Out to Sea

I grew up the product of a single parent--mother. Experiencing “guy time” was simply not an event on my horizon. This activity did not happen until I found myself twenty-two plus years ago marrying into and being accepted by my wife’s family—the Guerrier Clan. Since then my father-in-law, various brothers-in-law and I have enjoyed countless conversations. Some were longer than others; some were more one-sided than others but meaningful exchanges non-the-less.

Since moving to Yelapa, I find that the majority of my friends are men. This morning I participated in an extended period of “guy time.” Allow me to explain. My great buddy, Fernando, invited me to join him, his brother Chopo and his father Enrique on a morning fishing jaunt. All of these people are well known to me. We have shared this activity perhaps a hand full of times. It is always a treat to do so, generally because of the diverse personalities onboard. 

Let us approach this subject chronologically. Enrique at age eighty has spent his entire life in Yelapa as did his father before him. He comes from a family of eight siblings all of whom went on to have similar sized families of their own. Fernando, now approaching forty, is a much admired businessman here in Yelapa. He and his wife operate MiraMar Yelapa rental properties and Fernando is the owner of MiraMar Excursions, a licensed fishing and tour operator. He is revered throughout the community.  Lastly, there is Chopo who recently turned thirty-two, the youngest of the siblings.

Yelapans pay great homage to their elderly. Enrique is known to all the villagers and is respected. Most greet him with the use of the polite title: “Don Enrique.” He understands a goodly amount of English and is able to verbalize the basics. He is a cancer survivor who now finds his age to be limiting his mobility. He walks short distances with a cane in each hand or with the use of crutches. Despite all this, I have never seen this man without a full face smile and a host of positive comments about life in general. His humor is dry and punctuated with a sparkle resident in each eye. He is disarming and a joy to engage.  

    

We will skip my profile for the moment, as most of you formed your own assessment years ago. Fernando is a moderately serious man, focused on the given task at hand, a talented storyteller. He is a compendium of oral history passed to him by his grandfather, father and now appended with his own experiences. He is a life-long fisherman and capable captain, not only of his boat, the Okley, but metaphorically of his greater family. I count myself honored that we refer to each other as “hermano” or brother.  

Ah, and then there is Chopo. Despite his rugged muscular physique and manly appearance, Chopo houses the heart and soul of a five year old. He is a gifted clown and entertainer who invariably plants himself into the center of a collection of ladies and works his magic. We’ll just leave it at that. His laugh is infectious and despite a voice which sounds vaguely like a skill saw, he frequently breaks into song. 

For illustrative purposes, picture the four of us sitting around a poker table. The seating chart today is a tad different in that Enrique and I sit at the rear of the boat, I tend a salt water fishing rig, while Enrique manipulates the locally preferred hand line. Fernando moves gracefully about the boat, independent of the angle of the floor beneath him. He checks lines and lures, then settles to engage in warm conversation with his father. 

And then there’s Chopo. He is steering the boat to maintain a safe distance from the rocky coastline. This activity, upon which all of our lives depend, still allows him time to rhythmically beat on the steering wheel, hum loudly and then break into a barely recognizable version of Mario Lanza’s “Volare.” Ultimately, he stands at the wheel stomping out some folkloric beat intended to divert attention from his vocal delivery; it does not work. The three oldies: Enrique, I and Fernando utter something about pinchy Chopo and laugh.    

  

During the morning, we catch three fish which Enrique takes home to grill. We laugh, chide each other, and with Chopo’s modeling, shed a century and a half of accumulated years to return to the carefree times of four-five year old boys. It was quality “guy time.” 

Commercial Break

Yelapa Kayak Rentals right on the price and right on the Playita (little beach). The bay should return to its usual calm for the next two weeks. Get into a kayak and immerse yourself in Yelapa. Call to check equipment availability. My Yelapan cell is 322 146 5064. Happy paddling--memo