Another mellow day of very hot and dry riding along the Pacific coast. I was glad to get out of Acapulco this morning, and didn't even look to get breakfast before leaving. This made me really hungry, and at about 1 I stopped at one of the random restaurants along the highway, all of which have many tables but are always empty, making me curious as to whether there actually is food at these places, and if it's any good. I had some calda de camarones, a spicy soupy thing with shrimp swimming in it (heads still on, of course), and some really good hand made tortillas. I've become a bit of a tortilla connoisure on this trip, being that there are so many different types in Mexico and Central America, and that they're all so good and usually made soon before being eaten.
I rode in to Ixtapa, thinking it might be a cool town more like Puerto Escondido, being that it looks smaller than Acapulco and also highlighted in yellow on my map. It's another big hotel town - this one looks like a combination of Atlantic City and West Palm Beach. Needless to say, I turned right around and continued up the road.
Being that I have plenty of time and I'm staying mostly in my budget, I decided to make this another short day. The town of Playa Azul doesn't look like anything special, on my map or from the road signs - just a small town on the coast 7km from the main road, near Lazaro Cardenas, a large shipping port. On a hunch I decided to check it out anyway. It's a beautiful, pristine beach untouched by international tourism. The town has only a couple tiny hotels, a tienda, and a few beachfront restaurants. My hotel has a working bathroom, is right across the dirt road from the beach, and cost 120p for the night.
Although I'm the only gringo in town, I feel welcome and comfortable. This is a much needed opposite of last night, and it feels good.
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