A chance encounter with a historical landmark

It was a chance thing, really. We were heading for Patzcuaro, almost due south of Guanajuato, where we had spent the past several days on a photography and business junket. While checking out of our small hotel, the otherwise taciturn gentleman who owned the establishment told us - almost as an afterthought - that, well, if we were heading for Patzcuaro, we might want to take lunch in Yuriria because there was a very old and beautiful convent there. Intrigued, when the exit presented itself abruptly on the highway about midpoint on the drive, we took it, then turned down a dusty road into what looked like a backwater farming town in central Mexico.

Lots of blonde, lots of tan, lots of dreads and most everyone with a surfboard

There are many places just a short bus ride away from Mazatlán, yet a world apart. That’s what I discovered recently when a friend and I decided to check out the Nayarit Riviera. No, not Puerto Vallarta - too predictable for my taste - but Sayulita, a small fishing town about 40 miles north of PV.

After a six-hour, non-stop bus ride through gorgeous countryside with a gentle rise to almost 7,000 feet, we began a descent to our destination. The lush mountains crowded with banana trees and palms, each trying to elbow the other out, demanded our attention … and got it. This was the rainforest. The bus dropped us off at the crucero (crossroads) on the main highway, and we trekked into Sayulita, about half a mile away. There are taxis in town you can call to meet you, but we thought the short walk would be a good intro to the town.

Mazatlán’s colonias bustle with community life

In my first two weeks in Mazatlan, I rarely ventured beyond Centro and the malecón. There was plenty to do and see in these areas, and I was intimidated at the prospect of venturing into neighborhoods I knew nothing about.

Fortunately, I made a friend who showed me what he called the “real Mazatlán.” One evening we drove around town on his motorcycle through dozens of neighborhoods, full of community life: people chatting in doorways, tiendas and repair shops; couples and families gathering at outdoor restaurants; teens talking and laughing on the corners.

A Getaway to Go To

It was the curiosity and insistence of a visiting friend that finally got me to go out of town and head north to the small coastal village of Barras de Piaxtla. Once the decision was made, the rest was fairly simple: we called Gail Blackburn, the California native who’s the owner of La Rosa de las Barras, a charming beachfront resort that we’d heard about for years, and made reservations. When we told Gail we didn’t have a car, she gave us detailed instructions about what bus to take and how to find her place.