Some of you may wonder why the heck do we have a Pink Volkswagen Safari parked out front of Ocho. The answer is pretty simple. My mom loves them! And she wanted to contribute one to the Club as a gift and a fun and bright addition to the Ocho Cascadas family. But obviously there is more to the story than that. It is a symbol of the memories of the creation of our beloved resort by Ed and Pat Giddings. It is the affirmation of a dream come true and a belief in your talent and, quite honestly, the love for the spirit of adventure! As you may know these Volkswagens were either called Safari’s or The Volkswagen Things and they were made during the 1960-1980s. They were designed as a lightweight, amphibious vehicle that could be mass-produced for use by various national military and government groups. Volkswagen saw that there was commercial potential and the Mexican customers were asking for something that could handle rural and country roads better. Thus these vehicles proliferated through Mexico, South America, Indonesia, and many other countries. In the early days of Ocho we had a couple of Safari’s for business and personal use. My brothers and I were avid surfers and we would pack up in the Safari and as cliché as it may sound, we truly went on a surfing safari. We headed out to Punta Mita in a time when the only people you would see were fisherman, surfers, donkeys and the occasional road runner! It was like a scene out of a movie with ultra- tropical terrain, empty surf spots, and ocean as far as the eye could see. It was remote, untouched, and totally virgin and our safari got us there and back, never letting us down. They are cherished memories that I will forever hold. So like the Safari that is innately unique, useful, slightly rogue and made for adventure so is Ocho Cascadas. Ed and Pat Giddings building of Ocho Cascadas was and will always be an adventure of a lifetime! 2 | SPRING 2017 TheOchoSafari:TheAdventureContinues! Punta Mita’s first residents Early days of empty surf