays.... they frame her voluptuous body... showcasing her curves and ...... granting passage to her hidden valleys...rough....smooth....polished...
.....here... the wind....sun.... sea.... burnish the skin bronze....the hair free... thoughts are cleansed... visions enhanced.... futures are crystallized... bodies press...
.....these gems are those places where romance takes hold.....passion erupts... dreams begin....from the long walks on quiet beaches....skirting incoming tides... surrendering to the warm surf and pounding waves.... to a lazy hammock day....the beaches of Mexico are......where a heart beat begins .....and the wonder of the green flash at day's end remains....
Part 3.... Highway 200 south from Puerto Vallarta..
Leaving La Manzanilla is hard to do....
He's in Mexico, involved in a Spanish-English stage production of a Shakespeare play. We'd met on La Manzanilla beach, after his theatre run was over and he was looking for some sun and surf. We shared some beers, food and lots of laughs, as well as some great philosophical discussions on life.....
Tanacatita Beach
This is a wild and desolate beach with a dark, forlorn recent past. Once a thriving beach community; it seems that greed, corruption and shady land dealings reared its ugly head in a big way.
We hear of stories where locals were forced out; possessions burnt, buildings destroyed. While it is calm now, and people are allowed to use the beach....The issue is anything but settled. Land ownership, legal challenges are still before the courts. Could be a while before anything is truly resolved.
Anyway, the 3 of us share a taxi from La Manzanilla and spend the day swimming, snorkeling and hanging out on this gorgeous section of coastline.
Uniformed presence always around....Taking selfies!
Brett y Shayne
There's even a food 'n beer delivery system that takes your order on the beach, then texts it to a village up the road. After several minutes ..... voilà...Hot food and a bucket of cold beers show up on the back of a motor cycle. Perfect way to end our day.
We grab a taxi to Barra de Navidad, drop Brett off at La Manzanilla and settle into Hotel Delfin overlooking the Barra bay and our nearly private pool below.
Looking towards Isla Navidad from our hotel balcony.
A massive resort complex dominates the view from the Barra side. Complete with a marina and private villas, this is a place for the well to do.
Looking back towards our white-arched hotel from Isla Navidad.
We meet up with a friend from Grand Forks for dinner, then later stop in at a great little, hole in the wall bar and music place known by locals as Lucy's. Such a fun place with nearly nightly live entertainment to dance and while the night away.
Lucy herself.
Barra de Navidad
This beach town is not so little anymore. Sharing the same beach as Melaque, Barra; along with the other beach towns in the area, has become a victim of its own success. Hugely popular, like La Manz and Melaque, with long-termers escaping the winter north, it's probably unrecognizable to those who last visited 10-15 years ago.
Like the other towns, Barra offers great food, music, beach life and gorgeous sunsets.
We stay for several days enjoying the laid back vibe. We manage to grab a great meal at Olga's.
This had to be one of the most interesting settings we've had a meal in. Next to our table, is a bed, in one corner.....a couch and coffee table. Along the back wall......a pile of sand with a cement mixer and wheelbarrow near by. Renovations in full swing but still open for business.
See the bed behind me...
The ambiance and setting were perfect, as was the food. Olga's small menu was varied and excellent! We even returned a second night to have dinner.
We leave Barra in the state of Jalisco and say so long to Brett, wishing him well with career and life, and head to Santiago, just north of the port city of Manzanillo and now in the state of Colima.
Santiago / Manzanillo
What can we say? It's all condos and apartments along the beach. Big wild surf crashes down.
We find a room for the night in a private complex. The residents look at us like we've come from another world (which, basically we have, in the way we travel).
Only good thing was finding Hostal Olas Altas... a great, funky beach bar that serves cold beers, lip smacking margaritas and fantastic beach food .... and throw in pumping music and the best seats in the house to watch the sunset.
One night is enough, so the next morning we head to Manzanillo to track down Mardi Gras.
Manzanillo
After several false starts, we locate the Mardi Gras parade route, have a pretty good idea of when it all happens later in the evening.
Manzanillo is a massive port city that has spread around the big bay. It seems to be the terminus for rail, trucking and shipping. Everything from oil and gas, to freight etc. seems to leave Manzanillo for points elsewhere.
We spend a bit of time in the historic downtown Manzanillo where we find this 82 foot, 70 ton metal sculpture of a sailfish created by Mexican artist Sebastian.
While there are miles of beach in the bay, most sections are devoid of people.
Mardi Gras....Mexican Style
Once night appears, the Mardi Gras fun begins.
A massive 4 hr parade winds its way through crowded pedestrian lined streets.
Semi trucks pull floats built on flat beds.
Dancers in costumes, concert-level music volume greet the crowd. Families have set up chairs, brought coolers filled with food n drink.
Vendors weave their carts through the crowds.
At times, the crowds squeeze the parade route so tightly, the big trucks barely have any room to get by.
Bright lights, dazzling street performers add to this early Mardi Gras kick off ... Mexican style.
As the last float gets pulled by, a parade of buses appear. These are the rides home for many of the performers; some just little children. Time for bed!
Adios for now!
.... Travelling....it leaves you speechless....
... then turns you into a story teller....
......Ibn Baltuta
...................
Next time......Part 4....The sleepy beach town of Cuyutlan....Home to 1000 beach chairs....Going inland to Colima and Comala....And more...
Hasta Luego!
Shayne y Yvonne
Additional Random Photos
