Where there's a will...there's a way

Another week has passed.  I'm trying to keep things interesting, but Yelapa is really just a 

 sleepy fishing village, and there hasn't been a lot to report. It rained overnight !  The 

front and side deck were wet when I got up this morning, as sometimes happens with the

dampness, but i can see rain marks on the screen in back.  A welcome gift for me and my 

yard, not so much for the tourists.  Another Yoga group arrived yesterday, on a chartered

boat, and the Painting Group is still at the Point.  There must be another Drumming Group

too, as I heard them loud and clear last night, from across the bay.


The Elementary School is working hard, with the new PTA Director to raise funds for the

school.  Most of the teachers come here to work from other places and are living at the

school, some have their kids with them. They are sleeping on old cots, cooking in a make

shift kitchen, etc.  We donated our old DVD player, as it was on the request list, and a

blanket.  I will offer to be the replacement ESL tutor, again.  The PTA Director is

volunteering now,( spanish her first language ) but it is something I can help with too.

I have tried before, but it's worth trying again. My students, elementary kids, haven't shown

up since New Years !


I was living here when there was no bridge for the kids to cross the river, to get to school.

They would have to cross on sand bags.  Then a bridge was built, but it collapsed after only

2 years, ( most of which crumbled on the river's edge ), but now a new bridge was built

about 4 years ago, No ATV's allowed, and the school and soccer field are directly on the

other side.  I was here when Pegge was still teaching and the First Ever Grade 8 class was

preparing to graduate.  It was and is a big deal.  Within one generation, Yelapa has gone

from Grade 4 to Grade 8.  I'm not sure if they also offer an extra year for preparing for

High School, or not.  If you want to continue your education, you have to leave Yelapa.

I have stayed friends with one of the first graduates, Perla.  She is 24, and has been working

part time in PV and finishing College.  She graduates this spring.  She is very inspiring.

As you can imagine, a lot of kids stay put right here, and fish, or work in restaurants, clean

houses, or are 'Cargadores ' ,  loading and unloading boats and delivering luggage or water or

gas.  A lot of people survive on tips from tourists. 


Mimi's has been slow the last few Fridays.  SO much competition, and people flock to see the

live music elsewhere in town.  I'll have to get a group together for next week. Maybe I'll be

first on the open mike, reciting Robert Service !!  The library is coming along, slowly.  We

may need to call in our visiting Librarian to help us work out a catalogue system.  It has to

be very flexible, and simple.  


I am enjoying my Spanish classes every Monday.  A lot goes over my head at the time, but

I know from 2 years ago, that everything she teaches me, sinks in eventually.  I saw my

neighbour on the trail the other day, and asked him if he would only speak Spanish to me

this summer.  " I have a better idea " he said." I'll start speaking Spanish to you, right now!"

Yikes.  Maybe I can ask him to speak in both languages, then I should be able to manage !

I need a new antenna to listen to the local radio stations, since I don't have TV hook up.

Satellite radio is the way to go, then I could listen to CBC too.  I can no longer buffer it

through my computer, which is a big disappointment.


I have been researching my ancestry again, with the help of Hugh & Em.  Very interesting,

and time consuming.  Living in Yelapa it's easy to notice the family connections and shared

traits.  Not only do siblings often look so similar, but so do cousins, and nephews and half -

siblings.  Who is who, and from where is always an interesting story.


I have accomplished half of my sewing projects this week, half of the easy stuff.  Now it's 

on to making drawstring pants, to sell at Mimi's Bazaar.  I know of two, very accomplished

seamstress living here, who I would love to employ.  We could make mmosquitoes nets

together as well.   I haven't given up on pickles !!  Finding jars is the issue.  More research

needs to be done.  I may need help.


It is a grey, quiet Monday.  I have to go, meaning walk, to the beach for my class.  I may

have to walk up and cross at the bridge as the lagoon is full, but the mouth is open. 

It's ok to get wet when it's sunny and 30 degrees, but not when it's cloudy and damp and

20 degrees.  Especially not on your way to school  ....


Querer es poder amigos ....


k

    

Valentine Croquet

The 29th annual Croquet Tournament has come to an end.  I didn't see one game this year,

but look forward to attending the 30th next year.  You can see all the results on Facebook !

That's probably a first.  So happy for the Sweetheart Champions.  They really deserve it.


My guest from Montreal has arrived, bearing gifts and 3 Globe & Mail.

He is very pleased with his Casita, and thanked me very much, many times.

It's almost impossible not to be content here.


The ocean has cooled at least 10 degrees.  Fishing has improved, and that's good for

everyone, but the fish .  Lily is feed well, and this summer I'm going to learn to clean her

fresh fish myself, head and all.  I can take my knife, just to the bottom of my stairs where

the fishermen come in, and use their cutting boards, and fresh water.  My friend who

catches fish for lily is going to teach me how.


I got some kind of bug bite on the top of my left wrist, in bed the other night !! 

It doesn't happen often that there is a bug in my bed, but it can happen.  I don't know what

kind of Yelapa mystery bug it was, but I'm pretty sure I'll have a scar.  It's still red, and

bumpy, but getting better.  I'm guessing it was some kind of spider.  In the first few years

of coming down it seemed I attracted the spiders to my ankles, while unpacking the big

bodega and setting up the house.  Two different times, I could not walk for a full day, my

ankles were too swollen.  The heat & humidity didn't help either. I'm acclimatized now, and

 since I've been here full time, I haven't had to set up the house for a while. 


For most people living here 180 days, every time they come & go the house is all packed up

and everything stored in locked closets, called bodegas.  We used to chain up the fridge &

stove , and some of the furniture too.  Many of the local woman are employed to unpack and

set up and clean houses, in time for October.  It can be nasty work.  I know.


Life has become easier with the purchase of a heavy duty watering hose.  It reaches all

the way to the bottom of the hill, where I planted some Bella Donna last summer.

There still is a constant flow of water from bucket to bucket.  Kitchen water is recycled

as much as possible, thrown down the hill at the back, and for plants on the deck.  We have

2 water holding tanks.  A new black one, 1,250 liters, and the original old cement tank, 

which will be replaced with another black one soon, and we alternate between the two of 

them.  They are both up the hill, behind the casita.  I cut back the weeds and Bouganvilla

last week, they are always encroaching and we need to keep it clear back there.


I had my trip to the big city this week.  Shopped at Woolworths and the local fabric stores.

Lots of things on sale, and I out did myself !  2 desk lamps, a little mirror, toaster, wine,

cat food, .... not too much really except i have to haul in from the car to the bus to the boat !

A very nice local woman and her daughter carried a bag off the bus to the Pier at Boca de

Tomatlan for me.  She told me her daughter spoke english, so we had a little chat.  I meet

such lovely people all the time.  The eye doctor was great and told me I am normal !

That's nice to hear from a doctor.  Next week I'll try our Yelapa dentist again.  I went to her

2 years ago when she first set up.  She comes in from PV on Thursdays & Fridays.

Pretty big deal for Yelapa.


I have more time to visit friends now, and enjoyed 2 of my favorite little girls yesterday.

Making forts out of the empty store boxes, and teaching them the days of the week.
  

Mimi's a little slow this week, due to the Croquet festivities I think.  Look forward to next

week and working in the library again.


Time for a little siesta in the sunshine, with the Book Section of the paper.   Nice to have

Sundays off !?


Enjoy clear skies ahead

k

feels like rain ...

Feels like rain ... heavy clouds all day and now, at 5 pm, it's steel grey up river and the ocean

is black coral.  The humidity is over 80 %, with a cool breeze down the canyon.  Not sock

weather, but a little sweater vest is perfect.  We have really had a mild winter, so far.  

If only it would rain, even just a little.  I spend a lot of time dragging hoses, and carrying

buckets, and I will be doing that till June.  The hillside is turning brown and the leaves are

falling.


I am trying to grow some kind of lawn, in the side yard towards the banos. ( You have to

leave the house to get to the bathroom, in the casita too ) On hot days I have to water

twice.  It's only some kind of weed, but it's better than just the sand it's growing in.

It's constant vigilence taking care of this place, kinda like having a farm !


The ocean is still warm, no jellyfish, and the fishing crew had 2 excellant days in a row, the

local Mexican crew that is !  The gringos caught a fish for lily, and a primo amber jack for us

all to share. But ...better luck next time ... 


Breaking News  !!!  We have purchased a filter for our tap water, so we won't have to buy

bottled water from the store anymore !  A breakthrough ! Like electricity & telephone, this

will make life much easier.  No more hauling water up and down from the store.  I can't

carry the bottle, so I had to have a a man ( that I knew )  carry it up for me, and tip him .

No more !  Some people living here have been using these systems for quite some time, and 

I was sceptical, but they had no problem.  The systems now are much more affordable,

$ 90.00 usd, small and portable.  And the water tastes better, i think .  The next step is

finding glass bottles to fill, instead of the plastic we have been using.


I made it up to Casa Isabels and saw our visiting jewelry expert.  She helped me restring a

necklace made out of seeds, that belonged to my mother's mother.  We made a double

strand bracelet and i love it.  Two other woman joined us, and we stopped for a while to watch

the whales playing.  


I also had a session with a local Jin Shin Do practitioner.  She has also just arrived in town.

I thought she was acupuncture, but her gift is the jin Shin Do, just like my first therapist,

( whom i adored ) in Gatineau, Qubec.  What a gift.  She helped me a lot.


I wanted acupuncture because of my psychic Reading 2 weeks ago.  When a pychic healer

moves in next door, well, I just had to go and meet with her.  I'm really glad i did.


It all comes with the territory in Yelapa.  People appear out of nowhere, and make a little

village.  I keep busy with the house, but i am off to the beach manana to re connect with my

Spanish teacher from 2 years ago.  She's from Iowa, but has a phd in Spanish ... go figure ...

We'll meet every Monday, I hope , until she leaves in May. 


Mimi's was rocking Friday night.  There was a birthday and a lot of musicians showed up

and everyone had a good time.  I even heard about it on the trail the next day !


There is a lot of work going on in town, and  i only know a little of it.  The old hardware store

will reopen soon, in some incarnation, there is a new clothing store, pharmacy, and so much

more.  The next edition of Yelapa Ahora Newsletter will be out soon, and I can get caught up

on the latest Yelapa news.


Croquet begins tomorrow .... Quite a few members missing this year,  so it will be a much 

smaller tournament, but still, ... May the best Woman Win !!


Life won't slow down for me now, until late May.  Even though I keep my privacy, I have to 

accept, I live in a tourist town, and the tourist season is gearing up. 

Easter, Spring Break, etc ....  I won't mind one bit when June comes , and we all can get back

to normal !!  Yelapa Normal ! 


 It turns out, the old kitchen sink we discovered, is actually an old clothes wash stand.

A sink to fill from a hose or bucket, and a wringer board made out of cement built in

between.  I love it, and it's still in good shape !  Silent says it was built about 30 years ago.

It will be perfect for herbs ...  herbs like mint and basil ...


Lots of work. but when you're heart is in it, you can't ask for more.


Some of Pegge's Yoga group had to cancel out of NYC yesterday because of the snow storm.


Stay strong everyone , this too shall pass ....


good night from my jungle tree house ... to yours ...

k

even in yelapa ...

Super Bowl Sunday ... even in Yelapa . 

It was not that long ago when TV here was such a novelty.  I remember going up & down the beach with a sign, informing the people sipping margaritas, that The Eclipse Restaurant
would be showing the Olympic Hockey Game ...USA v/s Canada ....
No one believed me, how was it possible ? 

Tonight you can watch the game in more than 5 different places !
Passion Flower Gardens would be my choice, but I am staying home ...
It's not the Leafs, it's not the Stanley Cup!

There has been an influx of the New Year Residents, and they have brought with them new movies, so I am keeping current with that scene, but it's still easy to stay away from the CNN kind of News. 

" Old-timers " recall when John Lennon was shot, and someone brought in the news, but there was no way to confirm, or get information, you were that isolated.  In some ways it's
still that way, bad or good.

For instance, my phone hasn't been working since my birthday. Telmx is on the job, but it could still take a month.  Back to the Dark Ages, except I have a cell phone now, and so does everyone else in Yelapa, so i manage to get by.  I love having Sykpe, and Internet service is good.

I laugh when guests arrive and are so pleased and impressed by the speed and clarity of the wireless connection at the house ... just as good or better than my place, they say, with a
sigh of relief. 

I do keep in touch with the World with CBC.COM now and then, and now I have a supply of Globe & Mails,which I enjoy very much.

Life goes on. 

There are still Whales jumping in front of Water Taxis, and playing around at the point. 

Dolphins in the bay 3 days in a row.  That means there are little fish in there, but no
one is catching very much.  It's not until there is none, that's when we pay attention.
Like water in the tap, it's there, until it's not, and then it's a problem.

The sea was rough over the full moon, as usual, and will be even rougher in February, so
fishermen consider it a waste of gas to even go out. 

It's that day to day existence that you see up close, that makes Yelapa so attractive to me.
The simple ways of survival; catch your own fish, make your own tortillas ( as if ), beans,
carrots, rice.  These people live past 100, some no glasses, and yes, no teeth, but alive and
well, living off Mother Nature.

It's easy to go back in time and feel the pioneers coming down the mountain and discovering this bay.  All the stories of the Revolution and the Indians of the hill standing guard. 
The New Mexican Government awarding this land as a " Reservation " of sorts,
for those peoples that stood guard .... that leads us to where we are now .
Such rich stories to be told.

Dona Antonia, who shares my Mother's Birthday, will be 96 this June.  She has lived in Yelapa close to 80 years !  Her husband, Don Andraes, rowed them here in a dug out canoe from the North somewhere. It  took 4 days.  He had been here already, and was somewhat established, which meant a palapa roof over a dirt floor, but he had a boat and he was a fisherman and there were lots of fish in the sea then.

There are still fish in the sea. I watch Julian come in every day, but Sunday, and he is very, rarely, empty handed.  N. and B. head out every morning, from the playita below my
house. They are born to it.  The ocean is in their blood, it is their blood.  Silent Jim says N. is a natural born killer. Spear gun v/s fish, fish loses.

They sell their fish to markets in PV but also to Pollo Bollo Restaurant.Famous since 1987.  With utmost confidence, and some pride, I can tell my guests and visitors that the grilled fish at PB, will be one of the best fish dinners they will ever enjoy, in their life ! 

I have never been wrong.

I especially like it when  I can point out the fisherman,enjoying their catch with their family,
and the rest of us.  We can say thank you, up close & personal.

I see these hard working, devoted, committed fisherman every morning.  I often hear them
without seeing.  I could tell you by the sound who's boat is who.  We know when they will
be back and watch to see the catch. Waiting to buy your fish, off the boat, from someone
you like, and trust ... Priceless !!

I am very excited about the clearing Silvario did with his Machette behind the Casita banos.
I had a complete vision when I saw it done.  The old cement water sinks discovered from under the jungle; an outdoor kitchen built long ago.
There is an upper rock foundation for a tent or studio or green house ... it could be a fantastic
garden area. So many possibilities, so much potential.

Nirvana, Serendipity, Paradise: either which way, it's magic to me .

until next week ....

be well ....

stay clear of churches, hospitals and political rallys.... 

may you dream of grilled fish, fresh tortillas ... and candy apples on the beach !

xxoo