“Dinner with great friends and this memory” by Raj Kalra, Sayulita.
Though I had never heard of Sayulita, Mexico, I jumped at the opportunity when invited by Houston attorney Rob Taylor and his beautiful girlfriend Kristy Phillips to celebrate Rob’s birthday. A variety of photos and tags went up on social media over the past week followed by an avalanche of questions. So naturally this TroysArt post is about what to expect and where to go based on our swank soirée in Sayulita!
But first we must define the motley crew assembled for the occasion. The group included: Rob’s son Trey Taylor of Houston and his girlfriend Elizabeth from Orange; Rob’s daughter Lacy Taylor from San Francisco with her boyfriend Scott Tukel; Arkansas attorney Bob Jones and his lovely wife Cheryl Woolbright Jones; the fabulous CJ Athanasuleas of Alabama; businessman and former WWE superstar Bruce Prichard and his wife Stephanie; Rob’s assistant and her husband Carlos & Maribel Rueda; with other Houstonians Scott & Barbie Benz, Kirk Longmire, Robert SoRelle, Krista Shamaly and jeweler Raj Kalra. This cast of characters will become familiar over the two planned posts about the trip.
The history of this fishing village on the Pacific Coast of Mexico stretches far beyond the 1960s when surfers “discovered” the consistent river mouth break. The site originated as tributary outposts for the Aztatlan Kingdom. Thick jungle prevented European colonization for centuries. Access for the last fifty years was made simpler with the construction of Mexican Highway 200.
Sayulita is about a 45 minute drive northwest from Puerto Vallarta.
Kirk Longmire and what was almost a Louis Vuitton barf bag…
Regarding that road to and from Puerto Vallarta, it winds its way through the jungle with frequent hairpin turns and short stops. Prone to carsickness since I was a youngster I felt positively green as we were driven to board a yacht one afternoon. I concentrated on holding my head steady as Kirk Longmire tormented me along the way. I looked over at my grinning comrade and asked, “Kirk, is that a Louis Vuitton barf bag?”
He answered, “No!”
“Well,” I announced, “it’s about to be!”
He stopped.
But back to Sayulita: it was not exactly what I expected. A fishing village of 5,000, the jewel of the Riviera Nayarit is more of an off-the-beaten-path destination rather than chichi resort. Quaint and colorful, it is authentically Mexican and unspoiled by wealthy travelers, chain retailers, and franchise restaurants.
In most areas the roads are wide enough for one vehicle at a time and tables at cafes spill out into the already tight streets.
La Gran Villa, Villa Amor, is perched high atop the southern perimeter of Sayulita.
I arrived at my villa just about the time other members of the entourage concluded a day of deep sea fishing. La Gran Villa is high atop the southern perimeter of the bay of Sayulita, part of Villa Amor. Villa Amor is a popular location for destination weddings—it can be found all over Pinterest. It consists of 44 condominium units and seven privately owned villas. Our party stretched out from La Gran Villa to Bougainvillea to The Treehouse. My accommodations on the second floor of La Gran were open air with thatched roof palapa overhead. The villa also includes a private infinity pool with the most stunning views of the bay.
And by the way, The Treehouse which is halfway up the hill is magnificently detailed. (I did not go inside the villa called Bougainvillea.)
The weather is warm and Kristy warned to pack light.
The infinity pool at La Gran Villa overlooking the bay at Sayulita.
I received a Facebook comment from Todd Creger, my host in Playa del Carmen a few months back (Troysart – My encounter with Playa del Carmen), “How many white pressed dress shirts did you pack, Troy Broussard?”
None! Though I thought about it, dress shirts are out of place in this tropic locale. I managed to keep my wardrobe breezy and casual.
Be advised that flip-flops are de rigueur; despite my disdain for that type of footwear I packed two pairs. And though it is after Labor Day white bucs are acceptable in Sayulita.
Entrance into La Gran Villa, Sayulita.
Rob’s favorite little gathering place was Don Pedros Restaurant on the beach. With a banquet sized table facing the sea and sand under our feet we spent many afternoons dining and shopping; street vendors come up to display their wares at the railing that separates the restaurant from the beach, and if someone is interested they can be summoned into the restaurant for a closer look. They offer Cuban cigars or handmade objet d’art, some of which were quite authentic like pearl or coral beaded necklaces, clothing, sterling silver jewelry, wood sculptures, and painted souvenirs. Some items were not so authentic like knock-off Ray Bans which we jokingly called Roy Bins. A few vendors tried discretely–and unsuccessfully–to peddle weed and cocaine.
Just another beautiful afternoon at Don Pedros, Sayulita.
But undoubtedly the bestselling item at Don Pedros was the lobster—Rob loved ordering platters of them until I didn’t think I could ever eat another bite.
What kind of world is it when you lament being stuffed with fresh lobster? The kind of world of which I was lucky to be a part!
But street vendors are not the only visitors working restaurant patrons in Sayulita. Apparently Sayulita is known for the plethora of street dogs—and they are everywhere. The dogs frolic on the beaches in the mornings then roam the streets throughout the day begging for food. They are free to amble into restaurants, bars, and shops. But don’t make the mistake of offering a tortilla or a potato—these dogs are masters of extorting proteins. They want meat and if you don’t have it they will move on to the next table. One night Kristy ordered steak for a pooch. The pups at Don Pedros loved lobster.
The street dogs in Sayulita love lobster!
One day Bruce & Stephanie were the last to arrive to the luncheon table—apparently they stopped in the village to cheer-on two dogs stuck together in the middle of the road. Stephanie took pictures.
SayulitAnimals is an organization that raises money to find homes and provide veterinary care for the street dogs.
I read a few blogs that dished on the community for allowing the dogs free range. Those crybabies need to go vacation at Sandals. I certainly enjoyed having a four-legged friend from time to time, and I never noticed excrement on the sidewalks or in the sand.
The only thing I noticed in the sand of Sayulita was gold. Something looked like glitter covering the sand, especially where damp. In fact the sheen is produced by minute particles of pyrite—fool’s gold. It’s kind of magical actually.
Speaking of magical, Kristy organized a special evening for Rob’s birthday at O Restaurant, the café at Villa Amor. Drinks flowed like the waves washing over the beach. The food and the cake were lovely; it was Barbie’s birthday also so there were two sets of candles. At Rob’s request there were no mariachis but Mr. SoRelle created a dance floor in the middle of the room anyway.
Kristy Phillips and Robert SoRelle, O Restaurant, Sayulita.
A tropical downpour had moved the birthday party indoors but it was not the only move transpiring that evening. Bougainvillea lost power which left Rob & Kristy along with the others in their villa in the dark. In the midst of Rob’s birthday celebration clothing and personal items were transferred to a new villa.
After the party a few of us went to the village square.
The streets of downtown Sayulita are packed with nightlife, but once again, not as expected. Instead of glittering tourists or cruise ship drunkards the streets are packed with surfer and hippy types, lots of long hair, tattoos, and funny hats. Acoustic quartets play on the sidewalks outside of tiny bars. The only rhyme or reason I saw in picking a bar was finding a crowd and getting a table.
That night Rob had three tables put together in the street for us. It was the first time I had a chair in the gutter to drink tequila instead of landing in the gutter after drinking tequila.
As bars go, we all loved the swing bar. Atico has great art on the walls and patrons sit on wide swings over the sidewalk–we’d say “meet us at the swing bar.” Margaritas are made with fresh lime and mango. The house specialty is a chili margarita served in a fruit jar.
One night I ran into Gus, an old acquaintance from Houston—I will omit his full name as he might be on the lam. That was the night Mr. SoRelle and I turned Gus’s hangout into a karaoke bar (I did my rendition of Delta Dawn while Mr. SoRelle took on the role of Peaches AND Herb).
Sunrise over Sayulita, the view from my terrace.
But no matter how late a night I was up every morning for coffee with my villa mates. We all accepted Kirk parading around the villa all morning in his tighty-whities since he did make great coffee.
We would watch the morning sun infuse the bay with wondrous colors as brown pelicans dove for food and Frigatebirds soared high above. (Frigates can have a wingspan of 7 ½ feet.)
I would also take time in the mornings with my sketchpad—the view from my villa was too breathtaking to let slip by. Alas, there were too many things to do and not enough time to really finish that quintessential drawing of the bay. No sooner did I begin than it was time to dress for breakfast… much the same scenario for cocktails or dinner depending on the time of day.
Just one of my many unfinished drawings in Sayulita…
Breakfast was the only meal of the day that was not planned as a group excursion. Café el Espresso on the town square seemed to be a favorite spot. But one morning at O Restaurant we watched a local fellow on the adjoining beach castnet for bait then proceed to catch a huge snook. He was quite a little showman; he could sense our excitement as he reeled in the big one.
Ever generous, Rob gave the fisherman one of the unopened bottles of vodka that we took off the yacht. The guy set down his fishing rod and hurried up the rocks to receive it. The fish was fresh but a bottle of premium vodka might have been his catch of the day.
Fisherman in Sayulita beneath the terrace of O Restaurant, Villa Amor.
As a side note about breakfast, I like fresh eggs American style without the chorizo and peppers added; both Espresso and O did that very well.
A separate TroysArt post will be made about our experiences while yachting, which is guaranteed to entertain. (TroysArt – The art of yachting Puerto Vallarta)
But before concluding I must add that as amazing as it all was, one of the most impressive accomplishments of this event was orchestrating such a diverse gathering who exuded uninterrupted merriment and affection. It’s difficult enough to get four people out for dinner without drama, so just imagine… twenty people from various backgrounds and at various stages in life melding together as a dynamic force and formidable social entity in a foreign country. What a feat by the host and hostess!
Kudos to Rob & Kristy for undertaking and realizing such an assemblage of simpatico bon vivants.
And again I send a heartfelt THANK YOU to Rob and Kristy…