Arrollo Seco

Griffin on one of the smaller waves at Arrollo Seco.

I love my new molcajete!  Or, as one man at the market put it, the ¨mexican blender¨. 

Paradise.

Just a few kilometers off the main highway, and down a small windy dirt road, sits the sleepy, yet sweet town of Arrollo Seco.  Home to only a few hundred folks, including one ex-pat American surfer who has lived in mexico for 25 years and one young French man, who has been coming here for 8 years (also a surfer)... all very kind and welcoming people. 

Just on the other side of the town square, another even smaller dirt road winds further and doubles back on itself before reaching the final stretch that cuts through a beautifully landscaped hacienda.  Mango trees, lime trees, papayas, agave and boganvias line the road, ending at the coconut trees and mangrove patch that provide the only shade for the beach-- and a fantastic place for hammocks in the afternoon sun.  The man who looks after this amazing hacienda welcomed us to pick limes and cocos.

The beach itself meets open ocean:  a sand bar and point that abruptly drop off, creating a giant, fast wave for the ¨expert¨ or ¨advanced¨ surfer (neither of which describes me).  The beauty of this feature delights many adrenaline seeking surfers (Griffin included) as well as the more timid and cautious observers (myself) who can admire the whales and dolphins that cruise by at impressively close distances (from a safe perch on the beach).  The dolphins seem eager to attract attention, swimming close to the surfers, causing only a few scares when they first appeared with their dorsal fins protruding.  The surfers are indeed grateful the whales are a bit more conservative. 

We stayed here a week and were hesitant to leave as it has that slow, uncrowded paradise feel.  But a swell arrived producing some rather intimidating waves (at least 15 feet).  While it was fun to watch the more advanced surfers indulge themselves, it was obvious we were out of our league (especially me; Griffin´s boundaries are seemingly nonexistent).  Two days ago a doctor from California was surfing during a particularly large swell and broke his nose.  Nonchalantly, he kept surfing, despite the new profile the wave had bestowed on him.  ¨I can get it fixed later!¨ he exclaimed, a smile below his newly crooked nose.

We are now in Melaque where we have randomly run into friends from Durango!  We are enjoying connecting with Chester and Shannon and their two lovely kids, Addie and Jack Henry, before we start to head south for new, and hopefully beginner friendly waves.