Cruising through Michoacan

Following up from yesterday's post, I was headed to La Ticla and points south.  I got to La ticla around 10 am and the wind was already strongly onshore, making for waves that are virtually unsurfable.  The government has spent lot's of money constructing these little tourist cabanas and camping areas all up and down the Michoacan coast.  I was planning on staying at the one in La Ticla but the last few years of cartel violence, armed conflict from the local indigenous population, and just generalized fear has left this area virtually deserted.  And not in a good way.  These otherwise nice looking cabanas and camping areas are forlorn with an abandoned and slightly spooky vibe to them.  If I had chosen to stay there I would have been the ONLY person in the area, and I just didn't feel good about having that kind of target on me, being that visible with my gringo-self and with all the stuff I've brought with me--seems to be just asking to get ripped off.  It's kind of like surfing in a sharky area--you feel a lot better about the odds when there are other people out with you.

Did I mention the crazy road and scenery?  Well I should have, as the place is just stunningly beautiful with giant mountains plunging directly into the ocean, panoramic vistas, blue-green water, etc.  Too bad it was still dry season, as after a bit of rain this place likely greens up and is even more amazing.

 pulloff--don't go too far!

shrine at that same pulloff 

 View down towards Las Brisas

So I moved on down the road towards a place called Maruata.  Same deal there.  It's like some invading army had carried off nearly everyone there.  The handful of locals that were still around were not terribly friendly looking (unlike most of the rest of Mexico) and the giant and heavily fortified military base didn't inspire much confidence either.  I moved on down the coast a few clicks to a place called Tizupan.  A beautiful beach with another of these nice campground areas, but it was directly on the highway, nobody was there, and I would have been even more visible.  This series of events happened every 10 kilometers or so as I hopped down the coast until I was at another famous surf spot, Rio Nexpa.

Nexpa had some people around, but it's a big, heavy left and with another big swell on the way, I wussed out and decided not to stop there.  Maybe later in the trip on a more manageable swell.  Anyway, next thing I knew I was almost to Playa Azul, which is near the southern terminus of the state of Michoacan, and pretty close to a well-known surf spot, Saladitas.  So I spent the night in the Nookie behind a hotel, had dinner with three dudes from California who were boogie boarding the place of all things, and proceeded to get up early and make it through the large port city of Lazaro Cardenas and on to Saladitas by lunch.  I got a quick mid-day session in the sweet peeling left that is this break--chest to head high waves on the sets, but mostly a longboard break, except when it gets big.  Which it may through the weekend into early next week.

There are also a group of pros here including the Roxy Girls longboard team and a couple of pro guys.  Chad Marshall is the only name I sort of recognized but these guys are amazing at what they can do.  Pretty crowded lineup right now, but it's small, and I have a feeling that crowd will thin out a bit once it gets big.

I'll try to get some pictures of the place here for the next update.  More to come!!!