Through a Naturist Lens

It was such a nice day for April, we just had to go for a hike. We had parked our truck a suitable distance from town and ended up walking fourteen and a half kilometres. Once in the hills, I was able to hike without wearing the shorts. I ended up walking almost six kilometres au naturel.

Why didn’t I walk the whole thing while clothing free? The majority of the distance was walked on public country roads which has enough farmer traffic to make it too risky. Now, if I had been alone, I would have risked perhaps another few kilometres – maybe. After all, I don’t want to have our farming community become offended.

When walking with my wife, she has a need to know that we have left the road and are safely in the prairie hills where we won’t meet up with a farmer in a truck or on a tractor. It has happened in the past. I don’t want to have her not join me while I free hike, so I honour her need for safety.

It’s Friday morning, a chilly morning at 16 Celsius for where we are in Mexico. We have just returned from our weekly walk to the Market where bread and Italian sausage was purchased — six sausages weighing in at 2.4 kilograms. Yes, they are big sausages with one making a meal per person.

Yesterday, we again went on a hike to Playa Patzcuarito which is turning out to be our go-to destination for the most part. Like the day before, there were too many people on the beach with some of them claiming my privacy corner among the rocks. There was no sunbathing time, but it was okay as we saw families out enjoying their Christmas holidays. On Tuesday, the kids will all be back in school. Even the gringos will be heading home as their Christmas vacations come to an end.

I did manage to get in a bit of forest-bathing while hiking on the way back to Sayulita. There is a stretch of about 400 metres that rarely has any hikers. In the past month, we have passed only one couple. Horse riders are a different story as the path is theirs.

Today, it will be mostly sunny so we will be walking the main, crowded beach before taking a detour through the jungle to reach Playa Malpaso where we will walk as far as possible before heading back the way we came. Will there be a sunbathing event at the northern end of Playa Malpaso? Maybe, maybe not. After all, it is still Christmas holidays and other people like the serenity of not-crowded beaches.

Feliz año nuevo!

It’s hard to believe that it is already December 26th. The sun is shining and the air is warm and Christmas done and it is now Boxing Day. So far this month, we have walked 200 km, not bad for two old people.

This morning we went again to the market for a few needed supplies. Well, it was one of our stops as we wandered a bit more in search of a few other places we had heard about. On Friday we will go to the Community Market about 800 metres from our apartment.

We went back home with our purchases and then went out again to check out two more stores. Finally, we found rice noodles. There are some soups that just need rice noodles.

The plan for our afternoon is to go to the beach and take advantage of a bit of scattered sunshine. We typically walk the full distance in both directions, just over four kilometres in the process. Tonight, the plan is for roasted chicken from one of the vendors in town. 

Now, it’s time for some lunch. Hasta luego!

We began the morning as usual with coffee on the deck. It wasn’t long before we got a video-conference call from our son — it was time for the grandchildren to open their presents from their grandparents. This is Christmas.

Next, were an assortment of photos from my children, grandchildren, and siblings who find the need and desire to connect with us, and us with them. One daughter sent a photo of her grand-dogs [no grandchildren yet, but her two children all have dogs]. This is Christmas.

And then we had another video call from our neighbours in Canada who will not be joining us in Mexico this year. The talk was about the lack of snow — a brown Christmas — and sharing stories of our children and grandchildren. This is Christmas.

When all of this was done, I checked in here and saw notifications that told me a number of you have visited while I slept. Thank you for being in my life. This is Christmas.

It’s Christmas Eve here in Mexico [and yes, I know, there where you are as well]. We went for a nine kilometre walk which involved some time spent at Playa Patzcuarito. The trails had spots where it had become soft because of the rain we had the night before last.

There was a lot more debris on the trail because of the storm that had passed through the region. I was surprised that very little of the trail had been washed away.

Once we were at the beach, the last 150 metres of our walk to the north end was done without me wearing a swimsuit. This was a first for this beach, a risk I took because there was no one within sight. At the north end, protected from being seen by newcomers to the beach, there was no thought of putting on the swimsuit.

We stayed wandering among the rocks and then sitting on them to watch the sea as the waves grew in intensity. About twenty minutes later, we saw a young man watching from the rocks to the north, a section where there was no beach. Uncharacteristically, I didn’t rush to put on the swimsuit. He had already seen what there was to see.

He then decided to scale the very steep cliff face as if he was at a climbing wall. Only thing was, he didn’t have a safety harness. Once at the top, he took photos with us included. About ten minutes later he reappeared and walked passed us, his eyes on the path of sand that meandered between large boulders.

With a final swig of water, it was time to head back to our apartment. I had guacamole to prepare for our Christmas Eve hors d’oeuvres.

The month began quietly. We were able to enjoy being outdoors in the evening as there were no mosquitos to deal with. Unlike our time spent on the Caribbean coast of Mexico where the approach of evening meant being swarmed with biting insects, were we retreated into our suite to get a bit of relief, here in Sayulita, being on the deck in pleasant temperatures meant we got to appreciate the deck even more.

We lived on the deck when we were awake and not away from the apartment on one of our innumerable outings to hike or to walk the beach or enjoy pueblo life. Because of the short wall around the deck and the fact that we were on the top floor of the three-storey building, I didn’t wear clothing.

There was no chance to offend anyone. Naturally, I did my writing and editing on the deck as much as possible though I did do some writing inside the apartment when it was too sunny outside for my laptop. I was busy putting posts on my Medium site and getting Nightshade Publishing Company ready for publishing.

In February we walked / hiked 200 kilometres through the jungle and along six beaches. My favourite beaches were Playa Patzcuarito and Playa Malpasos as they were the longer beaches with the exception of the more than two kilometre long beach fronting Sayulita.

It wasn’t the fact that the beaches were longer but because of their distance from the town, there was always an opportunity to spend some time on the beach without the need for a swimsuit.

Strolling on a beach,
Wearing only sunshine,
Feeling the sand beneath my feet,
Hearing the sound of the surf,
A simple pleasure of life.

The warmth of the sun on my skin,
The salt of the sea in the air,
The beauty of nature all around,
It’s a moment to cherish and remember.

I feel the rhythm of the waves,
As they crash onto the shore,
And I am filled with gratitude,
For this moment in the sun.

I am alive, and I am blessed,
To experience this beauty and serenity,
To be surrounded by the elements,
That fill my soul with love and buoy.

So I will continue to stroll,
Wearing only sunshine on my skin,
Taking in the beauty around me,
And feeling the pure joy.

For life is a gift to be savored,
And every moment is a treasure,
And in this moment on the beach,
I celebrate being alive.

We have been back in Canada for a week, a very busy week. Taxes had to be done, another trip to be outlined, and a book to publish all happened during the week. Of course, we also went for walks everyday and did other normal, every day tasks such as turning over the rain barrels to catch the snow melting off the roof of our garage. Yes, it’s spring and there is sunshine making it inviting to be outdoors as much as possible while clothed or nude. This morning while turning over the barrels it was +4 Celsius, a far cry from the +26 we experienced last week at this time of day.

Yesterday, I got to BBQ for the first time in 2023. Thick pork chops which had been marinaded for a day were accompanied by potato wedged, both cooked on my Traeger. I love the “smoke” flavour that is added though I have to admit that sometimes I still use my propane BBQ from time to time. Different meats have different needs.

As I mentioned above, taxes have been done as well. They were the first item on my list of “to-do” tasks. I had to pay a sizable bill, but in my opinion it is worth it. I live well and have no unmet needs when it comes to buying things, doing things, and seeing things. Besides, the taxes pay for so much that we take for granted in the western world. Not paying taxes out of principal is all about greed. As humans we only need so much. I have a beautiful home, two vehicles, I travel to other countries and all around my own country and I am not starving. I don’t have any debt and I have never been a millionaire.

I also mentioned publishing a book. It is called Nightshade Publishing Company. My friend, Paul Z. Walker was the editor for the story and other friends were helpful readers who offered me a few challenges to make the story right. The book is now live on Amazon. If you are interested in buying a copy, here is the link.

As for the trip I am planning, a first draft of a trip to Spain and Portugal for the spring of 2023 has been completed. The plan is to spend 60 to 65 days in Europe with 14 days being spent walking from Porto, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. We will be walking the coastal route. Of course, I will need to keep on walking to be ready to walk another Camino.

I realise that I have not been very present. I hope to change that. For three months, I used my Medium account as a blog site for my naturist posts. After three months, I realised that it hadn’t been a very good idea. Most of those who came to read my writing on Medium didn’t come to read those naturist posts. So, I am bringing my stories back here, back home. I look forward to hearing from you.

on the beach,
clad only in sunshine
feeling the world
is truly mine
the warmth of the sun
on my skin
breathing in the moment
taking it all in

each stone stacked,
marks my presence
and the beauty
of life’s sweet embrace
the sound of the waves
create a symphony
while I build my tower
with stones in my hand

the ocean’s vastness
beside me, behind me
the endless horizon
a canvas reminding me
of life’s wondrousness

feeling the breeze
blowing through my hair
a feeling of freedom
with nothing but
the sun on my skin

stacking each stone
thinking of all I hold dear
of the people I love
and the moments
that brought me here
with each stone
I mark this moment in time
and celebrate being alive

on the beach
clad only in sunshine
grateful for this moment

With the first of three months now experienced it’s time to give a report. The first thing I have to tell you is that there has been sunshine everyday.

Our top-level apartment, the only apartment at this level, has a deck that is approximately 20 feet by 20 feet. There is a sort of privacy screen between our deck and the new four-storey condo building immediately across the street that is still undergoing development.

We have found a number of beaches within walking distance. By walking distance, I include hiking through the jungle for about seven kilometres to reach a beach. Some are closer. But one has to remember that there is always a return hike to make when done with a beach.

So far, we have walked to La Playa de los Muertos, Playa Carricitos, Playa Patzcuarito, Playa de las Cuevas, and Playa Malpasos. I have only been able to have a few naturist moments at Playa Malpasos and Playa Patzcuarito. The other beaches which are closer to Sayulita, have more people on them.

But my life here in Sayulita isn’t all about beaches. Life in the town is very interesting, and our apartment is perfect in so many ways as I am able to be clothing free almost all the time – weather permitting.

I will return with more to tell you, hopefully not so many weeks from now.

Hasta luego mi amigos y amigas!