We awoke from our makeshift beds as the sun rose, the light reflected the ocean revealing for the first time the deep blue water beyond the sand. As the waves crashed against the shore the first of the day’s surfers sprang into action. Shortly after came the middle aged hippies jogging, making the most of the cooler morning air. It feels good. We have made it to this little bit of paradise. Perhaps sleeping rough is not so bad after all.
The Pacific Buddha Hostel is perhaps the cleanest hostel we have ever been to. It is ran by a couple from Canada and Argentina who met whilst travelling. It has a cool relaxed hippy vibe which is perfect for a chilled out stay at the beach.
The morning sunshine is short lived, a hurricane off the pacific coast has brought torrential rain and winds. There is so much rain the roads turn to rivers. So with little else to do we wait at the beach bar chilling in the hammocks. We soon find out the bar also acts as the local zoo with numerous animals, including a deer, to keep us company.
Being typical Brits when it rains there is no better excuse to drink. So when there’s a break in the rain we rush to the shop to pick up supplies and head back to the hostel. It appears we are not the only ones with this idea. And so it continues for the next few days. Sun and sunbathing in the morning, rain and beers in the afternoon.
Puerto Escondido is famous for its surf, attracting both professional and amateurs alike. The waves here are as big as we have ever seen. The surfers say they are about 6 metres. Fantastic to look at, from a distance, but there is no way we are going in.
We are later told that not long ago the waves reached 60ft high.
After a few days the rains pass and the sea looks less ferocious. Perhaps it’s okay to go for a swim. This notion is quickly reversed when a wave twice the size of an adult male crashes down on you. It hurts and shocks simultaneously. Best leave the surfing to the professionals.
This is a place you don’t want to leave. Some of the guys in the hostel have been here for weeks. At around 5 pounds each per night it’s more about how long you have got than how much it costs. After 5 nights we reluctantly decide to leave. Looking rather red and with a broken laptop we set out on the 14 hour bus ride to the mountain town of San Cristobal de Las Casas.
