Cococide on mainland

Our transition from Baja to Mainland Mexico was smooth as can be. We said goodbye to Lara and Joe at the port with some silly photos, uncomfortably long group hugs, and sniffed-up tears, and continued on to go through the checkpoint. After asking us a few questions about the things in our car, we had to push a button on what looked like a mini traffic light. Green meant go, red would mean they’d search our car. It’s like winning the lottery. Bureaucracy Mexican style…

Once on board we got settled in our pretty comfortable seats, watching cheesy movies on the big screen.

In case you wonder why Erdem looks even cuter than usual, it’s because I’m slowly covering him with crochet. The unfamiliarity of the foreign land, seems to create a strange urge for domesticity, and thanks to youtube tutorials, I have been crocheting my way through Baja.

The sunset on the ferry deck was unbelievable. The warm breeze, the dolphins following along, Mexican music blasting, and the people sitting in the fake “park” on the deck complete with park benches and street lamps, was the epitome of kitsch, but strangely suited.

We were debating to sleep in the “park” to celebrate our newly acquired voluntary homelessness, but opted for a makeshift bed stretched out over three seats, for myself, and Erdem on the pad on the ground. We were rocked to sleep by the waves, and the chatter of the cheesy comedies on the large screen TV in the background.

The first sight of Mazatlan the next morning, through our with fake-flowers-decorated-windows, was exciting and promising. How much greener it was, and how different from what we expected Mexico to look like!

The lush landscape was a stark contrast to the rather run down looking towns we crossed on our way to Sayulita, a little surfer town just north of Porto Vallarta, where we set camp in a perfect spot in paradise, right next to the beach.

 

Erdem quickly made friends…

…and treated us with wonderful food.

Potato salad, with Lustenauer mustard — what a treat after more than two weeks of Mexican food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (as good as it was – no offense).

Our solar panel controller started giving us some problems, thank you China!, but hopefully we will be able to fix it once we get to a bigger city.

We are enjoying our time in Sayulita, a cute little town, with lots of expats from all over the world it seems, judging by the amount of trattorias, french bakeries, blond surfers, American retirees, and yoga studios we saw walking through.

Seems like our only worry in life right now, is to have a coconut fall onto our heads. Not too bad one would think. It looks and feels like paradise. But considering more people get killed by coconuts, than sharks each year, Mexico is indeed a really quite dangerous place.