Puerto Escondido: the locals' beaches

Okay, more nifty stuff about PE:

1. Swampy's been there. That's a long way to ride the rails, from the U.S. to the second-to-southernmost Mexican state. 
2. The local beaches are fascinating. My favorite two are Playa Angelito and Playa Principal.

Angelito, guarded by an altar, is miniscule, claustrophobic and crowded. Fishing-boats come close, cutting off swimmers' access to open sea. But that's okay, because most people are waders, anyhow -- adults packed into tight kiddie inner tubes, kids in water-wings, everyone squealing and clutching each other with each wave. A motor-boat pulls tykes around on, no joke, an inflatable hot dog. Gulls circle low to catch one-off's from the fishing boats. Men on the shore hawk "seven beach boat tour" to tourists, except that there really don't seem to be many tourists. The shallow expanse of sand is ringed by hut-style restaurants, and little boys stand on the wet rocks and fish using a line and a cardboard square, and grin and scramble when a fisherman whistles at them and tosses handfuls of guppies. The small fish flash silver on the rocks and the kids grab them in bare handfuls and shove them in a nylon backpack to use as bait.

Playa Principal is the downtown beach, sunk just below the main drag. It's wide, gritty and teaming, best at dusk, because that's when the fishermen bring in their catch. There are naked tots and competing boom boxes, kids tossing balls and playing chicken. The street alongside the beach turns into a night bazaar, with people offering indigenous crafts alongside cheap trinkets. It all feels summery and festive, like a grand place to stroll bare-shouldered, enjoying soft air and eating ice cream.

3. Pablo and I finally made it the tiny cove on Playa Carrizalillo. Maybe because the power was "harnessed" by rocks, the surf was completely wild. It churned up huge shells (I found one the size of a small plate) and knocked us off of a rock we were using as a lounger. I got a huge bump on the back of my head, and Pablo's glasses were knocked off his face. He didn't notice till we had hiked the hill back to the main beach. Then we went back to look for them, though he was sure they were at sea.

I nearly stepped on them. They were sitting on the beach, lenses up, neatly folded, like someone had placed them there intentionally.

That's it for PE. Next up, Oaxaca city!