From the very first time I went to Sayulita, I loved it.
For a good while, I stayed there almost every weekend. Everything about the town was fabulous; the people, the beaches, the fishing, the Mexican restaurants, the two reggae clubs, and the weather. I considered moving there but I didn't want to be part of the foreign influx. It was already perfect, small as it was. Besides, I had just moved close enough to have it as a weekend getaway, a bike run, and even a hike. After the flood crumbled the access bridge, Sayulita started losing its unique, quaint essence. One of the first signs was the leader of The Revolution leaving town to head his own Revolution in Nuevo Vallarta, taking with him part of the town's original flavor. This exodus was followed by the original founder of the sport fishing fleet relocating to The Mayan Resort, now Vidanta, also in Nuevo Vallarta. Soon after, the beach supported more pangas than palapas with captains from as far as Panama. In Playa De Los Muertos, the dead came to life night and day--no more rest for the wicked.
Since then, the locals have been leaving their town while yuppies transform it into a "prosperous" pseudo Vallarta. A plethora of overrated hotels disguised as massage and yoga villas have squeezed the real villagers out. Shielded by reggae and surfing labels, these villas offer peace of mind and cleansing of the soul...so long as the guest can afford the high cost. This includes the overflowing clothing and jewelry shops, pardon me, parlors, set up by American and Canadian ex-patriots... so much for avoiding foreign influx. Consequently, it's gotten to the point that the town is unable to maintain clean water and a safe sewer system. The traffic is horrendous, both on foot and by car. The streets were never meant to host so many people, foreign and domestic.
By now, Sayulita has lost its Bob Marley essence that founded it. Gone is the simple town where the wealth of its people was measured by the strength of their music and the loudness of their laughter. Not long ago, I witnessed San Diego turn from an Old Town into a major metropolis. Almost immediately, Pleasanton, Fremont and Palo Alto succumbed to the binary code right before my eyes. I've always been one step ahead of the masses. Unfortunately, they always catch up to me. Historically, countless towns have had the same fate, starting with Jerico, so why should Sayulita, and Mexico, be any different? After all, Pacal II ceded Palenque and Moctezuma II relinquish Tenochtitlan to foreigners just the same. RIP Sayulita. Perhaps another flood will wash you clean so you can rise again from your original ashes. Perhaps....
And now, Lo De Marcos and La Peñita are suffering the same fate...