Melaque Adventures, Part 5, Wandering
Melaque has reminded me how much I enjoy wandering, without point or purpose. It has worked out well that the boys enjoy some inside "screen" time after a few hours of playing in the waves. For Dylan, it is a point of necessity as his legs get real tired trying stand up in water both pushing and pulling in equal measure. For Ben, getting out of the sun is also a point of necessity as he is fair like his mama and is prone to turning into a lobster even while sporting generous dollops of sunscreen.
So I take them back to the room and I wander, through neighborhoods surrounding the central core of Melaque which suddenly becomes San Patricio and just as quickly Obregon - three towns, one community. During my morning rounds you can see families getting ready for the day, spending time together before getting swept away by their daily tasks.
"Buenos dias mes amigo," called the voice emerging from a small house on one of the side streets. It was the fellow who welcomed us into the restaurant on the first night in Melaque, someone we saw a second time a few night later. He called me over and I enjoyed a great conversation with his family.
As I wander I take pictures, trying to capture the spirit of the place, the unique energy and ambience that speak to its personality. Busy snapping photos, a gregarious Mexican fellow asked me to take his portrait. I happily obliged and will post it here when I get home back to my laptop.
I have said a number of times that this place has struck me as a place to which I would happily return. Why though? I've been trying to figure that out.
There is an abundance of birds here that I absolutely love. Out in the ocean, a variety of species spend their day fishing, an activity close to my heart. But they can be seen and heard during the day almost everywhere. Then at night, they find their nocturnal perch and drift into silence, giving way to the song of the cicadas.
Melaque feels authentic. And don't get me wrong, this is still a tourist oriented community and has lots of stores and vendors trying to sell cheap crap for you to take home to prove that you were actually on a trip to Mexico. But the difference from our two previous forays into this country is that the salesmanship prevelant in Playa del Carmen doesn't happen here. You can wander, look and contemplate without being swarmed by the propreitor looking for a quick sale. I like it a lot.
In the afternoon I wandered down the beach to check out the Andador Punta Melaque, or the scenic walk to the tip of Bahia de Navidad (Navidad Bay. A 10-foot paving stone path weaves its way toward a lookout that provides a stunning view of the community on one side and a jungle clad hill on the other. Magnificant.
The head cold that had settled in the previous day began to lift and I realized what a wonderful day it had been. The weather and the waves were perfect, the sun came out and there was just enough of a breeze to make it feel near perfect.
We ended the day at Restaurante Maya, one of the few higher end establishments in a stunning outdoor setting, a tapas bar with live music. We enjoyed a wonderful meal, a few drinks and some nice traditional music. The bill inclusive of tip was 1000 pesos, or roughly CAN $75. So not only is this place authentic, beautiful and relaxing, it is affordable. Have I sold you yet?
So I take them back to the room and I wander, through neighborhoods surrounding the central core of Melaque which suddenly becomes San Patricio and just as quickly Obregon - three towns, one community. During my morning rounds you can see families getting ready for the day, spending time together before getting swept away by their daily tasks.
"Buenos dias mes amigo," called the voice emerging from a small house on one of the side streets. It was the fellow who welcomed us into the restaurant on the first night in Melaque, someone we saw a second time a few night later. He called me over and I enjoyed a great conversation with his family.
As I wander I take pictures, trying to capture the spirit of the place, the unique energy and ambience that speak to its personality. Busy snapping photos, a gregarious Mexican fellow asked me to take his portrait. I happily obliged and will post it here when I get home back to my laptop.
I have said a number of times that this place has struck me as a place to which I would happily return. Why though? I've been trying to figure that out.
There is an abundance of birds here that I absolutely love. Out in the ocean, a variety of species spend their day fishing, an activity close to my heart. But they can be seen and heard during the day almost everywhere. Then at night, they find their nocturnal perch and drift into silence, giving way to the song of the cicadas.
Melaque feels authentic. And don't get me wrong, this is still a tourist oriented community and has lots of stores and vendors trying to sell cheap crap for you to take home to prove that you were actually on a trip to Mexico. But the difference from our two previous forays into this country is that the salesmanship prevelant in Playa del Carmen doesn't happen here. You can wander, look and contemplate without being swarmed by the propreitor looking for a quick sale. I like it a lot.
In the afternoon I wandered down the beach to check out the Andador Punta Melaque, or the scenic walk to the tip of Bahia de Navidad (Navidad Bay. A 10-foot paving stone path weaves its way toward a lookout that provides a stunning view of the community on one side and a jungle clad hill on the other. Magnificant.
The head cold that had settled in the previous day began to lift and I realized what a wonderful day it had been. The weather and the waves were perfect, the sun came out and there was just enough of a breeze to make it feel near perfect.
We ended the day at Restaurante Maya, one of the few higher end establishments in a stunning outdoor setting, a tapas bar with live music. We enjoyed a wonderful meal, a few drinks and some nice traditional music. The bill inclusive of tip was 1000 pesos, or roughly CAN $75. So not only is this place authentic, beautiful and relaxing, it is affordable. Have I sold you yet?
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