Loose Ends

A smidge over two months ago the Yelapa Memo blog was created. Since then, you all logged over 700 visits. I am humbled and indeed appreciative. In those twelve postings I spoke about: nature and kayaking, food and frolic, local culture and ritual, embracing a new and varied point of view, and even gun control. Apart from the multiple massacres associated with the latter, it has been a good two months. I look forward to discovering and illuminating more issues during the coming year. I desire your help in expanding the blog readership. Every week when the posting is completed, I throw a note onto my FB. If each of you would click on “share”  located below that note, then my posting will appear on your FB as well and be forwarded to all of your friends. My goal is to push the 1000 visits/month figure. Together we can do this.

Before heading into the unchartered waters of 2013, one topic requires an update. Regarding the posting under Yelapa Health Care, I can now add that I personally sought and received care at our local clinic. Without engaging in unnecessary details, let’s just say that I was bitten several times during the night by one of two highly venomous spiders (black widow or brown recluse). The next morning my right hand resembled a catcher’s mitt and my ears could have independently auditioned for the remake of Dumbo. I reacted in the manner that every male would and decided to postpone seeking medical assistance for twenty-four hours. In this case, it was the wrong decision. The following morning, off to the clinic I go. I spent twenty minutes with Dr. Cesar Rodriguez watching him attempt to mask the shock in his face.  An IV was started and I received the first of three anti-venoms required to combat the bite. Since our local clinic did not possess the additional two, I was instructed to depart for Puerto Vallarta as soon as possible and report to the Regional Hospital for additional treatment. Cost to me at the Yelapa Clinic = 0.  We arrived at the hospital, effectively a county hospital, and over the ensuing nine hours (on Diana’s Birthday) I was attached to another IV and the remaining anti-venoms were administered. At 1:00 a.m. I was released. Cost to me at the Regional Hospital = 200 pesos ($16 USD). I continue to mend thanks to the professionalism of those with whom I came in contact that day. Gracias a todos.

A possible topic for future exploration might be the visitation of friends. Diana and I were delighted to host Karen and Steve Rubin. We shared our local waterfall, enjoyed an amazing lunch at Ray’s Shambhala, chatted extensively and then escorted them to their departing water taxi. All this with two people we had never met. The Rubins, who reside in Asheville, NC; are friends of my brother and his wife. A visit to Yelapa was arranged during an annual trip to their timeshare in North Vallarta. We look forward to their return.   

Without intentionally structuring this post as a set of wishes for the new year, I have inadvertently identified two of the most important issues one could seek: good health and cherished friends. My wish and challenge to you all  in 2013 is simply this:  1) add an event to your routine which is health based, and 2) commit to making at least one new friend. Perhaps, just perhaps you’ll be as “charmed” as we were with Steve and Karen Rubin. Feliz Ano Nuevo

Commercial Break

Memo’s Kayaks will be available daily throughout the remainder of the holidays. Groups of eight can be accommodated comfortably. Be sure to call first regarding availability. Just ponder how peaceful our world might be if everyone started the day off with a ride on Memo’s Yaks.

Memo's Favorites 2012

As I view the lower half of the final page of my 2012 calendar, I take pause and ponder the manifest blessings which have been bestowed upon me during the prior months. Oh Gag! This is not a moment for obtuse reflection; it is yet another opportunity to assess the next action moving forward. VIVA! Somehow the act of reflection raises my paranoia filter. Does anyone else harbor that vacuous thought that they might look rearward to reflect and see nothing other than the reflection of their rear?  

I have decided to proffer instead my personal choices of all that is incredible in Yelapa. In the interest of full disclosure, I acknowledge that no extensive survey was taken, no statistical analysis applied and certainly no objectivity invited. These are my personal selections and I am gifting them to you, my dedicated readership to relish for the coming year until I update them in December 2013. May I have the envelope, please?

Memo’s Favorites

2012

Best Cup of Coffee                Café Bahia-Susan Pasko

Cheapest (Best?)Beer on the Playa            Domingo’s

Best Margarita/Best Overall Restaurant/Best View

                               Shambhala-The Vasquez Family

Best Shrimp Dishes  El Manguito-The Castillon Family

Best Local Attraction                    The Town Waterfall

Best Guide to fishing/Marietas/Corrales

        Okley Activities and Excursions-Fernando Garcia

Best (newest) MassageTherapist             Debbie Grey

Best Kayak Rental         Memo’s on the Playita-Memo

Best Electronic Bargain       Prepaid Cell phone TelCel

I seek to simply communicate the spectrum which exists in our little pueblo. Yes, there are food and beverage purveyors galore, physical activities in which to engage and comfortable lodging in which to retreat. If your “travels” to Yelapa during 2013 include nothing more than my blog, a few online videos and the odd travel book at the public library, then rest assured that there is a friendly “hola, buenos dias” awaiting you manana. Feliz Navidad!

For your listening pleasure, I am including a link to the quintessential Mexican Christmas song. Enjoy!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD3iGaXzFlA

Yelapa Health Care

Those who travel look forward to visiting new spots, experiencing new people and consuming unknown delicacies. We never consider what to do in the advent of a medical issue or emergency. If you are planted in a high-rise hotel in a major city, then you call the front desk, they call the ambulance and the scene evolves from there. However, what if you are located in a remote village sixty minutes by water taxi from Puerto Vallarta? Oops, I forgot the part about the challenges of a foreign language.

Those of you who undertake (unfortunate choice of words) endless investigation before selecting a destination are aware that Puerto Vallarta is home to four high quality medical facilities. Diana and I (Memo) have experienced appointments in three of these hospitals. We found each to be spotless, staff courteous and well versed in English and the surrounding facilities to be nothing short of what you expect from a four/five star hotel. For those of you who may not be aware, Puerto Vallarta now offers a vast array of medical services (cosmetic, dental, major surgery etc.) under the label of “Medical Tourism.” For a city with roughly 200k inhabitants, that’s pretty impressive.

Ok, so if you become ill, scrape your foot, or the guy forgets his vacation “meds” and you’re spending time in PV, you’re covered. What happens if you’re staying in Yelapa for five days and you experience some medical need? Here’s what you can expect. Yelapa is home to a beautiful, well-staffed (two doctors and a nurse) clinic. This link features several photos as well as a brief video of the clinic: https://picasaweb.google.com/110100488343007259198 

Two visiting American friends of mine have experienced non-major medical issues here in Yelapa. They sought assistance through the clinic. Their needs were met efficiently and professionally and NO CHARGES were assessed, including, in one instance, the administration of a tetanus shot. In each case, the individuals elected to make a contribution equal to what an out of pocket office call would cost in the states. Were a major medical situation to arise, the clinic will extend care to stabilize the patient who will then be transported to Puerto Vallarta. There is a designated emergency panga identified for such situations. We daily pass and greet our local doctors by their first names. They are a valued and honored part of our community.

A word about scorpions; we do live in the jungle. Although we typically think of this insect’s habitat as the desert, it does live here. It is non-aggressive and prefers to camp in dark and damp surroundings. However, if cornered and provoked, it will defend itself; remember it’s the back end not the front that you need to watch.  Every morning shake out your shoes, clothing, backpacks, or anything else which might afford overnight lodging. As part of the communal health plan, someone in each of the four colonies of Yelapa has been identified and trained to administer an anti-venom injection 24/7.

Plan ahead, be prepared, an ounce of prevention—pound of cure or any other pneumonic which reminds you to travel intelligently. You select a vacation site so that you can rest, relax, eat, drink and enjoy. Just remember to continue with the “think” part also.

Commercial Break          

Every day dolphins cruise the bay to harass the resident tuna. Every day the tuna cruise the bay and eat the blue runners. Every day the blue runners swim by and idly watch their numbers diminish. Question: What does this have to do with renting a kayak?  Answer: When you’re in a kayak you can place yourself directly into this entire food chain and still return home safely for lunch. Call Memo, he’s your man!

Yelapan Olympiad

I lived in the Los Angeles basin during the 1984 Summer Olympics. My involvement was two pronged: one when I traveled to some high school track to see the torch brought to the site: and two when I watched a soccer (futbol) match in a packed Rose Bowl Stadium. My gawd, that was nearly thirty years ago. I can still recall the wonder of seeing the torch pass before me. The sound of the runner’s shoes on the rubberized track, the visual created by the unitary arm-torch-flame, the labored breathing of the participant as he strove to hide any signal of fatigue. Obviously, it was a moment remembered.

Ok, I sense my audience grows antsy. What does the 1984 Summer Olympics have to do with Yelapa? Let me tell you. In an earlier post, I wrote that the locals were sprucing up their stores, lodging spaces, restaurants, water taxis, beach furniture and each other. Why? You’ve forgotten already! The reason for this heightened state of activity is the seasonal arrival of the world’s tourists. Consider it akin to the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Adjust the metaphor to reflect less bulls but running every day for six months. As locals, we readily admit that for six months there is indeed a lot of bull in town. Alas, we are an accepting people.     

Along comes November 1; the temperatures remain high, the humidity is even higher; while the incoming water taxi passenger numbers increase the travelers only spend the day and then depart. Along comes November 15; the temperatures remain high, the humidity has dropped to the point of paralleling the temperatures (good news); water taxi traffic increases but lodging and restaurant occupancy remains flat. Along comes November 22 (Thanksgiving Day); temperatures have dropped a few degrees taking the humidity down with it; virtually all the seasonal ex-pats meet and greet each other graciously over turkey, smashed potatoes and margueritas. Only a few bulls have begun to walk the streets. Along comes December 1; temperatures have dropped into the high 70s F with humidity falling into the mid-50s. Nights are cool, inviting one to sleep with some type of cover. The early daylight hours are drop-dead gorgeous. A breeze continues well into mid-morning. Whale sightings occur throughout the day. Incoming and departing water taxis are filled to the gunnels-----yet where are the balance of the bulls? It is a village on edge. Merchants meet you with their eyes; inquisitive frowns crease their foreheads. Lodging managers escort a single couple to their space then shrug as the balance of their accommodations lie void of travelers. We are a village in waiting.

Yet another metaphor to punctuate the point. Consider Disneyland poised for the opening bell. One day the keeper of the key ambles forward to cast open the doors to the Magic Kingdom and ------------no cars exist in the parking lot. Now Yelapa is certainly not the Magic Kingdom and fortunately we are without parking lots and vehicles. Diana and I personally have three friends arriving within the next two weeks. Hopefully, everyone else does as well. If not, there will be untold meals/beverages not consumed; sunrises/sunsets missed; whales/dolphins/manta rays not cited; etc. etc. etc.  Come on folks, I know you have four days of vacation time tucked away. Get in touch with your wild thang! Venture to Yelapa!!!

Commercial Break

Just to show that my heart and wallet are in the right place, I will offer a 15% discount on kayak rentals during the month of December if you mention this particular blog post by name.

Blogger's Block

Having just returned from Sunday birria at Shambhala, my belly is full and my thirst is quenched. The morning is a glow. Life is good…….right up to the point that I sense my mind is void of any clue for this week’s blog. So what now? I react in the same manner any self-respecting male has done for centuries, I sit and ponder. I ponder my most recent insect bite; I ponder the water line on the rocks across the bay; I ponder Nikki’s belly when I rub it; I even ponder my belly. Then suddenly an errant thought descends into that vacuous intellect of mine------advance to the kitchen-----open the refrigerator----extract a singular Pacifico, plunk your rump on the couch and await inspiration. Alas, it works!  

We live at the top of a four story concrete building. Casa Azul is a spacious casita with an entry way, full kitchen, tiled bathroom, living/dining area and two large bedrooms. The north facing wall supports five foot tall windows across its entire span of twelve linear feet.  The vista reveals the entirety of the Playa side of the bahia. Every water taxi, panga, kayak, log, beach towel, reclining lounge, cavorting dog, ice chest or bare chest is observable. It creates a sixty square foot big screen. Diana and I (Memo) have been known to lose hours gazing or even gawking in absolute amazement.

As I write this, one of our neighbors, Alejandro is out testing a new wing with his motor-assisted, para-sailer. While the small motor spews noises akin to a Tim Allen enhanced food processor, the aerial acrobatics mitigate any irritation. He sways, ascends nearly vertically, kills the motor and pilots his craft over the next half hour around the bay. Visitors on the beach lust for such freedom; dogs pursue the shadow and bark at some perceived flying threat. Our pilot executes his return to the sandy beach, observers applaud; he smiles and responds to their polite inquiries.

Sunday is family day in Yelapa. The afternoon draws the various clans to the beach. Youth of all ages frolic in whatever surf is lapped up, over and around them. A collage of teenage boys immerges with boogie boards in tow. They while away the ensuing hours bonding, shouting, riding and thrashing in the swells which only rise in their sector. Shadows announce the arrival of evening, families re-group; the young males scan the horizon for one last set and the beach empties.  

Paradise demands engagement, embracing and total immersion. Only then do we understand and appreciate our place within it.

Mexican Food

There are few pleasures in life more gratifying than eating your way through Yelapa. Forget all you have ever eaten under the genre of Mexican Food. Local palate pleasing purveyances grant the diner an unbridled partaking of protected family recipes. The blend of a potent salsa, the nuances of a marinade, and the coalescence of tastes captured by a seasoned grill are all ingredients of everyday meals. It just never stops.

By all means visit and consume the reviewer comments on tripadvisor (link identified below) on all restaurants here in Yelapa.

 However since it is my blog, I elect to intervene with but a few comments on my favorite spots.   

Café Bahia

Located at the base of the town pier, Susan Pasko creates egg dishes for breakfast and healthy sandwiches for lunch. All ingredients are fresh to the point that the herbs and spices were growing in her garden that morning. Produce is treated with Microdyn and only purified water is used.  Her restaurant is a focal point for the local ex-pat community.

Pollo Bollo

Situated on the pathway off the main square which runs out to The Point, this entity is known for its substantial portions. While a major draw with visitors appears to be the Bar-B-Q half chicken, I recommend sampling the local fair. A personal favorite is the mixed fajitas. As is the Yelapa custom, all meats and foul are marinated before grilling. The nuanced flavors complimented with fresh onions, green peppers and tomatoes will linger on your visual and gastronomic palate until you return.

Shambhala

This petite jewel lies nestled above the wall across from the pre-school. The Vasquez family (Ray, Violeta, Alexa) and their assistant extraordinaire, Martina, consistently purvey the greatest meals in Yelapa. Each order is made individually which demands more time but the wait is mitigated by consuming the first bite. Mixed brochettes, bacon wrapped shrimp, arrachera steak and pollo catalina are but a few of the dozen dinner offerings.   With the return of the season, Ray opens for breakfast (coffee, smoothies, and eggs) and lunch (tacos, Martina’s enchiladas, and more) and dinner. This year will see the introduction of several vegetarian offerings. Ray is a master of libation creation and customer service, Violeta, his wife, and Martina support him with food preparation associated with a five star restaurant. If you are famished, try the plate-sized hamburger-seriously. It is the finest I have ever tasted and available in beef, chicken and Portobello mushroom versions. Should your stay overlap a Sunday morning, then a visit to Shambhala for birria/birria tacos is a must. Word of caution--go early (9:30 am) as this is a local ritual. The supply is typically exhausted by 11:30.

El Manguito

Located upriver, across the bridge; a right turn will take you past the elementary school. The restaurant will be on your right.  If you are traveling from Hotel Lagunita just follow your feet up the river path. This restaurant is an institution with visitors. The owners, Luis and Angelica Castillon, offer an extensive menu from fresh fish to traditional enchiladas and chile rellenos. In my opinion, their forte is shrimp offered in mango, coconut, papaya, garlic, or tequila sauce.

Commercial Break

Once you’ve begun to feast your way into, around and through Yelapa, you’ll experience a sudden craving for exercise and the out of doors. The latter can be easily achieved by looking out the window of your rented domicile. The former is achievable via your amigo Memo who will assist you with kayak rentals to cruises around the bay upon your arrival on the Playita. For those of you who are first timers to Yelapa, there’s my ever popular Romantic Sunset Kayak Cruise: this offers that special couple the chance to sit in a kayak on the beach for up to two hours and enjoy a cold beer, chips and salsa. A boom box is available upon request.   

"Thar she blows!"

Every Fall a nation of humpback whales settles into Banderas Bay. They feed, they cavort, they breach, and finally the females signal availability with thunderous  fin slapping on the surface of the water. It is one of many natural spectacles here in The Nature Channel (Yelapa). Rumor has it that the spiciness of Mexican krill inflames the giant mammalian libido.

 In anticipation of gaining the first sighting of their return, November 1^st of each year is unofficially designated as Ok to Start Sighting Whales Day. We crane our necks and strain our eyes for the telltale spouting which announces an arrival. Over the ensuing two weeks the majority of us simply experience sore necks and fatigued eyes.

Then, when you least expect it, something catches your attention. Allow me to digress for just a moment. Diana and I (Memo) were enjoying our morning cup of coffee while dutifully stationed in front of our massive picture window. Our pulses accelerated slightly as we watched one, then two and ultimately three separate pods of dolphins glide into the bay. They were here for one reason and it wasn’t to sun bathe. Virtual geysers of small fish sought airborne shelter only to descend into the awaiting mouths of ravenous hunters. This event continued for the next dozen or so minutes. Then, having filled their bellies, these denizens departed our little bay with Esther Williams’ grace and synchronicity. We shared a pleasant glance and I returned to the coffee carafe for my refill.

Half-way through the pouring process, I heard a loud “flap” rebounding around the walls of the bay. It meant only one thing. Initially two, and later an entire school, of adolescent manta rays had arrived. The noise is created by these black and white sea wings actually breaching into the air and then landing belly flop style. Two of these majestic creatures demonstrated their form of aerial acrobatics. It is always a hoot to watch. The school cruised the entire beach front as if to take a victory lap prior to departure. We collectively chortled.          

Nikki, our English Shepherd, signaled that it was her appointed time for attention and headed for the front door. She and I departed for our designated convenience break location perhaps fifty quick paces away. We had barely arrived when the familiar voice of Diana hollers “Memo there’s a whale in the bay.” What was I to do? Nikki satisfied her basic needs and we returned to Casa Azul. Diana was well past jubilation and approaching giddy. She recounted each detail of the approach; the doubting of what she saw; the gentle rolling and ultimately the fluted tail appearing straight up in the air signaling its descent. Clearly the dolphins and the manta rays had been the warm-up acts for what was to follow.

The West Coast stared into its morning commute. The East Coast gazed at a mid-morning cup of coffee. Diana and I sighed, smiled and kissed. It was a great day to be a Yelapan!  

  

Commercial Break: If frolicking with feeding dolphins (just keep your hands inside the kayak), paddling through leaping manta rays (wear your helmet) or attempting to re-board your kayak after having been tossed out by the wake of a breaching whale (life vest required) sounds attractive to you; then see Memo on the Playita. He’s your man!

GringoLandia

Having recently returned from nearly a month “al norte,” no doubt my readers are awaiting some profound compare and contrast essay. I must admit that upon my replanting into Yelapan soil, I too saw an opportunity ripe for sarcastic satire and poignant put down. Such will not be the case.

Place A is neither better nor worse than place B. It simply possesses its own litany of descriptors; nothing else. Now here is where the human element intervenes into the equation; I have the discretion to elect which set of descriptors are best suited for me. Both my wife and I, independently, spent decades in the “burbs” of Los Angeles as young, salaried, professionals with families. Our geography was determined by either the merging of the above descriptors or the employment demands of a spouse. Naiveté begat acceptance and complacency.

Two cosmic events unpinned those shackles: 1) the advent of cheap airfares and 2) HGTV’s introduction of weekly episodes of House Hunter’s International. Sprinkle liberally with the benefits of empty-nesting and financial security just around the next corner. The resulting molecular reaction was unstoppable. I must also add that by now Diana and I had found each other (what a difference a spouse makes). Each adventure into some unknown geography, whether domestic or international, gave rise to the question “Could we do this?” We ceased judging a site and sought instead to identify its resident descriptors.

In the past year, we have grown to love Yelapa. The oppressive heat and humidity have subsided; the village is all spruced up, and aromas flood even the tiniest of pedestrian corridors. It is a moment of intense pride for us knowing that we don’t have to go home at the end of the day. We are home.    

Continuing reminder: For that enhanced Yelapa experience remember Memo's Kayaks on the Playita. Experience a perspective of the village previously reserved for dolphins, whales, and pangueros. Mention this ad and receive free assistance during launching and return.

Yelapa Bound

My neighbor suggests  that once you arrive in Yelapa, you should turn your watch/clock back thirty years. I would urge you to be more radical. While awaiting the water taxi, remove all instruments which track time (watch, cell phones, electronic planners, sun dials, etc.) and stow them until the morning of your departure.  During the balance of your stay seek to embrace the following: the sun will alert you as to the arrival of the morning or its absence to the onset of night; your stomach will communicate when it requires input; and your throat will advise you when it desires drink. What else do you need to know? There are no dinner reservations in Yelapa. The only activity which is remotely choreographed by time is the water taxi schedule. I removed my watch a year ago November and wore it only during my recent return to Gringolandia—a culture obsessed with the identification/ tracking/wasting of time.

Allow me to infuse a word regarding expectations; actually several words.  Those of you who are “A” type personalities will have researched each of the nearly one hundred lodging opportunities, dozen or so restaurants, and various activities; visited, re-visited and printed reviews from TripAdvisor  and even, oh please tell me not,  purchased the Yelapa movie (Which way, por favor?)  Others venture here, especially those from the Portland area, simply on the recommendation of a friend, a hair-dresser, or a travel agent. The last category of trekkers are the hardy hiker types. They shlep huge strap bearing containers on their backs. Leap off the water taxi at the main beach and in five minutes are consuming the good, albeit basic, life in the shadow of a pitched techno-tent.  Over the following few hours, each group will incubate uniquely diverse expectations. My point is that no amount of research can prepare you for the sound of the wind blowing through the Parthenon, or the scent inside the Sistine Chapel or the rush you feel when your water taxi captain opens the throttle. The less fettered by expectations, the greater your experience. Just a thought.   

Let’s talk about stuffing your bag. My comments relate only to your stay in Yelapa. If you are visiting other destinations, you’re on your own. Hopefully, your visit with us will not be any shorter than three days. Having said that, bring three tops, three pair of under-alls, one pair of khaki shorts, one swim suit, a pair of flip-flops dedicated for inside only, and a pair of Teva-type sandals for outside only. The distinction will become apparent upon your arrival. Sunblock (30 SPF) and deet laden bug spray. This list is gender neutral. That’s pretty much it. If your good fortune involves a stay of a week or more, simply add one to each of the items listed. Either wash your own soiled wear mid-stay or drop it off in the morning at Ley’s Laundry for pick-up that afternoon. If you plan on bringing a laptop with you, place a medium sized garbage bag into the case. Cover the case prior to departing on the water taxi. Note:  None of the locals care about how fabulous the visitors appear, only that they appear appropriately.

How much to tip is always an issue for Americans. In general, we tip too much which communicates that we all reside in a gated community called The Seven Cities of Cibola. Tipping for meals runs 10%-15%. Dinner maybe upwards of 20% if you have enjoyed excellent service and superior food. All waiters on the main beach, as well as most of those in town work for tips, that’s it.  Luggage bearers with their wheelbarrows, are available if you desire,  at the town pier. Depending on the size and number of your bags, 10p-20p per bag is a guideline. There are no ATMs or cash windows in Yelapa. While a few restaurants are now accepting credit/debit cards, cash is your best bet. There are ATMs (cajeras) all over Puerto Vallarta including at the airport. With current exchange rates around 13:1, 5000 mx pesos will equal close to $400 USD.  Many locals will accept USDs but exchange them at 10:1 to keep the math easy. (i.e. 100 mx p equals $10 USD). Alert your credit/debit card company that you will be traveling and using your cards in Mexico. This will avoid generating a fraud alert and a lock out on your card. An event which can take days to unwind and untold roaming charges. I speak from experience.

Yelapa is a village of working people. During this time of the year, the vast majority work toward imparting to you, their guest, the most gracious experience they can. The village is not a high end, all inclusive resort, never will be. Locals will greet you with their eyes, and respond with a smile to any utterance remotely resembling “hola” or “buenos dias.” Leave your “other world” behind, after all it was Yelapa you came to experience, right?

Commercial Break: (The camera closes in on a rainbow collage of kayaks. A bronzed Adonis reclines under an umbrella, a frosty water in his hand.)

(he speaks:) “ Hola, I’m Memo and I run a kayak and water sports rental operation at the Playita. We offer single/double kayaks, boogie boards, and soon-to-be a pair of paddle boards. All are available to you, our visitor, for your recreational pleasure. (camera fades , the lapping of small waves crescendos) Yep that’s me, except the Adonis part—the producer added that  !!!

Off to birria.

Rituals

Today is Sunday, right? This day embraces more ritualism globally than any other. Ponder for just a moment. Sunday begins with some type of morning ritual— sleeping in late, physical intimacy- BC (before children), pancakes, waffles, brunch out-BC, consuming the Sunday paper, attending church; some type of afternoon ritual— phone calls to distant family members, meal with the extended family, sports on the TV, physical intimacy- BFB (before football); some type of evening ritual—preparing for work or school, perhaps a return to church, more sports on the TV, or even some type of intellectual engagement on the TV. At some pre-selected hour, we ceremoniously close with the ritual of re-visiting our sleeping platforms.

Yelapa is no less defined by rituals than any other geographic cluster. Allow me to share mine. The morning opens with a full body stretch and a right half-pivot. The overlapping netting separates and I immerge. Within two steps, Nikki is at my side exhibiting a full-bodied “Good Morning.” She is fed, watered and I draw a mug of my favorite Mexican coffee (coincidentally, it is called Memo’s) and adjourn to the couch. My morning unfolds, not with the passage of time, but with the occurrence of events. There is a difference! The shadows overhanging the mountains are chased into the bay; the odd remnant of a cloud escapes from upriver, pangueros ply their morning trade as hand signals of greeting are exchanged. Ah, but today is Sunday, right? That means birria at Ray’s Shambhala.

The seductive tones of Mexican music beckon. I am Odysseus navigating around the Sirens; I investigate. Upon entering, I am greeted by multiple smiles, some from fellow customers, the balance from Ray’s family and staff. Ascending to the Tree House level, I plunk down at my usual table, usual chair. The ritual unfolds. My order is unchanging: three tacos, one consommé, and a Bloody Maria.  Another event ensues. A small spider resembling a leaf fragment powered by tiny legs creeps into focus . It undertakes the ritual of web building. Ambling counter-clockwise, this tiny creature replicates exact angle after angle as it journeys over larger circles, a flawless work-in-progress. I remain mesmerized until jolted by Alexa who ferries my order. Complimenting a plate bearing three double-plied tortillas filled with birria meat are four small bowls. They contain: cut limes, chopped onions and cilantro, a green guacamole- based salsa, and a red jalapena-based salsa. Let the birria ritual begin. My fingers sprinkle onions through each of the individual tacos; the same action is repeated with cilantro. The guacamole salsa is dribbled liberally onto each taco and any remainder is added to the consommé. The red salsa must be surgically distributed as to amount and location. Lastly, four drops of lime juice descend equidistantly into each taco; this is a science folks. The sirens wail; I am seduced. The first taste forces one, sometimes both eyes to roll while a guttural “mmmmmmm” escapes. This ritual repeats with each bite, through each taco.

As I push away from the table, I catch a glimpse of my tiny companion. It appears to reside at the exact point where my gaze left it moments earlier. No doubt, it became as absorbed in my ritual as I had with his?  We bid each other a ritualistic good bye. Que le vaya bien. (That all goes well with you)

Kayak a day ...

I had intended to ponder my new techno-toy for a week or so before crafting the next post. Even in paradise, stuff happens unexpectedly. Allow me to quickly set the stage. A few months ago, my best friend, Fernando, and I acquired several kayaks and began the largest, best equipped kayak rental operation here in Yelapa. Having “yaked” several times while living on the Central Coast of California, I embraced this opportunity to return not only to an activity I thoroughly enjoyed in my younger days but to re-acquire the svelte, taut body that went with it. Film at eleven on that part.

Indulge me further, the stage is almost set, fast forward to Tuesday; October 16, 2012.The alarm pierces my peacefulness at 7:30 a.m. Nikki has her breakfast while I enjoy half of a pan dulce expertly pared with two mugs of rich Mexican coffee. Ok, pay attention now here’s the real beginning of this post. Yesterday’s clouds, occasioned by the passing of Hurricane Paul, are succeeded by crystal morning skies. A heightened energy level resides.  I dash down stairs and head for my “yaks.”  Within a hand full of minutes I’ve launched my favorite yellow Frenzy and head out on my typical loop around Yelapa Bay.  Dolphin dorsal fins appear then disappear as a pod of adolescents search for breakfast on the run. The interior waters are calm this morning unlike the swells of yesterday which crashed against house-sized boulders and spewed sea mist to the tree line. I approach the Lagunita Pier which identifies the final corner on my loop (Do loops have corners?) and paddle back toward La Playita—home base. The tide has risen above its norm causing the River Tuito to expand bank-to-bank before surging into the bay. Their merger creates a visual display which humbles. Incoming bay swells smash their way up river while exiting river current rears wave-like and passes through an apparent foe to re-emerge out the back side.

The visual and auditory display memorialize the forces of nature. It is not an event which beckons to the intermediate “yakker.”  Proceeding into the turmoil demands an appreciation of the merging rhythms of two opposing wave sets: surfing the crest of the incoming bay wave so that my kayak (and I) can then be handed off to surf the backside of the approaching river wave. I must then paddle feverishly to break free and pass into the calm flow of the river. It’s a heart pounder.

The Tuito, perhaps a hundred feet across, passes laden with silt. The flow originates from tropical summer storms in transit over Cabo Corrientes, our county . It is a task performed for countless centuries. My kayak and I become a grain of history.  Rounding the river’s first corner, I am surrounded by a vista which mirrors the great Amazon. The shoreline grants refuge to countless avian waders, tree sitters, high fliers and insect chasers. Most ignore my presence, others gaze skeptically. Trios and quartets of dark ducks scatter in advance of my arrival. A soft yet subtle scratching noise breaks the spell; an unforeseen sandbar halts further progress. Dislodging is effortless as the bow pivots to retrace earlier aquatic steps. My vessel and I slip down river and re-unite with the bay. Once again I realize that I live in The Nature Channel.

It was a great day to be a Yelapan!    

Viva!!!

Over the next few weeks, I will be setting up this blog (Yelapa Memo) with the expressed intent of bringing to the periodic visitor, the want-to-be visitor, as well as the couple who knows somebody who has a hair dresser that read an article in Sunset Magazine about Yelapa, the everyday joys and tribulations of life here in our peaceful Mexican village. At the request of several good, as well as many yet to become friends, this forum will provide a somewhat central source for all happenings Yelapan. Be forewarned that anecdotes will be told as seen through my eyes and with ample, if not substantial amounts of tongue-in-cheek applied.

If you are in search of specifics regarding lodging, dining, water taxi schedules or weather; there are already numerous sites available. I encourage all of you to visit TripAdvisor.com to read the comments of others in the areas of activities, lodging, hotels and restaurants. Yelapa is somewhat like taking a cruise; you can do as much or as little as you please and no one, at least none of us locals, will nudge you to do more. Plus, you only have to be on a boat forty minutes one way from Puerto Vallarta or Boca de Tomatlan and you're here.

October finds our village of twelve hundred inhabitants abuzz with behind the scene activities. Lodging entrepreneurs are returning from their stateside or Canadian summer haunts to paint, plaster, buff and shine anything and everything that doesn't move. That has been known to include, on occasion, several local dogs. Restaurateurs are re-scouring kitchens and patio dining sites in anticipation of opening night. Water Taxi schedules will all take on a new and expanded presence by the end of the month. We are busy people. Come on, did you think that paradise just happened?

One word, actually several words, about local etiquette. If you were a reasonable, mature, intelligent human being when you boarded your flight to come here, please remain that way once you arrive. Dress in our village is casual. A pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals will have you welcomed anywhere. Enjoy your libations either in the numerous great restaurants or in your room. Our cobblestone streets and the hills they traverse are not user- friendly to those who  abandon control of their balance. Bear in mind there are no public services in Yelapa. There is no public trash pick up nor street cleaning. All this is addressed by proud locals who attend to the street in front of their homes. We all live in this fragile environment as guests. Thank you! 

More later-I have a siesta in my near future.