Week 2 – Puerto Escondido to San Cristobal
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This week I was on the road again visiting a beautiful surf town in Mexico. This was the perfect opportunity to get re-acquainted with night buses. This is a great way to travel as a budget traveller because you save money on a night of accommodation. However, at what cost to your sleep? Personally, I am used to broken-up sleep. Therefore, this was a small sacrifice for me. Yet, for those who may struggle to sleep in a moving vehicle, it can lead to the next day being a write-off.
This is the joy of travelling by road.
Oh, the joy is definitely sarcasm because this journey was anything but joyful. The trip was only meant to be a simple 10-hour overnight bus from Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido.
What Happened When Visiting a Surf Town in Mexico?
Well. We got stuck at the side of the road. Stuck in a standstill traffic jam somewhere between Oaxaca City and Puerto Escondido. Why? A truck overturned and blocked the road in both directions. Road accidents happen, I understand that. However, I was not prepared for it. Really not prepared for a 10-hour night bus to turn into an 18-hour bus ride. Yes, the bus did not move for way over 5 hours.
Not only were we stuck at the side of the road, it was pitch black outside. This made the situation worse because of stories about buses getting held up at gunpoint in Mexico. I tried my best to sleep through it and just hoped we would be on the move soon.
However, during this time I run out of water and food. The journey become tedious wait once the sun came up. I felt safer being surrounded by daylight rather than the dark of night.
Due to the fact we were running this late the bus drivers looked to make up time. Therefore from the. moment we got on the move again it was a crazy ride from there on in. The speed we were going at to overtake was at some points terrifying. The only good thing was that they did allow a food stop which couldn’t have been a moment too soon. I needed water and snacks! And a toilet stop because the bus toilet was full and disgusting.
Arriving in the Rugged Puerto Escondido
We arrived very late but in one piece. I was so glad to be off that bus. I have done long bus rides before but this is definitely the worst. So, I am no stranger to being on the road for a long time. However, I have always prepared enough food and water. So, this one did feel like torture. I was excited to finally be out of the cities and explore the beaches. A shower and a hunt for food were very much welcomed.
The next day I explored the beaches along this Pacific coastline. I was happy to feel sand in my toes and the sea lapping over my feet. There is just something about the beach that makes me feel so grounded. The sun was out in full force with the temperature gauge hitting 39 degrees. It was crazy hot and humid. The humidity was very high, you even sweated when sitting still. I had never experienced anything like it.
So, in Puerto Escondido, I enjoyed beach days. I would bake in the sun and then cool off in the sea. You couldn’t do much else but that suited me perfectly after a jam-packed first week in Mexico. It was nice to catch up on sleep and relax. This is a piece of paradise in Mexico.
I Did Do One Activity Here
The activity I chose to do was the turtle release. I had read good things about this company online so I thought I would check it out. In the evening everyone heads to the beach and pays to release one of these turtles. I got the feeling that money mattered more to them. One good thing is that they didn’t let you touch the turtles because this isn’t healthy for them. Also, there were no birds in the sky to sky-bomb the turtles. Therefore, my little turtle got a clean run to the ocean. Let’s hope he is the 1 in 100 that survives his journey.
After Relaxing and Sweating Non-Stop
Visiting a surf town in Mexico ended with one last morning walk along the main beach in Puerto Escondido. This walk was great at first but once leaving the beach a dog ran towards us. It jumped up at my friend and attempted to bite her. The dog left a mark and some bruises. Luckily, she got it off before it could puncture the skin. Another little thing going wrong. We left the beach by another night bus. We were heading to San Cristobal.
Now, the little things going wrong started to add up. Let’s see what else Mexico can throw at us.
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