Backcountry adventures!

Rich, Kim, and I went with Hugo on a day trip today. The destination was Tehuamixtle, another village down the coast, but we drove Hugo’s dilapidated Ford Bronco over the rustic backcountry roads to get there. Among the day’s highlights were: Kim’s hangover, the fact that the Bronco refused to start on about a half-dozen occasions, and I nearly squatted on a gigantic pig who was hidden in the shadows when I attempted to find a place to pee.

We had to stop in the road once to allow a herd of cattle to go around us, and we had a beer in a roadside tavern in the middle of nowhere.

We stopped at a beautiful cemetery, and took some photos of the flowers.

We stopped at the coconut plantation where Antonia grew up, right on the ocean, and enjoyed the beach there for a while…as far as the eye can see in either direction, perfect unspoiled coastline. Absolutely gorgeous. Kim and I nearly got pulled out to sea by a very strong undertow, and we were only in up to our calves!

We also had delicious shrimp and oysters in Tehuamixtle, and got to watch a palapa being built. In all, it was a 60 mile roundtrip, and it took about nine hours to get there and back.

Mom and Dad left yesterday.

Mom and Dad left this morning to head back to chilly Minnesota. Sad to see them go, but so glad that they had a good time here. The three of us were traveling together the very first time we came to Yelapa, but that was only for an afternoon…I’m glad that they were able to come back and see why I love this place so much.

I think Hugo is going to miss my Dad quite a bit…they seemed to hit it off pretty well. I’m hoping that they want to come back next year!

This trip, the wedding…thank you so much, Mom and Dad. Nothing was perfect, and that’s the way we wanted it. We couldn’t have asked for more.

Dad went flying!

I know, Dale Johnson going flying blows your mind, right? Well, this isn’t his typical motorized flight…he took a tandem flight with Ross off the top launch, the exact site where I broke my leg.

Sarah came downstairs a minute ago to check on me, see how I’m feeling, and she offhandedly mentioned that Dad’s just about ready to launch from tapa. If she was looking to see me leap out of bed, that’s the way to do it!

The launch went well enough, and they had a twenty minute soaring flight over Yelapa. I’m anxious to see how he liked it.

Not feeling so well...

I’m spending today in bed. Lots of folks left this morning, and I said my goodbyes last night over a few drinks.

No, I’m not hungover. I have the flu. I think that I suppressed it long enough to throw a gigantic party, but now my body’s taking over and I have no choice but to submit to feeling gross.

I’ve been drinking tea, and napping in my beautiful seaside room, and the sound of the waves is making me better already.

I hope to be up and around in a day or two.

Being sick in paradise isn’t as bad as it sounds. I was planning on laying around today, anyway.

So...Red Bull and vodka is an awful combination...

But I’m drinking it nonetheless. It’s all that’s in the house, and John, Hugo, and I are the only ones here at the moment. Everyone else went…somewhere…for supper, and they’re going to bring me something to eat. I just don’t feel like walking anywhere.

Just had a great conversation with my buddy John, and my friend Hugo, and I’m feeling pretty loved at the moment.

Dolphins, and a goodbye.

Today, Verlene and Cyndy headed back to Seattle, somewhat worse for wear. The week was fun, but it wasn’t without its sunburns and slick bathroom tile.

Randy and I and my mother accompanied them to PV, with Mom & I saying goodbye at the pier, and Randy taking them to the airport. On the water taxi, we were surrounded by about 300 dolphins chasing fish. It was really neat to see, and they weren’t shy of the boat at all. I didn’t get any photos because I was too caught up in pointing and oohing and aahing, but it’s a memory that’ll be with me for a long time.

Mom and I had one errand in PV: to get cash for the big drinkers back at Casa. Because there are no ATM’s in Yelapa, it’s a big deal if you run out of cash because to get more you need to head to PV. So we had a list of who wanted how much from which card. Interestingly, I have the same PIN number as a good buddy of mine. Hmm. I thought it was random…

I’m feeling a bit under the weather, a little feverish. I’m trying to blame it on the sunburn, but secretly, between you and me, I think I might be coming down with something.

Eh. Maybe I’ll have to lay around…as originally planned.

Lazy Saturday.

Woke up this morning, and headed to breakfast with my aunts Leanne, Lynn, and Joy, Mom & Dad, Kurt, and Randy & Cyndy. Completely forgetting that it’s Saturday, and nothing’s open on Saturday, we made it all the way to the Vortex Cafe before we found someone who was open. Verlene was there, and the big group of us was a bit overwhelming to the kitchen.

Luckily, in the hour that we waited for our food, the pie lady came by. Cyndy and I chased her down the beach and bought a few slices, which were fantastic. Pie lady #2 came by with a piping hot lime merengue pie, and we bought about four slices. This pie is to die for. Fresh lime filling, fluffy merengue, carried on the pie lady’s head.

It doesn’t get any better than that!

By the time the food came, we were all fat & happy, full of pie, but not too full to enjoy the breakfast. Ham & Eggs for me!

Later that afternoon, the Aunts departed reluctantly, as they’d fallen in love with Yelapa and didn’t want to leave.

I could’ve predicted that. Nobody wants to leave.

We're married! Again!

Randy and I tied the knot again last night. This time, with a bunch of people around, in our best finery, on the roof of the House of Miracles.

I forgot my bouquet, which I realized just as the ceremony was starting, and Sandy ran to the kitchen to grab it, bless her little heart. Cyndy did a great job with the ceremony, and I got a little teary this time, too.

We had cookies and champagne on the rooftop, and took a photo of the Gusties for the Gustavus Adolphus College Quarterly, and then moseyed on down to the Yacht club for the reception.

Elena and Allan outdid themselves with the decorations and the food at the reception! Even though I knew the general plan, even I was surprised at how pretty that place looked when it was decorated specially for us.

And the cake! I had no idea she was making us a wedding cake! It was a gargantuan Tres Leches cake, which has got to be my favorite dessert of all time. It had a couple of styrofoam doves on top, and tiki torches all around.

Cyndy made the only toast of the evening, but it was a doozy. I don’t think anyone else could have said anything to top her, so nobody even tried. And that’s saying a lot with that crowd. She told everyone that when her parents divorced when she was 9 years old, she was given the choice of living with her Mom or her Dad. She said she chose her Dad because she didn’t want him to be lonely. Then, she said, when he met me, she was so happy to see that he’d never be lonely again, and she wished us the best.

That toast was so good, she made everyone a bit weepy. Even my father.

Everyone had a great time, and much eating, drinking, and dancing took place, and then we all went up to Casa Milagros to continue the party.

I should say, everyone else continued the party. Randy and I fell dead asleep as soon as we got to the house. Weddings are tiring!

It was worth all the work, though, to see everyone having such a great time.

Wedding day!

I wanted to get up bright and early today, to escape by myself for a bit on what I guessed would be an action packed day, but now it’s 11:00 and I’m just on my first cup of coffee. In my pajamas. In front of everyone.

Antonia, Hugo, and Libby have materialized some palm fronds from somewhere in the backyard, and we’ll go upstairs in a minute to arrange them on the deck. We’ll also string up the tulle and ribbon that Mom & I bought in PV.

And then…what else? Cookies will be ready at 3, I’ve sent the table decorations to the Yacht Club with Mom and Tricia, and…we have to chill the champagne at some point.

Other than that, I think the details are all taken care of.

Where’s the Kahlua for my coffee?

Flowers, Shrimp, and Sarah & Dan!

Mom and I got up bright and early this morning to head to Puerto Vallarta to find flowers for the wedding. I’m more convinced than ever of my lassez-faire approach to weddings, as the only criteria I had for the flowers is that they be pretty.

And all flowers are pretty. So there you go. :)

We wandered around PV for a while, ducking into shops and shopping a bit, and asking all of the shopkeepers where to find flowers. I’m not sure how to translate “wild goose chase” in to Spanish, but we didn’t make a lot of headway until we stopped into a fresh fruit market. The nice guy there directed us to a flower shop up the street, and we were on our way.

The little storefront had a lot of flower arrangements that looked more at home in a funeral parlor instead of on the roof of Casa Milagros, but they also had buckets of Ginger blossoms, and Birds of Paradise, and Tiger Lilies. Those were what I chose…the lilies for my bouquet, and the others for decoration with the palm fronds that Hugo will cut in the morning.

Flowers purchased, we then searched for shrimp. Raw shrimp. Camarones Crudas. We purchased about nine pounds for $40, and we were on our way back to the pier. As we were standing on the pier waiting for Jack’s boat to land, out of the blue came Sarah! and Dan! and hugs! They had spent last night in PV, and were on their way to Yelapa this morning. Sarah showed some badass bravery in overcoming her boat-phobia…of which I knew nothing until we were halfway to Yelapa. We went through Los Arcos, which was a nice photo op for our newcomers, and we dropped off a pirate who had overslept at the Pirate Ship. He looked hungover, and sheepish, to have missed his boat, as it were.

We landed at Yelapa, got Sarah and Dan settled, and then Mom, John, Zoe, Sarah, Dan, and I went to lunch at Mimi’s. Slow, as usual, but the food was to die for.

Back up to the house for hangin’ out in the afternoon, hearing stories from everyone’s day, and then we set about preparing for dinner.

That’s where the shrimp comes in.

Antonia’s sister had made us 80 chicken tamales today, and I went with Antonia to pick them up around 4pm. Seriously, this is about forty pounds of tamales, and the two five-gallon buckets of tamales had such an aroma that I was tempted to eat them all, myself, on the trail.

I didn’t give into temptation, however, and brought ‘em up to casa. I made a couple gallons of pico de gallo, some guacamole, and bought a couple kilos of fresh tortillas at the tortilleria. Mom & Dad deveined the shrimp, Trish sauteed them up, and the forty of us feasted on this wonderful dinner all evening long.

I can’t recall a more relaxed and chilled out gathering of everyone I hold dear. That was a great, stress-free evening, just before the wedding. It’s still going on, actually, out on the porch, even though the shrimp are long gone and they’re all heavily into the tequila.

I love these people, and this place. I doubt it gets better than this.

Full day.

First thing this morning, Carol, Zoe, Antonia and I went to the market. I bought a whole mess of red roma tomatoes for making a whole mess of pico de gallo, and then hit the tortilla factory.

Back home, made some breakfast for the crew, and then Randy and Kurt set off for Puerto Vallarta on their own errands. Champagne for the wedding is on their list, as well as various and sundry other things. Mom, Dad, and I set off for the beach and then nowhere in particular. On the way, we encountered Verlene and Cyndy at Mimi’s cafe, eating some breakfast.

Dropped Dad off at the beach, Verlene off at the apartment, and then Mom, Cyndy and I wandered around town for a while, to noplace in particular. I caught my mother taking photos of roosters…is this an inherited trait, I wonder…

Hung out at Casa Milagros for a while, and now we’re headed to see who’s on the 4pm boat.

Sunburn!

Oh, man. Somehow, the thought of lying on the beach was so seductive that I forgot that four hours in the sun spelled bad news for me and my white behind.

Literally, my behind.

My back and my butt have the worst sunburn I’ve ever experienced, at least visually. I’ll refrain from posting photos, but there’s a distinct red-to-white line on my ass that is probably visible from space.

Antonia gave me a beautiful shirt that she made for me, because it’s loose and will be kind to my crispy skin. The shirt is absolutely gorgeous, and has inspired me to learn how to embroider.

On the upside, Mom and Dad came in on the boat, which arrived at 5pm. John and Zoe were with them! We all went out to dinner at Gloria’s, and had some fantastic fare. Randy, Zoe and I all had the chiles rellenos with shrimp, and it may be some of the best I’ve ever had. Then we went to see the Chicken Tree, where about fifty chickens were roosted for the night. It’s quite an amazing sight if you’ve never seen chickens in trees before! Then to the store for beer, back to the house, and I think there’s a beer with my name on it around here somewhere.

Mom and Dad are coming today!

Can’t wait! I haven’t seen them since early December. I think I’ve been telling everyone, including random villagers, that they’re coming. So excited!

All in a day's work!

Today was a busy one. Randy’s been sick with a chest cold for a couple of days, so today I went to the aeropuerto to pick up his mom and daughter. They were expecting to see Randy, but I was there instead.

Before the airport, though, work began early. I went to the beachside apartments and found which one we’d be checking Randy’s mom and daughter into that afternoon. Then I went to the Yacht Club to meet with Elena, the owner, who is preparing all of the food for our reception. We got the last of the details worked out, and it’s going to be so much fun!

I had about an hour to kill after leaving Elena, and before I could catch the boat to PV, so I stopped into Pamela’s cafe. Pamela is our friend who lives in Yelapa. She’s a paraglider pilot, as well as the town’s veterinarian, and she also runs a small breakfast cafe with internet access. She made some fantastic huevos Rancheros, and I offered to pick up some stuff for her in PV. Turns out, she needed about ten pounds of coffee from Memo’s, and I said I’d get it for her.

Caught the boat, and chatted with Hugo and Jack the whole way into Puerto Vallarta. Once I got off the boat, the errands started…I had only two hours until Verlene and Cyndy were to land, and I had a lot of stuff to accomplish before then!

My first stop was the cigar shop, where I bought three locally made cigars for my dad. Then I tried to go to my favorite jewelry shop, Viva, which sadly has been closed since last April. Memo’s was across the street on Basilio Badillo, so I stopped in and had the ladies grind Pamela’s coffee. They directed me to the other places I needed to go…the fabric store to buy a bunch of tulle and ribbon for decorations, and the bank to get some dollars changed to pesos. I also needed to buy matchboxes, but nobody seems to know where I can get them, other than WalMart, and I’m not quite willing to go there, even in Mexico.

Finally had most of my stuff done, and then it was time to hop the bus to the airport. 5.5 pesos later, and I was settled in to my seat, watching the city go by. We reached the airport in 20 minutes, and the ladies came out to meet me at 3pm. Hugs all around, “happy birthday” to Cyndy as she turns 17 today!

Into a taxi, back to the pier, three lemondades later we were on the boat.

The adventure begins! We got off the boat on the beach, near the Vortex cafe, and hiked up the steps to their casa, got them settled in, and Randy came down to meet us. He’s not quite feeling up to his old self yet, but at least he can get out of bed.

We’re planning on dinner at the Galeria tonight, which is always a fantastic experience. Welcome to Yelapa!

El Mercado

Yesterday I bought a bunch of avocados at la tienda, and made some fresh guacamole. Antonia watched me, and then invited me to accompany her this morning to the local equivalent of a farmer’s market. The local restaurantes and stores go there to stock up twice a week, as do the local residents who are in-the-know. Fantastic produce, amazingly inexpensive.

I have enough avocados for another gigantic batch of guacamole, and I made a big bowl of pico de gallo this morning as well. I also purchased some bananas, fresh pears, onions, garlic, cilantro…fantastic.

It was nice to spend some time with Antonia. I think my Spanish is getting better, great thanks to her. She speaks slowly with clear enunciation, and conversation with her is a great joy.

First flight of the season.

Randy’s happy…he had his first paraglider flight of the year today. Winds weren’t all too favorable, they were “over the back” in paraglider speak, which means that they were gusting from behind, which is not good.

He did finally catch a wind cycle that was coming straight on from the water, and had a nice 20 minutes of airborne awesomeness.

I missed his landing though. I got stuck in some traffic behind the mule pack on the way back to the house, so I didn’t get back up to my vantage point before he landed.

Oh, well. There’s always tomorrow.

Arrival

We arrived in Puerto Vallarta yesterday afternoon, and discovered that the customs station is new and improved! While there are still very long lines, the room is now larger and lighter, so it´s a much more pleasant wait to get the passport stamped.

We jumped into a taxi, hurried to the pier in time to slam two beers and catch the last boat to Yelapa. It was a smooth ride, the water was perhaps calmer than I´ve ever seen it. We did run out of gas on the way and had to change gas tanks, but after that minor setback we landed on Yelapa pier at about 6:30. We each carried a paraglider and a week´s worth of clothing up the hill, where we were greeted with warmth by Hugo & Antonia, as well a houseful of strangers…but they´re no longer strangers.

That seems to happen here in Yelapa. No strangers. Just friends you don´t already know.
Dinner of shrimp and mushrooms in alfredo sauce with chiles rellenos, and another beer, and we settled into our room. I think we have the best room in the house, although they´re all equally as good in their own unique ways. This morning, I´ve made a friend from British Columbia, and we´re planning the decorations for the wedding. I also placed the order for our wedding cake, such as it is. Later on, there´s a hike planned, and some dinner, and then, who knows? Anything is possible.