Wow! Oh my Gawd! I was just at the beach in beautiful Chacala, Nayarit, Mexico. I actually live here in the winter! it is too amazing! I have been here a month of 2009, busy setting up my house, getting used to being here, and settling in to the routines of life here. I get to be here until mid-March. I am blessed. And a good dreamer!Tonight I went for a walk on the beach, an hour or two before sunset. It is Christmas time, so the beach is filled with delightful Mexican families from other places. Kids were playing in the water, throwing sand at each other, laughing, dodging waves, and generally moving lots of the energy of the place through their bodies. (When the holidays are over, we will return to our generally empty beach).
The adults were busy with the kids, digging in the sand, letting themselves be burried, or sitting drinking beer and enjoying the delight. The colorful umbrellas lit up the beach like balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. When the sun set, the sky turned an amazing orange, even without clouds, and it was so sweet to watch people posing for photos in the orange light, and generally enjoying the moment.
I ran into friends, and we shared a margarita as the sun dropped below the horizon in a blaze of glory. In the mid-heavens, the half moon was hanging, lighting the way home, a perfect couterpoint to the palm trees, and foretelling of the light to come in the next days. What an evening!
On the walk home my compannion and I were laughing with glee about how smart we are to be here, and enjoy this amazing experience of beauty and spirit. I wish you could be here too, and I'm glad that thebeach is not clogged with gringos (AKA, "internationals") buying t-shirts and seashell napkin holders. Please only come if you want to experience a small Mexican village, with the sweetest people, the warm sun, the fresh seafood, and absolutely no entertainment except counting the waves and walking home in the moonlight feeling smug that you created this dream for yourself and most people haven't.
I was carrying a heavy load of clean laundry from the laundromat as I walked, so I was left behind by my companion. That was okay with me, because it gave me more time to love the moon, love the uneven dirt road, and love the silly little dogs that used to bark when I passed but now are used to me an let me go by without raising the alarm.
This is my third winter in Chacala, and my second in my own home. More about home ownership at the Mexico beach and my in-progress under-construction roof top patio and ramada roof in a future post.
For those of you that don't know, Chacala is a little beach village, 90 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, in the Riviera Nayarit. The beach is the most lovely half-mile crescent of gentle sand and surf I have ever seen in my many years exploring this coast. It is the perfect place for a tropical vacation for those who don't need any entertainment-- except for counting waves, sipping a margarita or cold beer at sunset, and being with yourself. There is no disco, no parasailing, and no all-inclusive resorts. We do have about six or eight thatched palapa restaurants serving the freshest seafood you will ever find, right on the beach, accompanied by local mariachi bands if you are willing.
Some day this village will be overrun by the development envisioned by the Mexican government, and will contribute millions of pesos to the national treasury. In the meantime, it is a treasure of its own, and I suggest you get here as soon as possible, before it is too late. If you want help making that happen, write or leave a comment and I can help with lodging and transportation.
And if you really want to rock, contact me about my Valentine's Week Romance Retreat in Chacala, February 8~12, 2010. It will be amazing. Check my website for details.
See you here.
