Celestino, Sinaloa

Celestino

Rising early, we were excited to drive to the small fishing village in Sinaloa that Dorian had twice visited. There’s a camp that boats surfers to a perfect nearby wave (guys like Dorian tend to flock to these spots.)

When arriving, we were greeted by the neighborhood with waves of hands and nods. A group of girls were giving themselves a dance class on a wooden porch. I of course danced along with them while driving by as they laughed with embarrassment (a characteristic I noticed many Mexican girls share.) Dorian pointed out the tiny doctor’s office where they treated him for a dog bite on a previous trip. As Dorian drove, I noticed that all the foliage was dead. It was much dryer than I anticipated. Down thebumpy dirt road we reached Danny’s house. Without the warmest welcome we talked a while and then unexpectedly bumped into Dorian’s long time surfboard shaper Mike Estrada. Dorian does not ride any other shapers boards. Well, we told him our story about driving to Costa Rica. He, being the nicest guy in the world, was very supportive. We finally had to go, our stomachs made that clear. We headed north to Celestino. There is a small hotel there that offers camping and it is a well known surf spot. I think it was called “Villas de Celestino” Arriving at the camp we had a very warm welcome. There were beautiful gardens surrounding the white buildings. Ivy however was not greeted with a very warm welcome The local female dog decided to bite her. Luckily, she didn’t break the skin and Ivy was okay. She learned quickly to be more cautious.

Three couples graciously invited us into their camp. Lorie and her husband had just drove to and from Panama and were now headed back to Washington where they lived. They informed us of what lies ahead at the stressful border crossings that we will soon reach.

Tiffany and Mike were gringos from Pescadaro, Baja Mexico. They knew some of our old friends Adam, Jimmy and Ken. They all had moved next door to them after living down the street from us in Newport. Tiffany was able to find the thorn way up in Ivy’s paw that she was still limping on. I was so thankful for her help and I learned quickly to get them out quicker before they get so deep. They had a dog named Bullet that Ivy quickly fell in love with. We were impressed with Ivy’s ability to adapt to her surroundings. She never napped with other dogs before. I think she looked to Bullet for protection from the black local dog that was still lingering.

I also enjoyed getting to know the other couple camped next to us. John and Toni were from San Diego and traveled a lot through Baja and Mainland with their two kids Leo and Teresa. Raising environmentalists as they schooled them on the road was a joy to see. They were amazing children who were free and comfortable in their lifestyle with nature. We loved this hotel/camp. I knew Dorian was happy when John would wake him up every morning inviting him on day trips in search of the best waves the coast had to offer. We would have to break down camp to drive to a different surf spot, so Dorian really appreciated it. They slept in tents so their truck was available. Although there are palapas to camp under at most parks, Northern Mexico I think is dry enough for tent camping.

Dorian, Ivy and I stayed at this camp for six nights and got comfortable. There were tons of flies that I battled and conquered. The hotel did have a pool, and there was tons of treasures on the beach. The waves were great and that was very important. I enjoyed meeting nice people and relaxed for a while. This was our first stop where we vacationed and I definitely took advantage of what the camp offered.

One day I asked the kids if they would like a dance class. In excitement they ran for permission from Toni. I put on my teacher face and gave them their first out of two dance classes under a nearby palapa. It was oddly familiar. Before we decided to move on I was lucky enough to see the scorpion that Toni found in the bathroom. She let it go in the field next door. She told her kids that the scorpion was on this earth for a reason.

When we finally decided to leave our temporary family I said goodbye to the kids and gave them both seashells that I had collected from the beach. We exchanged emails with our new friends and gave the women at the camp necklaces that I made during our stay from the shells at Celestino. They both appreciated the gift and wished us well on our journey. I thought to myself “what incredible people we encountered in Celestino, Sinaloa Mainland Mexico.

p.s.
We found out that the hotel we stayed in at Los Mochis was a “No Tell, Motel” and that most costumers often paid by the hour. We thought this was so funny because we didn’t mind the hotel that much. They were the nicest and cleanest motels in Mexico and many gringos stay there anyways despite the reason it