We would have arrived home today if we had not extended our stay in Mexico. This snowy mess is what would have awaited us.

Some might scoff at the idea of body surfing. It may lack the aesthetics of surfboarding. Even boogie boarding might look to be more of a sport. But I vehemently disagree. I admit that body surfing isn’t a spectator sport, but the sensation of a good body surfing ride is as good as it gets.

I may have said this in a previous year's post, but it is worth reiterating. I have read that astronauts report a rough shaking vibration just as the roaring rocket under them struggles to gain some altitude. I kid you not; a similar vibration envelopes your entire body when you catch the perfect wave and ride it back to shore. You are riding in front of the wave where all that foamy, bubbly action is taking place; you feel the power of the wave. You aren’t riding above that power; you are riding in that power. You know that you are at the mercy of that power. Like bull riding and hoping to stay in some semblance of control for 8-seconds, riding a wave is unpredictable. When it decides to tumble you head-over-heels and spit you out, you have no choice but to accept your fate and hope for the best.

I bring this because today I had two perfect body surfing runs. Wow, that really wakes up a 70-year-old’s psyche. After nearly a month of convalescent doldrums - I’m alive! 

But first, we went to the La Cruz Arts and Crafts Market. We had one goal at the Market - eat at the big fat taco sandwich stand. This family-run food stand assembles the finest and largest taco sandwich known to mankind. They start with a handmade jumbo tortilla. You choose from six different meat fillings or six different veggie fillings. Then you can point out the various toppings you want to add. We chose the chicken filling and added marinated mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, cream cheese, and a wad of hand-shredded white cheese. Once served our giant creation on a board, we added a large serving of rice, beans, salsa, and guacamole. It stuffed both of us at 200 pesos ($11.12 US). The tender marinated and perfectly spiced chicken filling melted in our mouths. The entire dinner was a culinary masterpiece. 

Admittedly, it was messy. The irony is that Mexicans produce some of the world's messiest foods but make the world’s wimpiest napkins. Knowing this, Wanda wisely packed some good strong paper towels. We just laughed at the two tiny squares of transparently thin tissues provided by the food stand.

This food stall is a family affair.

Building our ideal giant taco. Each pot has a different filling.

This is the tortilla-making machine.

Look at the size of that taco!

For drinks, we chose freshly squeezed OJ. Mexican OJ is the best.

Wanda insisted on a wedge of cake for dessert. She literally bent my arm around my back. I was forced to give in.

We love the colors of the handcrafted wares at the La Cruz Market.

I enjoy the artwork at the market.

I have seen ladies wear this shirt. It cracks me up (pun intended).

The Market is at the La Cruz Marina.

Handmade pasta is lightyears ahead of store-bought dried pasta.

To my mind, the three best things about the market are the food, the artwork, and the musical acts. There are always four musical acts, and they never use the same acts twice.

We met Jeff, Teri, and Teri’s visiting friend from Wisconsin, Kathy, at the market. We also saw Mel and his wife. The plan was to catch the band playing at the Green Tomato. The Green Tomato is a cool bar in downtown La Cruz just at the entrance of the Market. The bar has a terrific open-air palapa on the top floor where the band plays. Unfortunately, the bar was jam-packed. The alternate plan was to go to another bar featuring an open mic. Ken was supposed to be there. I don’t know if Jeff ended up at the open mic, but Wanda and I had a date with the beach to make, and it was time to catch the bus to Playa Destiladeras.

One of a zillion murals in downtown La Cruz.

The ATM bus to Playa Destiladeras.

The interior of this bus. Each one is laid out slightly different.

Playa Destiladeras was our favorite beach in the Bay of Banderas. The white sand had that perfect consistency. Most beach sands are loose, requiring extra effort to walk on. This is no big deal for a short jaunt from your beach towel to the water. It is hard for any distance walking. Playa Destiladeras sand is uncommonly firm. It is the perfect walking surface, providing firmness with a hint of some give. The entire beach is two miles long, and we love to hike the whole span. 

Sadly, the last time we were here in January, we were heartbroken with all the gravel that had washed up on shore from Hurricane Roslyn last October. That knocked down the beach’s appeal a peg or two. We had to elevate San Pancho’s beach into the number one spot. We are delighted to announce that all the gravel has been removed from Playa Destiladeras. The beach is pristine. It is back in the numero uno spot where it belongs.

After securing our table, chairs, and umbrella, we hiked the entire two miles of the beach up and back for a total of four miles. My toe is still a little sore, but the sand surface felt pleasing. The stiff cooling breeze perfectly offset the warm sun. It was an excellent balance of forces.

Finally, it was time to harness the power of the waves. Playa Destiladeras usually has big wave action. It was on the milder side today; however, I was still presented with the occasional rogue wave that pounded me and dared me to ride. As I stated, I had two wonderful rides.

As we re-entered our world of 'getting off our asses', we proclaimed the day to be perfect.

We begin relaxing as soon as we turn the corner of the path and are presented with this scene.

Playa Destiladeras is in a remote setting away from any town. Last October, Hurricane Roslyn left the beach full of gravel. That broke our hearts as we loved this place. Now that the gravel has been removed and the beach has been restored to its glory, we are once again in paradise.

We started our beach walk by going north first. This section is slowly becoming built up.

The beach runs out at this reef.

The reef is constructed of delicate coral.

The cliff has some interesting layers exposed. The upper layer of gravel and boulders differs significantly from the rest of the cliff.

Next, we headed south over a more remote stretch.

I have no idea what creature dug this hole. I resisted poking my finger down the hole.

After heating up on our walk, it was time to cool off in the water.

Dave and Wanda

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