Teaching English in a Foreign Land: Mazunte: First lesson learnt!

The Mexican adventure continues. Mazunte, such an amazing place to visit. Luckily I was there for a few days on my trip round Mexico. It wasn't all perfect though. Here's the next short story about my time in Mexico.

As we stood on the beach, gazing at the waves crashing on the high shore, a strange wailing horn sound caught our attention. Ed and I were tired and sweaty after the trip from Oaxaca and needed to find a hostel.

‘It’s coming from over there,’ Ed said, pointing towards the right hand corner of the bay. I squinted from the sun and saw a scraggly man standing on the porch of a run down two-storey hostel. The giant conch in his hands sparkled as he blew inside.

‘Welcome! Welcome!’ he shouted, waving. As we strolled over, I wondered what we were letting ourselves in for.

The mad old bloke was a lardy tanned spitting image of Einstein. The hairs on his chest glistened with sweat and his white shorts were stained with black marks. As he shook our hands, the sharks teeth and shells rattled on his necklace.

‘Come, come,’ he said, hustling us up the spiral stairs before we asked about the rooms. Tatty mosquito nets hung over the wooden beds and a few white hammocks spread out on the open veranda in front of the rough sea. I’d heard the surf was excellent on the south coast of Mexico, but I had expected the waves to be less daunting.

‘So what do you reckon?’ I said to Ed as we decided whether to stay or not.

‘It’s a bit of a state this place; sure we can find something else.’ I wasn’t so sure. It seemed to be the best spot on the beach, all the other cabanas along the beach were lower down so the views had to be dull. ‘I think I’ll stay, but we can meet later for a beer.’

Ed trawled across the beach to find another spot and I paid Einstein for three nights, with breakfast included, and went to check my emails back at the internet cafe on the main street.

Just as I was telling everyone back home how peaceful Mazunte was, a familiar voice interrupted.

‘Ah Barry, you have come, great, what is happening?’ said Victor, slapping me on the back. A green sarong hung from his waist as he munched on a chocolate ice cream.

‘Where did you get that from?’

‘In the shop there,’ he said, signalling up the road. ‘There’re delicious.’

‘Not the ice cream, that!’ I point to his sexy garment. ‘I didn’t think green was your colour.’

‘Shut up you funny English man, I have burnt my legs.’ He’d borrowed Maria’s sarong for protection.

When I told him I was staying at Einstein’s he almost spat out his ice cream.

‘What? That place is a shit, come, I show you my place.’

Victor had worked in Mazunte the year before so he knew the best places to stay. Up one of the steep sandy trails was the perfect hideout. Thick palm trees sheltered a batch of wooden and straw cabanas.

‘You see! Now Einstein place is a shit, no?’Victor said. I agreed. Victor and Maria’s double cabana built on stilts was the highest with the best view. The balcony looked out over the bay.

‘I know owner,’ Victor said as Maria gazed up, proud of her Argentine lover.

‘You’re right; Einstein’s is rubbish compared to this.’

‘Why you no come here and sleep in one of the hammocks, only $3 a night,’ he said.

‘Maybe I will, but I have to wait three days because I’ve already paid.’

‘You are silly English,’ said Victor, laughing at me. ‘Never take first place in new place; always see options.’

At the time I was sure Einstein’s place would be fine, but soon I realised that Victor’s words of wisdom were right.