My web site sort of died as I left Yelapa. I am recovering...Currently I am in full swing of Summer Camp here in Occidental. I am missing Yelapa and especially my family. I buy phone cards from a local tienda that offers me to call Yelapa ... $5 dollars for 100 minutes ! I'm buying the " a todo Mexico" card... With my current level of spanish I'm able to talk much more than I can clearly understand. But that doesn't stop me...

June 1st ...Dia de Marina...Yelapa's favorite day ! Filled with water games and races, egg wars and rodeo' s... I've never been there so I cant say too much about it. I will tell you that it brings so much joy to the locals...

On Monday the 9th, Yelapa got it's first rain. It was hard and lasted over a few days. Last year the amount of rain was small, so let's hope this is a sign of much more to come !

Take a look at an email I got from my friend Deb, last June, 2002. It's one I'll always remember...

Here's a few stories from my travel's home...

Yelapa Goodbyes... As a veteran of leaving Yelapa, I actually was pretty much prepared to leave. At night I was dreaming of driving, so I figured I'd might as well leave, even if it was a week earlier than planned. I thought I would just say all my goodbyes at the casa but it turns out that by doing that, it would give the appearance of my family not loving me , so I gave in as the entire family walked me to the pier. I remember saying goodbye to my mother in law...that was all I could take! a quick hug and I was on the boat, filled to the brim with people. I couldn't look back or I was going to lose it ! Completely numb, I managed a quick little wave and before I knew it I was in Boca and strongly deciding if I should return immediately. I easily could have but I knew I should get on with my next months away from Yelapa. It took a while to get the hang of the whole car thing. You sort of got to get the rhythm going after months away from cars. My first stop was above Los Varas to buy bananas. The best are the Manzana variety. Small and so sweet ! With 4 kilos in tow, I headed to Jolotemba , which is a sister city of Yelapa. Yelapa has quite a number of residents from this little pueblito. I always stop and visit Mariano, Cruz and family. They are family to Jenny's mom, Lupe and to Trini, who is Olga's husband , who is Pedro and Eva's daughter. I could go on but won't. Mariano and Cruz are such nice people. They run the tienda in town. Jolotemba, which is located just past Playa de platinitos, is a classic little mexican town surrounded by lush palms and banana plants. I love the cultural exchange of stories and knowledge that we do , during my short visits. Every year Mariano draws me a map that allows me to completely bypass Tepic, on the way to Mazatlan. I love the route! It brings you through all the pueblitos and definitely off the beaten path. This year as I go around a turn, I'm forced to stop for an amazing site ! A truck turned over and the camino covered with Mangos ! There are two men consoling another, who I guess was the driver. I ask if I can help? "no, all is ok"... as I go to get back in my car, I see the driver is drinking hard alcohol. I ask, "Is he drunk?" "yes, we offered him the tequila, to help him with his problem" too funny! After some questioning about my life, They decided they needed help. "Help us eat some Mangos!" we got some branches to clear the road so I and others could cross. As I wiped my drippy mango face and said my goodbyes , they offered me a bag or box of Mangos for my journey. You got to love Mexico. I ate mangos all the way to Mazatlan. I always stay the first night in a hotel in Mazatlan. It is the first one on your right with a purple flashing neon sign... 120 pesos 12 hours... of course most customers leave immediately after their round of sex. Its a great little motel I stumbled on... when you pull up, its automated and you are given a room#. Each room has a secure private garage with auto door that you close upon arrival. The room is clean and simple. The money is paid through a lazy susan in the wall , for complete privacy. After a dinner of fruit, I slept until 4:30am and headed off for the biggest leg of my trip. I drove from Matzatlan to Santa Ana... which is 3 1/2 hours from the crossing in Sonoita, Arizona. As I cruised through state to state in Mexico, there would be the routine stop."Do you have any fruits, plants or animals?" well I didn't have any plants or animals... so "no" was my stock answer. I couldn't give up my bounty of fruit ! But then I was in trouble... a major agriculture stop ! "DO YOU HAVE ANY FRUIT?" I barely pulled off a timid "n ooo" Luck was my co pilot and off I went. I knew I had to give the fruit up... so I looked for just the right person to give my treasure to. Somewhere near Navajoa, I spotted three men sitting off the road under a tiny spot of shade. I told them my story and offered them my gold. You should have seen the smiles as they eyed the bananas and mangos. In some type of deja vu, as I got back in my car, they asked me to eat some with them. I couldn't resist the temptation of the situation. I tried to take a mental picture of us laughing and dripping with mangos. The only negative in these mango tales .... was my poor mouth ! I was in major pain ! Dreaded Mango Mouth ! I kept a pint of milk with me for the next week to help neutralize the reaction to the acids. I spent the night in Santa Ana and left early in the morning, down the 3 hour two lane road, where the constant big rig, traveling from the other direction comes within inches of your car. A totally scqetchy drive ! I arrive in Sonoita, the smallest, little, border crossing imaginable. After legally returning my car from Mexico, I pull up to the crossing with not another car in sight. Along for the ride are 4, 8 foot posts of brasilwood, which I put in the corners of my house to help remind me of Yelapa. Last year I brought 5 of them home and with the help of an export permit, I had no problem entering into the USA. This year was a different story. As I crossed I didn't mention the wood and at the last second, a customs agent saw the wood and pulled me over for further inspection. To make a long story short , after a good hour of discussion, I was told firmly that the wood was not entering into the US. Actually I was threatened that they would delay my entering for many hours if I pushed things, so.... my only other reasonable option was to go to San Luis and try to cross there. This border was to have an agriculture officer that would be clear on the wood import rulings. With 100 pesos and a half a tank of gas left, I headed off on the supposed two hour trip. I started the trip with an uneasy feeling in my gut, as I remembered that I had returned my car import sticker and would be traveling in Mexico without papers. I flagged a federale down and he assured me car papers were not necessary on the Frontera and as long as I didn't go out of that zone I would be ok. I drove for an hour. My posture was crunching up on me as I got to thinking of my situation of little gas and money and to be driving on the burliest stretch of a so called road that I had ever been on. I would get to gas station's that would be deserted ! Not to mention the high mountains I was having to cross. Every time I would get to a peak, I was sure I'd see San Luis in the distance...but no...nothing...nada....just desert and sand. I was doing some serious praying and after another 2 hours and running on fumes...I pulled into the border town and gas... I asked for directions and was amazed at the two hour plus line to cross the border ! After a major dose of patience, It was finally my turn. " do you have anything to declare?" well? maybe my wood posts? A blink of the eye and I was pulling over to begin my thorough inspection. After some polite questions , I was asked to sit in a waiting room as 5 customs agents tore into my chinook. An hour passed and the wood posts were now laying outside of the camper. I was in shock as now literally 20 agents and a dog swarmed around the car. What if a previous owner of the car had something stashed in the car somewhere? I finally met the agriculture agents who politely asked me a round of questions and headed to the office to research the wood and to call his colleagues in Nogales. Another hour passed and I realized that most of the agents were in training and since they were slow on searches they were using my car as an example ! I was starting to lose patience and was told to remain seated as walking in the waiting area was a security risk. I decided that I had to try and take a picture of this sight. I asked to get some water from my car and at the same time , I was going to grab my camera. Instantly I was told it was illegal to photograph a customs area. Just about the time I was re escorted to the waiting room, all hell broke loose ! They had found, not only a few ants but a live snail, as well ! Machines were brought out. Books were opened for identification. I was now transporting live animals into the country ! Another hour passed. Finally Ag agents told me that If I couldn't produce a scientific name, the wood would be destroyed ! Brasiliades...uh...Brsilicosiluclihouveos? I gave up... and left my little waiting room with a picture of George W . Bush smirking at me.... and headed for Yuma AZ. with no real lesson learned.... Welcome Home !

Tonight Peggy and her daughters, Quetzal and Alma arrove in Occidental to work with me this summer. I just might have another chance to work on my Spanish with Peggy here...

The weather in Yelapa has been cloudy for most of the week...

Well... another month zoomed by ! It is such a good thing to have Yelapa in your life. Even now when the pressure is on... it's ok... I know that I'll be in Yelapa soon...