TTT 31: Puerto Escondido; What You Need To Know 🏝

And Why I Hate Clubs ♣️

Janahan Sivaraman

Dec 5, 2022

*This was the best thing I ate in Puerto Escondido. Barriletes Negros Tacos Dorados.*

Hi TTTTeam,
மாலை வணக்கம் (maalai vaNakkam), Buenas Noches, and Good Evening from Mexico City.

I’ll be sharing a thing I did and a thought I had.

A Thing 🌮

“Estas segura que este es pescado?” (Are you sure this is fish?)

I didn’t believe the street vendor when she told me. These tacos were addictive - luckily there were 4 in the order. The texture of the fish reminded me of a braised beef chuck. It paired perfectly with the crunchy corn tortilla, salty cotija cheese, and spicy salsa verde (with a squirt of lime to cut the richness).

The street vendor was next to a beach party I saw while eating lunch #1 - shrimp and fish tacos at Pepe’s.

The Beach Party I scoped from Pepe’s Tacos.

The coconut breaded seafood imparted a slight sweetness that I’d never had in a taco. It worked, especially with the sturdier flour tortilla. But, there were too many toppings to get a balanced bite.

*The shrimp and fish tacos at Pepe’s. Bigger isn’t always better; balance is king.*

You should check out Pepe’s Tacos for the view, vibe, and drinks. There were chickens and dogs roaming a dirt patch perched high on top of a mountain. Pepe also happens to be an excellent DJ.

The passionfruit mojito was sweet, sour, and strong - I ended up ordering two.

The beach party I spotted from Pepe’s was Toreno International de La Pez Vela (International Sailfishing Tournament). They were jamming out with live music. They even had street vendors - I’d missed that since being in Puerto Escondido.

I spent the next few days in disbelief it was actually fish in those tacos. I had convinced myself I had misheard the vendor. Until I came across this smoked fish in Mercado Benito Juarez.

*The vendor confirmed this is barriletes negros (black skipjack) and it is commonly used in tacos dorados.*

I shared with you these two highlights, but most of what I ate in PE wasn’t great. You should; however, come here for the beaches. Playa Bachocho, Playa Coral, Playa Carrizalillo, etc. are clean and pristine.

The stairway to Playa Carazilillo took my breath away.

But if I’m going somewhere, I better find something dope to eat along the way.

And I want you to eat dope shit too.

A Thought 💭

Where I am matters just as much as my approach.

I initiated conversation with dozens of people. Just like in Oaxaca. And I didn’t meet anyone I gelled with.

I soon realized the part of Puerto Escondido I was staying in, Playa Zicatela, was basically a perma-club for European tourists.

*Playa Zicatela is outlined in red. If you want a club-like environment, it would be a good fit.*

I hate club environments. People in these spaces over-index on perceived appearance rather than substance. It didn’t even take 10 seconds for me to get the hint.

I had booked a private room in the hostel I was staying at, Casa Punta, to work from. However, the internet was so shitty I couldn’t get any pages to load. I ended up having to buy a coworking day pass at Selinas to work.

That was the final straw.

Luckily I found another hostel, Casa Losidela, near the central part of town (in the green box) with great internet for the last couple days of my trip.

The Central part of town is where locals live in Puerto Escondido. I came to Mexico to bring my Spanish to the next level and eat like a king. Without locals, I couldn’t meet either of these goals.

I’m grateful I figured it out before I had to leave.

I'd love to hear any feelings you felt while reading this and until next time - be easy.

With Love,
Janahan