November 2004 (My September and October journal can be found here.)

Stop and Listen
I finally got it together to take an adventure on the camino to Chacala. With a gift from above, my motorcycle started on the first kick. The adventure began as I crossed my gate and realized the road, I had taken for granted was more than washed away. I gunned it , holding on with fear, as I barely made it to the main road. My son, Danny watched and promptly told me he wasn't going to ride with me and would rather walk. "You would rather walk 4 hours, than go with me? "Si" Danny had just turned twelve, the day before, so I figured other than common sense, it was a coming of age thang... Wishing him good luck, I headed down the road. .Even though the Giant Scraper had worked on the road recently, it was still way rough. Many parts were washed out and tricky for a car to pass but no match for my moto. I think I was daydreaming and concentrating on my path when all the sudden, there was Philippe and with him and his horse was a Giant Bull with massive horns. In shock, I slowed down and my bike stalled. I calmly asked if I was in danger? His response was "no... but you better make the universal cowboy sound of ohhh ohhhh" I told him to look for Danny coming and watched as they slowly walked down the path. I stopped at Yelapa Tapa and layed in the grass, overlooking everything. All that could be heard was natural. No boats or people, just the rustle of the palms and the animals in the jungle. After a cat nap... I continued on the path. I stopped my moto, every few minutes and just sat and listened....The highlights were a flock of birds nesting in a tree, a black and red tarantula and a white butterfly that was huge... bigger than my hand. As I crossed over the ridge to start my decent, I ended up head on with another dangerous beast......a gringo on a mountain bike!!!! I stopped and laughed with him and his guide along with another rider from Poland. This road is a great path for Mountain bikers. Here is a story that incudes info about BikeMex. As I pulled into Chacala, I got the usual stares as It isn't often a gringo rides a motorcycle to town , especially with a bulls head on the front of it. I was excited to see my family after not seeing them for a few months. They were still sitting on the porch in the chairs , watching the world go by. I joined them, quickly getting into sync with the quiet and slow pace of Chacala. Lunch was hand made tortillas and the tuna I had brought from Yelapa. Now it had been three hours and no Danny...I was getting nervous. I was close to going to getting him but I held out for his honor and was smiling big, when I saw him coming down the path to the casa. It took him 4 hours... which is great for his age and experience... I still have only walked to Yelapa Tapa and no further... I was proud of him and he was proud of himself. I decided to head back and Danny decided to stay for a few days, since school is out for the day of the dead. On the way home, I took another nap at Yelapa Tapa and stopped and listened a dozen times. My favorite scenes, on the way home was listening to the giant macaws talking to each other, one telling the others I was coming and the next telling the other and so on... and I found a variety of Bamboo, that I have never seen, with huge clumps of leaves in a ball on the stalk... hard to describe, next time I'll take a picture. A funny thing happened.. as I was lying down taking a nap, I heard voices on the nearby trail, where my moto was sitting. I awoke and quickly headed to my moto. I sat in amazement as noone was in sight. I looked in both directions. Hmmmm. bizarre! I flew home. As I entered my gate, there was Vero, just arriving at the same exact moment to our casa. She too was on on adventure... She was having a tooth with a bad nerve worked on in Vallarta. I told her my day was just ok... to not make her jealous. Do yourself a favor...If your here visiting Yelapa, take the time to get a guided trip to Chacala with my In Laws, Marcos and Alicia. If your interested, you can write them at alicia@palapainyelapa.com. It's an adventure you surely won't forget.

Fall Back
Last night the clocks got set back an hour, here in Mexico. It always causes confusion here as the majority of the political parties and locals don't want the time change. We are now just and hour apart from the USA. My friend, Micxz helped me set up the clock on my front page, to reduce confusion. Last night, was the first Disco at the Yacht club. The first part of the night, the ranchero music blared from Gordo's Baille Hall and around 11:00pm, the sounds of techno and drum beating began. I woke around 2:30 am and the beats were still going strong. I sat in amazement as I knew that now, the local police put a 2am curfew on the Disco. Hmmm... It was then, I remembered the time change and a half hour later, silence flowed through the village.

A visit to my past
Yesterday me and Luz decided to take a walk up to visit Casa Diana, located high above. In a past life I had spent a lot of time there. It is a great old casa with an amazing view of the entire Cove of Yelapa. I am always amazed of the wear, on a casa when it sits solo for a length of time. But if you can spend a month working daily on them, they can usually be resurrected. This casa is full of potential and springs back fast. Lemons filled the trees, so we filled our backpack to the brim. On the way down the hill, we ran into Lupe, who I haven't seen once while in Yelapa for the last two months. It's funny, even in a small town like Yelapa, if you live in different neighborhoods, many times your paths do not cross. This was the case, as he has been building a casa high above and rarely is seen in town. Another example is my friend Pegge. I have seen her two times in two months for about five minutes total. My neighborhood and El Paso are worlds apart. The Hill above town is a sweet neighborhood in Yelapa. Many casa's are a five minute walk uphill but offer lots of view and privacy. Both Lupe and Matilde have a number of casa's for rent in this barrio. Remember while here on a visit to spend a day looking at all the neighborhoods, then the next trip you'll know which casa you should stay in for your precious week off of work.

Fireworks in Yelapa?
I have no idea what was going on but tonight at the hotel, they lit off, full on, fourth of July fireworks. Some kind of party... yahoo!....Yelapa... aka party town....

Obscure Yelapa Web Pages
A new page on the site... check it out...

A Belated Halloween Gift
a sketch of our local Yelapa Cemetary, with the phone tower and all...

A Moment...
I had a moment tonight where all was good...Vero and the kids went to visit family at Casa Milagros, laying in my hammock, playing my banjo/ukulele and the wind picked up, slowly rocking me. I thought of an old dead song and picked it with passion. Vero got back and handed me a warm, sweet, corn tamale... I'm ok... all is good...even if George W. Bush continues as the president... well maybe, all isn't good...

Day of the Dead
Today in Yelapa, families visited loved ones departed. I am sad because five years ago, when I visited the cemetery, I knew no one... now I have many friends that are buried there.Today, I thought alot about Fernando, and his recent accident resulting in his death. I visited him today and told him stories of Yelapa, I know he was listening.

Big Fish
I hung out with my Tio, Ramon today. One of his passions in life is fishing and he and his son have a great boat that they charter out of Vallarta and the Bay of Banderas. Here is an example of their skill. What makes this out of the ordinary is that this isn't a one time big catch, this is a weekly occurrence. I'm building a web presence for him but thought you'd like to see this picture now...He and his wife Juana, who is the original Yelapa Pie Lady, have Casa Itzel in Yelapa. You will get a chance to rent it real soon, stay tuned...

How cool is Yelapa?
If you've ever seen a Comisario (mayor/sheriff) in action, his responsibilities include lots of letter writing. It pained me to watch him type out a letter, key by key, on the old typewriter that misfired letters at random. I had an older Mac Powerbook and now I'm training him and his kids to whip out letters, lickity split. As a longtime Macintosh computer user, it brings me great joy to know, this town is run on a Mac....

Big Surf
The Ocean has been calm for months, but the last few days, changes brought waves and rough seas to our cove. It was great to see the teens pull out their surfboards and boogie boards and have a blast getting plowed by waves. It also was an odd timing for the seas to get rough as many visitors arrived this week. Today the surf was so rough that boats couldn't arrive or depart from the beach, only from the pier. Vero was in Vallarta today and the sea was calm there... It's just a welcoming committee for Yelapa visitors... let the season begin...

Coast from the air
I found this on my friend Bob's site, I dont think he will mind, If I share it with you all...

The Beach...
I know it's hard to believe but I haven't been to the main beach, for the two months plus, I've been here. When I've gone swimming , I usually swim at Isabel's beach, out at the point. For me, the Yelapa Beach is for socializing. That's what I did today and all in English! I visited with Mike Smith of nursesspanishmexico.com, Martita, the one day famous artist, Tambor Don and Johnny Bananas. In a funny way we are family, we all live the same exciting adventure. Together we share stories of our other life, in the USA or Canada. We tell the stories of what we went through to get down here to our little paradise. The reward is clear, as we sit and watch the ocean. As I arrive back at my casa... I am tired! Speaking english for the day was hard work... Back to my family, where I can hide with my broken spanish and relax. I decided to take a Spanish class in two weeks for 5 days. I will join the 20 nurses here in Yelapa to learn. Time to work on my verbs. My family and friends are so patient with my level of Spanish. I owe it to them to learn a bit more.

Busy
I'm real busy this next two weeks and want to apologize that I haven't written much lately. The tourist season is definitely here. I'm off today in town with errands and to watch the nurses arrive in Yelapa.

One place you'll never find me is parasailing in Yelapa. I have watched too many near accidents and value my body and life too much. Today's treat is this pic... Thanks Steve Miller for the kind reminder after I stole his photo to share with you all. Got any more Steve?


Sorry for the rain in January
That's right! I said sorry for the rain coming in January. Today it rained hard for a few minutes. Rain in November means rain in December or January. I know its your precious two week vacation and you all want is pure sun but we need rain. Already it's sunny again... I love Yelapa weather! I want to go on record and predict rain for the 24 or 25th of December... any takers on a bet?

Year's Rent Paid
With total respect, I'll tell you an edited version of my meeting with my landlord to pay the year's rent. I must say it is a joy to pay the entire rent for a full year and not have to worry about it. My landlord now lives in Vallarta after spending a lifetime here raising 15 kids! Her Husband died about 7 years ago and actually, today is the anniversary of his death and many of the children returned to visit him in the cemetery in Yelapa. She is an amazing woman.... but a bit intimidating. You see she is mourning the loss of her Husband and a Son, so she wears all black , with a black cloth draped over her head. It's a real good negotiating approach. Luckily we have very little to work out. The other funny part of the meeting was with the money. I pulled out my huge wad of monopoly money and proceeded to count it out on the table. She carefully watched as I attempted to count it out in Spanish, of course. Ok... I'm not perfect with numbers in Spanish. As I finished, she began to count for herself. The only problem was the overhead fan! It was such a scene to try to keep the money in piles... we completed our meeting and we are happy at Casa Iguana for another year...


New Casa
The other good news is that we have acquired another casita on the property, that we are going to be renting out, beginning in January, 2005. Its a simple little casita with a kitchen and bathroom. It sits above our upper casa and has a great crop of miniature bamboo off the front deck. It will rent for $20usd per night. After we clean it up Ill post some pictures. Maybe I should have a contest ... who can choose the best name of the new casa? help me!

Casa Bamboo
That was the first name I came up with and my friend, David thought of the same.. so If I don't get any responses with a better name ... the casita is named.

Recharge
I met a woman visiting from Seattle, here to recharge her batteries. Our paths crossed. I was sitting enjoying the view from my In Laws and saw her arrive with a dishonest guide in tow. I was drawn to ask her if she needed a casa. It was an instant connection. I put her in the loving arms of Ana Rosa and her apartment. Instantly she had family... I saw her a few days later on the path and she told me of one of the high points of her trip. She had traveled to Pizota and met this sweet couple who lived there. They invited her in for breakfast and more. It turns out she guided herself without my prompting, right to my friends Mateo, Vanessa and Ingrid. As I spoke with her, she truly glowed... Yelapa had worked her magic on her... This morning, by coincidence, I sat next to her on the boat ,as she left Yelapa with a tear in her eye. I have a feeling our paths will cross again...

Water
I was in Vallarta today to buy parts for my water system. I know that water will be a huge issue here in Yelapa , as well as the World. With very little rain and more growth and a busy tourist season, water will be sparse in May, if not earlier. I'm working on a solution now! I am trying to negotiate another water sourse other than my line that comes from above the waterfall. Having two different sources, will double my odds of having water, instantly. I am also running water to all of our casa's. While walking down the streets of Vallarta, a man yelled out to me. "Off to Yelapa?" I laughed .. How did he know? I think it was the big roll of plastic waterline, slung over my shoulder. "Si! Todo Yelapense, pura problemas de agua"... I laughed hard...

Boat Exit
Today, I met another sweet couple visiting Yelapa for the day. The 60 year old man and his wife were a delight to talk to. When we were to get on the water taxi , I noticed his struggle to walk smoothly. It turns out one of his legs , just doesn't work, like it used to. I felt for him. Its tough to get old! I decided to get off at the beach and help him off the boat. I'm glad I did. Remember... Always move to the very front of the boat to exit. He didn't and what happens is you get one leg out and the other is way tough to get over the high brim of the boat and with the movement , can be quite dangerous, not to mention quite a wet experience. I basically carried him out of his predicament. I hand delivered them to Juanito's for an afternoon of relaxation, beer and food. I think I will create a page with boat entry and departure tips. With 15 years experience, I still have to work on smooth boat transitions.

Spanish Class
I survived Spanish Class for 20 hours, but just by the skin of my teeth. The hardest part for me was the change of lifestyle. Having to rise early every morning wasn't hard but to get out of the casa by 8am was! The class itself was really fun, actually was much like a return to kindergarten. The class offered by nursesspanishmexico.com and Mike and Susan is a fantastic opportunity to get to the next level needed in speaking spanish. Our group was taught by the classy, Pegge Bastress. She uses a method of instruction called Excelerated Learning. It utilizes both sides of the brain and through play and games and music, somehow it soaks in. As an old dog, I have taken this class a few times now and find that you realize and utilize much of what you learn after the class is over. Classes were located in a room off the beach and Hotel area. It was nice to see old friends and beach people, as I rarely am in that neighborhood, in my daily life. Let's see how much I can improve before the next class in April.

Strange Visitor
For the past few days at the Hotel, there was a woman seated at the bar. Something was strange about her. Many noticed her. She sat in a funny position with her back to the ocean. She seemed to be sizing up people, mentally. Finally one of our friends struck up a conversation with her. She was visiting from Washington D.C. My friend asked if she worked in politics? "well yes.... I am a Department of Defense, Deputy! One of George's closest team members!"
Lesson learned ... be cautious of strangers.

The Microwave of the Rancho
Alicia and Anna made a pretil. It is a old style cook stove made with branches, boards of the palm, sand, a few bricks and covered with clay. Kindling or Leña is used for the fire. This afternoon, Alicia, Anna and Antonia made a wonderful batch of Tamales and Atole. We are building a pretil at our casa and have been gathering the items needed and we are close to building it... I can't wait for more Tamales....

Dia de Gracias (thanksgiving)
We spent the night with Pablo and Dickie, another part of the massive and strong Rodriguez family. It had a great mix of people and pumpkin pie and a flan that was out of this world. After an hour of visiting, I heard the food was ready and was to be served upstairs. I got into line, thinking of the turkey and meal I would soon be eating... the only problem was the line... I don't know if it was a cultural thing or the setup but chaos occured.The friend in front of me, slowly put a few chicken wings on her plate and then with out moving reached to her left for the mashed potatoes and the once again without moving reached for the salad. By this time, a few people entered the line straight on... I wasn't going to fight for my food...I slowly crept closer to the turkey..as I finally hit my jackpot, Vero jumped in and handed me the kids plates. I balanced my own plate and she served up the kids. As she finished and with the blink of an eye someone jumped in at the turkey. I took a deep breath... and then made my move... only to find zero turkey!!! I looked at my three chicken wings and a small scoop of potatoes, without gravy...maybe I should have been more fierce? I sat down to lick my wounds and my chicken wings.. I slowly ate my meal and then out of the corner of my eye, came the real deal... another turkey arrived!!! I smoothly made an inconspicuous move to it.. ahhhhhh, turkey!!!! Once again patience pays off....

Brrrrr....
We have had the coldest mornings yet for the past few days... cold enough that I used a blanket at night and put on a t-shirt in the morning. So if your coming down soon, bring at least one item for a cold morning....

Vero and Danny
Here's a pic taken last year by our friend, Pilar....

Work
I want to apologize for not keeping up with my journal for the last few weeks. Life in paradise can also be work.The main push has been to to get our casa ready for a rental of ten days. It included redoing a casIta that I have mentioned before as Casa Bambu. It's a bit tough to leave our casa for ten days but we are making do.Last night was Christmas Eve. We spent the night eating and drinking with family and friends. Today, Its a wonderful, sunny day. I took a walk up river with friends and while on the path, we heard someone playing frosty the snowman! I thought we might see some reindeer, on the walk... nope, only donkeys, mules and horses.

Edited Version
Thinking back on the adventures of the last few weeks, most I can't tell here. My life is full of adventure here in Yelapa! Most of the stories are of visitors mishaps, insect visits and general crazy neighborhood life. You'll have to fill in your own blanks.Let your imagination go free!