ME AND THE ELEMENTS

Second day in Catemaco Lagoon.

Last night I took my clothes to a laundromat and got chatting with the owner. She asked what plans I had for Catemaco. I informed that I want to go where the lagoon meets the sea (Barra de Sontecomapan). She insisted that I would enjoy it more if instead I went on a Pirata (type of a pickup truck used to transport passengers in this area of countryside) to Playa Escondida (Hidden Beach) and walked all the way back to Barra de Sontecomapan. The beach hike would take me about 3 hours.

Thus, today I woke up at 7am and walked down to the Pirata’s station, where I hopped on a Pirata towards Montepio (20 Pesos). After about 1 hour, the driver dropped me off a junction and instructed me to walk down the 2km long path in order to get to the beach. Started walking, but shortly after had move out of the way of another pickup truck. The driver stopped and told me to hop on the back of the truck as he has going to the beach as well. A bumpy ride but a free ride nonetheless, we get to Playa Escondida. There I found out that the driver was the owner of the only hotel/restaurant in the vicinity. He informed me that there is usually not many tourists in this part of the coast, thus I would have the whole beach for myself. Great!

It was just after 9am so decided to have a Corona with some nachos for breakfast. Hey! I’m on holidays after all! Afterwards, with a cold bottle of water as my only companion, I began my 3 hours beach hike. What a ride! Only Paulo, the elements and the odd seagull. I would walk for a while then stop to have a swim. Repeat and repeat.

I’ll post a video of this amazing hike very soon.

3 and half hours later finally arrived at Barra de Sontecomapan, and had some rice with king prawns and chili sauce followed by a well deserved siesta in a hammock.

About 4pm took a taxi boat to Sontecomapan harbor (25 Pesos) and a Pirata (10 Pesos) back to Catemaco. Went back to Hotel San Francisco and crashed on my bed till the next day.

Ciao 4 now

~Paulo~