Bar Crawl Turned Water Fall!
I need to start off by saying, I have no words for what the last few days have been. And it’s all thanks to the Tatêi Surf Girls in Sayulita!
On Thursday, Lucy mentioned she had found a woman-run surf school she’d been wanting to take lessons with while in Sayulita, and I immediately wanted in. Surfing has been on my mind ever since arriving here. I’ve taken one-off classes in Hawaii, Portugal, and Costa Rica, all great, but all with men. That’s how I met Thania, a Sagittarius badass and the owner of the surf school. I decided to take two classes with her after Prachi leaves Monday morning, and before that, I wanted us to tag along on a surfing sesh and waterfall hike in Puerto Vallarta she was hosting. So, that’s exactly what we did on Saturday.
We were recovering from the most intense bar crawl I’ve ever done for only $18. There were five drinks, five bars, and we were only two girls with what felt like one shared brain cell after all the tequila. Thania picked up Jade, Lucy, Joss, Prachi, and me around 12:30 p.m., and we began the two-hour drive to PVR. During the ride, Thania laid out the game plan: waterfall hike, sunset surf, and then party the night away. We agreed before she could even finish her sentence. From there, we joined a few others staying at Viajero and Casa Pepe for a 20-minute boat ride to Playa Las Animas. We plopped our stuff and surfboards down in the sand and started exploring.
I got really curious about the rocks, so of course, I climbed them. At one point, I was so high up that getting down safely seemed highly questionable. Prachi guided me as I climbed down, another reason why I could never do life without her. Just three hours after her departure, I had already lost one of the earrings we’d bought together 48 hours earlier…
After my makeshift rock-climbing sesh, we hiked through the jungle to a hidden waterfall! Everyone went barefoot and wore bikinis. It was perfect, especially because it started raining as soon as we began the hike. We played conversation games, avoided mudslides, and ran across suspension bridges, the exact opposite of what you're told to do as a kid. It was free will at its finest.
The second we reached the waterfall, we jumped into the cold, crisp, fresh water, Pacifico in one hand, treading water with the other. I think apart from the exquisite, lush nature we were surrounded by, my favorite part was the people. Folks from all over the world, in their 20s and 30s, people I may never see again, but with whom I’ll always share this memory.
We hiked back around 6:30 p.m., but unfortunately, there were no waves to surf. So, sans waves, we paddleboarded out into the sea to watch the sunset. Prachi and I met a lovely gal named Kat in the water. She told us she moved to Sayulita to surf and now works for Thania’s school while also teaching yoga and Pilates in town. She’s easing into becoming a surf instructor and is right on the cusp of doing it full-time. She had the kindest energy and I can totally see her pushing people to catch waves, despite her nerves. When I come back to Sayulita, I want her to take me out!
Prachi and Jade had the sweetest moment catching the sunset from the ocean. I decided to paddle back and park my board in the sand so I could take in the orange, pink, and light blue reflections of the sky as the waves crashed in. The moment was heartbreakingly beautiful, because I knew it was only mine for the next few minutes. But in those minutes, I smiled like there was no tomorrow. Like I was in heaven on earth, because I practically was.
Getting on the wrong boat and one lapse in communication later, Prachi and I missed out on a 72-hour party on a private beach that Thania, Lucy, and Jade headed off to. I went through all seven stages of grief, but felt grateful when I was munching on street tacos and hit my comfy bed after the longest day. We caught up with Jade and Lucy the next evening and heard they’d gone from one mansion party to sleeping in someone’s villa, to a day party at another villa. I may be entering the eighth stage of grief… still unsure.
All this to say: we only had a general idea of what we were signing up for that day, but it turned into so much more. Much like life when traveling!
