How lucky can I be?

How lucky can I be? It is pitch black when I finally reach Puerto Escondido.

I take a street in the direction of the ocean that says “la playa” and hope it is not too steep. Two blocks later, it dead-ends into another road that I hope runs along the beach. It is populated both sides and although I can hear the ocean, I can’t see it.

I see another dirt road heading towards the ocean and at the corner of this intersection is a “Shalom Hostel”. It has a pretty iron fence and gate, with little xmas lites, and lots of greenery. I yell “hola” at the gate several times, competing with loud u.s. music.

No one comes to the gate and so I trudge back, decided to return to the highway and go a little deeper into Puerto Escondido before turning off.

I see two guys driving a water delivery truck and ask them where can I park along the beach. They tell me to return to the main road I was on and turn right at the second light. This I do, but this turns into a huge parking lot on a cliff overlooking the ocean.

I grimace and proceed. I am certainly not alone in the dark on the road, for there’s tons of traffic heading both ways on this skinny little bumpy under-construction stretch.

I pass the left that says “Centro” and make a note to return tomorrow. I drive on, passing some promising turns to the right toward the ocean, but want to get a look at more option, even a dark, minimal 20mph drive-by glance.

Finally, I see a road that clearly leads to the ocean – and I can see a string of street lights running parallel to the ocean. I turn down this street and in two blocks, it dead-ends into the lighted boulevard.

To the right, many people, bright lights, gay restaurants, snappy music, and ocean stretches; to the left, the same bright lights glow and the ocean stretches, but there are no people, and what appears to be homes instead of businesses on the other side.

First I travel down the populated side. It looks like a happening yet low-keyed resort town that I anticipate exploring tomorrow. I make a u-turn and head to the other side.

This side is beautiful. On my right is beach, some palm trees, and the ocean. On the left is empty space, homes, and a few walls. I see one potential park but continue in case I can find something better.