A Word From Yelapa

DE ESTADO NEVADA AL YELAPA, POR FIN! by KELLEY

 

My pal, Kelley Chesley, poet/writer is our guest author once again, sharing her Yelapa experience....

Las Palabras: From Nevada to Yelapa, At Last! 

We made it! We're here ! We're home!

It's been over a month now, but who's counting days now ?

It didn't take me 17 days to get in for a swim this time. The ocean was one great big bath tub...perfect for a soak and still cool down.  The weather was very hot and very humid.  Think wet.

A five day drive from Reno, with no incident or accident.  No stops by the Federal Police, although we saw them around.  We were stopped numerous times to check on our health. We were told to wash our hands frequently and were given a hand out of influenza symptoms.  No mention or indication of the infamous drug cartel violence.  When we asked, don't drive at night was the answer.

Start planning your next trip down, Mexico needs your business.  We are still isolated here but more and more our Yelapa friends rely on their income from rental property, boat trips, water taxis, restaurants, etc.

What a special, blessed place to be.  What a way to live! The wind can howl through our palapa, and the rain does it's best to follow.  Just keep your mop ready. There are no leaks in the roof, except a little one in the bathroom, right over the toilet!! If I need to pee in a hard rain I bring my umbrella !  Imagine the crisis this would cause in Rent!

I've heard a palapa is one of the best places to be in a hurricane or tropical storm since the wind gets no resistance, but it's certainly a test of nerves and we ain't seen nothing yet! Our neighbours have all lived through one hurricane or another, here or in the United States.  That gives me comfort and strength and the novel idea of remaining a hurricane virgin but there's no turning back. It's consumated. A new Yelapa adventure for us to experience.

Flashlights and candles are on stand by, as well as frozen containers ready, just in case, to be prepared for black outs and brown outs.  The power was out for 48 hours the day of our first "Costco Run", but you can't get too mad or frustrated because you know it's small price to pay. Last week the power was out for 20 hours and we cooked a feast the next day of thawed shrimp, fish, beans and chicken.

The rain has come early this year delivering a cool reprieve.  The jungle turned green almost overnight. You can practically see our banana trees and other plants growing right before your eyes. The crabs come in to play hide and seek, while termites swarm searching for their queen.  The bats are raising a family in the roof, fruits and vegetables must be secured overnight, including the fish itself! Clothes never really dry.

Oh, but it sounds much worse than it is.  I am living on the side of a mountain overlooking the pacific ocean.  I am surrounded by water, by nature, love and friendship.  I sleep in a cradle under a thatched roof.  This is home.

Como siempre, con abrazos!

Kelley  

 

ONE PERFECT DAY!/UN DIA PERFECTO!

 

Las Palabras:  La cascada - the waterfall; Desayuno - breakfast; tormentas - storms; chimemea - my outdoor terra cotta fireplace; Hay mucho calor - there is much heat/it is very hot; Demasiado - too much; Fresco - cool

The best days are just like today - awakening without complaint, cool and rested from a night without heat thanks to a cooling rain.  Although it did not rain a lot we still had a beautiful lightning display just far enough away to keep the doggie boy tucked in with me. 

For the first time in a while I heard the little river next to my casita running with a gentle gurgle. La Cascada has just enough flow to make desayuno there cool as well as delicious so we whiled away a few hours simply enjoying a quiet morning.  Very nice to see our friends there remodelling the restaurant, having received a share of tourism dollars - especially since Piri and his family have so often been victims of an out of control river and waterfall following some of Yelapa's more historic tormentas.  I look forward to fiestas there celebrating something, anything - maybe the end of the rainy season...

Cool (fresco) seems to be my word of the day and it's what we want the rain to bring even though we accept the increasing humidity and steam that return when the sun returns.  Ojala the rains will be steady but not overwhelming, my laundry and hair will dry and we won't lose electricity....just a nice dream but at least we are starting out with a few soft storms and there is still time to find the cover to my chiminea, to securely store blankets and comforters before mildew attacks and to just sit on the patio enjoying the deepening greens of the jungle around me.  These early rains raise hopes and replenish our spirits as well as our earth which is instantly brighter, greener and lusher with life including a symphony of sounds from busy birds and newborn jungle babes.

Later I will walk to the River Tuito to see the newly changed shoreline, to exchange greetings and smiles with my friends and neighbors rather than the till-now complaint about the heat of the day:  "hay mucho calor" "si, demasiado."  Mild though these beginning rains have been here in Yelapa we all know the real weather still to come will more than wake us gently, will in fact startle, amaze, sometimes shock and frighten and always dazzle, crackle and sparkle with electricity, water and wind!

Until the big times ahead, I too will go gently into the nice, light breeze of the day after...

Como siempre, mis amigos, abrazos! 

Maria

   

LOS MARINEROS DE YELAPA/THE SEAMEN OF YELAPA

 

Las Palabras:  Semana Santa - Holy week/Easter week; Flotilla - group of boats; Guirnaldas de flores - wreaths of flowers; Las tiendas - the stores; Los cargadores - stevedors/loaders; Profesores, albaniles, carpinteros - teachers, bricklayers, carpenters; Pescadores - fishermen

This little pueblo waits through the parties of the tourists, the long days of the season's work, the winter holidays, the croquet tournament and Semana Santa finally arriving at our very own holiday - Mariner's Day, the biggest day and fiesta of the year and a day off for all Yelapa.

The day always begins with a flotilla of pangas filled with color guards, school classes, and all who wish to commemorate those who have been lost to our families.  The filled pangas strew guirnaldas de flores out over the waters of the Bay of Banderas, the names of the departed are read and prayers are given for the souls' repose and for the solace of the living.

Once the ceremonies are completed, however, the pangas begin a mad race back to the pueblo, everyone jumps into the water for cooling off and the party begins and does not end until.....a great good time is had by all.  Kids of all ages try to soak someone/everyone with water and sometimes even eggs....still washing egg out of my hair.

Some of our own marineros are Sefarino and his family of pescadores, Telin and his brothers who are pescadores and buceadores, the brothers Lorenzo, Julian the fisherman, even my dueno, Angel, one of the deepest free-divers of Yelapa.  These are the men who are providing much of the fish sold in Puerto Vallarta, Yelapa and even Guadalajara.  They often have to travel by panga long distances to get to the deepest areas of the bay where the big fish swim.  There is always danger and everyone is always relieved to see the small pangas returning after a nighttime dive. 

Where I used to live I would often wake to hear the Lorenzo brothers loading up their gear and heading out from right below my casita.  It would be 2 a.m.  Long after I was up for the day they would return and I know their mom and wives would breathe that collective sigh of relief that all were safe.  These families rely on fishing for their main income.  Tourism has always been a secondary income for the pueblo until the last few years when Yelapa was "discovered."  I am totally in awe of these men who free-dive with only a spear gun and a lamp.  The cost of fishing has increased tremendously as the bay is gradually fished out by large vessels from large countries, forcing these local men to travel farther from home.  They certainly have earned their own holiday.  Mexico has the wonderful custom of honoring all workers - there are special days for profesores, albaniles, carpinteros, etc.

In the past some of these families put on their own barbecues and it was an honor to be invited to help them celebrate their special day.  The tiendas, which still haul our food by pangas and cargadores, also provided food and drink for their crews, families and friends.  Now we are more organized, the communidad provides some of the funds and the community chips in to put on a dinner and free beer and soft drinks for all, followed by the requisite baile - Yelapenses love to dance, from the youngest to the really oldsters.  I think they are born with a samba beat - babies dance, kids dance, teenagers are really good dancers, women dance with women or you can dance alone but someone will soon join you.  I dance with Desi, who I believe is a reincarnated Yelapensa, disguised as a Havanese - well, that Cuban blood is in him and he loves good ranchero music.

I'm posting many more photos than normal since they tell a better story about the day than can I.  Tambien, estoy un poco tarde esta semana porque hay mucho calor, no hay lluvia, y estoy poco flojera!/Also I am a little late this week because it is very hot, there is no rain and I am a little lazy!

Saludos los Marineros de Yelapa!

Maria