Morning

My morning in Yelapa commences following five electronic beeps emitted by a coffee maker. That serves as Nikki’s signal to arrive at the bed beating her tail forcefully against the frame until my hand reaches through the slit in the netting and plants atop her head. This is our awakening ritual seven days a week. By the time my feet find their respective flip-flops, the birds have already welcomed the new morn for over an hour. The roosters, who appear forever uncertain as to when their chorus should begin, have tuned up since 3:30 a.m. or so and observe a vocal break shortly after sunrise. Nikki is fed, watered, and walked. We return 8ish; I settle into my chair for the first, of two, cups of coffee.

The following event never ceases to amaze me. First a bit of background: Yelapa is the year-round home to twenty or so Great Frigate birds. As their name implies, these are large birds growing nearly three feet in length and with a v- angled wing span of nearly seven feet. Their flawless design has been the inspiration for more than one piece of flying military hardware. They cruise and climb effortlessly for hours almost disappearing from sight. The females, who display a full white breast, a la penguin style, are larger than the males. 

On to the event: before the sun light creeps down the ridgeline into the sea, a lone female frigate bird appears from up the Tuito River and glides the entire perimeter of Yelapa Bay. I replicate this very route daily in my kayak. It consumes nearly an hour of my time while the frigate bird navigates the same distance in but a few moments. She pivots into the center of the bay, vectors 180 degrees and returns up river. The bay is now open. Nearly a dozen hours hence the sun lingers on the ridge line; an identical, if not the same, female frigate bird repeats the ritual. There are no other birds in the sky; she circles, draws a radius to the center and returns up river. The bay is closed.  In the morning, I bid her “buenas dias” with a steaming cup of rich coffee. Each evening, I raise a glass of wine in wonderment. 

Yelapa Kayak Rentals

Hourly, daily, and weekly rates available. There is also used equipment for sale. Right equipment, right price, right on the playita (little beach) under the giant fig tree. Contact Memo @ 322 146 5064 or yelapakayakrentals@gmail.com Happy Paddling!!!