oysters and arugula

After a day of reading and resting, which had been somewhat imposed by rain that had persisted through the night into the day, we were ready for outdoor activity and adventure.  Well-sunscreened and armed with a big bottle of water, we set off with a loose plan to head for the northern end of Sayulita’s main beach, which appeared to be fairly deserted.

As we passed the last of the beach chair and umbrella set-ups, supplied by the ocean-front restaurants, we were joined in our walk by two dogs.  They jumped and played with one another, often ending up under foot or banging into one of us as we walked along.  They were oblivious to the fact that we were not interested in their companionship and unmoved by our shouts of “Go! Go!”

Though they’re welcome to sleep beneath our beach chairs, and Dr. S even went so far as to share our bottled water with one such lounging pooch, no one would mistake us for dog-lovers.

The homes along this stretch of beach,  a mix of large villas with landscaped lawns and gated condo complexes in palm-tree shaded lots, were quite different from “our” part of town.  Eventually, these gave way to jungle, and we found ourselves on empty beach headed toward an outcropping of rocks.  We suspected that if we could make our way over or around these rocks, we’d find Playa Las Cuevas, a tiny horseshoe-shaped beach favored by those seeking a little privacy.  Forceful waves crashed up against the rocks, and though we could see sand as each wave receded, I was inclined to go over the rocks rather than try to scoot around in between waves.  As I surveyed my options for descent, Dr. S appeared to offer a hand down, having made his way around between waves without problem.

We now found ourselves on a small crescent-shaped beach, backed by steep rocky cliffs rising to the jungle.  There was no way to move further north, as the rocks at that end jutted out into deep water and offered no easy way over.   The cliffs would provide some shade until the sun moved higher in the sky, so we spread out our towels, pulled out our books, and appreciated the sound and sight of nothing but the ocean and diving pelicans.  A review of our reference information convinced us that this little patch of beach was not, in fact, Las Cuevas, but we were more than content nonetheless.

A few hours passed, the sun discovered us, and we decided it was time to begin thinking about lunch.  We also decided that we would try to find the “jungle road” for our return to Sayulita.  Following an arroyo away from the ocean, and into the jungle, we soon hit a path and made the leap of faith that this was the jungle road and that a right turn would bring us back to Sayulita.  It was along this walk that we became acquainted with the ubiquitous land crab.  After some initial uneasiness at the sight of them, we quickly realized that they were as happy to avoid us as we them.  The dried palm leaves on both sides of the path crackled and popped as the crabs ran for cover at our approach.

The path ran up hill and down,

finally meeting up with a cobblestone road beside a large home.

We followed the road into a part of Sayulita we were unfamiliar with, passing the elementary school, and eventually arrived at the Medusa Grill & Bar.  With its palm frond thatched roof, open walls, and promise of food and cold drinks, it was a welcome sight.

The sign on the door showed the hours to be 1 – 10 p.m.  It was now 1:30, and we could see the proprietress busy in the kitchen, but the restaurant was empty and had the air of being not quite open.

“¿Está abierto? “

“Sí, en cinco minutos.”

A toddler, apparently the son of the owner, came over and gave us a big grin of welcome.  A young woman, perhaps his older sister, brought us menus and took a drink order.  It was the frostiest cerveza we had had so far.  A little bit later arrived a shrimp burrito for me, and a fish burrito for Dr. S.

The Medusa menu mentions their use of organic vegetables and fresh-caught local fish. Dr. S’s burrito, for example, would normally include marlin, but the owner told us that no marlin had come in yet today.  Mahi mahi was the substitute.  A lightly-dressed salad of greens, avocado, tomato and sprouts accompanied our burritos, along with crisp and properly salted french fries, which had clearly been fried in a clean batch of oil.  The burritos were stuffed with our respective grilled seafoods and rice, and served with a sweet and faintly hot mango habanero salsa.  There was also a little crock of what we at first thought to be some sort of homemade ketchup.  We liked it very much and found our fries to be an excellent vehicle for its consumption.  I asked the owner what it was.  Tamarind sauce.  Ah!  And the ingredients?  Her reply, as translated by Dr. S,

“Tamarind, honey, garlic, and a lot of me.”

As we finished our cervezas, enjoying the breeze from the fan, and the pleasure of simply sitting in the shade after an active morning, bellies full and nowhere to be, the owner brought over a small silver bowl of fresh strawberries, topped with a spoonful of crema and a sprinkling of raw sugar.

When we finally achieved sufficient motivation to head back for some more hard time at the beach, I tried to figure out how we might work a Medusa dinner into our remaining days in Sayulita.  But, alas, it was Wednesday and we had a mere three dinners left but now more than 5 contenders.   And as it turned out, another Medusa experience was not to be.  But here’s what I like to say about that – – next time!