Sayulita: Day 2

Day 2 in Sayulita, Andi and I were up early between 1am - 3am with a very fussy Aden Bear. Our poor boy is teething which has him fairly uncomfortable at times. The reality of parenting happens no matter where you are; though I have to say, I'd rather be parenting here in the warm sunshine than back home in the cold. 

Our condo has two bedrooms so Andi, Aden and I took one room and Tory and Grandma Janie took another. It was quickly evident during our first night's stay we'd need to find other accommodations for Aden who noisily tosses and turns, grunts and murmurs throughout the night. The middle of the night was rocky, but then fortunately our entire group slept in until 7:30am Wednesday morning so we all felt rested and ready to tackle the day ahead.

Sayulita's not a big town, but it's filled with winding streets and little directional signage. While I'm more of a "stick to the same path for fear of getting lost" kind of gal, Andi's the complete opposite and loves to explore back alley roadways in search of something more. Picture the five of us sitting in our rented golf cart with Andi driving, me as the passenger, Aden on my lap and Tory sandwiched between Andi and I. Janie's perched on the bench seat facing behind us as we bounce along the bumpy dirt streets in town. On the way to breakfast, Andi decided to take a detour to the north side of our condo, Los Almendros. We discovered a yoga studio, some residential houses and a few other rental properties -- nothing too out of the ordinary. The road ended in a dead end and as Andi turned us around in a residential drive-way, a pit-bull charged from someone's covered garage after us. When traveling with Andi, I never know which moments I should be nervous because he always pushes me out of my comfort zone, so I take my cue by watching his actions. In a split second, Andi punched the gas petal and away we sped with a pit-bull's teeth nipping at Andi and Janie's legs on the side of our golf cart. Down the bumpy, pothole-laden road we sped laughing all the way. The adventure of discovering new places .... 

In the main area of town, we stopped at the popular Yah-Yah's for breakfast. This little cafe offers fresh pastries, omelets, bagels and waffles and several gluten-free and vegan options. Vegan to me = a solid bet in avoidance of dairy for Aden, so I was happy to see those items clearly marked on the menu. Andi and Aden shared a vegetarian omelet, Tory and I shared a "sensational" omelet (peppers, onions, zucchini and cheese) and Janie and Tory shared a chocolate strawberry waffle. Turns out if Tory's hungry enough, she'll actually eat those questionable things called green vegetables.

Though we ended up eating at Yah-Yah's for breakfast, we first stopped by a cafe along the beach and I'm including this picture solely for the purpose of showing the adorable (but completely sketchy) high chairs many restaurants have in Sayulita. I'm thankful for the availability of high chairs in general as it means Janie or/ I can eat a meal without holding Aden on our laps, but the wooden high chairs don't have tray latches or buckles so it's definitely user beware. Doesn't Aden look like he's made for this lifestyle?      

And then at Yah-Yah's a bit later ...

After breakfast, we wandered around the town square where Tory and Aden befriended a few little kids playing nearby. Next we stopped into a small grocery store to pick up bottled water, fruit and snacks for our condo. Never so glad to have the golf cart as when we're carrying groceries back to our place!

Janie offered to stay with Aden while he took a mid-day nap, and Andi and I took Tory down to the pool for some playtime. It was fun having her all to ourselves; rarely do we both have the chance to dote on Tory alone, and she to have the undivided attention of both her parents at once. At the pool, we made friends with a Canadian couple who have a 15-month old toddler. We chatted with them, swam and relaxed. 

Tory was beat from several hours in the sun, so we came back to our unit and made her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. Once again Janie offered to stay back with the kids while Andi and I scooted away for an hour of quiet time together. We are so very grateful for Janie's company on this trip. She is a perfect travel companion and it's wonderful to have an extra pair of helpful hands.

Andi and I drove our golf cart to the beach and ordered drinks at a beachside cafe overlooking the ocean. It was fun to let the warm breeze and smells of salt water wash over us as we daydreamed about our family's travel aspirations. 

Shortly after we returned to the condo and Tory and Aden were awake from their naps, we all decided to go to a beach called Playa de Los Muerotos. This beach is located on the opposite side of town from our condo (thank goodness for the golf cart!) and we passed through an above-ground cemetery to get there (hence, why we coined it "Beach of the Dead"), but it turned out to be a great spot to play in the surf and sand.

Aden absolutely adored the beach. He crawled and played for over an hour, completely covering his body in sand from head to toe. Tory and Andi had fun racing along the beachfront, building sand castles and playing in the water. By the end, we were all sandy, sun-kissed and sticky from the heat; the sign of a perfect afternoon at the beach.

Since we arrived in Mexico, Tory's done nothing but talk about drinking from a coconut. I'm not sure where she heard about it originally, but she requests a coconut "moovie" (smoothie) wherever we go. Andi bought her a fresh coconut at the beach and both Tory and Aden were big fans, though I don't think it's what either of them had in mind initially.

After we drank the juice, the man at the coconut stand cut out the white coconut meat contained inside the shell. It was juicy and tender and frankly, had the strangest flesh-like texture. The employee served it with salt and lime. Tory's initial reaction after the man prepared the coconut meat was "yuck!" and Janie and I couldn't have agreed more. Andi liked it and ate some while we watched and gagged nearby. Sadly, I think we've squashed Tory's desire for coconuts going forward. Later at a smoothie shop, she opted for her beloved strawberry.  

Next up, dinner. We left the beach and did a loop through the main town square in search of a place that struck our fancy, ultimately deciding on Los Corazone. It's a small Mexican-American fusion restaurant with a handful of tables, and we were fortunate to score one large enough for our group. Only after we were seated did I notice this was one of the "nicer" restaurants in town. Three ladies seated at the table next to us were dining on filet mignon, dressed in much nicer clothing than we were wearing. We, on the other hand, were sweaty and sandy from the beach. Aden was only wearing a sun shirt and a diaper! We were sandy and sweaty and ... whatever. Fortunately, the owner of the restaurant didn't seem to mind (and as Andi pointed out later, our money still spends the same) and we received some of the best food and service we've received so far in Sayulita. Los Corazone had a real high chair for Aden (which might not mean much to some, but was a huge bonus for me!), and the staff was so sweet catering to Tory. Our meals were excellent -- Andi had the surf and turf (lobster tail and petit filet mignon), Janie ordered the filet mignon as well, and I had the spinach and cheese-stuffed chicken. The restaurant was a bit on the pricy side compared to many other places in town, but so worth it. Delicious!

The kids were exhausted after a fun day in the sun, so Janie offered to stay back with the kids while Andi and I slipped out for a night-cap. We showered and then peeled off when the coast was clear for gelato at Buonissimo and drinks at Miro Vino. The perfect ending to a great day in Sayulita.