YALAPA

Several days ago the folks on Windsong, Taking Flight, Odessa and Grace took a trip to Yalapa.  Looking at the photo you'd think Yalapa is just another beautiful village nestled between a gentle surf breaking on white sands and surrounding tropical jungle, with a multitude of thatch roof palapa resturants following the curve of the beach, all caressed by tropical zephyers, with handsome young Mexican waiters rushing cervesas served in ice cold mugs to your table already laden with an abundance of chips, salsa and guacamole.  And you'd be right, it is like so many of these villages, except that there are no roads to Yalapa.

The only way to get there, and possibly the main reason Yalapa is such a popular destination, is by

panga. The forty minute ride skirting along the shoreline is  beautiful and interesting.





 



We were all enjoying the ride, until the panga made a stop to pick up additional passengers, including a Mexican Kokopelli trickster bringing aboard a lizard and his favorite snake.

Some of us had a bad feeling about the new arrivals.  With good reason.....

We had a close encounter with Banderas Bay pirates.  Fortunately they were snoozing under bare poles as we sped by.

KARA

We had a great day, hiking up to a small waterfall, wandering thru the village, and cavorting in the surf.

THE TAO TE CHING

The last few days I've been reading the Tao Te Ching written by Lao Tsu.  Some 2600 years ago he left China, seeking solitude in Tibet.  The story goes that the gatekeeper at one of the passes into Tibet knew of Lao Tsu and asked him to record his views for posterity before disappearing into the high mountains.  Lao agreed and produced the Tao Te Ching.  It became one of the seminal works of Chinese philosophy.  The Tao Te Ching is  short.  It can be read in less then an hour, but I have a feeling I will be reading it for the rest of my life.

I would love to quote a bunch of it,  but won't except for one verse:  

A good traveler has no fixed plans

and is not intent upon arriving.



IT'S ALIVE!!!!

Contrary to reports life goes on down here. 

We are biding our time waiting for our Mexican FM3's.  An FM3 allows us to stay in the country as long as we like, except that it has be be renewed every year.  We had to prove we have a permanent address, in our case La Cruz marina, and a steady income.  The income requirement in 200% of the minimum wage, or about 14,000 pesos per month.  Not much, about $1150 USD.

Sorry about not updating the blog.  Just not much happening except for the normal drinking, carousing and aimless living.