Part One: The Turning Tide
Part One: The Turning Tide
"It's not the same to visit a place as a tourist as it is to live there and experience the real thing." Countless individuals have heard this before, and it holds a deep-seated truth.
For many, the vision of a perfect escape is a remote, isolated haven: an immense coastline of white sand, crystal-clear water, and palm trees heavy with coconuts. Harmless, colorful fish swim in ideal-temperature waters, neither too shallow nor too deep. All of this plays out in your deepest desires as a miraculous creation, fashioned purely for your enjoyment, much like those breathtaking AI images that spontaneously generate from your most casual prompts.
This paradisal hallucination, meticulously crafted in your mind, beckons you to run on that endless beach and leap into the vast ocean. The outcome? A feeling of profound refreshment, a rebirth—becoming one with the almighty and nature itself! Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? This scene often plays in your mind every time you yearn to escape your own challenging reality, perhaps while navigating a classroom of boisterous students or enduring a call center shift bombarded by the frustrations of daily clients.
The first time I landed in Puerto Escondido was in the summer of 2015. My good friend had captivated me with stories of this perfect beach destination located on the Oaxacan coast in Mexico—an image very akin to the one I depicted earlier, but amplified with colossal waves, daily beach-bliss smokers, and buff surfers. At that time, a new budget airline had just launched direct flights from Mexico City. The journey takes just one hour by plane, a short jump over our massive mountain ranges.
Driven by a spirit of adventure and enticed by the low cost of the flight, we quickly packed our backpacks, eager for the journey ahead. The bumpy flight then offered incredible views of mountains, volcanoes, and remarkable biodiversity, finally revealing the exotic cordillera meeting the widespread sapphire ocean before we landed at midday.
I was delighted by the vibrant crowd that surrounded us at the airport. Many tourists, deeply tanned and sporting relaxed, bohemian beach attire, carried their surfboards. They radiated such a laid-back vibe; indeed, most seemed to be floating on a cloud of grace. I felt an immediate attraction to them, to this simplistic, "take-it-easy" way of life that my brain and soul desperately craved. After years spent living with my parents and navigating the demands of numerous schools, this stark contrast profoundly impacted me. It invaded my mind and prompted an urgent desire to inquire and experience more about this lifestyle.
My friend, having visited many times before, knew his way around. We quickly grabbed our bags and exited the airport, leaving behind those still navigating the baggage claim carousel. We walked to the main road, stretched out our thumbs, and boarded a "chivera"—a tropical Mexican taxi. I was mesmerized by this type of transport. A wave of joy washed over me, knowing that our trip had truly begun as an authentic adventure in such a wonderfully, carefree vehicle.
The "chivera" made a stop on the main road. My friend consulted Google Maps to pinpoint our destination: an Airbnb located above Playa Zicatela. I giggled as we rang the bell in the truck-bed, indicating to the driver that we were hopping off. We jumped out, paid the driver at the front, and the chivera departed with the remaining passengers, who'd soon be doing the same.
From the summit, the view of the Pacific Ocean was absolutely breathtaking—a scale I had never witnessed before! Although my family had visited the Pacific coast, Acapulco, when I was very young, I was too little to truly appreciate its vast beauty. We walked downhill to our accommodation, which, incidentally, was run by some Argentinians who seemed perpetually high. They showed us to our room. It was exactly what we needed: quaint, spacious, and just a few hundred meters from Zicatela beach.
After dropping off our bags and changing into our beach clothes, only one thought consumed me: THE BEACH! I was so eager to feel the golden sand beneath my feet and immerse myself in the ocean, washing all my worries away. In the same manner, I looked forward to running barefoot on that vibrant seaside the following morning.
Hungry and ready for lunch, we decided to eat at "El Cafecito." It's one of, if not the most renowned restaurant in Puerto Escondido, famous for its diverse cuisine and, importantly, for being a safe option for foreigners. I ordered seafood—after all, I was by the sea; why bother with other dishes? At that time, the view of Playa Zicatela was pristine from El Cafecito; nowadays, it's another sad story, like any other beach destination invaded by shops, stands, and markets everywhere.
I was glad to see there were many foreigners as well as Mexican tourists. In a country where the ominous shadow of peril often creeps into the back of one's mind, I was relieved to find that life here proceeded at a different, more relaxed and seemingly danger-free pace. Nobody seemed to bother about shootings, kidnappings, pickpockets, or any other dangers lurking around the republic (or so I thought back then). I wish that feeling had lingered longer!
After lunch, we crossed Zicatela's main road, shed our flip-flops, and began walking what seemed like an endless expanse of beach stretching toward "La Punta." At this point, our adventure trip into austerity had finally begun. The ocean breeze, a gentle caress through my hair and a refreshing fill for my lungs, brought a deep sense of peace, renewal, and the promise of a new life chapter. As we strolled, we chatted, watching surfers carving colossal waves that exploded loudly onto the sandbar—a spectacle I’d never before witnessed. The beach was remarkably deserted, almost empty; it embodied the utopian destination I had so intensely imagined and desired.
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