Chile Rellenos Feliz

This is the perfect example of how things work in Sayulita, and why the task I've taken on is so behemoth.

Yesterday, I woke up at the crack of dawn to go mountain biking. Speaking of crack, I fear that my crotch will never recover. I ride my road bike every day in San Francisco; it’s my only form of transportation. So I figured that mountain biking wouldn’t be that different. I was wrong.

Mountain biking is hard. And so it the mountain bike seat. Especially up and down the steep, rock-filled paths of the Mexican jungle. For five hours, my poor nether regions got abused. But I digress.

Crotch-injuries aside, the ride was a lot fun and I would do it again in a heartbeat. My fabulous guide, Lorenzo, showed amazing vistas, cute little towns and beautiful beaches. He chatted the whole time, pointing out trees, birds and animals (did you know that in Spanish, woodpecker is carpinteria? For some reason I find this really cute). He told me all about his son, also named Lorenzo, who rides in BMX competitions, and how the two of them created most of the mountain bike trails around Sayulita.

Of course, I’m just guessing that this what he was saying. I asked him to speak to me in Spanish so I could practice, but it also meant that I only understood about 40% of what he said. Maybe his son is a carpenter and the woodpecker rides in BMX competitions. I don’t know. But I did learn some very useful Spanish phrases such as “cambio los carros” (change gears) and “Tu puedes tu peudes! Arriba. arriba!” (You can do it, you can do it! Higher. Higher!) And my favorite word: “la bomba” (pump). Not to be confused with La Bamba.

When I told Lorenzo of my quest for the Best Fish Taco in all of Sayulita, he told me I must come to his shop for dinner. Not only do they rent and fix mountain bikes at his house, it’s also a restaurant at night. They’re fish tacos aren’t the best, he told me, but they do have the best chile rellenos for miles around. I guess that explains why his bike rental shop is called “Chile Rellenos feliz” (Happy Chile Rellenos).

So, as promised, I returned to Lorenzo’s house last night and his wife served up a plate of the best chile rellenos I’d ever tasted. As expected, his fish tacos weren’t as impressive, a little on the dry side. But I had to try them; it’s my job.