November 2004

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As business once again became an important part of our life , I can now see clearly that I stopped writing from my heart and started writing for other reasons. Let's see what happens this next few months in Paradise. I always seem to find more time to work on my site when the season slows down. We still have a few months filled with visitors... or more?

Translator
My Mother in Law on occasion needs me to assist with translating when someone comes to her for Herbs or Plants or for assistance with a medical problem. Yesterday while swimming in front of her casa, she sent me some hand signals asking for assistance. I got out of the water. At the casa was a friend of mine. To start, she had some basic questions for him, what the level of pain was and for how many days... Then it got wacky!!! She asked about his Bijena that was swollen... ??? Did she just ask about his swollen whale? I sat it between shock and confusion.... As he asks what she said... I carefully ask for some clarity, yes she says again, put this medicine not in, but on the swollen bijena... I looked at her as I definitely needed the translator... she says to me ... the bijena, with her hands in a vee'd position... a bejina? AND THEN IT FINALLY HIT HOME... the b sounds like v thang... vijina.... vijina, she says a few times...ohh... vagina!!! I then tried to figure out what it had to do with my obviously male friend... Ill tell you it actually got worse from there but we all got through it... sometimes I only get the main subject and the little details are hard to catch...this was a great example.... sort of a who's on first , in another language.

History
I've just started a new project this last week and its off to a great start! Along with Carolyn McCall, Cliff Barney and Tomas David del Solar , we are taking another pass at researching the local history of our communidad. More than ten years ago, Carolyn and Cliff collected a notebook filled with notes and maps from the Bancroft Library in Berkeley. Who isn't interested in the history of where you live.... Yelapa and its surrounding areas are full to the brim with stories, culture and adventures , crying out to be told, again...

Another Project
Do you see an ongoing theme here? Today, I had the good fortune to meet with a group of Locals who are interested in building a relationship between Yelapa and the University of New Mexico. Levi, a Professor who specializes in Creative Writing and Architecture, joined us in creating a number of ways that we can work together. Our first step is to identify the needs of the community. Got any ideas? I can't imagine they will be hard to find!

Quilly, actually Loba....
The other night we had a big quincenera and it included many visitors from the ranches above. Arriving from Chacala was Adon and with him was a friend. As soon as they entered the casa, his friend says , Incredible! that's my dog! Huh? I explain that it might look like his dog but surely can't be his dog, even though she just showed up to our property about three months ago,very near death... no, he explained, this is my dog for sure! he bent down and pointed to each little scar on her body and proceeded to tell us the story of her life. About how she was the one of his best dogs that worked with his family on their ranch in Tecuani. She has tons of expediter working with cows and various animals. Her brother died from a snake bite and Loba , her real name was depressed. At one point she had stopped eating and then one day, more than 7 hours by horse away, walked away. He searched the ranches and jungle for her, not even thinking she would somehow appear to us here in Yelapa. I sat in amazement as I always wondered of her past life. Loba is now pregnant and we have one friend that would love one of her pups!

I got behind, again...
I'm not far off, but I havent found much time to update things here. I'm getting about twenty five email a day and its work keeping up, especially for same day reponse... I say I will respond, the same day I recieve it , I should rephrase that to, the same day I read it...

Dave and Dee Dee
The big day for a Yelapa Wedding is just around the corner. Take a look at their website, It's full of good, unbiased info... except Dave saying you only need to link to my friend, David's site... palapainyelapa.com is very usefull also.. and that's my biased opinion!

Luis and Wendy... making a difference!
Yelapa's House of Imagination opened its doors this month. It's Director and Staff are headed up by this dynamic couple, who are also expecting a baby in a few months. The idea of a center for Yelapa youth has been long talked about, just as in many cities across the world. We are lucky to have them both here in Yelapa and all their positive energy to feed off... Yelapa is changing ... and its for the good... I think...

Speaking about Changes...
We are getting closer to a new location for our tortilliaria. Also add more gas powered vehicles to town. That makes six! If you count Antonio's riding rototiller... Lots of contruction going on! Trucks from Tuito arrive every morning at 7:30 am, full of material to be unloaded and hand carried to the jobsite. There is so much work going on that there are two different crews here daily from Vallarta and Ixtlahuey. Rain is coming and we all know it... The pier by the hotel is being repaired and a path right off the water is being put in and work has begun already. The project began, a few months ago, on the beach and was recently relocated by the federal government. Tino's has a new tenant renting, on the beach. They offer trance and jungle music at night and beds during the day, right on the beach. What a nice combination... what other town offers you double beds to relax on, during your beach visit? Casa Palmas/ Ruby's/ Xipi Totec/ The clinic, The giant palapa across the river from the beach... which ever you knew it by... has been rented and is getting ready for a new life... and just in time! Plans for rooms/food/bar and much more are slated for the upcoming future. A new roof is being started this week... congrats... Greg and Pierre... It's one of Yelapa's Jewels!

Flailed
Once again finding the time to write, didn't happen. So you all, will just have to be happy with what I got accomplished... As April ends, Yelapa is slowing down and getting hotter. The ocean has been smooth. Life in paradise is way busy but amazing....

Angelfish
Here is Angel, a local woodworker with the catch of the day...

Raicilla
We are out of Raicilla and Im off on a road trip via Motorcycle up to Moscotita to find some fresh Raicilla. Here is a pic of Manuel, the owner of my favorite taverna. Ill let you know about my visit soon.

My wife, the President
My wife isn't only the boss but she's the president. This Sunday, Vero was elected the President of the Casa de Imagination, our local center for the arts and culture. I am very proud of her and have a ton of confidence in the organization. We are on the last leg of getting our non profit status and registration with the State. The casa is filled with kid's every day the doors are opened. Once Again...Viva Yelapa!

Call me Maestro
This week myself and Alicia, Aldo's wife have started offering English classes to kids. Our first class was a success! I have always had an idea to teach a class to teens here in Yelapa on how to be a guide. I have a feeling the class is just around the corner.

My Dad visits...
From Palm Springs area, my Dad made a five day visit to our paradise. It was a great visit and now refecting, the most time I have spent with him in the last 20 years. Most of the days, he followed me on my rounds through town. Our casa loved the projects he accomplished too! It was great to see him playing with my kids. Thanks Dad...come back soon.

Pongas
While doing some late night searching, I found this in a blog...

Pangas
If there is any thing ubiquitous in Mexico it is the Pangas. They are everywhere, the universal Mexican work boat. Picture them: A twenty foot long, low, narrow, hard chined open fiberglass boat, universally painted white. They are flat sided and flat-bottomed, with a high, flared, pointed bow and a square transom. They are universally driven by a big a outboard motor manually started and steered by a tiller. These boats seem so well suited to their use that it is hard to imagine any other craft which could serve so well.

Pangas usually have a Spanish name crudely painted on the bow, like Chivato, or Irena, and usually blue painted inside. Pangas have no cabin or interior, just a long, lean, open boat with two or three seat thwarts across them and a distinct lack of decoration or frills. The gunnel is just fiberglass curled down over the side, and the bow always rides high and proud, above the waves.

With their flat bottoms, these boats can only achieve a reasonable ride in rough water by their length and by the fact that the driver and passengers ride at the far rear. While the bow may bounce up with the waves, the rear remains implacable, the pivot point for the bow's motion, and the back of the boat is the platform for people.

We've seen these pangas everywhere.
We've ridden in them as ferry boats.
We've bought fish from their drivers at the side of WINGS, and we saw them run up the beach out of the breakers at Yelapa, motors tilted and propellers racing in the air.
We saw the Mexican Navy patrolling in them and saw them hanging from the sides of the most modern Mexican Navy ships as tenders.

They are in every little town and fish camp, just pulled up on the beach or hanging off of a anchor right off the shore. We saw a pair of them heading south down the middle of the Sea of Cortez, late in a sunny afternoon, 100 miles from the nearest town, driving into a steep chop with the bows rising and falling, throwing spray thirty yards with a pounding you could hear half a mile away, but never wavering from their courses, seemingly on an eternal journey.

In every Panga there is the Mexican driver, standing at the back just ahead of the motor, his left hand on the motor handle, facing forward, towards the sea ahead, immobile, going onward.

Often there is just one person, but just as often there are two or three people, frequently they are all standing, like statues, in the back of the pangas. I wonder where they are going. Who are these men? They remind me of the afterguard on a racing sailboat, they just stand there in command, riding the vessel as it goes on it's way, patiently waiting for Godot or something.

They have big plastic jugs, which look like milk bottles or something, for gasoline, with a simple hose out the top to feed the fuel to the motors, and often the owner has stretched a T-shirt over the motor to protect it from the sun. For anchors they have a big rusty hook welded out of re-bar and the only lines I've seen them use are yellow polyethylene.

I have the highest regard for the Mexican Panga drivers. They live in these boats and they are out in all conditions, facing all that the sea can deliver, with an almost fatalistic acceptance of it all, no, it is more like a studied disregard; the conditions just have to be dealt with, not to be made a big deal out of.

The panga drivers are masters of maneuvering too. I heard that they would pile into our side and scratch our paint, and I worried about that, but never, never, have they even come close to bumping into us, even when the driver is trying to stay along side trying to sell us fish or lobsters in a running sea, or making change after I bought some, and he is still keeping a running chatter in mixed Spanish and English and managing to keep his 85hp merc's speed
exactly adjusted to WINGS' speed.

They are master boatmen plus they have been universally friendly. They always wave as they pass, and they are polite when you talk to them, and they are absolutely honest, in our experience.

For each of them there is a family back ashore. In Aqua Verde we watched as the Pangas returned. The kids on the beach watched each panga as it pulled in, and looked at each fisherman's catch, but when their father or brother came around the point they cavorted joyously and then were absolutely focused as that boat drew nearer and finally came in. They caught lines, waded into the water to steady the sides and took ashore the catch, and did what ever they could to be part of the scene, obviously adoring the returning fisherman.

It was really the Mexico we came to see, and we love them all.

So when you come to Mexico and you see a sunburned Mexican zoom up alongside in his Panga to offer you taxi service, treat him with respect and remember, these are the seamen of Mexico; they truly represent the best of the Mexican people and the tradition of the sea.

Fred & Judy, SV WINGS, Mexico

Update (what the hells going on here?) 6/12/05
Well.... I'm redesigning palapainyelapa.com... It involves learning some new technologies and as an old dog, it takes a while to do so.... I'm very excited about life presently! There is so much happening! Thanks for your patience, as always.

 

January , February and March 2005

We meet and live with amazing people from all over the world. Looking back in the last few weeks...
There was our in house kindergarten teacher and good friend, Terri Jo and Laura, master internet marketer and her daughter Holly, a wonderful family from Toronto, Tim, Claire and Jack, the sweet and fun, Dayna and Mark from Colorado, Lili, Chris and Mary, acupuncturists from Berkeley, more friends than I can name from Fairbanks, Alaska, Paul, Lucia, Joe and Kate from Tok, Alaska, Cindi, Dave, Dawson and Callum from Tofino, Nancy and Bob and family, Jan and Hank, Phil from Oakdale, Stacy of Vancouver, The Farley Clan representing Sebastopol and relatives from Clearlake, Angie and her family from New York and Oregon, Famous Adventurer, Peter Peru, Sayuri and fam from Alaska, Lena and her boyfriend from Sweden, Cynthia from Nor Cal, John from Texas, to who I'm forever indebted for finding and bringing our washing machine parts and believe me, this is just a few of our recent guests and now part of our family.

I'm really kicking myself for not keeping up on my journal. So much has happened this last month. I turned 44, last week and had a wonderful party full of good friends, food and cold beer. I'm thankful that my family is happy and healthy. I'm hoping February allows me to spend more time on this site.

New Yelapa Forum!
Brand spankin new is a Yelapa Forum to answer questions and for all to post info on your adventures to Yelapa. The forum is located on the allvallarta.com site run by the amazing Brenda. Helping me keeping up answering questions is David of Yelapa.info. I am positive that it will grow into a huge database of information on our wonderful community.

New Pier in Yelapa
The other day while visiting with a friend on the beach, I noticed some type of heavy-duty drill in action on the far left side of the beach, sitting next to me was the engineer of the their project. In the first quick round of my questions I learned it will be a pier located off the beach, not in the location of the old pier. It is a project funded by a few different government agencies and is expected to take three months to complete. I will return this week and get more info and pics.

Musician Visit
Last night while answering emails, a musician from a past life visited. All the sudden I heard my guitar strum. As I turned my head, I heard my banjo ukulele strum. What in the world? I looked closer in shock as I saw the praying mantis that was visiting and it jumped from instrument to instrument. Very cool.... who knows maybe it was Jerry Garcia or Michael Hedges reincarnated?

Tsunami Help
Yelapa is also offering assistance in the midst of this crisis. As our current family staying in Casa Iguana returned from their day at the beach, two little kids from the neighborhood approached them with a can... "please help, we are with the red cross, collecting money for Tsunami victims". Gabriella offered 2 pesos...they ran off cheering and laughing with their new bounty! Not a great thing to do but we all agreed, definitely ingenious.

Rough Seas
For the last few days and usually close to the full moon, the seas get rough in Yelapa. Here's a few tips to make your voyage easier. Put a plastic bag as a liner in your bag or luggage, that way you wont have to worry when your bag is getting hit by the waves. Of course I'm sure everyone knows to sit, as far to the back of the boat. If your totally into planning, a bit of candied ginger from the States or Canada does wonders. It's a fact that we have never lost anyone to the seas, while traveling on a water taxi in Yelapa History. Do your best to enjoy the adventure.

Martita's First Show... At Home in Yelapa
One day famous artist, Martita is alot closer to fame with her upcoming show at the Hotel Lagunitas Gallery on March 10th, 6pm. I've personally watched my friend and fellow social misfit , fine tune her skills of pen and ink drawing here in Yelapa. If your in town that week make sure to check her recent work out. It's real nice...She is showing until April 10th.


It's my computers fault!
I had a rare computer problem and want to apologize for any delay to emails I've received. I proud myself on rapid reply's and every once in a while something gets in my way... I'm now going through backups and responding as fast as possible.

Off to Tuito
Tomorrow, we are off to Tuito, our municipal city. I am honored to be meeting with the President of the Cabo Corrientes. For the past months, I've been brainstorming an idea to build tourism and I finally get a shot at pitching it. It will be good to see some some new sights and learn new things.

Tuito
Every time I visit Tuito , I wish I had three days to visit instead of one. It is so clear that it is full of culture. The day was really amazing. We met Fiti, Mayor and Sheriff of Yelapa and his family on the muelle in Yelapa early and Fiti needed to do a small errand and asked that we wait. His son tied a rope from the boat to a large propane tank sitting on the pier and then threw it the ocean and Fiti pulled the tank out to the point where his son carried it to the casa that was out of gas... way cool! Back to the day... We took his ponga to Boca and from there took the bus 45 minutes to Tuito. Upon arrival to the town center, we ran into a bunch of familiar faces. There was all our friends that work in Yelapa as police. The police in Yelapa rotate every 15 days and usually during that rotation, many work in the pueblos close to Tuito. It was odd to see them out of Yelapa but a treat for all of us. I was a bit nervous as we headed up to see the Pres. It was my good fortune to meet Blanca, who's main responsibility is to build tourism in the Cabo Corrientes. With her english skills and her support , I was able to outline my ideas for tourism. In addition, I met the gentleman who in charge of technology for the Cabo. I left the day excited and full of positivity. The president, Leon was kind enough to give me a map of the Cabo Corrientes and I'll share it with you.

Katrina, the basketweaver...
More than a year ago in Occidental, I had a flash about Katrina and her skills. She forages in the woods and collects plants and materials to be weaved into baskets and shakers. It turned out that she too had an dream to work on her weaving in an Indigenous community. No more dreaming for the two of us... Katrina is here for a few weeks and we have been collecting materials from all the area. My in laws visited last night and we talked mostly about plants . It always amazes me how much a Yelapense knows about the earth. Today's adventure brings Katrina and myself along with Gabriella, Andrew, Piute and Terra to the mountains above Pizota to collect plants.
Mateo and Vanessa, Alicia and Daly are going to learn how to make the baskets and shakers too. More info soon...

Rain and Wind...
It has been raining for a few days... The world and it's weather is definitely wacky. Rain here in February isn't common. We survived. I was feeling sad for my friend Roy and his Yoga Group of 20. They too survived but it isn't what any tourists ordered, although rain for Yelapa is great. Wind on the other hand, can cause chaos to our open palapa. This morning after a thundering rain, the wind paid us a visit. It's not like we haven't seen wind like this but it's not often we see it with a casa full of guests. The kids went wild, screaming to the skies above. Cups and dishes, papers and assorted things flew, not to mention the branches and leaf materials. Andrew had a close call with a branch in the head. An hour later with the power out , the skies slowed to a halt. The water is now like a lagoon and all the weather is gone and forgotten, except for the massive cleanup needed after we take a much needed nap...

Here it is, the next day and it is going to be glorious today! The sun is magnificent, especially after three days of not seeing it...the ocean is calm...birds are singing...

Overheard
While on the path, over a walkie talkie in Yelapa.... " I'm there and it's closed! " Where? " Rolley Polley " no it's not Rolley Polley... It's Polo Bolo! ....... If you have never been to Pollo Bollo (pronounced Poyo Boyo) you should! Open Wednesday - Sunday nights. Serving Great Dinners of Chicken, Fish and Ribs... They also have a vegetarian plate. Meals are 40 pesos for a half order and 60 pesos for a full order.

Great Weather
We are having a great round of weather here in Yelapa. The unusual February rains have brought back more of the greens that were fading. Birds are everywhere. The Sun has been shining daily with a little sweet breeze. Do whatever you can to get on a plane and visit. You deserve it!

Back in the USA
I'm off to Sonoma County for two weeks to take care of business and to cross the border, after my six month visit. After fifteen years of visiting Yelapa, I have finally figured out how to live here full time! I'll be checking my email and hope to see you all in Yelapa soon...

Back in one piece
I made it back safely from a 12 day visit to the States. The weather was lovely. I have lots to say but can't right now. I have a ton of email to respond to! Please be patient, I'll be caught up soon. I will hopefully able to once more respond to emails the same day I receive them. There are lots of great Casa's available in April in Yelapa! Come on down!

Caught up! 3/20/05
I spent an entire day answering emails and am completely caught up. My response time is now minutes!