| We were told that the 200km of coast south from La
Penita to Playa Azul is spectacular, full of beaches and rocky promontories,
and so it proved to be. |  |
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We were also told that it is the least developed of the whole of Mex 200.
That also proved to be true. We did not find a Pemex station for fuel until
we were almost in sight of Playa Azul. There are few villages and most sell
gasolina, from a 40 gallon oil drum with a hand pump! The RV holds 55
gallons. |
| It is very picturesque but sometimes you travel ten
miles to go one mile as a crow flies, and most of that is up and down. The
road is actually in much better condition than we expected, it is just
narrow, with constant bends of right angles and more, and with sharp fall
offs into the gutters. No room for errors and you certainly would not want
to drive at night. |  |
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It is mainly Indian country with little obvious habitation and no industry
of farming. Except we did find a number of hillsides where they were burning
scrub probably to reduce the wildfire hazards. |
| Sometimes the road comes right down to sea level with
sandy beaches and maybe signs of occasional habitation. |  |
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At other times you are high on a hillside above an empty beach wondering how
on earth anybody could ever get down there. One day this coast will be
developed. Let's hope that it will be done affordably so that ordinary
Mexicans can enjoy these bays. |
| As you get closer to Playa Azul it becomes flatter and
easier to reach the beaches. We stopped for lunch and to watch the waves.
The only other habitation at this point is the first Pemex station in 100
miles! |  |
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Away from the rocks these are good surfing beaches but it is too remote for
most and has no night life. In fact almost no signs of life.... |
| Not much daylife either! Good job my tail is pinned on
in the right place or I would be really miserable.. |  |
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Then it is back to rocks again before the final beach of Playa Azul begins.
This is over 10 miles long.. |
| But first we have to travel inland again. But we are
in traffic now, and 'marked' topes. The old air cooled VW Beetles were still
manufactured in Mexico long after European construction ceased. You see
thousands still in use, although most travel a bit more quickly than this
one did. |  |
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And so we arrived, tired but in one piece, at our campground, which is
actually in the rear car park of a hotel with not one, but two swimming
pools. It being a weekend both were full of kids of all ages. Playa Azul is
a beach resort for Mexicans. |
| .It faces almost south so this is the view west into
the setting sun. |  |
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And this is the view east. We gave the beach restaurants a miss, partly
because nobody else was eating because it was a bit early for the evening
meal, partly because of the dozens of pedlars and Mariachi singers who would
pester us, and partly because all the restaurant owners kept pestering us to
eat at their establishment. We actually ate at the hotel. |
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