Took a driving daytrip yesterday, to nearby beach towns nostalgic to us. The cheap online car rental was a brand new Hyundai i10 Dodge. What was interesting to me was that the Korean car was assembled in Chenna India and exported to Mexico because both those countries just want basic transportation. No airbags, no power windows, no key fob, no GPS or other unnecessary features. A pretty cool small 4-door hatchback with 5-speed stick 1.1 litre engine. Too sensible to be available back home. Oh, and the Dodge name is not a ripoff of the Chrysler brand --- here it just refers to the English word "dodge" as in "get out of the way"!
Some towns en route are still typically noisy chaotic commercial zones. Some still have local fishermen but tourist encroachment has the fish flying through your window. The special spot is Sayulita, a fave of mine since 1987 but where Pat and I fell hard for each other in 1996. Good thing we remember that era, because it has changed drastically. Cars are restricted from the crowded original town square. Yoga is held next to the taco stand. Etc., etc.
The old German guy Theis still runs the campground but there are no more tents on the beach. He now has 40 RV pads and dozens of different bungalows and rooms. He says the only thing still the same are the palm trees. It's still the most appealing accom: where else can you go surfing in the morning and play bocci in the afternoon?
Elsewhere down the road the beaches were familiar but grey and overcast, like a guy trying to decide if the changes are good or bad. Some colour pops up in cheerful primary-painted hotels. But a real highlight is the arrival of the Pastry Pickup. Drown your sorrows with a chocolate-iced bumper?
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