Where was I? As I stepped off the boat and onto the shores of the island of Chacahua, I was in complete awe. Although I had only traveled two hours from the modernized and very touristic Puerto Escondido, it felt like I had traveled much further. Not just in distance either. It felt like I had accidentally found myself hundreds of years in the past.
As far as I knew, I had just docked my ship and landed in the Caribbean during the era of pirates. I loved it. Chacahua quickly grew to be my favorite place along Oaxaca’s coast. The days were very laid-back, filled with doing very little. The sun was so hot that there really wasn’t much you could do during the day anyway. Go for a swim in the ocean, the lagoon, or take to the seas on a surfboard. Those were your three options in the blistering midday Mexican sun.
When the unrelenting sun started to fade away and the skies started to dim, that was my favorite part of the day. The mosquitoes come out at this time, but not even they could spoil the excitement of my favorite sunset spot in Mexico. From the shelter of the shaded hammock, I start to rouse from my sweaty swinging. It’s a ten-minute walk along the beach to get back to the dock, where I can catch a boat to the other side of the lagoon for a mere 50 cents.
The ride takes a minute at most before you find yourself on the other side. The abandoned lighthouse at the top of the hill is only a short hike up. For this little effort, it is unbelievable just how large the reward is. The red and white striped building is covered in graffiti, with the interior in a complete state of disarray. Piles of trash intertwine with the long, unkept grass. All of this is a stark contrast to the beauty at the top of the lighthouse. Climb up the teeny-tiny stairs and cap it off with the world’s shortest ladder, and voila.
It’s okay. Let your jaw drop. At golden hour and sunset, there is no other sight like this. The vast Pacific Ocean extends to the endless horizon. The ocean connects with the lagoon through the narrow inlet, flanked by dense jungle and the cute village of Chacahua. The surfers look like ants from up here, and the speeding boats going to and fro don’t look that much bigger. In the distance, Oaxaca’s mountains tower over the gorgeous scenery. As the sun continues to fade away, the skies melt into soft, yet fiery pastels. Pinks, oranges, and purples soften the once harsh midday sky.
The sun continues to slowly set over the ocean. The lower it goes, the livelier it gets. Maybe the birds are celebrating the respite from the heat, as well, because flocks of them emerge from the jungles to just fly around. Maybe they’re just helping a brother out and eating some of those pesky mosquitoes. Oh yeah, mosquitoes.
As the sky grows dark and the first stars begin to emerge, we stumble our way down the makeshift trail. A boat waits on the beach, ready to pick up the last stragglers from a magnificent sunset adventure.
