Despite the bedtime mescals I slept well, and was up and out for a run first thing, then swung by the hotel to pick up Arnaud for a walk along the quiet beaches to the west of us.

He kindly demonstrated why my white shoes are a bad idea, taking one for the team!

Quick shower then breakfast. I’ve packed my kit in the hope that the wind keeps building. Forever optimistic…

We get to our new morning spot about 5 minutes before I pass out from hunger. Wow what a feast, best breakfast yet. I have chilaquiles, Arnaud enmoladas, both with red mole sauce (the chocolate, nuts and chilli one, not the powdered tunnel dweller type).

That should set us up nicely for a few hours…they just messaged, we are a go for 2pm!

Grabbing a iced takeaway coffees from a very nice looking cafe, we set off to see Jonny & Cathy, just as well these bikes don’t have brakes or gears, and that there are no cars here.

“It’s borderline, but we’re going to take all the kit down to kite beach for 2pm, tomorrow looks much better, but we’re going to give it a go”. That’s all we need to hear.

We’re all smiles until we find that our favourite spot in the nice beach bar has a view of Tommy and his gang of walnuts. Oh well. Midday arrives, bringing diet cokes for a change, we’re taking this all very seriously.

Arnaud can’t sit still, even more fidgety than usual, pacing up and down to the beach. I see him rubbing his hands and smiling, “someone is out!”, this bodes well.

I’ve got a nice looking board and foil, and a 6 meter wing, the 7 meter that I really need for this light wind has been reserved for a lesson. It’s all good, I’m desperate to get out on the water. Arnaud is looking doubtfully at someone pumping up a 17 meter kite, it doesn’t even fit on the tiny sliver of beach. There hasn’t been wind for days and everyone is just crazy keen to do something, there is a real sense of excitement, everyone is smiling and chatting.

I head out and to be totally honest, there is a lot of bobbing around waiting for a stronger gust, but I’m happy, the sea is warm, I can see huge kites swooping around me, finally properly out on the water!

At the end of one long run, where I’m almost uncomfortably far from the shore, I see what looks like a head appear from the water ahead of me. My first thought is that someone swimming is in trouble, there is a really strong current here, swirling around the sandbanks. It pops up again, but I can’t get a proper look to decide whether to get help or not. 

I’m contemplating the situation when a large scaly head appears about 10 meters ahead and fixes one Inquisitive eye on me, then slowly sinks into the blue green sea. It’s a turtle! Cathy told me to keep an eye out for them but I didn’t believe her. Wow!

We stay out about as long as we possibly can, it gets dark at 6, and nobody wants to pack up in the dark.

Fist bumps all round, we’re all windswept, slightly pink and grinning our faces off. Happy Happy.

We make it to the closest place that sells beer just as the sun goes behind some clouds, that’s ok, the view is amazing and we have that delicious tired and achy feeling. Though there is a more pressing ache.

“Big fish?” I say, still looking at the view. “Big fish” I hear next to me. Done. It’s about a 2 mile cycle, and we weave around potholes and muddy puddles on our way back into town.

“Hola chicos!”

“Hola! Dos Pina colada por favor!”

Also, guacamole, tuna tostados, shrimp ceviche in a red chilli sauce, fried fish (I forget what kind, but disconcertingly it has teeth), with salad, rice and warm tortillas. It’s a proper feast. We need more pina coladas half way through.

“Wow, I needed that”, “Mate, I am done!”, sleepy smiles.

The hotel seems a long way away, I hope Arnaud doesn’t fall in another puddle.

“We meet at 10 tomorrow if you’d like to join us?” The perfect message to get once we’re back, the weather models are still aligned and it looks like the wind Mel has been praying for is going to arrive. Either that, or the high pressure system that’s been hovering below North America is finally shunting the stubborn low out of our way, but I like to think it was Mel.