Settling In at Syulita

It's Friday November 26. We are sitting on the terrace at Hotel Diamante in Syaulita drinking Pacifico and trying not to think about the cold weather we will return home to in just 5 days. We are starting to feel very much at home here in Mexico and it will be hard to leave.

We arrived in Sayulita last Sunday afternoon and had made reservations for a bungalow (small apartment) at the Sayulita Trailer Park.  We had stayed here several times in the past and had been quite satisfied with the accommodation, location (beach front) and atmosphere. This time we were not so impressed. The first room we were given was small and dirty. We moved to a newer unit. It was much nicer but rather expensive. After 3 days of asking about the internet, I was finally told that I would have to pay an addition fee to use it. Even though the fee was only 20 pesos per day, we decided it was time to look at other accommodation options.

We didn't have to look far... The Hotel Diamante is just across the road from the Sayulita Trailer Court. It is located about a 10 minute walk from the centre of Sayulita. It is owned and run by a Mexican family. The owner, Theresa, runs a tight ship. It is impeccably clean, very nicely appointed and reasonably priced.  A nice room for two by the pools is 450 pesos  (about $37.)  One of the larger second floor terrace rooms, like we have is $650 pesos ($54). There is a community kitchen. Fresh fruit and coffee is available free in the common area every morning, high speed wireless internet and parking for the bike in the hotel lobby. We would highly recommend this place for anyone coming to Sayulita.

Hotel Diamante Pool and Common Area / Kitchen

Upper Floor Terrace / Sitting Area / Kitchen

Today Linda and I finished another week of Spanish lessons. We had signed up with the Costa Verde School for the course but this course was run by an community action organization named PEACE. We didn't know it, but this was PEACEs first attempt at a language course. Unfortunately they were not as well prepared as they could have been, or hopefully will be in the future. Luckily I had an experienced teacher that recognized the flaws and modified the course for the better. Linda however, was not so fortunate. Her instructor followed the curriculum and it didn't work out so well. This having been said... we both benefited from the course. We are invited back next week to sit in on the Costa Verde course for a day or two at no cost. 

Sayulita is a neat little town. It has definitely been Gringo-ized but it has a strong Mexican flavour and charm. Speaking Spanish is optional here but is definitely appreciated. We speak Spanish first and switch to English if necessary.... less and less now. The locals are  very friendly. We are on a first name basis at the local bar and restaurant. 

An intense tropical storm rolled through this area last September. Enough rain fell to cause extensive flooding and damage. The bridge into the center of town was washed away. The highway on either side of Sayulita received extensive damage from land slides. The beach has also been dramatically altered. The shape and slope of the beach is different and the surfing and fishing area have been substantially altered. However, if you din't know how it looked before, it wouldn't make any difference.... It is still pretty damn attractive!

Temporary foot bridge in use while rebuilding the washed out bridge

The beach looking north from near our hotel

Larry the Lizard. One of the Sayulita Iguanas