December 19, 2012 – An Unexpected Journey
So there we were, sitting around minding our own business, when Kelly and Cheryl called up wanting to know if we would like to go on a driving adventure northwards. After a millisecond to consider it, we said “yes!” and an hour later we were all packed up and out the door. The plan today is to head northwards along the coast and check out several deserted beaches north of Tenacatita, which is the last ‘developed’ beach between here and Punta Perula, 1.5 hours north of here. I have a particular remembrance of Tenacatita, as it has a gorgeous, calm beach where I got slam-dunked by a rogue wave eight years ago and lost my glasses, causing me to imitate Mr. Mole for the next week until we got back to Canada. But I digress.
The first road we try is nine kilometers of slow, rough road to a marvelous beach. At least we think it’s a marvelous beach; it’s now gated about halfway in. Bummer, these things happen. The next beach is on a road leading into a little community called Arroyo Seco (dry stream), which is really quiet and pretty. Happily, there is a brand new power line going into the community, as well as a shiny new paved road! Unhappily, the two groups don’t appear to have been talking to each other much.
Wait. What?
We find out later from one of the locals in Melaque that after the last hurricane, both the road and the power line had to be rebuilt. The road was a State responsibility, and they told the contractor to straighten it out a bit while they were at it. The powerline, on the other hand, was Federal, and they told the contractor to put the new poles Right Where The Old Ones Were.
The emergency meeting that followed resulted in what to bureaucrats passes for a sensible solution; until someone is seriously injured or killed, there’s no problem. So everyone carry on, please!
Remember the kids’ ride at Super Valu?
This is the Arroyo Seco version at the zocalo.
Then the road carries on for about a kilometer to a long beach with perhaps ten houses on it. If you walk north of the houses, however, there is a beautiful secluded beach with sea caves at the northern end. We make the trek to the caves, but it turns out the tide is just a WEE bit too high, and common sense dictates that we don’t smash ourselves against the rocks in the heavy surf trying to get there. Oh well! It’s all beautiful anyway.
Just another deserted beach in Mexico.
Then it’s off to check out the numerous other beaches on the way north, and it turns out that every single one of them is gated! Hmmmmn. Kelly and Cheryl are definitely disappointed as they wanted to show us a bunch of cool places, but we’re having a great time anyway, as riding in the back of an open jeep through the coastal jungle at twenty-eight degrees is a bit of all right for us Canadians.
Eventually, we get to Punta Perula, and Deb and I just happen to have good friends staying there, so we decide to try to find them. Punta Perula is a small town on a stunning beach, which is 90% long-stay Motor Home People. If you don’t have an RV, there’s basically no place to stay. We pull in at the first of about 40 RV parks, walk up to the first people we see, and it’s our friends Rich and Evelyn from Genelle! They are parked beside a huge palapa right beside the beach, and have the place to themselves.
Steve and Deb with our good friends Rich and Evelyn from Genelle, B.C.
Three kilometers of gorgeous, calm beach at Punta Perula.
Not enough? Here’s another five kilometers the other way!
Everyone has a marvelous 2-hour chatter while fighting off the heat and malaria with the local brews, and then it’s time to wend our way home. Ninety minutes later, we’re back at the villa, and it’s definitely time for a cooling dip in the pool and Happy Hour; the end of another perfect day.