3/31/03
Well it's been days since the kids have fallen out of bed, so the Alacran's have been a priority. I fumigated around the property again today and I think it did some good. I'm using a non toxic liquid that isn't harmful to people or plants, but smells bad. It is called Lorspan 480 EM. I only heard it was non toxic, the spanish on the label is way tough to understand for this gringo. Tonight we found a fairly small scorpion almost dead in the casita. After a close inspection, we found lots of various insects and spiders dead after spraying. The scorpions have been a sort of welcoming committee to the new casita and now that we've moved in and are getting settled , they don't need to visit anymore, that's my theory and what I hope for...

You really have to respect these animals. I read this book, The Biology of Scorpions by Dr. Gary Polis and an article in an old Hola Amigo and learned alot about them. Did you know that scorpions came from the sea 400 million years ago and have changed very little since that time? They can still survive underwater for up to two days and can live without food for more than a year. They birth from one to eighty little ones that live up to twenty five years. Scorpions are thought to orient themselves by starlight , so they prefer moonless nights. There eyes are light sensitive and many think they have an eye on the tip of their tails. The hairs on the back of the legs are very sensitive to motion. I find the most interesting fact that can administer over ninety different toxins. They have one toxin for insects, one for animals and one for humans. It reminds me of a dulcimer where there are different tunings for different moods. It makes sense , many here that have been stung, have a wide variety of reactions, from nothing but irritation to near death feelings. Many people speak of your throat closing up , but it is just an illusion, actually your throat is just numbing as when you get a shot of Novocain from your dentist. I laugh at the number one piece of advice... stay calm... probably alot easier said than done. The other tip for success with a scorpion is to drink at least a quart of water, to help flush the poison and also large amounts of vitamin C are recommended. Ice is a must for reducing the pain. With all this said, I still try to be mentally aware of my friend, the Alacran. In Yelapa there are very few compared to the past, where daily stings occurred. Now it is monthly. For peace of mind , we do nightly checks and remake all beds and use nets.

Lets do a whole Bug thing... ticks in Yelapa come in different flavors. The small one with legs is an ANCHITA and when bigger is an GARRAPATA. If he or she is the tiniest speck, with no legs, that is a GUINA. Of course there are lice= PIOJOS, Fleas=PULGA, bedbugs= CHINCHE, noseems and gnats=JEJENES, horseflies=SANCUDAS, chiggers=NIGRA and mites=OBOLO...gracias Chris Moses for this list. There are many more, but there's a few, for now.

Dealing with insects sounds bad at a distance but in reality it's very easy. Sure occasionally you have to step over them or out of there way or they might fly on you to check you out but a quick pass of your hand and your on your way. The Mosquito's can get to me sometimes. But I try to remember to put on long pants and a shirt when they get bad. Here in Yelapa, it's when we have cool air from the east that brings more of them here. At night , me and Veronica dont sleep under a net, so I've learned to swat mosquitos in my sleep. Mornings and early evenings are the biggest feeding times.
Ants, Hormigas come in many varieties. The variety I'm fascinated by most are the Moras. Sometimes hundreds of thousands can visit your casa. Many years ago I saw my first infestation.Well actually I heard them ! The small rumbling sound of the grass blades moving, a line, three feet wide heading toward the casa. Once inside they circle the perimeter and form a thought out strategy to catch insects, mostly our friend ,the scorpion. Once an insect breaks a line, then it it surrounded and consumed. The other cool fact is that they only consume insects and don't bother any of your food. So when they come, which is usually close to the first rains, all you do is leave your casa for a few hours and return to a safer casa. Now that I'm thinking about insects, there are a bunch that I forgot to tell you about. But maybe your on a bug overload. I'll finish up with more later ...

The Joys of being a Dad ... I'm sure you more experienced Dad's out there already know what I'm talking about, There are some moments throughout the day that are so cool ! Waking up and seeing Vivian's huge smile, Playing with a 5 gallon water bottle with Yael, Giving Danny a hug and kiss as he leaves for school, Swinging with Luz in the hammock, Walking with the entire family through town makes me feel so proud. What a trip it must be for them to hang out with a hairy, gordo, gringo who loves them...

A lifetime Yelapense came by the other night and spent the evening reminiscing about old Yelapa days. Looking back twenty five years, the days when there were no ponga's, only canoes. He told stories of the many large boats/barcos that would come here for a day destination. Close to 1000 people per day! At least seven different charter companies. You see at that time, the other little pueblito's, such as Quimixto and Las Animas weren't set up for tourism, yet. So Yelapa was the Jewel of the whole Cabo Corrientes. The beach were packed and impeccably clean ! At that time, there were only four restaurants on the beach, The Hotel Lagunita, Rogelio's, Vago Playero (family of Elena, from the Yacht Club) and Chico's. Locals from the other communities, would come here to work. The money made here off the tourists was huge, especially if you spoke a little english. Yelapa shined, but slowly, as the political tides shifted, tourist scenes grew in Las Animas, Quimixto, Caletas and most recently Pizota. At the same time , a small group of teens/locals started stealing a few cameras, a few backpacks etc. and the word spread. Soon boats stopped coming and looked for other smaller communities to visit for the day. Large boats have dwindled over the last ten years to the present day where there are no large boats but just a few smaller charters daily.

Did you know that 70 years ago Pizota, the pueblito to the south was an Amazing Party Scene? Its True ! A huge marketplace, 24 hour Baille's, Food , Mariachis and fun ! At that time coco's and chicle were the main source of work and income and when you wanted to spend your money and release a little tension, Pizota was the most popular community to visit, in the entire Bay of Banderas. Currently its newest tourist incarnation of a new malecon was destroyed by the Hurricane and it remains a sleepy little village, off the rugged coast of the Bay of Banderas.

3/19/03 Arlomo update, Congratulations are in order ! My friend is finally well on the road to recovery, after a long two month drive. She used the services of a Herbalist/Brujo in Vallarta. Daily at an exact time, she would receive treatments. You see, there turns out to be another component to this story. Someone, put some type of bad hex on my friend. One that came from Jealousy and that added to the confusion. It caused her to get better and then worse, many times. Once she figured out that someone had put this vibe out for her, she quickly began to heal herself. So now, the bite on her leg has started to dry up and she can walk again.

In my eyes the most amazing part of this story aside from the power of this tiny animal is that one of the few healers of this bite who came and offered her services , also got bit by an arlomo, within a few days and couldn't treat my friend, as she had to try and treat herself. Then after a month and a half when she was almost better, a cat scratched her leg in about the same spot as the bite of my friend. Over a weeks period, it grew into a sore that was identical to the bite of an arlomo! I don't think this was a coincidence. I feel that there is much more to this story!

3/20/03 The last few days, the weather and the sea have changed. Two days ago, we even got a little, tiny bit of much needed rain. The ocean has been so calm for over a month but yesterday, the waves were big and high. causing havoc to the tourists that try to disembark on the beach. Strong breezes fly through our open palapa. Thank god for our blankets.

On the full moon, David and Susan got married on the beach. I didn't go but heard it was a nice celebration. Isabel was to marry them. The night before, on her way from the point and down to the beach to a peace walk, she badly injured her knee. But that didn't stop her from her responsibilities. With the assistance of friends, they fabricated a cot, strung to two bamboo poles and four strong volunteers carried her all the way from the point to the wedding on the beach. Afterwards the party headed to the yacht club but the four volunteers forgot of their responsibilities and proceeded to celebrate in Yelapa style... four new sober cargodoros were found to carry her back to her hilltop retreat. Word is that she is being treated by many friends and locals and is feeling better.

A couple of weeks ago my powerbook died. Well sort of. After making the decision to move to OSX and loving it, my baby wouldn't boot into OSX, only in OS9. I performed most of the tricks in my repertoire and still I remained locked out of OSX. I attempted to track down my Mac Tech, Greg who lives on the point. Panic! It turns out he and his wife had left for the season. After Cena, I sat there and concentrated hard on my problem. what had I over looked? As I tried various keyboard combinations from my storage shed, in my brain. Danny was right over my shoulder. I tried to explain to him about physic repair and about how I needed a little space. I continued beating my machine.I prayed and cursed, for the next few minutes. As I was about to give up, I restarted once more and Vivian, our 4 year old yelled out "Gracias adios !" and unbelievably it started up in OSX !!! I guess I didn't have the power that night but she sure did....

I've never had great toes... but not many people in Yelapa do. The terrain here is basically paths, some paved and some not. Walking without concentrating can wreak havoc on your feet. This season I've been doing great. No bad falls, no stubbed toes, no major injuries. Then last week hit ! I can't remember the exact day but it started with dropping a car tire jack on my toes, not once but twice in a day. Then a few days later, I broke through a step on the stairs to the potonco. I walked away with only a few cuts. The peak was when waking from a night time nap I forgot about the missing step and fell head over heals from the loft. Slowly I examined my body, which was in tact and not seriously injured. Why all these injuries? I still cant quite figure it out. This morning while greeting a Jehovah's Witness on the trail, a large rock jumped out and hit my big toe ! Please no more ! I'm doing my part and trying to be super present and concious.

Veronica and her Mom started a small tienda off the path, right at the base of shit creek. They are selling jewelry and clothes to start and will move into other items soon. We are living on very little right now and having money coming in rather than just going out is great !

We have also decided to fix up our small casita for rent. It is a trippy little palapa. It has curves built into both ends and even a round door. It has a shared bathroom. We will be offering a budget rental of $15.00 for one person and $20.00 for two, a night. We also set up a tent site for $10.00 per night. So if you want to stay with us , let us know...

I'm still trying figure out my Garrobo/Iguanas that we live with. Lemonita, the female has been hanging out for the entire time I've lived here at Casa Iguana. Daily, we feed her Hibiscus flowers.She is often curious. I catch her watching me and my activities. The larger male who also lives in the rocks, in front of the casa, is completely different. Whenever he sees me, he runs for cover, Flowers or no flowers. Well, last week was different. All the sudden one day, the male was there, sitting on the front deck. I approached him slowly. Amazingly he remained, bobbing his head up and down. Then Lemonita appeared. The male ran over and grabbed her by the neck. She raised her tail and then the male sort of locked on with a twist of his legs. Cuichi Garrobo Sex ! They proceeded to have sex throughout the day, even with the entire family watching. This continued for a day or two.The next day, some friends were visiting and the male was so content that Joan was able to feed the male by hand ! Then, a day later, like it never happened, the male reverted to his anti social behavior... go figure! So hopefully, one day soon... more kids at Casa Iguana...little green ones !

Last night we had a visitor.... Somewhere around midnight, Veronica woke me up to the sound of an Owl. "Listen"she said. The Owl hooed a few times loudly. Dogs barked. Burros Brayed. Even in my deep sleep I knew this was some type of local custom , I should honor. Many people here believe that the Owl is a person or entity visiting you, chances are with bad news. If the Owl flies into your casa, you've got problems.... In the morning a neighbor visited, of course she too had heard the Owl. I felt better thinking the Owl was visiting the neighborhood instead of just our casa. Hoo knows... I'm paying attention, either way ! The other part of this story, I can't write about, as to protect the privacy of another person and in case someone really does have super natural powers.

We were in El Tuito, which is located on the highway, 40 minutes south of Boca. Our daughter Vivian , was visiting family friends there for a week. Rancho life suits her well. Living in a simple casa with no running water or bathroom didn't hinder her trip at all. Clara and Nacho have four daughters and a son who spent the entire week loving her up. Our visit was special as Veronica and the Kid's had lived in Tuito for ten years and were returning to visit for the first time in a year or more . Sitting on a bench in town and watching life go by was great. The sun was strong. We visited old friends and returned to Yelapa bearing various foods and plants. Here's a few pictures of our day.

 

5/03
Yep that's right, a month of transition between my life here in Yelapa and my life in the States and even more the next few months, without my family. Oh yeah, and alot of work. I'm definitely busy here but I'm talking about responsibility and work on a schedule.

I spent a little time visiting friends this week and found out an interesting fact. In our main casa, we have a hanging bed that has been here for a long time. today I heard a story of a baby that was conceived in the bed and I heard about another friend who died in the bed... it sort of says it all.

I like being a part of a ceremony. This morning we woke to explosions. At 5:00 am our neighborhood met just above our property. Along for the ride was Cobritas, the 15 piece band, After the pecking order was established , we sang and praised our love and respect for the Virgin of Guadeloupe, as we slowly winded a path through the town to the church. Along the way Rafa, father of my friend German, fired the cuetes (explosives) into the air. Once at the church, I don't know if I was the only one who felt tortured as they recited so many Santa Maria's. At first, I sat and prayed for all my friends and family and then I started praying for my return to my bed. After the mass, The entire community sat and enjoyed pan and hot chocolate and live music. Overall, it actually brought tears to my eyes to once again hear the songs of the Virgin. Its not often, we gringos get to a part of a ceremony and I'm also glad to be able to attempt to sleep in tomorrow.

We got our first renter for the casita. Ed, a master captain of large boats. It was a good experience for him and for us. Currently, every other 24 days, he navigates a barge from New Orleans to Puerto Rico, delivering grain. He is just enough of social misfit to be right at home in Yelapa.

I have more to write but I'll have to do it from Occidental, Ca. As I'm leaving Yelapa tomorrow am. I want to thank all of you for taking the time to read about my little life in Paradise. I'll post a large amount of new photos and a few new stories soon... talk to you in a week... Brad

Back in the USA and weeks since I updated my site... Anyone guess why?
It's because life in the USA is so fast ! I can't even remember how long I've been back !

This all I could manage for May ...sorry

6/03
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...

Anyone still out here? I want to call it writers block but it boils down to being lazy ! The Summer has flown by and here we are at the end of August. One week left of my Summer Camp. Thank God for Pegge, who has been working with me. I got a chance to make a short trip back to Yelapa. It was my first time to visit , in that time of the year. I loved it ! Here's a collection of little stories and things that caught my eye.

First I must state that one week in Yelapa is only good ,when it's your first trip. I was able to do so much though. So much swimming in the flat, clear water, So much playing with my kids and friends, So much eating of wonderful food and So much of things that I cant post here.

The art of getting goods into Mexico is getting harder. My plan is to take all packaging off any new items and surround them with used ones. The sight of me with my 3 large duffel bags, jammed to the brim usually raises a eyebrow. "Are any of these items new?" asks the mexican customs agent."nope" "well, I do have a pool" "show me" she asks...You see I had this idea to bring my family a pool for getting wet during the extreme heat. I actually found a 10 ft. round pool with a filter that fit into a box in a duffel bag. "How much did that cost?" I believe that borders are appropriate for telling as many lies as necessary."All my goods are valued below the $300.00 limit" she smiled " push the button and if you get red, you're in for trouble" I quickly sped to my taxi with the happiness of the green light ! Most of you wont ever have to worry about this but for me getting goods to my Casa and Family are essential.

I decided not to go to Boca and to take the water taxi from Los Muertos. I wasn't really in touch with time and ended up getting to the pier late for the 11:30 taxi.The next boat departs at 4:00 ! It was a harsh acclimation to the heat. There I sat outside the hotel off the pier,to practice my patience for the next three hours. I was happy to see that everyone was as hot as me. It was the first time I wasn't the only one sweating. I learned alot about the different beach vendors . I got into their rhythm. I never realized they go into the hotel and drink a few beers and joke and watch a little fut ball and then fresh, they go to find their prey and then return in 30 minutes for another round. The majority of guests at the hotel were Mexican, which was a pleasure to watch. Mexicans on vacation sure know how to relax... I struck up a friendship with Juan, who sells tickets for all of the large and small boat trips. If you ever need a hand off the Los Muertos Pier, he is located between the hotel and the restaurant. The water taxi finally landed and I was so happy. When I got to Yelapa's beach, there was my cute little family. It had an awkward couple of seconds to it and then ...I was Home!!!

Casa Iguana looked so strange to me. It is really unbelievable how much the plants have grown in just three months.There were new sounds that I have not ever heard. Some kind of Chicharra that sounds like a horn going off and flying glow bugs ,of which one type is supposed to have a nasty bite. The only problem is no one knows how to differentiate between them.

The sun was strong, but by all means, tolerable. We were able to find some shade on the playita and spent my first day, swimming. The water was as nice as I have ever seen it !!! so calm and so clear and not a jellyfish in sight.The next day, we spent swimming at Isabel's beach on the point. I cant even describe how nice it was! The kid's made huge breakthroughs with the help of their new life jackets.

All week pongas were arriving from Boca, full of large plastic pipe.The government and the community are once again attempting to get a better water system happening in Yelapa. The main source is from up at the first crossing of the Rio Tuito. This is the third try... pray this one works... also the new president in Tuito has promised to repair the pier near the Hotel. Work is planned to start next year...

One night as we sat finishing our evening tea, I heard this sound getting louder and louder... "what is that?" I asked. "The wind"said Danny... with in 30 seconds all the contents of the main Casa were thrown about. It was like a comedy. All of us running around catching the falling items. As we attempted to gain control of the situation, the lightning began. I'm talking, the kind that shakes your soul ! Then rain... all of the well designed tarps on the crowns of the roofs blew right off and the water came in from all directions. I wasn't laughing now! Immediately I understood why Vero wanted me to build full walls instead of my pretty open half ones. Instantly I understood why Yelapense choose to live in closed concrete casas while the romantic gringos choose to live practically in the outdoors. An hour later and it was over and in the morning a new project of plastic windows for the topanco...Emilio put the tarps back up for the third time, this time using marbles to get a better grip in tying down the material.

While setting up the new pool, I had to laugh. The pool had little pictures of fish all over the base. The kids starting naming all the different types! Basic Yelapa knowledge... Dorado, Tuna, Bota,ect...

We had a great day and feast in Pizota. It was the Birthday of the amazing Emilio. Our whole clan, close to 20 of us spent the day on the beach near Valentino's casa. Mateo who was living with us has been living in Pizota with a friend and family. They were kind enough to bring us a huge bowl of Gora and 25 coconuts. Add that to our tacos and cevice and you definitely have a feast. The water was so flat and clear and warm.We played in the water till close to dark. It was the first time that I have left Pizota without having to jump off some rocks to the boat or some other heroic move. The day we were there, a meeting was happening with the unbelievably rich owner of a popular futball team discussing the possibility of leasing the middle beach in Pizota for thirty years to put up housing.. big changes, good or bad? I'm not sure which yet...

My visit ended quickly and before I knew it, I was on the water taxi heading to Vallarta and the States. All in all, it was a great trip. A highlight was being able to reconnect the phone in the casa, so I can call daily .

I'm lucky enough to get to visit again this next month. So look forward to more stories..

Tuesday was the first day of school for Vivian, our 4yr.old. I wish I was there to see her excitement. Somehow, I dought that Danny and Luz feel the same.

An unnamed friend is on an adventure, coming to Occidental ! He left Yelapa today. He was in the States for one year when he was 18 yrs old, now a bit older with a three kids and a wife, It throws a completely new spin on it. It surely is a sacrifice for his family but he definitely is going to benefit from the next year and a half's experience.

Another fun filled season of Summer Camp is in the hat. YAHOO!!!! I am so proud of the love and kindness we were able to give our kids. My staff was so on it...

Two weeks before I am back to visit Yelapa...

A friend sent this link to a article in Maxim Magazine... It read as follows:

Yelapa--

You don't have to worry about the absence of ATMs in Yelapa. 200 clams will last a week in this idyllic beach town. A hideout for expatriate outlaws, Yelapa stays simple and disconnected from the law. A basic hut a mile upriver from town rents for 150 bucks a week--look for a chubby man named Valentin and say " Quiero una casa arriba el rio"(I want a house up the river) Ask for mosquito nets and have drinking water delivered. Local weed is so abundant it's practically free. Tourists leaving will happily bequeath their stash to you. When the munchies set in, a plate of tasty tamales sets you back peanuts. Don't miss the bi-weekly, babe-rich raves at the Yacht Club---they're free, too!! Essentials: ask directions to Rosie's house for dollar tamales. The only liquor store sells a liter of raicilla,the local moonshine (under the counter), for $10.

Some parts of this article are true... I'll let you guess which parts ... I will say that Valentin isn't really chubby... and Rosie moved away from Yelapa. I buy Tamales from Celia, Juan Cruz's Wife...

Heres the actual link to the article...
http://www.maximonline.com/the_ride/articles/article_4962.html
you've got to copy and paste this into your browser window to view it...

 

I should start a weekly column here... Family of Vero...

Todays Featured Member is one of Veronica's four Brothers, Joyita.... current age 15 yrs. old

After putting off updating my Yelapa Scenes photos for months... I can finally cross it off my list ! Check out the new photos...

8/30/03
After a couple of days of no communication, my friend made it to Los Angeles. It sounds like it was a tough crossing. Look forward to hearing his story here. Tommorow he will travel to Sonoma County.

9/03
Crossing... When my friend was 14, he spent a year in the states. Now almost 30 years to the day later, he crosses again. We spend hours over years talking about the best way to cross and what it really is like in the USA. Finally we start to actually put our plan into action. The first key element was trust. Gringos really have to earn their trust. Maybe when I get to the states he wont remember me? or maybe he will change his personality and not really be the same person I knew in Mexico. Both of these are very common thoughts. It was easy for us , as we have been good friends for more than ten years.

Our first plan was to get a passport and a few letters of invitation and to enter Canada and then cross into the states from there. The passport was simple, a mere $50.00 and three days and we had permission to go and visit anywhere in the world except the United States. The next step failed quickly. Our connections in Canada were either too worried to brake rules or too worried to talk to us about breaking rules. It didn't feel secure. So lets go the old school route through Tijuana, we thought. My unnamed friend spent the next months saving hard earned pesos and putting together the roughly $2000 USD to cross. Remember to put that into perspective. As a Master Carpenter, he earns $35 USD per full day. Also put into the equation that he has a family of four.

You have to wonder if it is worth the struggling and being apart from your loved ones for over a year, just to have the opportunity to work real hard in the States? I believe the answer is yes... and so does he. If not for the immediate doubling of a days wages, for the experience.

Finding a Coyote in California was pretty much a snap. Every Mexican you know has a Coyote that their village or friends use. You still have to shop though. They come in different styles. As you can imagine, there are alot of ways to cross, as well as places to cross too. The cost ranges from $1400 to $2500 USD. We spent a week or so getting recommendations of Coyotes and asking lots questions. My friend , having accomplished getting all his affairs in order for the next year, as If that was even possible, said his goodbyes and headed for the border. A 30+hour bus ride and he arrived at his sisters house in Ensenada. A few days passed. We finally had found our man. This Coyote has the reputation of knowing a very easy crossing and to have crossed a few people we knew well. The next morning my friend left to meet him Tijuana. He was told to go to a specific location and call a number. Then he was told to take a taxi to another town and call another time and he would be picked up. He arrived in a town square, made his call. "We'll be there in 15 minutes". He tried to be low key and not attract any attention. A task that turned out to be hard. A man in a uniform kept staring at him... finally the man walked close and said "are you waiting for Lalo?" yes... "We'll I'm his representative" "Vamanos" It somehow didn't quite feel right. They headed off in a funny direction and after 30 minutes, my friend starts asking questions... things didn't seem to be adding up. They were real close though. Finally the uniformed man pulls over, they compare numbers and realize they both connected with the wrong persons. The uniformed man had been waiting hours for his person... So now what? My wise friend thought to himself," if I go back I probably will have problems, as the energy of this whole situation had brought him this far, he better go with the flow. He called his sister and explained his dilemma of now being in a different town, in a hotel with a different unknown Coyote. The call was brief saying he thought he would be in Los Angeles that night around 10:00PM. For us the next two days would be filled with waiting and hoping for his safety. It turned out that the group my friend was crossing with was of 10 men and 2 women. This was their fourth attempt. They had the the whole group go through a sort of fitness test to place them in order of condition. The slowest would be in the front of the group, so the people in good shape would push them to keep up. All were suited with cloth material over their shoes , as to hide footprints. When they would travel one direction, a coyote would take his off and footprint the area for deception.

At 5:00pm they finally left the little hotel in some unknown town and walked all night long! Some areas were filled with brush, some filled with barbed wire and some areas were the home of rattlesnakes. My friend who is smart as a fox, watched carefully the person in front of him ,when they ducked he did too... They finally hit the border at daylight and tunneled through to the other side. In this section the Immigration officers used helicopters and dogs. Luckily every time an officer would get close, they would be moving in another direction. Being able hide and produce footprints was the key! In a great move, they completely fooled the officers and made a run for a spot high, actually above the whole scene below. From there they could monitor all the immigration's moves. The group was told to run to a van , waiting on a nearby path. They piled in to an old van being driven by an old hippie playing weird music. They drove to a house and were fed and prepared for the next leg of the trip. My friend and 4 guys were put into a trunk of a small car being driven by a well dressed man and one of the women from the group was to pose as his wife holding a baby. They were told they would be in the trunk for twenty minutes. It turned out to be 2 hours. In the trunk with only the tiniest of pin holes for air, completely scrunched! One of the 4 guys was over 6 foot. To make matters worse every time they would get near a crossing the driver would turn up the music to a huge volume as a distraction / deception to the cargo in the trunk. My friend wasn't sure he was going to live through this... The big guy was starting to panic... with God or maybe Guadeloupe on there side, they hit Los Angeles and within a few hours our friend was dropped off to another friends neighborhood... All this for a opportunity to work hard and get paid fair.

9/24/03

My friend is completely settled and now confident , here in Sonoma County. He has a great job with a boss who respects him, a good wage and a free place to live... Yelapense are so very adaptable, not to mention their ability to communicate and work with the Gringo Community. You see they come from a community that is based on tourism for two generations. I belive that is the key. Here in California ,The Yelapense that live here are so different from the common Mexican. They have a certain confidence to them. They have the ability to look you in the eye and show you their energy.

1/25/04 four months later...

I had this idea a year ago, to journal my six months in Yelapa. Who knew I would start a new life with Veronica and the Kid's. But I'm sure glad I have this last year documented. I dream of being able to look at it in ten years with my family. I'm also fortunate to have Yelapa in my life. When I'm not in Yelapa this page offers me the time and space to be there, virtually. The down side was that I dont think my family thinks the raw sharing of personal information, isn't the best of things.So I am now thinking of a new format, coming soon....

Over the past year I've met so many awesome people from all over the world. In years past, I've met them on the beach or on the trail but now I meet most of you from Email correspondence. Over this year, more than 18,000 people have visited this site! I truly enjoy helping people have positive experiences in Yelapa. Thanks for all of your support!

I hope you come and visit our Casa Iguana. It is, just as advertised... simple and sweet.....and has very affordable prices for nice people.

I also want to thank David for all his his energy and support to the community of Yelapa. David's Web Page helps so many people with their vacation in Yelapa and he offers his services completely free of charge.

Adios for now....

2/13/04
Fresh in from the road...

Bulging at the seams, in many ways, me and my Chinook headed for Oakland and to visit Yelapense, German , Lindsay and Lailanni. During the past weeks of test drives with my vehicle maxed by at least 1000 pounds of carrying capacity, it would shimmy all over the road. It was quite a sight with the front end sticking up as the wheels seemed to barely touch the ground. One of the pieces of advice I received was to deflate the front tires a bit and that felt as though it was a quick fix. I was amazed as I could actually control the car. What a treat for a 3000 mile drive. After a wonderful meal of Albondagas soup (fish balls) and a viewing of a very important fut ball game and playing with Lailanni. I was to get the first chance to spend the night in my Chinook. I actually still had a space about as wide as I am to sleep. After a few hours of deep sleep, I awoke and decided to head on.... I drove to the the first rest stop on the I -5 and slept for another bit and did that throughout the night and it turned out to be my mode the entire trip. In the morning I was at the much fretted over , Grapevine. This would be the test... could I make it? There I was huddled around by a group of huge trucks. Slowly but surely, mostly in second gear, I passed through my nightmare. Quickly I dashed through LA and on to Desert Hot Springs and my bi yearly visit with my Dad. Family ... very close to the usual visit... a dinner,a soak in the natural mineral baths, tense conversation about our past and present and a brisk adios, in the morning...Arizona in one day is a breeze, leaving me at another major stress point... The Border Crossing.... I sat there for an hour on the US side, vibing out the scene. I asked a few people for opinions, If I should cross at night, right before closing or first thing in the morning?
most thought the morning would be smoother but I flashed that if I was to have my total car contents examined then better at night so they better think twice about it, if they care to go home anywhere close to on time. I was ready and crossed, no turning back now . I accomplished my paper process in a snap and headed slowly to the road. Instantly I was signaled to the side. "Where are you going?" the same old question "Vallarta" I responded , as he waved me by... cautiously excited I headed to the South. My next leg would be tough. Driving a narrow two lane bumpy curvy highway at night with limited lighting as to the bicycle mounted on my front grill and the true skill was to avoid the line of massive truck rigs that blow by pulling my camper into them. As a seasoned driver of this road and accustomed to this level of danger, I became almost content when suddenly above a rise appeared a new, or now ready , large customs inspection... I couldn't find my confidence, If you'd payed me. The classic serious looking mexican asks for my papers. As he walks away to examine them , I notice the 7 cars parked in the lot with all of the contents out and a small army going through them! As he circles my car , he returns and asks me in spanish if I had paid for my undeclared goods? huh? I responded he asks another three times to the same response. I had pulled out the stupid American card. I finally respond ...yes I'm an american, oh my things? mostly clothes and gifts... he thinks for a moment and hands me my papers and waves me on with disgust. I had accomplished my greatest challenge, sneaking the rotor-tiller, computer and a load of goodies into Mexico. I flew down the road blaring my ranchero music and thinking of my family. The next day of driving through the Sonoran Desert was relatively easy, as I have done it a few times. Nights were a bit tricky. I had a lot of goods strapped to the outside of my car and many found them tempting and interesting. Who isn't tempted to check out a motorcycle with a plastic cows head attached to the front of it. Just by timing and chance most places I rested were not safe for long periods , so I made a long distance in a short time. I met some amazing people along the way. Overall most Mexicans are so gracious, way more polite than we as Americans could ever be. I ate tacos most meals. It's sad that the good tacos are not found on the main streets that the majority of people travel, but on the back-roads... Next thing I knew I was close to green and lush Mazatlan. I headed for Joletemba my favorite stopping point at my friend , Mariano's. Every time I try to find his village from this direction I get lost , including this time. This time was especially tough, as my huge load and the windy steep roads are not a match. After as few extra hours of perilous driving ,I traveled through El Llano, the town this side of my destination... I spent an hour visiting and telling stories of our world and off to Vallarta, which is only two hours away... I stopped in Los Varas and bought a bunch of fruit... thinking that I wont have to actually carry it by boat , but by car to Yelapa, so I stocked up on Bananas, Coconuts and more. A mere blink of an eye and I was back in Vallarta and at my favorite taco stand. I called the family and shocked them with my location... It was getting dark so we decided I should stay on the road tonight and connect with Vero's Dad tomorrow morning. I was 5 minutes from my final destination , when things went astray. I truly was crossing over the last tope of my trip. A tope is a bigger more blunt version of a speed bump. They are all over Mexico, located in the center of most towns, to slow you down, especially to sell you something. During the drive , I had to be very conscious of them because not seeing one and hitting it with speed and seeing that my car was inches away from scraping the bumper , on a good day, I had to be totally on it... well as you can figure by now, I absolutely didn't see the very last one!!! So at 40 mph, I hit my ramp launching my car into the air and when I land , the bicycle falls off and there is a loud pounding ... I screech to a stop... and quickly check my situation... The car still starts and the bike seems ok.. I gather the things that fell of and get to a pull out before the police come. Neighbors begin to gather...I smile thinking , it's all ok.. I reload the car and prepare to head off and I see a man seated across the street , watching this free adventure movie of mine. I yell to him, "I didn't see the tope" he laughs, and tells me I'm not going anywhere, as the radiator starts to spew steam! The bike had somehow punctured my radiator! I couldn't believe it! To be minutes from Boca , final destination! I pull my heart from the floor of my car and open up the hood to check out the damage... The Senor comes over to get a closer look too. We wait till its possible to see. Next thing I know his son appears with a huge container of water and concern. I quickly ground myself and begin to channel my mechanic ,Frank. He tells me to check out the fan.. and with a very lucky moment I realize that the fan isn't working and my plan of attack becomes clear. I now have two co -pilots also! After disassembling my load to get at my tools, we managed to remove the fan shield that munged my fan...I prayed to my gods, some human, and we started up the Chinook... the fan started !!! After two hours... I was back on the road... We reloaded the Chinook and I pulled 200 pesos from my pocket for my amigo's...
They looked at me like I had said something bad about a family member. NO ...was response... Once again Mexico shines!!! unbelievable.... I'll go back later this week and try to offer some fruit or some service... I honk my rooster horn and wave to new friends and drive the three minutes to Boca for the night. I ask a security guard if I can sleep in the parking lot of the restaurant .. sure...I offer him some of my bounty of bananas for a late night snack... I cleaned house and got all in order for tomorrow, an important day! 8:00 am, I met my Father in Law and headed for Tuito, our municipal community, which is located one hour south of Boca. We slowly passed through town and it's many high topes. We made it to the dirt road and headed on the next leg to Chacala, which is two hours, down the dirt road. Well I should say up the dirt road. The toughest part here was the dips at the crossings...
We would get out and survey the situation and then sort of gun it and pray we made it! It was the noise of my scraping back custom welded motocycyle rack that was bad. It wasn't hurting the car... Halfway my muffler started to fall off... Marcos took apart someone's barbwire fence and repaired it quickly. Stopped for a quick dip in the ancient Agua Caliente Springs and after another hour pulled into Chacala and the casa of my Tio, Cria and his wife, Noemi. Within a few miinutes of arrival, our Primo, Aldo showed up with his big and powerful truck to carry us and all my things to the next leg, from Chacala up the dirt road one hour to Yelapa and to drive right to my casa which Veronica and the kids were waiting, after cutting the barbed wire and a hole in the fence. Back in Chacala, I started the task of unloading my things. After loading the Rototiller with my buddy, Bill and remembering our sore bodies, I let the group of four, go for it with enthusiasm. Neighbors came by to watch the show of goods from the states. Within a couple of hours we were loaded to the brim and off headed to Yelapa and home... The road was basically in good shape but not a match for my car. Major clearance is needed. The views from high above the bay are awesome and give you a greater sense of the locality of Yelapa. As we pulled into Sabino's terrain, next door, my heart pounded with excitement!!! this wasn't a dream... there they were..my sweet family with huge smiles! We unloaded and carried our treasures to the upper casa and then ran to say hello to the other thing I miss daily , while in the States, my Hammock!!!!

5/30/04

Well the season flew by and I didnt finish my new projects but have a good bit done. Soon you will see the results. I am currently in Sonoma County getting ready for three months of hard work. Once again ...Please Stay Tuned....

8/19/04

Well summer camp is a day away from over and Im off to Yelapa in a few weeks... look forward to a brand new, palapainyelapa.com... coming soon..yea right

September 2004
Sonoma County,CA. It was a smooth Summer. Our Summer Camp was smaller than usual but had some great times hanging with kids. The ten weeks of camp seemed to fly by as I dreamed of my family and of Yelapa. As far as living spaces, I had a great house sitting gig at my friends house in Sebastopol. It was a bit tough for me to get used to. One reason was of its location in the city with neighbors inches on each side of you, the other was because it is a one of a kind house, on a one of a kind street. Here's a web article on them ...After a week or so I got adjusted and thoroughly enjoyed my stay. My next stop was The David's of Graton. I made a grand entrance. Just as I shut the door on my house sitting job, all the sudden I became hugely dizzy. I got into my car and thought the air would bring me back around. I was wrong. I was spinning and spinning. I concentrated with all my might to drive the car. I figured if I pulled over I would be stranded, so I decided to drive right to the doctor. I crawled into his office. By this time I figured it to be a heart attack or some kind of brain thing. After checking me out , both were ruled out. I talked the doctor into releasing me on my own and headed down to my office , which was next door. Miraculously I made it through an important Occidental Community Council Meeting and then between vomiting, I drove to my friends , the David's. I ran to my guest room and collapsed, spinning and spinning. Well... two days later I was still spinning. I tracked my doctor down at home and explained my problem. "YOU HAVE LABRYNTHITUS" ? what the hell is that? Some how the inner ear has little crystals that get turned about and cause vertigo and spinning and loss of balance, that can last up to three months! Oh no.. I don't want this! but somehow in my little movie of life, I had it. After a week in bed, I got a bit better and the spinning stopped. The next week, I had to get back to work! Slowly I drove my car and worked a few hours every day. The next week , I was just fuzzy and didn't have my balance. Somehow with the care and love of friends and my good luck and a bit of hard work , I was able to finish the never ending list , that I had to complete before leaving the USA for nine months. As I sat there in the final night, trying to fit all the things I had decided to bring to Yelapa into my bags, that were to weigh no more than 50lbs.each. Well... how much is 50lbs.? I had at least 150lbs of used clothes and two carry on's , that I figure I could put at any weight and sneak them on the plane...anyways Evan reminded me of all the things we as humans do because of stuff. Stuff.... After taking apart my perfectly packed carry on's for the airport inspectors, I smoothly landed in Vallarta..Of course they too wanted to see my total contents. After a good round of white lies, I headed for my water taxi and up my hill to Veronica and the kids and Casa Iguana. I sat in wonder looking at how fast plants can grow in three months and the same for the kids.

Crossing the Rio
The Yelapa pace of life was easy to get into with one exception... this wasn't a vacation, this is family life. My first morning home ,6am, I was reminded of this. Danny who is in the Secondaria has to leave just before dark to walk up river to school. Everyone was awake! Luz Clarita has to leave at 7:45am but to make things even trickier, she has to be escorted to school by one of us to cross her across the river. You see the Primary school is located on the left side of the Rio Tuito. So along with all other Moms , Dads, Uncles, Cousins, you make the 25 minute walk upriver twice every day, to and from school. Some days there is a boat to cross the kids for a peso per direction, other days you hand or horse carry your child safely to the other side. But you never know if the boat will be there or you'll never know if it rained high in the mountains and if the rio is low or high. It's not over! We still have to walk Jael and Vivian to Kinder by 9am or they lock the gate. I got lucky and got the to Kinder by 9am shift and the afternoon pickup, up river. In late November, the Rio will be down and we won't have to do the escorting. At this point I'm not counting the days, I'm enjoying the exercise.

The Queen of Yelapa ( Riena de Yelapa)
Karla Selene Lorenzo Castillon ( Daughter of Ambrosio & Rosa )
After many years forgotten, a Yelapa tradition is reborn, The Queen of Yelapa. It was Dia de Independencia and the entire community was in attendance at the concha (local basket ball court). There were many games of basketball and soccer, ranging from fun to full throttle. The men's soccer match was intense. I'm always amazed by the instant speed and then a quick little dance and an immediate stop that the players pull off with ease. You surely had to watch the game also or you could easily get hit by a fast flying ball. But that's all in the fun. The importance of todays event seemed clear to everyone. It was a day for everyone to relax, be together and have fun. The highlight was still to come. Tables were set up . Judges prepared. Cheering sections were formed for each of the three candidates. The three 16 yr old candidates strolled in, all wearing lovely dresses. The first name was called. She did a models strut to all ends of the basketball court. Being from the states and with my politically correct training, it was a bit strange. Next came a question, something close to "how would you create world peace?" The cheering sections screamed for their favorites, trying to be louder than the others. The Judges, the comissario and his wife, an ex queen and ice cream shop owner, a pie lady and a comendante of the new police force of four."And the winner is....you know....Karla. I asked a few Yelapanse about her responsibilities. I t seems she doesn't have any, but serves as role model to youth. I can attest that she is a fine young woman with a great future ahead. I enjoyed the ceremonial marching and the showing of repect to Mexico. Then all hell broke loose as Gringo , the famous cargador, appeared with a Bulls costume, full of fireworks. He was lit and proceeded to chase through the crowd. Yelapense sure do have their Independence. Viva Karla, Viva Yelapa, Viva Mexico.

Old World Visitor
Just as we were leaving for the Dia de Independencia, we ran into two 17 yr old boys from Chacala. A quick word was exchanged and they asked permission to stay with us for the night , as they had missed the last boat , leaving Yelapa. I had seen one of the boys a number of times in Chacala and it turns out he is family, like I'm suprised...Veronica offered them a shower, as they had just walked for over two hours down a mountainous trail through the jungle to Yelapa.The hike actually peaks at 3000 ft. elevation. Around midnight, we return from our day and with our guests have cena (late light meal). All the sudden, we hear a voice from the bottom of our stairs to our terrain. Up comes walking a man I've never seen, obviously a cowboy. I offer him in and some water and try to figure out what's going on? He speaks to the boys for a minute. I sit watching intensely, still completely confused. The boys get up and gather there things. I sat in amazement as I figured that the visitor had just rode via horseback with any light to Yelapa .Then in even more, when they all left the casa to make the hike back to Chacala. It turned out that they were needed on the ranch and the man had set out to find the and return with the boys. I still have no idea how he even found out the boys were staying with us or where our casa was? I found it amazing that the boys didn't even flinch about making a massive two hours plus hike , in the dark of night. Later as I lay in the safety of my bed, I sat in wonder about our visitors from the old world, just two hours away...

Win or Lose, which is less quiet ?
Tonight the barrio is full of noise. I knew we were in for it when I saw the beer arriving for a 24 yr, old Birthday Bash. Then I saw the beer arriving at the cantina, across the path. Oh no! a soccer game too! and the Chivas (local favorites) playing ! Instantly I wondered... which would be better for a night a sleep? If the Chivas won... all would be happy and celebrate by getting drunk... and if they lost... all would be depressed and go and get drunk. I think the answer is either or...The topper was when I realized it was Saturday and tonight was also a Baille ( Dance). I wish you all could have been here to hear it. Screams and hoots of joy and laughter, cry's of missed goals and great plays and the booming bass and drums and semi, out of tune local band playing a favorite song , twice in a row, all mixed together and served with a twist of lime. My solution was to turn on my CD's just enough to drown out the rest. If you visit Yelapa on a Saturday, Sunday or Wednesday night...you'll see for yourself...well actually you'll hear for yourself. Once again, Viva Mexico!

Optical Illusion
This first photo I admit to doctoring up . We were visiting our relatives at Casa Milagros and a fantastic rainbow appeared ! One end was right in front of us and the other end was directly in front of Casa Del Sol, my in laws casa. I did pick a great family to marry into.
Here are the two photos put together.

The second picture is real. Check out the river and beach. Notice anything new? How about a new beach? It actually happens most year's, at this time. Take a look .. .Not often do you see this much beach on the right side of the river, by late November it's gone.

Yelapa Clean Up
Yesterday morning, Something was up. From my deck and looking at the pier , it looked funny. I grabbed my camera and ran down there. It was filled was junk and trash. People were running all over, pulling out old stoves, broken washers, huge solar batteries and more.It was quite amusing. It was an annual ,Yelapa clean up. But this year, all residents got involved, partly out of love for their town and also because If they didn't' clean up their property, they would be fined. At least twenty pongas of trash and junk left Yelapa , to be disposed in Boca and from there who knows where. During the day, everyone seemed to be full of community spirit, like the Yelapense ever lack it ! We cleaned the path, near our casa. Near the trail is a spot where people have dumped garbage for years. Here was Rafa and EV and Ivan bagging up wheelbarrow's full for disposal. For years, next door was this giant 100+lbs. solar battery. It sat on the path, today was its final day! as Arnaldo came by asking if he could help and put it on his back and carried it to the pier. Applause to the President of Tuito, Macedonio Leon Rodriguez Avalos who is pictured in the red and blue shirt, doing hands on work .So tourists... get on down here! Yelapa is clean and ready for you!

Ingrid Michelle Mancinelli Gardion
Daughter of Mateo and Vanessa de Pizota
You may remember Mateo from my past stories, king of the Yelapa entrances. Here is a pic of their daughter. We were lucky to have them visit and spend the night, in the big city of Yelapa. They all looked very happy and healthy. I ordered another 5 kilos of Matt's Lemons and Bananas for delivery , next week. If you ever visit PIzota, make sure to visit them. They would be the ultimate tour guides.

Don Arturo Cruz ( 9/28/04 )
Don Arturo Cruz passed away this morning in Yelapa. He is the father of Midardo, Beto and Nati and four other kids. He is the brother of Don Juan Cruz. He lived here in Yelapa for roughly, ninety years. His profession was working the earth, as a farmer.

Pto. Vallarta
I braved a trip to Vallarta today and brought Luz Clarita with me for fun. Going to Vallarta isn't a hard task but it somehow , takes the energy out of you. We arrived early in the morning via our water taxi. It's interesting to see the city and it's employees start up their days. As usual I had this long list of items to be found in in two and a half hours.Today was real smooth, found all we were looking for. When looking for guitar strings, I couldn't remember where the music shop was and decided to ask for help and by luck asked the person who ran the exact shop... just about two hours later , we had the luxury of eating some great quesadillas con carne with agua de pina. Just in time to catch the 11:30 back to our fishy, little, sleeping village, with bounty in hand. At home, Danny is full of homework and Veronica is off playing volleyball with the kids. Tomorrow we build another ramada as a rain/shade shelter on one entrance of the casa.

3 vs 50...
Not the best of odds. That is what the local police were up against at Saturday night's Baille. As you may have read my story above, It was a more than ordinary night filled with lots of beer and energy. Things got way out of hand when two residents , one from the pueblo and one from up river (El Paso) got into a fight and from there all hell broke loose. The three local police had no choice but to sit back as the 50 people battled. The Baille was shut down and calm was restored. The bigger picture here is how the police are viewed. who isn't leary about police but the four police here are good guys. Trinidad, Gustavo, Teo and Alfredo, all cared about Yelapa and it's long term future. I had the chance to hang out with them a bit . They all came from way tougher positions and enjoyed the calm feeling in Yelapa. Working in a community where the police presence is new is tough. The locals don't embrace you and your the evil stepchild of the boss. Trying to accomplish their jobs with little pay, lack of supplies and very little support ,were daily hurdles. A reporter showed up the day after and wrote a scandalous story depicting the police as lazy and good for nothing. It was a out and out lie. SO.. now with tensions in both parts of the community on high, the entire force has been reassigned to other locations and new way tougher police have been assigned to Yelapa. For the future of Yelapa, lets hope the next chapter is a good one.

Fined
A list of those who fought the other night has been past through the community and each person has been required to pay a fine of 200 pesos and if they are named again, 600 pesos. You see this Saturday is a huge rival Soccer match between Chivas and Americas and once again the possibility of high energy and tension will be here. Lets hope things are calmer this weekend.

"con el taco en la mano todos somos hermanos"
( with a taco in my hand, we are all brothers )
A round of tacos and a cold agua or coke...as good as it gets. Thats my opinion. I found these expert tips to eating tacos.

• Preparing or receiving a taco: take it with your thumb and little finger up and the ring and index finger down so that it does not fall apart or lose its contents.

• Make a 45 degree gyratory movement with your body to prevent getting stains on your cloth, if you wear a tie, it is recommended to guard it in the opening of your shirt.

• Know how to balance your body perfectly so that you can hold up either the plate or the drink with your left arm.

• Have profound knowledge of the names and nuances of each taco form and style so that you may not cause any contradiction with the taco cook

• Be on the alert to order the subsequent tacos on time in order not to “lose the rhythm”

• Keep good track of the number of tacos consumed in order to notify the taco cook the end.

thats it for Taco 101... Buen Provecho

No Rain 10/7/04
Its been about two weeks since we had rain! I'm sad. We need so much more for Yelapa and especially for all the new plants we have transplanted this last week. So I start a new job of watering by hand. It's a pretty easy job, very meditative. So when we have water in the line , direct from the waterfall, you can find me here at Iguana, playing with water.

I'm not giving up hope for rain yet. I have been asking my good sources and I should be dancing in the rain soon... The best tip I got yesterday was that when its this hot, there still is rain coming, if it starts to cool, here that means the temp drops to 80 degrees, during the day, then the season has changed. I still think we may have caused this period of no rain by building our ramada...

Uniforms
Based on an Idea from the big city of Vallarta and the Office of Tourism, via Tuito, our Municipal, comes new standards to vendors and restaurant workers in Yelapa. All will be wearing white. Another new requirement is registered nametags. This will insure all doing business are registered to do so. It's a bit sad ... sort of like Big Brother coming to a little tiny town and you know the end of this story? But they say change is good... Restaurant workers are now required to wear hair nets and health standards will be monitored in the restaurants. Helping to enforce these new rules are fines, that increase with each time you are cited. Sure some will get around the rules and some violations might be overlooked but I guarantee, you will have to pay.

More Visitors
I am lucky, everyday Veronica comes to me and tells me what she is making for our main meal and asks for suggestions. Today she announced we were having a fish fest. Danny has been catching these small fish every day , so she decided to call our Tia, Antonia
and feast on fish cooked over an open fire. Simple but tasty...that is after you get the hang of it. I'm accustomed to eating fat, bone free fillets, in the states. But here , at least at the casa's, you have to pick through the entire fish and when a fish is small, its work. Watching my family effientally eat a fish makes me feel like a kid again... The phone rings... Its my friend Javier, the comissario (sheriff) who tells my wife that he is on his way to our casa and with him are Judicial Police from Mexico. hmmmm...did I pay all my parking tickets? Maybe someone saw me hit my neighbors chicken with a rock, as it ate my plants? I question Veronica more and she tells me they are coming to use my computer. Oh.. as I wipe the extra layer of sweat from my head... As they arrive, I was expecting serious, dressed in all black police with a massive array of firepower. Instead with Javier are three 30 yr old clean cut guys , casually dressed. After catching their wind from our hill, they explained they needed to take a statement of a local man in regards to a very serious issue and needed to use my computer and printer. Of course... I set the senior officer up on microsoft word and sat back to watch and learn. I soon realized that all were carrying pistols, very much hidden. It turns out that the Judicial Police are the highest form of police in Mexico. Basically the Mexican Intelligence agency. These guys are definitely undercover, showing very little police vibe. Over an hour, a long report was taken and all the sudden my assistance was needed. :how do you make a ñ "? I totally forgot... I quickly called my friend and master secretary, Ann...Help!.... she saved me and my pride, as the local computer expert, especially with special guests here. I helped correct margins and format text. It was amazing the level of perfection needed for the document. Overall an interesting fish fest, police kind of day. I ended the day by doing my required work/community support for the primary school. I raked a huge amount of piles of brush together to be burned. As I slowly drug my tired body across the high river and walked back home to my casa... I thought about how exciting it is to have a new life, especially at my age.

Directions to Yelapa
well I finally found a map that makes it real clear where we are.. in the world that is...

It's not all Cops and Robbers
It may seem that way from my writings but the whole police thing here in Yelapa is new. A follow up to another story. The bigger , badder police have been busy this week. Lots of wayward teens/young adults have been escorted to places unknown. A birthday party on the beach, last night turned a bit dicey as one partygoer went crazy and then proceeded to try to make his escape by swimming away. Police went off to the playita and waited for him to come ashore. I have a feeling this is sort of a spring cleaning and Yelapa will be ready for a great tourist season.

Creaking
The other day while on the path, I solved a longtime mystery to me. At different times of the day, I would hear a certain sound. It sounded like a big tree creaking, but at a faster pace. A number of times I asked a local what the sound was."Sabe" I don't know. I was walking and heard the sound and looked up and there was a woodpecker pecking the metal support base high on a telephone pole, as the noise echoed through the pueblo. Another Yelapa mystery solved...many, many others remained unsolved.

Passion for Life and Dominoes
Our grandfather here in Yelapa is very close to 90 years old. He is truly amazing...and I only know a fraction of the stories of his life. I know he has been on his death bed more than once and made full recoveries. When I think of all the kids he has raised... it's mind boggling. I heard his tales of a rancho vida, his reputation of working always at night on full moons and sleeping during the days and the time he set out for his two hour horse ride. It was a camino he did regularly so the horse knew its path , so once they started he would just go to sleep and wake up when they arrived. This time they met some teens, one hour in and they turned him around , so when he woke up he was back ,where he started.

Now at close to ninety, no one really knows actually how old he is, he spends his life staying in Vallarta with a daughter and in Yelapa with another. Many days he can be found tying hammocks. He makes these great hammocks out of a durable line so they will last forever. I have 5 for my property and more for my casa in the states. His price is about 200p or twenty dollars. There is one catch here.

Dominoes.. yup... that's his passion...you see he takes the money he earns and goes to the beach and plays Dominoes. Seems harmless? The problem is he really likes to play . Just getting there is an amazing feat. This time of the year he crosses the Rio and slowly but surely makes his way to the end of the beach and there he stays all day. Most times he forgets to eat and then sometimes as late as nine o'clock he heads back to home and then the river is waist deep! Not to mention what a bad day of Dominoes does to his blood pressure and overall health. So.. you can Imagine, if I want to buy a hammock from him I have to pay him slowly over a month or he will go and gamble it away , also at risk of his health. Its no fun to get old but even with this story told... Please God give me a live as full as his.. Here is a picture of him, always smiling..

Rain 10/8/04
I wont even try to guess what caused the rain but tonight it rained for a good hour and my new plants are so happy. Lets hope there's more to come.

A thud in the night...
Last night around dark, I heard a loud thud. I wondered to myself... I 've heard boats clanking together when one gets loose and bangs against another but this was full force. Then tonight I heard two boats collided last night right at the shit rock where you make the turn to enter to Yelapa. They both were in Vallarta today to see a judge and find out who's at fault. I' ve always wondered how these boats travel at night without lights...I think I figured out now that it is based on odds or luck...Both parties survived and there boats can be repaired. more on this soon...

Air Yelapa
Just in case you missed it on my front page, I have put together a pics page with photos given to me by a group of friends that stay here at Iguana each year. Mike and Linda bring new flyers here to learn. I'm trying to get Mike to write a story about his last years first ever paragliding flight to Quimixto. I have the first aerial photos taken of the town but need his story to do the pictures justice. I hope you enjoy the Air Yelapa photos as much as I did.

Community Service
I thought I had retired from 15 years of full time community service. I guess that I knew it came from within but now I know its a lifestyle. This time its going to be fun because my partner is my wife, Vero. She has been talking to me about her ideas of helping the community and we have finally formed a plan. You'll see a bunch of info about it here and hopefully other places. Yelapa is an amazing community and also has a ton of needs. Slowly but surely, we can help and hopefully you can too!

Paradise is seldom quiet
Just about the only time it's quiet these days is when the power goes out and even that is seldom. Yesterday we were treated to a 3 hour energy break and along with it came the silence of Yelapa days past. No Stereos! I'm a big fan of music but there is time for it and time without it. During the silence you could hear the palms rustle and animals talking, the laughter of kids playing and occasional hoot or scream. Thank God most people sold their generators from the old Yelapa days. I went to watch the locals in play at the concha . As the power returned , Yelapa was full of music blaring from all directions. Reports from Pizota is that there is even more booming stereos there! At least we don't have sirens here...

Value of Money
Mateo came by this morning with lemons that we had ordered from him and Vanessa. 'how much do they cost?" "a kilo for 5 pesos" that works out to 20 lemons for 50 cents/us. As my mouth watered thinking of the lemonade I am going to make, I decided on 3 kilos. He sat and counted out my 60 lemons for 1.50 us. Vero bought a few kilos for her Volleyball project, so the total negotiation was 25 pesos or $2.50us. I sat and thought about how Matt had to go and collect the lemons , catch a boat to Yelapa from Pizota, walk up our hill to our casa and for that $2.50! He still had bananas and other fruit to sell , walking his way casa to casa, through Yelapa and El Paso. Today's haul might be 200 pesos or $20.00us. That is equivalent of full day of hard work for a laborer. There are many days I dream of making 200 pesos. For a gringo, I sit and watch my money go out and sometimes it doesn't come back in. I'm not the best laborer and I'm lazy , so I can count that type of work out. So happy as a Bird, leaves Mateo with his bag of fruit. This morning for breakfast was Papaya and yogurt and for the kids eggs with sausage. Vero told me it was expensive as she returned from the store. 80 pesos= $8.00us and that's breakfast for six. The value of money here is definitely different. While we are on the subject I do want to say that Yelapa is expensive, compared to many other towns in Mexico. One reason is the location, all goods have to be bought in Puerto Vallarta, one of the highest priced cities in Mexico and transported almost daily via boat and hand carried to the stores and then stocked for sale. If you want to eat on a limited budget it is very possible and if you don't care... Yelapa is full of great restaurants...

A Special Day
I'm thinking of taking the family to Vallarta tomorrow and to spend the night. Our main mission is to see a movie. It will be the first of their life's. There is an animated movie"A Sharks Tale". It will surely be an adventure. I also look forward to the tacos. Now to figure out where to stay. Oh yea... I forgot to tell you that school is out till Wednesday. Some sort of meetings for the teachers. Yahoo for us!

Vallarta Overnight
I always seem to use the word survived, when I return from Vallarta. It is such an overload to the senses! I am fairly experienced at city life, but after time in Yelapa, Vallarta is intense. The overnight with my family was an adventure as planned and another lesson for me. I still am getting accustomed to having a wife and four kids. In general, Vero is pretty simple but the kids, especially out of their elements can be some work. I have the hardest time with Danny. Being eleven years old and wanting to be the man of the family. I can't blame him , based on his experiences in life, but it's hard... hard for me to be that patient. Our boat left early from Yelapa without us and so we had to wait an hour and take another ponga and a bus to Vallarta. I was hoping to go direct by boat because the kids don't have experience driving in cars/busses and often get sick. After the 45 minute ride, we healed ourselves with a round of tacos. Next stop the cinema. Another miscommunication, the times we had were wrong so we had to wait another hour. A bus got into an accident just in front of the theater and next thing you knew we were in the center of more sirens than a community needs. Horns honked from all angles. I was amazed that here in Mexico the cars in traffic don't pull over for ambulances! What a scene... Finally 30 minutes prior to the movie we got into a line and waited more. Kids movies bring out the kids here! whoa! talk about energy! Mexicans sure know how to have fun... It was interesting to see the police /security guard at the theater entrance door to our movie checking each person in and out. No sneaking into movies here.. After a heated discussion with Danny about why its better to sit in the middle rather than the front row, we finally were ready. I was happy. I sat and watched my kids faces as they were getting ready to see something new. The lights dimmed and the first trailer passed and the look on their faces! A Sharks Tale was great . I don't think they got it all but I laughed alot. We headed for Hotel Azteca. I've stayed there for years. It is super simple and super cheap. Our room with a double and two twins was 240p (24usd). We walked the streets and ate a few more tacos and back for some sleep. Due to the new surroundings for the kids, a pretty much sleepless night. We headed back to our boat in the morning and as we got to the Los Muertos Pier, it made me smile to see some of our locals, doing their thing. A smooth boat ride and back to the comfort of my hammock and to Casa Iguana and to the much appreciated, laid back, Yelapa.

More on a Thud in the night
I watched as one of the boats involved in the head on accident, the other night in the bay was getting repaired. It took a nasty hit with the point of the other boat. It turns out that one party was under the influence. The boat with the damage had a good witness to speak in court though. A local policeman was on the boat and suffered a broken wrist. Remember don't drink and drive, especially when driving boats at night.

Less
Ok... I am fat. But Im happy to report I've lost twelve pounds since I've arrived a month ago. Not only the twelve pounds but I'm in better shape. Yelapa, the world's best health club.

Pizota Bound
I'm ready for another adventure so I'm heading south to Pizota, tomorrow. I'll spend the day with Mateo, Vanessa and Ingrid. Boats leave Yelapa somewhere close to 9:30am from the pier. It's a green and white boat. Be ready cause it just does a quick drive by. Visiting Pizota is a great day trip from Yelapa. More on that tomorrow.

Mellow Pizota
What a nice day spent visiting Pizota and the Casa de Mateo and Vanessa and Ingrid. As I said before leaving Yelapa at close to 9:30am is the green and white, Nayely. It's only a ten minute ride, south to Pizota. Fare is 20p = 2usd, one way, per person. Have your money ready and get ready for a quick jump and usually wet landing. The Surf in Pizota can be rough at times. Get to the front of the boat and get in position to debark. When the boat is at it's lowest point ,get off the boat in one move. Don't hang on at all. If you go to the house straight in front of you, the path to it is on your left, ask the mother for a raspado in vidrio. It is shaved ice with different flavors. All are great. So refreshing and only 7 pesos. There you can ask for Mateo or Fidencio, his farther in law, who lives next door. I had a wonderful breakfast at the Casa de Mateo and Vanessa. Homemade tortillas , made from their corn. I got to play with almost three month old, Ingrid. We then went up to Matt and his Father in laws, Banana Plantation. In a short time in Pizota, Matt and Fidencio have accomplished a ton, planting all sorts of crops. We walked the sleepy town, visiting people who were mostly in hammocks. Then for a swim on the middle beach. The water is so clear and warm. There are waves, so it is necessary to swim out past the first set of surf. There you can float and dream away the hours. The middle beach is large and pure. There is a tienda/restaurant on the path to the middle beach and it might be the only bathroom available, if you buy something. With help climbing a palm, I bought a ream of coconuts and headed back to catch the 5:00pm boat back to my paradise, a whole lot larger and a paradise of a different flavor. In comparison, Pizota has 100 residents, Yelapa has 1500+. As you may or may not know, Pizota has no phones or electricity and of course, no car access. As of a few years ago, Yelapa has all three. Here is my most interesting fact about Pizota, Did you know that 70+ years ago, Pizota was an amazing party scene? Its true ! A huge marketplace, 24 hour Baille's, Food , Mariachis and Fun ! At that time, coco's and chicle were the main source of work and income and when you wanted to spend your money and release a little tension, Pizota was the most popular community to visit, in the entire Bay of Banderas. It was actually even referred to as a Port. Times have changed, but it remains a wonderful community to visit. Go and meet Mateo and see for yourself. Mateo offers guided tours of Pizota and the neighboring community of Tecomate. If your interested contact me and I'll send a bird with a message to him. Viva Pizota!

Passing
One of Yelapa's first American residents, Peggy Muandel passed away, this weekend. I didn't know her personally but have always thought of her, as I passed her Rancho of the past 40 plus years. She was a very private person and had a passion for animals and had many that lived with her. I think she was the only person ever to live in Yelapa that seemed to have no problems with anyone. I wish I had the chance to meet her...

Sleep
Alright I admit it.. I have a sleeping problem. I don't sleep much. But then there are days when I catch up on it and today was one of those days. After a great bowl of chicken vegetable soup, I went upstairs to my In law's, Casa Del Sol. With no guests and all alone, I scouted out a nice comfy space of the big, soft sofa that sits on the open patio. With the sounds of the ocean and the views of the hills and point, I crept into a deep sleep that lasted for many hours. Here is a peek at my dream. Yelapa and naps ...two peas in a pod....

Palapa in Yelapa .Com Exclusive!!! How to fly to Quimixto
Here is Mike Miller's tale of the first ever flight by paraglider to Quimixto, which is located, a 20 minute boat ride up the coast, towards Vallarta.

On the 24th of February 2004, I tempted the dragon and flew cross-country from Yelapa Tapa to Quimixto.
This isn’t a long flight by most cross-country standards, but after 9 years of flying in Yelapa it was a first. My inspiration was from Dexter, the owner of Proflyght Hawaii and an excellent pilot. That day he said, “If I get high, I’m going to (Puerto) Vallarta.” He had just sent his 12 charges off from our 2200 foot launch and they had gone down to the beach for breakfast. It was he, Alaska Jack and myself left on launch as clouds were forming above us, promising an extraordinary flying day for what is normally a lightly thermic coastal site. I left launch around 9:30 after watching Alaska Jack play around some clouds and a mountain peak to the east. I worked moderate, smooth lift into cloud base a few times and boated around trying to decide on where to go. To the south I could probably reach the next town, Chacala, but Alaska Jack had done that the previous year. Watching the cloud base intensify and darken and lower in that direction helped dissuade me from that plan.I watched Dexter take off and climb out, then turn to the north following his dream of flying to Vallarta. First he had to cross the valley of Yelapa and climb up the opposite side. At this point I was still undecided but had 3700’ of height. With this I decided to follow Dexter’s lead, but use a ridge a little east to help bridge the valley and set myself up for the jungle crossing after the other side of the valley.As I crossed the valley, I saw both Dexter and then Jack get lower and lower and arrive below ridge level , fight in lee side thermals and then turn for the beach.I arrived at ridge level and further up valley, fought some of my own lee side thermals and slowly worked my way higher and higher. Since I was over un flown territory, I was on a constant lookout for landing spots if I sank out. The jungle is very dense and full of ticks, so I did not relish the thought of walking out. Finally, with a field in sight, I committed myself. With a last radio transmission and a turn cross wind over the un flown jungle I headed off. I found little lift but discovered a few freshly plowed fields that I could work and land in if needed, for a long walk out. Finally, I found something that gave me enough height to make my out to the coast and a potential landing site at a small beach. I was at 1400’ and could see over two hills into the next town. Reaching it from this altitude wasn't going to be a problem with the tailwind that had sprung up to push me along.I made the next crossing in no time (10 minutes) and looked for more lift on the far side of Quimixto but found nothing. So I turned around and went back to land at the soccer field, which was showing a large Mexican flag. A group of kids surrounded me and explained that it was national Flag Day. From there I walked out to the beach and caught the next boat back to Yelapa to my very relieved partner, Linda. I think I was very lucky to have been in the right place at the right time. And that with the improvement of glides, sink rates and speed in gliders has made what was impossible 8 years ago, now probable.

Here are a few other shots of Quimixto... as far as I know, they are the first aerial shots taken of the town.

Bobby Jones, gone...10/22/04
Wild Man, Musician and Comic, Bobby Jones was in a car accident two days ago in Colorado and yesterday left this planet for other worlds unknown. He was a long time local of Yelapa. Stories of Bobby Jones will be told for many years to come.

More Poles
The other day while on the path, I noticed new holes for telephone poles. As I walked they followed me through the entire town. I finally came across the underpaid and overworked crew from a little poor city somewhere in Mexico. I sat in awe, as I watched them dig a hole about 18"wide and 5 ft. deep, all by hand, in a path filled with cement and stone. It turns out that the poles installed a few years ago were for the electricity and now we are getting the poles for the telephones. It's gonna be a nightmare to try and relocate all the wires to the new poles. Hmmmm...Im not crazy about the thought of more poles ... not even a little, but I don't think anybody's opinions count.

No Roads and No Cars?
Where? If you believe we don't have either in Yelapa , your wrong. We have both, sort of.
Cars... this year a local resident, drove his dune buggy through the town to El Paso for repairs and the Tortilleria, now has a four wheeler with a trailer that they use to deliver water, ice and tortillas to upriver and occasionally a group of kids. Thank God, that's all the cars we have here in the middle of town...

Roads... For more years that can possibly be documented, there has been a camino/road from Yelapa to Chacala. For the majority of those years , the road was traveled by horseback or by foot and in the the past 9 years by 4 wheel drive vehicles or vehicles with high clearance. Cars can only pass on the camino from late November to late May, due to the condition of the road during the rainy season. Every year, around December, a huge scraper comes and levels out the road. There is even a weekly shuttle, a truck that packs sometimes up to twenty people in a truck for the 30 minute ride to Chacala. With every road comes a parking lot and we have two in Yelapa, one next door, at the Casa de Sabino and the other above the cemetery.

The camino is beautiful. The landscape seems to change at every turn. Some areas are covered in sand, some in red clay. Orchids and Wildflowers galore! The first portion of the road is uphill reaching towards, Yelapa Tapa, the favorite launch of the paragliders. One spot has an ancient old stone wall . When you get closer to Chacala you'll start to see cornfields and other produce growing. With all this said, in the season less than ten cars travel this road a day. To put it's location into perspective, from Vallarta for example... 45 minutes south to Tuito, from Tuito to Chacala, roughly 2 hours and from Chacala to Yelapa is 30 minutes. So from Vallarta to Yelapa by car in 3 hours plus or 45 minutes by boat. The main reason for travel on the road is many Yelapense have relatives that live all over the Communidad de Chacala and travel this road to visit them. Also, many supplies and materials can be bought at lower prices and brought in by car easier than by boat, such as brick, cement and propane gas tanks. From Chacala, the old road continues for miles and miles, actually throughout the 70,000 acres of the Communidad de Chacala and more. Last year, we squeezed ten of us into my chinook and went on a vacation, visiting family and friends, all located off the path. Some of the towns we visited were Mascotita, Ixtahuahuey Llano Grande, Tlalpuyeque, Maito, Tecolotan, and Tehualmixtle. My In Laws Marcos and Alicia know every inch of these roads and the history. If you ever want an adventure travel the road with them, as they offer guided tours, walking to Chacala and beyond.

The lack of rain this year has enabled the Scraper to get the road ready for another dry season, earlier than ever.Today I was told the road is ready to roll.. I'll take my motorcycle out, in the next few days to see for myself...and you all can come along for the ride.

Cuarenta Gotas (40 drops)
Both, yesterday and today, that's what it rained, for a grand total of 40 drops.. UGGRRRR!!! We need rain... I'm missing it so much. I love being in bed, in our open palapa ,with my wife in my arms and have it pouring, inches away from us. My garden misses the rain too. You tourists are the only ones who hate the rain... you all want hot sunny days for your precious vacations. I completely understand. It is still really hot and humid here.We still have a chance or more than 40 drops....

Vientos (wind)
Well, we didn't get any rain but instead we got wind, all night long. I'm not talking about a breeze, I'm talking things flying all over the casa. The winds continue today. I'm thinking of taking the moto out for a ride to Yelapa Tapa and to see the views of the entire Bahia de Banderas. What kind of exciting weather is planned for us, tomorrow?

Listo
I think all of Yelapa is doing the same type of work right now, getting ready for the tourist season. Here at Casa Iguana, with the help of Angel, master mason, we rebuilt our stairs. The whole of Yelapa are cleaning up. It feels like its going to be a busy season, but you never know. Either way, Life in Yelapa is great!

Hurricane Anniversary
Just figured out that today is the anniversary of the disastrous Hurricane that hit Vallarta, last year. Locals told me that every year at this time, we get wind and wild weather. They were right as today it rained and the winds are blowing huge gusts, periodically during the day. I didn't make it to the Tapa but I'm glad I got lazy or I would have been in the middle of a huge weather front. Stay tuned...Snow is expected tomorrow..yeah right...

Tapa Sunrise
As you know I didn't get to Yelapa Tapa ... but here is a sunrise photo for you...

Famous, Yelapa.info
Once again the national press pick up a story , that includes our neighbor and friend, Davids Site. You can read the article here.
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