Zephyrs in Zihua
Sometimes during a stretch of cold, gray days, we fly South to see the sun. This year, I didn’t just see the sun, I surfed the sea. At least a few times I rode the wave and made sure a camera caught it. Who knew surfing is a technical sport? After enough wipe outs, I do! If you want to learn to surf, many North Americans and Europeans find their way to a remote village called La Saladita. By remote, I mean traveling on the fender of a beat-up quad driven by Juan, my surf instructor and bird watching guide on dirt roads past wildlands and coconut palm plantations. Juan knew enough English and I knew enough Spanish that we could communicate. He had a funny teaching style—while I paddled forward to catch a wave, he’d be behind me telling me to breathe deeply and relax. In the next instant, with the roar of a crashing wave, he’d whip my board around and scream, “GO, GO, GO!” Super relaxing.
Juan’s other surfing students were retired transplants from England. While having a blast, we all agreed the water was exceptionally rough that morning… (Ha! Like I would know the difference!)
Other than the adrenaline rush of rising through white water, the trip was restful. We visited a wildlife preserve in Ixtapa and kayaked through a lagoon to visit iguana land. Dozens came running for a snack of cut cabbage and papaya. Back at the ranch, mojitos and pinadas all around during rounds of Boom! and 5 Crowns with our dear friends, Pat Brock and Mary Lou Kilmer Brock. They had invited us to join them at their 3 Bedroom, 3 Bath private villa complete with a bonus casita, and pool. The resident iguanas, Peek and Boo kept an eye on us.
About 20 miles northwest of Zihuatanejo, the closest villages are Majahua and Los Troncones, which are often the site of yoga retreats at the picturesque B&Bs and small resorts. Pat’s place, El Feliz Pescador, (that Pat helped build) is 2 blocks from the pristine beach far from the nearest tourist trap. Every morning, I awoke to a breeze that carried the sound of surf pounding the shore. For very reasonable rates, Pat and Mary Lou like to share their oasis and their fishing boat with Marcos (pictured above) as their friend and fishing guide. If you’re interested in stepping off the beaten path to visit a lesser known part of Mexico, send me a message for more information.
