Panga To Yelapa

Last week, Sergio arranged to hire a panga (little Mexican boat) to take six of us to the small village of Yelapa. I had wanted to visit Yelapa for a few years now but have never gotten around to going. The main reason is that you can only get there by sea as there are no roads in, and I didn't want to be at the mercy of the water taxis. You take the taxis from the Los Muertos pier in Puerto Vallarta or from the beach in Boca de Tomatlan, a little further south. Yelapa only got electricity two years ago so is still very rustic. It's a very popular day trip, even though the boat ride is about 45 minutes each way.

Robin's two friends Denise and Marlene (sisters who live in California) were here for a week and this is one of the trips Robin wanted to take them on. We jumped at the chance to join them because of the convenience of having a private panga and guide. The ride was lots of fun, especially when we saw a school of fish right at the surface of the water. The gulls soaring above them alerted us and Mario, our guide through out a line and almost immediately caught a six pound fish! When we got to the beach in Yelapa, he took it to one of the restaurants so they could cook it for us.

Yelapa has two waterfalls, both popular swimming spots. One is a short ten minute walk through town but as Robin and Sergio had been there just recently, they wanted to hike to the larger one, which was about a two hour walk!!! It was fine for the first while especially walking through the village. There are no cars or motorized vehicles in Yelapa so you have to walk everywhere, no choice. Along the road we passed lots of livestock, beautiful coloured roosters, women walking with baskets of produce on their heads and even a man in the river who was in the process of skinning a large poisonous snake he had just killed! But as we got closer, the path became very rough and very steep. You can imagine what Gail was like, this being the girl who wouldn't look at the Grand Canyon from the parking lot! It was really too bad as about five minutes before we got to the falls, she couldn't go any further. We were hot and tired by then, so the others all continued on and had a short swim, while Gail and I turned back. I was able to walk to the edge of the cliff and get a few shots of the falls however.

When we returned, the waiters on the beach asked how we wanted the fish prepared and before too long we had excellent fish tacos, as fresh as possible, while sitting on the very pretty beach with a cool drink in hand.

On the way back, we saw many more schools of fish but had no luck catching any more. We did see a pod of dophins though, so that was pretty cool.

Once we got home we all went to El Brujo for dinner and had a very scary ending to a busy day. The table next to us had a party of about eight elderly people, who were having a grand old time. They ordered some sort of a flambe desert and as the waiter ignited it, it caught a bottle of booze on fire, sent the tablecloth into flames and it jumped onto the blouse of the lady at the end of the table. PANDEMONIUM!!!! Luckily, the only thing burning was the alcohol and she wasn't hurt at all. Her blouse didn't even look scorched, but it was a very shocking thing to see. I think I will be more aware when I order anything that is flambeed from now on!

Final Project for the Year

FINALLY! My carpenter arrived this morning, only three weeks late. Back in January, I hired this fellow to make and install more kitchen cabinets. We don't have nearly enough and there is a lot of wasted space above the ones that we already have. So, I told him that they had to be done the first week of March, after all our company left. I also told him that we are leaving April 1 (a bit of a fib as we are actually leaving April 7). The last thing we needed was construction going on when we are trying to close up the house for the summer.

It has been hell trying to get in touch with this guy. I wouldn't have cared except I gave him a $5,000 peso deposit so he could prefab the cabinets. This morning when I called him to say we are leaving in less than two weeks he hung up on me!!!! I was truly beginning to think that I would never see him again.

But what do you know- he is here and the cabinets don't fit. Surprise. Now we are being subjected to him rebuilding them in the driveway and creating a hell of a lot of noise. Doesn't matter. He is here and I have hope that the kitchen will be done before we leave. At least I have all the material here, which is what I have paid for so far.

Last night we met our neighbours from two doors down-the end unit that Dale and Tim will remember as there was a rumor that this house is for sale. They are CHILDREN!! Well, that's what they are to me. Really really sweet kids who live in Denver Colorado. We sat outside with them and Robin and Sergio until quite late. Jaime is 26, cute as a button and a tax accountant. His wife Alexandra is only 24 and a law student. She is American and he is Mexican. This is the first time she has even seen the house and sad to say for Michelle- they are not going to sell.

Well, this is tax season and it would seem impossible for him to get away for a week, but Jaime has just found out that his 48 year old mother, who lives in Guadalajara, has cancer again after six years cancer free. The family is all quite devastated naturally. They are all coming to Bucerias to try to relax and be together for a week and should arrive later today. If they are anything like Jaime, we will love them.

Stay tuned for before and (hopefully!) after kitchen reno photos.

Happy San Patricio Day!

Well, yes. Imagine that we celebrate St. Patrick's Day here in Bucerias. There really is an Irish Pub here and they go all out like true Irishmen. I was surprised to discover that the Mexican's are very fond of the Irish. It all stems back from the Mexican American war, when Irish fighting for the US deserted to fight on the Mexican side. Here is a little bit that I read about it:

"It involves St. Patrick's Battalion, also called the San Patricios and Los Colorados, whose members deserted Gen. Zachary Taylor's army in the late 1840s and took up arms for Mexico in the Mexican American War. During various campaigns of the two-year conflict, from which the U.S. gained half of Mexico's territory, the San Patricios served as an artillery unit. Long honored in Mexico on St. Patrick's Day and Sept. 12, the anniversary of many of their executions, they've received little attention in the U.S.

In all, about 9,000 U.S. soldiers deserted the war. The San Patricio unit included Germans, Scots and others. While considered traitors in their day, in Mexico and Ireland they were hailed as heroes.
They opposed fighting fellow Catholics and had yet to establish a solid allegiance to the U.S., conscripted as they were immediately after immigrating. They weren't given U.S. citizenship. Fierce anti-Catholic prejudice within the ranks also fueled their desertion.

The battalion is honored in Mexico with schools, churches and streets named for them. In Ireland's County Galway, a ceremony is held in their honor. Both Mexico and Ireland have issued San Patricio postage stamps."

Isn't that amazing?

So. last night we walked the four blocks to The Shamrock, where there was a rocking big party happening. Just about everyone was wearing something green. The empty lot across the street from the pub was set with a stage, beer and food tents, lots of extra tables and chairs, a stall selling everything Irish and even a bouncy tent thingy for the kids to play on. Kids are included in just about everything here.

Spring in Bucerias

It's hard to believe that we have less than a month left here in paradise. We are already getting anxious about leaving- a completely different feeling than we have when we leave Victoria. I guess that is telling us something.

There are sure signs of spring arriving soon, just like up north. The first is that Robin and Sergio arrived a week ago! They are almost the opposite of everyone else here, as they arrived March 3rd for six weeks, just about the time when so many of us are leaving. So far, we have said goodbye to the owners of four homes.

It seems odd to me, but there are deciduous trees here in Mexico-the kind that shed their leaves for the winter. Because it is so hot here, and so unfamiliar to see trees without leaves when it is warm, they look dead. How wrong! They are starting to come to life, some with the most amazingly beautiful exotic flowers. Last night, we went into town to have tacos at The Rim- and passed a few trees, completely bare except for the hot pink shock of colour at the top.

There are other trees with fruit on them. We recently discovered a tree which is on our usual walk, but hidden in amongst the leaves are these HUGE odd looking fruit. We've been told they are Jackfruit- but I really don't know for sure. Then, also on our way into town last night, we saw a small little papaya tree with baby fruit growing on the branches.

Andy and TJ in Bucerias!

It's hard to believe that almost a week has passed since Andrew and Tamara arrived on Valentine's Day. We've had a week of sun, rain, wind, more sun, clouds, sun and lots of tequila! I have to say that they are most unusual house guests! Who else comes to Mexico and WANTS to hang out at home and cook every night? It was a bit of a chore to get them to agree to go Friday night to La Colequita-the fish place in La Cruz. In the end I think it was a big hit, as they loved the restaurant, the ambiance and of course the amazing food.

We went into Puerto Vallarta on Wednesday and it started out warm although a bit cloudy. We stopped at the Cheeky Monkey for a drink and that is when the rain started. On the way back to the car we made a detour to the little taco stand by Rizo's grocery store for beef tacos. Because it was raining we took it all back to the car, settled in, opened the windows and had real Mexican style fast food! It was beyond delicious! This was our favourite little taco stand when we rented in the south side a couple of years ago. This is the real typical Mexican food but unfortunately, many tourists are afraid to eat at these taco stands. They are missing out on the best food imaginable and so cheap! We were all stuffed and the total bill was about five Canadian bucks.

We made a stop at Walmart on the way home for Tequila to take back to Kelowna. While we were shopping the heavens completely opened. It was amazing as the roof on the store is all metal and the rain was pounding so hard it was hard to hear anyone speaking! Having the Olympics on TV has been a godsend because of the crummy weather we had for almost two days.

Yesterday morning we walked to the market for trinkets and gifts for the kids and family back home. The weather is awesome again-as it has been since Friday, which became a complete pool/sun/relax day. 

So, now here we are and today is the final day of our final guests this season, which of course means we are also getting close to our own return to British Columbia (boo hoo).

Tim and Dale Final Week

Oh boy, it's been a bit of time since I last posted. It's been crazy busy here with having company for the last three weeks. So, here is a delayed post.....

After the large windstorm we had another couple of days of unsettled weather (so very strange for us) and finally, the sun came out again so we could play.

Thursday night Feb 4th we took Tim and Dale to one of our new favourite restaurants. El Colequita has opened another location in La Cruz. This is the fabulous seafood place that we love way up behind Home Depot in the Ixtapa area of Puerto Vallarta. Now they are so close, only about a ten minute drive and this new location has an outstanding view of the marina and harbour in La Cruz.
Afterwards, we went to Philo's to listen to the great live band and watch the magic that Leon performs on the washboard! We love this place as the musicians are all around our age and the music is what we listened to growing up. It was a thoroughly fun evening.

Saturday night Maureen had organized a dinner at Audaulto's on the beach in Bucerias. We wanted to thank Marcelino and Silvia for all their hard work for the home owners association. Maureen and Tony's friends from Canada (four of them) had rented the house next to theirs for a month and they are really nice fun people. So, there were twelve of us for dinner that night. The food was awesome and we had the beachside table at the front. Afterwards, we went to the Bucerias Gardens, another restaurant/bar, to listen to the rock band that was playing that week. Again, another outstanding evening of great music that was so familiar to us baby boomers. We had a GREAT TIME! So much so that even Tony who absolutely NEVER dances, was up there boogieing away!

Sunday was another beach day, just soaking up the long overdue rays and people watching. Sunday of course is family day here in Mexico and is the best day for seeing the fun that the Mexicans have with their families. It's always crowded and lively on the beach.

During the final few days with Tim and Dale, we took a drive back into Puerto Vallarta and went way past the south side down to Mismaloya. We stayed there in a resort the year before we bought our place here. That is where Chico's Paradise is-where we zip lined with Robin and Sergio a few years back. We wanted to take Tim and Dale to see the kids who somersault into the pools of water in the river. They are amazing but unfortunately, were not there that day!! Such a disappointment!

However, on the way back into PV we took a detour to the movie set for the Predator. That's an old Arnold Schwarzenegger movie from back in the 80's. We are not into that kind of movie and had never seen it or had any desire to go to the movie set.  It turned out to be a highlight of the day! The road up to the set was truly terrible-full of potholes and twists and turns and jungle. It set the scene for the movie for sure! At the top is another zip line company and of course lots of scenes from the movie. Tim and Dale love this movie so they were delighted to go there. It's also breathtakingly beautiful! There were lots of kids swinging from the rope over the river and dropping into the pools of water. They also were able to scoot around the rocks up to the small waterfall and slide on the big smooth rocks over the falls and into the swimming hole. Almost makes you want to be a kid again!

We stopped in the southside of PV on the way home for a late lunch/early supper at a little place called "A Touch of Italy". It's owned by the parents of Troy, who owes and operates the Cheeky Monkey on the Malecon. They are all Canadians, living the dream of working in paradise. Anyway, we ordered sub sandwiches, which were fantastic! After eating Mexican food for months, a little bit of Canadian style food was delicious!

Thursday night, the last evening in Bucerias for Tim and Dale, they treated us to an amazing meal at Mezzagiourno. We have always meant to try this place, which is next door to our favourite little place El Brujo- and the closest restaurant on the beach to our house. Oh boy, we think we have a new favourite! We had the best table in the restaurant, overlooking the beach and waves. The sunset was made to order. We were lucky to watch a cruise ship in the dark-all lit up and mysterious, sail from the marina in Puerto Vallarta, past Punta de Mita and onwards back to Los Angeles.

Then, alas, it was Friday and a sad farewell to our buddies Tim and Dale. We had a wonderful time with them and only hope that the bad weather has not soured them too much! Next year will be better!!  So, you two, you need to plan a return trip! Oh, and Marcelino has the inside track on that house two doors from us- when it's ready for sale, we'll let Michelle know lol!!

Tomorrow, hopefully, I'll post again recapping the time with Tamara and Andrew!

Holy Hurricane Batman!

 

Well, sad to day, we have had very unsettled weather for the last few days. Saturday was beautiful. We walked the beach to the Decameron and back through the town. The sun was glorious and hot. Sunday, we went to Sayulita for breakfast at the best place in Mexico, a little place called Rollie's (look it up on the net). We were going to go boogie boarding after in the waves but the tide was so high that there was hardly any beach. no problema, we went to the next town, a little place called San Pancho. The beach there was wide and sandy and not too crowded but the waves were very high and somewhat scary for a non swimmer like me! Tim and Dale went in for a bit but the surf drove Dale out-as she "had sand in every orifice"! Then around four it began to spit a bit with rain so we packed it in and drove the long way home through Punta de Mita. 

Monday, we went into Puerto Vallarta for the "tour", meandered along the Malecon and people watched. We stopped at Cheeky Monkey for a bevy (fabulous view) and then carried on to the southside and Los Muertos beach; then it was on through the area where we lived a couple of years ago. We stopped to see Marilu, our landlady back then and it was great to have a quick chat and to introduce her to Tim and Dale. 

Finally, we stopped at Cafe Roma to visit Fox and Juan Carlos. If you remember, that was our hangout and where we met Robin and Sergio. If we had not been going there, and had not met them, we would not have our little piece of paradise here in Bucerias. So, we have a great fondness for this little place.

THEN, Tuesday, Groundhog Day and Candlemas here in Mexico. Remeber, we had planned a pot luck BBQ as a result of the January 6th Kings Day cake. (If you don't remember, scroll down to the post about it.) It rained just about all night and was horrible and wet all day. Actually, this is an understatement. It poured like we have rarely even seen in Victoria. We decided to go ahead with the party under the small palapa anyway and used Greg's gas grill instead of the charcoal we had planned. It was a huge success, even in he rain as we had 45 people there and had a great time. The only people there were Canadians as everyone else found it too cold!

We left to go home around 10PM as it was really getting cold due to the wind picking up. The four of us sat around and were having a nightcap when all hell broke loose! OH MY GOD! The rain and wind were incredible. We heard things banging and crashing around outside and then the thunder and lightening started. The wind was howling and blowing against our windows so hard we could feel them move inwards. It was truly frightening. We pushed a heavy wooden table against the patio doors because we thought there was a possibility that they would shatter. Then the power went out. We were able to see outside with flashlights and candles and when the lightening struck we could see the palm trees almost blowing flat on the ground. My patio umbrella, which was set in granite and concrete in the yard was upended and the patio chairs were everywhere. This went on for about fifteen minutes until it started to die down a bit. In the meantime, we had water pouring in below our patio and living room windows. Poor Dale, seems she gets to be on mop patrol a lot for us. First she had our flood in Victoria and now our leaking windows in Bucerias. 

Eventually, we all went to bed toting flashlights and candles and hoping the power would be restored by morning. It came on at 3am went out again for a few minutes around 8AM and has been on and off all day. 

I was up early and saw the neighbours out surveying the damage. There was a lot. Our beautiful, very old and very large feature mangrove tree, by the large palapa, was uprooted. I was sad as I love that tree. It took all day for the the staff of four gardeners to clean up the mess, using machetes and finally, a chainsaw. 

Other people had their satellite dishes sheared off by flying metal from unknown sources. Paul, our Yorkshire neighbour was one and he was upset as today was a big Leeds football match he was longing to see. Amazing really, as he also had one of his skylights shattered. Oh, and their three teenage grandchildren, 13-16 arrive tomorrow for a week of fun. They will be crazy busy cleaning up and repairing the damage. 

Just about every house had water coming in through the windows. Some had bad leaks in the roofs and others lost plants, trees and pots. We lost our garbage can (shattered) and have a bit of repairable damage to our umbrella base so we consider ourselves very lucky. 

Around mid morning the four of us went into Bucerias for a walk and to see what had happened. There were many uprooted trees, windows shattered, power lines down and palapa roofs lost. Our beach access is almost washed out. We spoke with two ladies from Victoria who are here on vacation for a few weeks. Their building was right on the beach and the upper floors from 4-8 lost patio windoes. They said everyone in the building took shelter in the inner hallways. One fellow had a lot of things sucked right out of his condo-including his laptop.

This weather system is supposed to be here until Friday. It's crazy. This NEVER happens at this time of year. Our administrator, Channy, has lived here all her life and has never seen wind that bad, even when Hurricane Kenna struck in 2003. 

We feel so bad for Tim and Dale. They are amazingly good sports about it but it has to suck, spending all that money on airfare and all that time looking forward to a holiday in paradise, only to experience a hurricane. We heard today that the wind was blowing at 150km at the height of the storm, which is hurricane force. They feel it is only right that it is known as Hurricane McManus! It's the least we can do. One thing is for sure: That was a Groundhog Day we will never forget!