kitesurf

Mexico – 11th December 2025

Travel

Today marks 12 years of being married to Zoe, and more importantly, we first got together 30 years ago. What a lovely tropical island to be on to celebrate such a milestone. Shame she’s not here and is keeping all the creatures alive and happy back in cold and wet London. Sorry babe!

We don’t mess about this morning, no gentle walk by the sea, no run. Nope, up out and ordering food at Le Bluk by 8:30.

Arnaud quite rightly can’t resist the chilaquiles, I opt for enfrijoladas, soft tortillas wrapped around black beans, crumbly cheese and eggs. Breakfast of champions is exactly what’s needed.

Bags loaded with water and cookies we set off for kite beach, into a very welcome headwind, the forecast is holding!

My cycling skills are being challenged by the decision to carry a hot americano in one hand, but amazingly it makes it intact to the beach, where we arrive half an hour early. Pretty nice place to sit and watch the action, conserving energy for what we’re desperately hoping is a mammoth session.

Jonny and Cathy arrive with a trailer packed with kit, we’re already changed and ready to go. Cathy smiles at me, “Santa came early!”, “oooh, I did spot some empty boxes outside your office earlier, what did he bring?”

A brand new slingshot v6, 6.5 meter wing, reserved just for me for the whole day. Awesome.

We don’t waste any time and are out on the water by half 10. I know the foiling geeks will ask (looking at you Will)…I had a 5’2” ReedIn “Feather” 82L board, with matching mast, foil and stabiliser. Sadly I can’t remember the actual foil name but it was a 1280, with a nice wavey shape.

Arnaud kicked off the day with a 15 meter kite, those things are huge. I left him to deal with it and headed straight out to see if I could find my turtle mates.

Gliding above the waves, surrounded by blue sky and turquoise sea, the occasional turtle and pelican fishing, I couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather be. Not a bad way to spend the last day.

After about 2 hours I checked the time, only because I’d got cramp in my forearm, first time that’s happened! Probably time for a break.

Arnaud’s already having a little sit down, “biscuit?” I ask, “what the fuck is it with you British and your bloody biscuits?”. I insist he tries one, “they’re like custard creams, but Mexican and with mango”, “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about” he mutters, taking the whole packet from me.

“Oh! These are good!”, don’t mess with people who know about these things, I don’t say.

The wind has dropped a bit so I upgrade my foil to the 1880 version and head back out, liberally sprayed with factor 50, though honestly it doesn’t stand a chance. Arnaud is pumping up a 17 meter kite, looks like hard work.

We’re tantalised by a few decent gusts but it’s not quite enough and we meet back on the beach. “donde esta el blowy blowy?”, my Spanish is improving, but Arnaud falls about laughing. Time for a beer, but shower first, we’ve been in the sea for about 5 hours by now.

“I’ve been thinking about what we should eat tonight”, I casually mention once we’re clean and drinking beer on the beach in front of the hotel. Just as the sun is setting, it’s almost romantic. Arnaud looks doubtful, this is the first time I’ve shown any kind of initiative in this area. “A mini food tour, just the best dish from the places we’ve been, with cocktails and beers in between”. He nods approvingly and gets to work planning it on google maps, his happy place.

We drop off the bikes and walk the rest of the way into town. “Walk” is a strong word, one of us has chafed his unmentionables and the other can’t stop bursting into laughter and also walking like a cowboy…

First up, quesadillas with more cold beer.

Then a couple of rum based cocktails, sitting outside a bar in the busy (everything is relative) part of town, perfect place to people watch and talk through the day. 

Next up is a new spot, mixed ceviche “because why choose when you can have it all?”, some shrimps fried in coconut flakes, and of course, pina coladas.

The portions are bigger than expected, so after a little dance outside the main square which is hosting a salsa lesson, we realise it’s actually Tequila O’Clock. Honestly, it really is…

Well! Although Arnaud has been educating me this whole trip, it all finally sinks in, that tequila is to Mexico like champagne is to France. There is an ingredient, agave, but where it grows and what you do with it afterwards determines how it tastes and what you’re allowed to call it. Better get tasting!

We sample a lot, and to help us keep going there are snacks, “these crickets are more on the chewy side, don’t you think?”, perhaps keeping them in a jar on the bar doesn’t bring out their best side. “Try the warm salt”, “It’s not warm, it’s just sitting there, looks like dirty sand”, “what? No, WORM salt”, “Oh, what the fuck?”. Yes, quite. A delicacy apparently, maybe I’ll just have the nuts and mandarin slices.

A paloma for the road, then the long walk back now we’re bikeless, we both think the other will end up in that massive puddle half way. We have a little chat with some banditos on the way, but they ignore us, very sensible, we’re not making a whole load of sense.

Mexico – 10th December 2025

Travel

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.