I pack my bag and make my way to Costa Azul beach which according to Google maps is a 15 minute walk away. It’s still early and the temperature is a perfect 20 degrees. The golden oldies are out in their athletic gear speed walking with arms swinging to work up a morning sweat. Wait, am I a golden oldie? I don’t have the grey hair and darkly tanned leathery lined skin (yet), but I am wearing athletic wear and walking quickly. I suddenly see my future all too clearly.
I locate an access point and see the golden, coral beach stretching for miles either way. The frothy waves are pounding the sand so hard I can feel a slight tremor in my feet. Swimming won’t be an option. I pick a direction and start walking. After an hour I come to a marina filled with high-end yachts and a five star boutique hotel. The El Ganzo Beach Club is located in a man-made secluded bay with private beach, loungers and umbrellas and looks lovely. I’ll keep it in mind for future.
I head back towards the access point to find a spot to put my towel down, relax and have some breakfast. After two hours in the sun I realize I forgot to apply my newly purchased sunscreen and think I may have burnt my ass. Shit! This whole sunscreen business is new to me and apparently I should’ve put it on before I left the condo🙄.
I head back to town, find a Mercado to purchase fruit and water, and then back to the condo for a cold shower to cool off the burnt bits. Time for lunch and decide I want to locate a small mom and pop joint, Aguachiles El Moky, that was recommended in a blog I read during my pre-trip research. I find the street that’s out of the downtown core and see a three-sided adobe building with four tables and Aguachiles El Moky painted on the side. This is the spot and I grab a seat.
Spanish music is playing from a speaker that has its electrical cord running from the house next door and the kitchen consists of a single countertop and a couple of ice filled coolers. The menu is written in chalk on the wall and consists of three items. Fish or shrimp tacos and aguachiles. A young woman comes to take my order but doesn’t speak English and I need to ensure the aguachiles I order isn’t Mexican spicy but my sensitive taste bud spicy. The chef, known as Moky, comes to the table and I explain what I would like. Five minutes later a heavy stone bowl filled with red onion, cucumber and shrimp ceviche is delivered to my table along with crisp corn tortillas. I dig in and it’s delicious. Moky returns to ensure the spice level is ok and asks if he can take my photo. I acquiesce and he snaps a shot of me enjoying my meal. He says he doesn’t get many tourist customers and is curious as to how I learned of his restaurant.
My appetite sated, I wander through town poking my head into souvenir shops and galleries. The shop owners sit outside and upon seeing me, encourage me to check out their wares saying they’ll give a good deal. They all seem to sell the same stuff for the most part and I wonder how they stay in business. One gentleman asks me inside his shop and I try to let him down easy saying, “Maybe later”.
“There may not be later. You need a Mexican boyfriend?”
Laughing I say, “Maybe later.”
The restaurant owners try to entice me inside saying, “Hey lady. You need food?”
Lady?? Not sure if I’ve ever been called that but I’ll take it as a compliment. The sun is starting to dip so I quicken my pace and make my way back down to the beach for sunset. The day ends with the sound of waves hitting the surf and a fine mist of sea spray on my face.
