Utah to Costa Rica Road Trip

Unfortunately I got off on the wrong foot with Sayulita. First of all we couldn’t find it because there were no signs, then when we arrived we couldn’t find the road to the beach. When we did find the roads, they were so small, only one car could fit on them, so we had a difficult time maneuvering and getting around. It seems that I have seen more white people than I have Mexican people, and most of the foreigners seem to come here to party. They have the music thumping right now at some party and it’s 11:00 pm. It is still a beautiful place, and it does have Internet access, so we’re planning to stay here for the weekend so that we can go to church in Puerto Vallarta.

We stayed at Junto a Rio, little bungalow right on the beach. All of their bungalows were actually full, so we stayed in a large tent that was set up on a large concrete slab. It was very spacious, and had a king size and two twin beds, and was connected to a bathroom. We slept well, but found the tent swarming with mosquitoes the next morning.

For breakfast, we set off into town to find the “juice lady.” She made us all some excellent smoothies, then we went across the street to “Si Hay Olitas” for breakfast. The food was fabulous! (In fact every where we have eaten the food has been fabulous!)

Greg met a guy who offered to teach him a few moves on the body board, so they went to play in the water while the kids and I played in the sun and sand. Around nap time we went back to our tent to take naps, but found that it was too hot. We had already paid for three nights stay, but we decided after the mosquitoes and the midday heat, that the tent thing wasn’t going to work with small kids. We spoke to the manager, Megan (she is from B.C.), and her father-in-law, Ignacio, who owns it. They very kindly refunded our money so we could move on to Puerto Vallarta. Nice, kind people, I highly recommend them. Their bungalows would be awesome and they have a nice little spot on the beach that is good for kids. Most importantly, they are more concerned about people then they are about money.

Our stay in Sayulita was overall pleasant, but still not our favorite place so far (that would be Playa Chacala, though our favorite resort/hotel was definitely El Rancho). We have now made it to the south end of Puerto Vallarta and we are staying at Jalisco Vacacionale, a worn, dated, but clean and very spacious hotel (Jalisco is the state we are now in). Our room has two bedrooms, each with two queen size beds, two bathrooms, and a large room that serves as living, dining and kitchen, with large windows that have a spectacular view of the ocean and pool below. The beach is not the best we’ve seen. It has a large rock jutting out on the north side, then sand for a couple hundred yards, and then the beach is pebbly. We plan to stay here until Monday, after we go to church in Puerto Vallarta tomorrow.

We have been having such wonderful experiences. It has been awesome. The kids have done really well. We have had our share of tantrums and friction, but overall we have managed to keep our goal of being happy. I’ve realized how ignorant we were and how little we actually have had to fear. Mexico is a wonderful place and everywhere we have been I have felt completely safe. I have never felt the least bit threatened or even frightened (except when we were lost in the dark in Mazatlan!) The people are so kind and helpful, and they all absolutely love children and always comment positively about our “Hermosa bebes” and our happy family. I feel that we are like snails, leaving a trail of love and goodness behind us wherever we go.

Again and again Greg and I have confirmed to us that we are doing the right thing because we are following our hearts, and we truly believe that when you follow your heart, you can’t go wrong, but that by so doing the whole universe will conspire to help you accomplish your dream.

As we share our experiences with you, we hope you all know that it is not to gloat over you that “Ha, Ha, we’re here and you’re there.”

Our purpose is probably best stated in the quote that Nelson Mandela made famous, which says “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Livin’ the Dream, Baby!