Travel Diary Mexico City, July 2021
On June 23, Clara received her medical school results. After 8 years of study, she will be officially a doctor. To mark the occasion, we planned to travel together to Central America. Clara was looking for waves, I for a photographic journey - the two coinciding rather well. First stop: Mexico!
We headed straight for the Pacific coast to Sayulita, in the Nayarit region. A hippie village, aptly nicknamed "el Pueblo Magico". Here we spent two weeks surfing and meeting new people. We rented a friend's car to explore the surrounding spots, less frequented than Sayulita beach, such as Burros, Stinky's and La Lancha. Bright sunshine, pelicans splashing around just a few meters away from the surfers, sea turtles discreetly poking their heads out of the water between two sets, but above all... perfect waves. We were also treated to torrential downpours, flooding every street and ironically reminding me of the Basque Country.
We then headed for the traditional mountain town of Oaxaca, an ideal playground for street photography. Then back to the ocean, this time to Puerto Escondido. This place is famous among surfers for the Zicatela tubular wave, nicknamed the "Pipeline of Mexico". A true daily spectacle. For much quieter surfing, it's best to opt for the spot at La Punta, a little further south, or the beach at Carrizalillo.
In a few days' time, we'll be joining our family in Costa Rica. In the meantime, we make a brief stopover in Mexico City in our favorite neighborhood: La Roma, the epicenter of the city's alternative culture. There are cafés, bookshops and art galleries on every corner. Tonight, we meet up with some friends at Club Petanca, a place where people get together to drink pastis and play pétanque - not exactly a change of scenery, but after a whole month in Mexico, it's sure to please!