We’ve been sinking into a nice routine here in Monte Gordo on the Gulf of Mexico. These are the sorts of places and situations we live for—relaxed, small beach communities not yet spoiled by mass tourism where the days seem to roll on and on leaving lots of time to enjoy the little things.
El Corsario is a nice place to hang out, especially on the weekdays when we mostly have the run of the place. But every once in a while, it’s nice to make the 30-minute stroll along the highway into town for basic essentials (like ice cream).
There’s one legit abarrotes (general store) on the opposite end of town from where we’re staying. This is usually where our strolls eventually end up. There’s always something new each time we visit. Today, it’s a basket of baby chicks.
Our Mexico-USA RV Journey 2024-25
Evenings are a particularly pleasant time to be back at the RV park. We try and get out for a beach walk in the late afternoon. Playing tag and building stuff along the beach is usually the highlight of the boys’ day.
Noe’s been putting his sketching pencils from CDMX to good use lately.
This was Noe’s and Riley’s school setups for the two weeks we were at El Corsario. They even had a nice view of the water from their perches and were just far enough away from each other to [mostly] stay on task.
The boys got the idea one day to make a “bowling alley” on the beach. When the tide came in, it got filled with water, which I think was more exciting than the bowling.
On the weekends, the campground fills with Mexican families camping and using the day area, so there are lots of kids to play with and free entertainment for hours. RV life has made them pros at making fast friends. And hanging out with lots of Mexican kids helps them keep their language fluency.
There was one family from Mexico City with two boys and a girl that stayed for five days, which was a big treat for the boys. They’d do their best to not waste time getting through their school so they could go play each day. It’s always nice to have natural incentives to keep things moving along.
Evening soccer on the beach.
Road school with mom.
Eggs, bread, and veggies were getting low, so time for another walk into town.
A friendly French Canadian couple pulled in yesterday with their sticker-covered rig, providing endless fascination for Riley. He wrote out questions and interviewed the couple as part of his school one day.
The last couple of days, we’ve been getting some morning fog. Not something we ever experienced in Nayarit or Oaxaca.
Hanging with my little bud, picking out new music for his mp3 player.
We usually celebrate the boys’ “half-birthdays” with an outing and an ice cream. But before we did that, the sea beckoned.
Conditions were perfect for bodyboarding, and Noe wanted to finally teach Riley how to bodyboard. He turned six-and-a-half today, after all.
Riley was really proud of himself for his accomplishment. He’s been watching Noe catch waves for most of his life, but didn’t really have an interest in trying it himself. He did awesome for his first outing, catching several. The smile on his face says it all.
We showered, got changed and set off on the 40-minute walk into town to grab some popsicles AND dinner. It was Riley’s idea to get “dressed up” for the occasion…
Fortunately, last year’s unfortunate half-birthday ice cream incident in Las Glorias didn’t discourage Riley from having a popsicle in another small Mexican beach village on his special day. I’m happy to report no issues this time around.
Empanadas at Doña Barto’s, reputed to be the best in town.
Very happy half-birthday boy.
Sipping coffee on a chilly morning at El Corsario. We’ve been trying to keep our little New Years tradition alive.
By the end of the second week of April, we knew we were pushing our luck staying on the coast this close to Semana Santa (Holy Week).
We could already see the telltale signs around town of shopkeepers gearing up for big crowds—large canopies being erected, decorations being hung, and of course, huge shipments of soda, junk food, and beer.
With a heavy heart, it was time to say so-long to the beach after four wonderful months and start slowly making our way back west across the central highlands.
