Two Gentlemen of Yelapa

Sunday morning arrives in the little bay of Yelapa. Kayakers populate the waters. Two water taxis rest on the beach awaiting a weekend spiff before returning to service Monday morning.  Blue stretches over the entirety of Banderas Bay. Another day in paradise unfolds frame by frame. And yes, Diana and I (Memo) have just returned from our weekly birria ritual at Shambhala. Life is good.

There are two gentlemen I would enjoy highlighting so that you can grasp the variety of people and personalities who inhabit our village. The first is Mario the popsicle vendor.

Mario is one of numerous food vendors who commutes to Yelapa from some not-too-distant village. Others transport coolers containing meat, chicken, bolillos, tomales, and tortillas. Mario totes two mid-sized coolers customized with several layers of duct tape.  Arriving in Yelapa mid-morning. he commences his route at the town pier and continues to the main playa where he departs at 2:30ish. He is the most sought after vendor in town. Allow me to illustrate. One day Diana and her good friend Erin were catching some tan time on the playa.  Half way down the beach they observed a large gathering of humanity. As they approached, the sounds of gleeful children, swooning women and cursing men were discernible. At the epi-center of all this was Mario and his twin coolers. Diana and Erin quickened their pace to a full on sprint arriving just in time to purchase the last two treasures. The particular flavor was unimportant, it was the shear possession of the popsicle which mattered. Just for the record, Mario offers five flavors: chocolate chip, butter pecan, strawberry, coconut, and lime. All include a core of rich yellow vanilla ice cream. Locals buy them in pairs; on a warm day the first popsicle cools the palate and sets the stage for the second one to be enjoyed as slowly as possible. They can actually “read” the popsicle not unlike their men “read” the sea. They know where and when to bite just in advance of any portion melting and dropping onto the sand. This is an evolutionary adaptation which has taken place over several summers.      

Our second chap is Pancho, the pharmacist. He arrived in Yelapa around the first of the year and rents a small space at street level in the building in which Diana and I live. His store hours are roughly 9ish-6ish daily. A personal cell number appears on his overhead sign. I have detected his returning as late as 11:30pm as he attends to a local or a visitor in need.  Over the past two months, his inventory and his client base have grown. Virtually all our ex-pat friends now deal with him on their medications. In the USA, a medical practitioner is forbidden from any ownership position with a pharmacy. The logic is that there would be a conflict of interest as the physician would clearly be enriching himself based upon the medications he prescribed. There is no such prohibition in Mexico. Pancho, who is also a semi-retired medical doctor, is delighted to refill a stateside prescription should the need arise. For him it is not an issue of conflict of interest, if in his opinion the nature of the request is reasonable, then in the interest of good customer service, he locates the medication through his supply chain, transports the item back to Yelapa and contacts you when it is available for pick-up.  It’s a win-win deal. He generally occupies a white plastic chair strategically positioned in the center of his entryway. Daily anywhere from three to five children are found at his feet reading from a book, telling a story or just sharing some intricate aspect of their brief lives. He smiles to each of them and accepts that he has become their Pied Piper. He is a peaceful man.         

 There are roughly twelve hundred stories in the village of Yelapa. You have heard two. Over the coming weeks I will endeavor to acquaint you with more.

Commercial Break

All the kayaks are washed, tuned and ready to go. MARCH SPECIAL-One free liter bottle of water to groups of three or more involved in a half-day, mid-week rental. Your choice of regular or mineral on the water.