Yelapa was heaven!

Green Parrots on the huge Green Bamboo at the Oasis in Yelapa

I waited two days before I could post this. So I'm at Pascal's at Marina Bay for mid-day brunch and some wifi catch-up. Our trip from Vallarta was smooth and uneventful. Just the way we like it. We're joining Chuck, Steve, Susan and Mira for dinner at Italian Colors and hoping Mike and Jenny can join us. Still don't know if Mike is playing tonight. It's Susan and Steve's anniversary today, so hope we can all be together. Had a good check-in talk with Kathy this morning. Sounds like Larkin is a joy for Mary to have living with her while he's back at San Jose State. I can only imagine what a joy that must be.

Here's the entry I started when the wifi wasn't working at #5 in Yelapa when I wanted to say goodbye and announce that we were about to leave:

Here it is already. Monday, the 10th. Art says it's the first day of the rest of your life. Actually, it's the day before we leave beautiful, magical Yelapa. For some reason, we seemed to think Wednesday was  our day of departure, so we're in a momentary state of shock and surprise. But that won't last long. We've had a gorgeous stay here as well as wonderful time in Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta and El Tuito before this, so we truly can't complain. And since we feel we're returning from one paradise to another………. So be it.

Yesterday we met my Santa Fe friend, Lynn at the top of the trail to the cascade in the village. We waited long, but had a delicious brunch with her while listening to the sounds of the waterfall landing on all the facets of rock behind the falls. Saw a few birds on the way home in the village. Particularly some hawks and vultures of interest. This morning the bird book lying on the breakfast table seemed to attract all sorts of people. One man from Victoria BC sent his mother to our table because she has a growing interest in birds. We had a delightful visit with her and Art did his best to convince her to join  a serious bird group when she returns to Canada.

The wifi here has chosen today to be missing for the first time in our stay. Of course I came back to our porch and set up the computer just outside the door on a little night stand so that I could do a blog entry and watch for two friends as they para-sailed down. Sighting the flyers worked out, but blog entry will have to wait 'til who knows when. And just as I wrote that, one of the flyers arrived at our door front.  You know me, always feeling like esp is everywhere or just around the corner.

The bottom line is that birding here in Yelapa has been lovely. I took a very long swim in the pool late this afternoon, met people who were lovely. We had dinner and conversations with Luke, other regulars and some new friends. That also was lovely. Need i say more. I hate to leave but leave we must and it will be great to see  our own coast and all that it means to us in a very short while. 

The wifi icon says it's on but the dialogue box says it's not. Let's hope I can publish this after we get through the system at the Vallarta airport. In the meantime it will be preserved on my desktop in Text  Edit. Time will tell. —  JW

Happiness is a round house

Many good subjects along the river trail, but these top the list

The cheerful and peaceful atmosphere of the Oasis Restaurant

Happy to be at the Larochette's,  out of the airplane and the hustle and bustle of Vallarta 

Art enjoying the "fish of the day" at the Oasis restaurant

There is something about living in a round space that affects my spirits every time I experience it. I once helped run a textile program at Arcosanti called Haystack at Arcosanti. During my one month stint I lived in two round spaces as well as on the roof of the library where I could see lightning storms hundreds of miles away. That experience is etched in my memory bank and I realize that it's part of the reason I keep asking for number five at Hotel Lagunita in Yelapa. I think I need a yurt in my yard so I can recreate that feeling at will. It really does something for me that I can't quite put my finger on, but which is as real as anything I know. Kathy, you'll be pleased to know that #5 (The round #5) has had a complete sprucing up. The woven windows and wall sections have all been redone and there is a new front door. A brand new toilet and regrouting or cement brushing is in evidence throughout the room. Might not overwhelm you if you were here for the first time, but quite a spiffy re-do if you've been coming to the same room  for years.

Art and I stayed with Jean Pierre and Yael for two nights before coming to Yelapa. Time whizzed by with a breakfast at Mario's on the Plaza and a fantastic lunch conjured up by Yael for us, Pat, Bonny and Carlos. What a joy to see those lovely old friends and have a long and relaxed and conversation rich, late lunch with them. The day's plan included lunch on the porch at the Larochette's followed by a short rest, and before we knew it, Pat was calling to tell us that the birds were out in full force at Rancho Primavera. We rushed out there and saw incredible birds at the main house and then drove to the adobe overlooking the pond where we saw a ton of birds. My expectation was that we'd show Art the exciting event I had grown used to in previous years. At about 6:00 or a little later all the Cattle Egrits, some Cormerants, a few ducks and a Heron or two would always come swooping in on the pond and the Egrits would fight over that night's place to roost in one of two trees overlooking the  inlet of a small stream  which enters the pond at the eastern end. Well, time moves on and the routine seems to have changed completely. No big Egrit battle for limbs and branches but just about every other possible thrill more than made up for it. We saw a troop of Ibis, at least eight Black bellied whistling ducks, Nightherons, Egrits, Cormerants, a Ring Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher and more.  A Magpie Jay, Night Herons, a Military McGaw and others whose names escape me at the moment blessed us with their presence while we were at Pat's house. All in all an amazing bird experience for me. We were joined at Pat's and at the adobe by a visiting birder and tour leader from Bend, Oregon.

We arrived in Yelapa yesterday mid-day and settled into #5 after it was finally vacated and cleaned. This morning I took Art for a walk up the main river trail to the foot bridge where Art insisted that we  go up river for just a little while even though we have a walk planned for there tomorrow.  When we finally turned around and went toward the village, we began seeing birds everywhere.  On the way in, we heard a sound we first thought was from a construction site, but I finally decided it was coming from a stand of giant bamboo-like stalks. We looked up and, Wow! It turned out to be a Pale billed Woodpecker who was working overtime and making a huge racket. When we reached the village dock and sat down to observe the carnival of shore birds in the harbor, we saw different gulls, pelicans, Terns, huge winged Frigate birds and much more. We stopped for an orange juice on the way back to the Oasis Restaurant where we planned to have dinner, and when I looked up in a tree overhanging the stream that comes down from the village waterfall,  I saw three birds that looked and acted a little like chickens, the way they were walking along a high, horizontal branch. Art thought for  barely a moment and said they might be an unusual bird with a name I also can't remember but which I will insert when I feel I can disturb the authority, who is working at trying to maneuver his way around his new IPad. We reached the Oasis and saw at least thirty Black Vultures and a troop of Ibis marching along a sand bar next to the river. Before we left, the waiter told us there were more of the chicken like bird whose name escapes me and then a huge flock of green parots flew into the tree in front of the restaurant. We watched them, inthralled at their chatter and movement, when, all of a sudden they flew off in a marvelous, spiraling movement in unison and were gone. What a great way to finish our first day in Yelapa. More to come, I'm sure. 

On the move again

Jackie and Art at "Arabia Cafe" shortly before we moved on to P.V.

I'm hoping to back up and fill in the gaps when we get to Yelapa in a couple of days. We've had wonderful birding trips to Llano Grande with a local guide who grew up there as well as a trip with "Diego" to Teotitlan, also to a mountain trout farm, "Casa", the great  museum in San Augustin, Etla and many other wonderful bird oriented activities. I took Art to Archie's Wok Friday night. Delicious, creative dinner as usual. No real time for writing.

We're in Puerto Vallarta and preparing to take a bus up to El Tuito after visiting the Botanical Gardens half way up the hill. We walked to the island where the river splits and saw all kinds of birds as well as at least five iguanas in the trees along the way. I may find time to write from JP's but if not, I promise to do so when we get to Yelapa. I'm looking forward to the quiet of that lovely getaway. All's well and we're both healthy. Much love to all,   Jackie