Me Gusta La Pesca! And Other Thoughts... And on Forgiveness

I Enjoy Fishing!  Me gusta la pesca!  Ever since I was a little girl I have loved to fish!  I must have some sort of gene that dictates my love for fishing!  I was raised in Los Angeles, in the "Big" city so to speak, but as far back as I can remember I have loved fishing, even if it was in the dirty ponds of the city parks in L.A. County.  But I remember back to the days when my step dad would take me to Redondo Beach, California out on the pier; my lust, at ten or twelve years old to be the best fisherman on the pier... my dream at the time was to match the Mexican men on the pier who were catching Bonita (actually tuna), and to land the biggest one... unfortunately I found myself as a ten or twelve-year-old girl casting underhand, as they did on the pier, and getting my giant hook and bait caught on the wood pilings underneath the pier...

I would climb like a monkey underneath the pier, and through the pilings to find my hook, release it, then crawl ever-so-gracefully back up to the deck only to cast again... hooking into the pier pilings below... My step dad, Cy, told me many years later, when I was in my forties, that he admired the "Fisherman's Heart" that I had... even though I was a "Girl".  I never really caught anything on that pier, although I was sure happy to stand around with the local Mexicans to admire the shark, or stingray, or halibut flopping about between the fishermen's feet... I wanted so desperately to be the one who brought the creature to the planks...  The strange creatures were the talk of the pier, and the talk was mostly in Spanish.  I adored my experiences there, even though my step dad would get irritated with me.  He was at least willing to take me there and let me try.  I was a vibrant kid, nothing could hold me back from the enthusiasm of fishing!  Not even my step dad who thought it was all for nought, and who didn't even like fish.  I must admire him however, to take his step-daughter fishing... to rent a saltwater rod and reel... to allow her the freedom to explore the pier pilings...  At fifty-one, I am admiring my step-father anew.  He is gone now, but I appreciate so much his patience as he allowed me to explore...

So here I am living in a fishing village in Mexico... I am here for six months tending a gringo's home... it's tuna season... and what's a girl to do?  So I go tuna fishing!  Yes, me and a friend catch tuna... big ones, fat ones... heavy ones... but it's not that: I love fishing because I am a primitive soul.  I have touched my primitive self.  I was in touch with my primitive self from way back... way back when I was a little girl... I have learned that fishing is not just some sport, something to do, nor some flaky deed that grandpa talked about: fishing is a primitive, natural instinct for those of us who have tapped in to our inner-survivor selves.  I also have a deep desire to hunt.  What is that?  I am a girl for goodness sake!  But it's just in me to want to know how to hunt and fish, camp, etc.  No one taught me, no one turned me on to it all... It was in me.  So I have come to the conclusion that some of us are just a little more primitive than others, or that some of us just grasp that part of ourselves more willingly than others... I really don't know.  I don't even know if there has been a study done on these things... All I know is that this is how I feel; this is how I am.  I love fishing.  I love hunting.  I love camping.  What is that??

I am here in Yelapa... a wonderful fishing village in Mexico.  I adore the people, the culture, the lifestyle, yet, unfortunately I can never truly be a part.  It would take years and years for them to fully accept me, and I don't have that kind of time.  All I can do is treat them with dignity and respect, and remain generous and open.  They don't know my heart, but when I think about it, that's okay too... they don't need to know my heart.  All I need to do is be myself... be kind, loving, generous, and truthful...  to them, as well as myself.  I shant require the whole world to love me... I should only require that I be good to all people regardless of circumstance...  If it serves any purpose at all, it is for me.  For if I am friendly and another is not, it is not my concern; I am the one who will be the beneficiary of mental, emotional, and spiritual freedom. 

The same is to be said of "Forgiveness".  We don't forgive because of someone else... we forgive to free ourselves of the bondage of resentment.

Leslie L. Ortiz

Observations and Wonderings

     Wow!  It's been a long time since I've written in my blog!  I apologize to my readers.  Funny, after I wrote about relatively safe food and water, and that I hadn't been sick, well, I got really sick!  I do believe, however, that it was an intestinal virus.  It didn't resemble food poisoning really, so I guess I'll stick to my original opinion. 

     June 1st was the national holiday, Dia de la Marina.  It is the Mexican holiday where the whole nation commemorates the navy, the bounty of the sea, and all those who were lost defending liberty, or bringing food from the sea to the masses.  In other words, fishermen and sailors.  What an amazing cultural experience!  In the morning I hopped on a small boat on the beach with friends, and many others were in other small boats, and we paraded out to sea in armada fashion.  Other small boats carried school children of all ages; brightly-colored hand-made wreaths, freshly-showered and groomed children sporting their very clean and tidy school uniforms, all precious indeed!

     Once out to sea we circled the boats, I would guess maybe thirty-five pangas, and tied off together.  Two of the boats were the masters-of-ceremony: one contained the speakers who would tell the story of the sailors, and the other contained the high school children who would bear the flags and recite speeches of heroes...  A moment of silence, no motors, only the water lapping at the hulls of the shallow boats... a speech, the Mexican National Anthem on loud-speaker, and finally we tossed our array of flowers and wreaths onto the surface of the sea... It was very moving. 

     The event made me think of how every country, not just the USA, has pride and vision, and Mexico is very proud, and like Americans, they mostly cherish their freedom.  This is Mexico.  It is not completely frought with drug wars and violence.  Those issues are regional, just as organized crime and violence and gang wars exist regionally within the US.  Mexico is a big country.  I happen to sleep in the open, as do all of the other residents here in Yelapa.  I am not threatened, nor afraid.  My biggest fear is getting out of bed with bare feet and stepping in toad poop, or worse yet on a scorpion, God forbid!

     I am alone here, but the jungle entertains me.  Everyday I find something new, something unique, or something really gross!  We have an animal here they call, tejone.  It's a reddish-colored animal similar to a racoon only longer and bigger.  One night one was sniffing me through the mosquito netting.  Kinda freaked me out because I thought of Little Red Riding Hood and the big bad wolf!  Fortunately the thing is mostly a vegetarian.  Almost every morning I find a messy mango in the sala where a tejone has chowed down and smeared mango goobers all over the tile.  If it sits too long it's very sticky and hard to get off, and fruit flies charge in.  I have become accustomed to hosing off my living area in the mornings.

     This morning I found something gross: the cats, or something, had puked up a mouse.  It was in pieces, and was all wet and icky... Yes, I hosed it out of my living area, the sala.  I fed the cats in the bodega, a large storage room off the kitchen (cocina), and low and behold another common mess: toad poop and pee... Ay Dios mio!  Every morning there are things like these; little annoyances that make life interesting.  But realize these are the only things I have to worry about.  Nature, it abounds here in all it's glory, it is relevant, alive, and fascinating.  Being here is better than watching Jeff Corwin on Animal Planet, or living vicariously through the travel channel, both which I love.  Did you know that toads pee about as much as my dachshund back home?

     Oh, I must say something about the crabs.  The land crabs abound here.  They came out of their holes during the first big rain and they were everywhere!  Most are about the size, or diameter of a baseball, some smaller.  You usually hear them before you see them: "Tick-tick-tick-tick".  They were in my book case, under my chair, on the walkways, on the pathways, and in the leaves.  The jungle has so much plant debris that the crabs can eat... once again, the food chain, or food web, is alive and well.

     The sea is beautiful this morning.  It stopped raining about a half hour ago.  I can see the Marietas Islands very clearly in the distance... it is going to be a great day!

    

Self-Care

     After breaking my ankle a year ago in April, I was sedentary.  I gained weight, much more than I ever wanted to, and was tired all the time.  Then I got sick and tired of being sick and tired.  When I came here three weeks ago I knew it would be a challenge to begin walking on a regular basis, let alone climbing hills and stairs.  Add the drastic change in climate and elevation, flora and fauna, and I have come to the conclusion that this is probably a much healthier situation for me personally. 
     I am no longer in an artificial environment, meaning, indoors with air conditioner, or in an automobile with air conditioner.  Nor am I in a restaurant or a store with climate control.  Being near the ocean the climate here is temperate, meaning the fluctuations in temperature are not drastic.  A 10 or 20 degree change might take place in a day, but nothing like the fluctuations in the high desert environments of Utah where a 40 degree change is normal.    The humidity here in Yelapa is high.  It's nothing like Okinawa humidity, but maybe something closer to Georgia or the Carolinas.  That being said, dehydration can still occur, especially with someone like me who spent time in a field hospital in Iraq for heat stroke. 
     I'm not trying to be instructional here, I just want to share my personal experience.  In order for me to feel good, I have to drink a lot of water, or liquid.  I try to drink something at a minimum of every half hour, and a maximum of an hour.  Water, pineapple juice, other juices, etc.  I will have a coca cola as a treat around lunch time, not every day, but every few days or so.  Soda is probably not the best thing to drink all the time.  So if you ever come here please drink a lot of fluids, and limit the alcohol.  It's not quite the "Pith Helmet Hot" that it was in Okinawa, or in the Philippines, but it's warm enough to cause dehydration very quickly.  And if you bring children, they are even more susceptible, so make them drink fluids... a lot.  Most kids don't like to drink water, I know my son didn't, but juices will work.
    Another thing I've learned along the way, not just here in Yelapa, but in other places as well, is take it slow.  Walking slower, looking around, looking down at where your stepping... here in Yelapa, everywhere here, the paths are uneven. 
    Bug repellent.  Shorts and light colored tank tops are the norm, but obviously being outdoors all the time I share the space with mosquitos and other insects.  A good repellent is in order, especially on the legs. 
    Lance has a fine water filter for the tap water here, so there's no need to haul water up the hill.  I drink at least two pitchers of water per day, plus juice.  Yesterday and today it was pineapple juice, tomorrow will be cranberry juice.  I have drunk tons of water here, including in the restaurants.  The Yelapans drink filtered or bottled water too, and the ice is filtered water, so don't panic.  I've been here three weeks and have had no problems.  I don't know of any other people who have had problems here either. 
     So far so good.  I take as much time as I need to move around.  I walk slower, I take time.  It's amazing what you observe when you take your time.  So knocking on wood, and taking all the personal precautions I can think of, I think I'm set.
     The food here is pretty amazing.  So far it's all been fresh, and I would even say it's mostly organic.  So if you come to Yelapa, eat up!  Enjoy! 

Sounds

While I was doing some of my chores today on the highest part of the hill behind Casa Arriba I kept hearing a very loud car alarm.  It was a piercing sound, and very annoying as most of you know.  Then it dawned on me, "There are no cars here!  This place is not accessible by car!"  The noise I heard was some kind of bug.  Probably a beetle of some kind... who knows?  Now I am safe within my mosquito netting preparing to turn the light out and go to sleep.  The crickets and whatever else are chirping away.  I don't hear the frogs tonight...  Today was uneventful really.  I stayed home and worked on the landscape, made supper for myself, and this evening sat in the sala and watched the cats try to catch the dragon flies that seem to appear at dusk.  I can hear the waves breaking against the rocks and the beach down below... there is distant polka-style music playing at the cantina, I can hear a dog bark every once in awhile, and an occasional mango will fall from the tree and hit the ground with a hard "Thud".  It sounds like a baseball falling from the sky and hitting the ground.  It's Sunday, and it was relatively quiet all day.  I am thankful for this opportunity, and I am so grateful to my friends who made it all happen. 

To My Readers

I just wanted to say thanks to those of you who are following my journey in Mexico.  For those of you who know me and are reading this, and aren't familiar with this blogspot, take a minute to look around and find my earlier blogs.  There are a few interesting reads.  I try to keep them as concise as possible, but sometimes my emotions win, and I end up blurting out all kinds of things... Have patience with me, and just come along for the ride.  Hopefully as you read these things you will be able to at least picture, or feel what it's like.  If you have specific questions, or you're curious about different aspects of my journey, please feel free to email me or contact me on facebook.  My email address is:  crowsoldier59@yahoo.com.  My name on facebook is Leslie Ramonas-Ortiz.  And for those of you wondering where the "Ortiz" came from, I was married in California three years ago, and changed my name legally in Davis County, Utah, two years ago. My passport and my driver's license says Ortiz, but my military records and a few other things are listed under "Ramonas"...  Hey, I'll go by anything!  I am just another "Critter" on this planet that I love...  Namaste

Getting It

Whatever "It" is, I'm beginning to get a feel for things... There is a rythem to Yelapa; it's not fast-paced, it's just a soft, mellow cadence that kind of goes along with the tides... It's hard to explain, but it's something deep inside me that feels it... One does what he has to do, but not in a frenzied hurry... It's at a natural pace, probably the way nature intended. 

I got on the boat today to go into Puerto Vallarta.  I sat there with a guy I met and we visited for a moment, then several others climbed aboard.  The Yelapa Bay is not very big.  A couple of women tourists came aboard  dressed to the nines for such a place, and began complaining about how they hoped the boat would reach Vallarta so they could catch their plane.  The skipper slowly pulled away, slowly moved toward the south part of the bay, and I saw a gringo waving from the shore.  The skipper acknowledged him and slowly turned to go back.  He picked up the gringo, and another local.  He dropped the local off on another boat that was moored in the bay.  The women behind me were beginning to get nervous about their flight, and I felt the stress I haven't felt for awhile:  "Gotta get there, gotta get there now!"

The skipper made another stop on the beach, and a guy waved as if to say, "Hey, hold on a minute!  I'm coming!"  We waited a few more minutes for him to make it down from a house to the beach.  Then we casually made our way to the center part of the beach where a few more were waiting.  As they boarded the tourists behind me were getting nervous and frustrated saying:  "If we would have known we could have booked a later flight," etc.  So we casually made our way to the other pier across the way and picked up a couple more.  That took a few minutes... Even I thought we were finished and would be headed for Vallarta, but no, the skipper turned the boat around and picked up yet another couple of locals at the original pier.  We once again slowly made our way through the bay in between many other boats moored.  The skipper stopped at one boat and a local passenger got off onto the other boat.  Then we made our way to another one and a local got off on that boat.  So needless to say we spent at least thirty minutes in the bay assisting others with their Yelapa transportation needs... The women behind me were frustrated and continued to complain.  We finally lit out on our way to Vallarta with a full boat.  I counted about 24 people total, and the boat bogged and tried hard to push through the water.  We followed the coastline and stopped at another beach and let one guy off, then headed out again.  Once we got to Boca T., about halfway, most of the passengers got off so that they could take the cheaper bus into Vallarta.  Now the boat could move, and without incident we made it.  I couldn't hear the women complaining anymore because of the noise of the wind and the motor.  I got off the boat in Vallarta, got wet up to my rear end because of a rogue wave, and made my way to a beachside restaurant to get breakfast.  I cleaned off my sandals of the sand and salt in the ladies restroom and had a pleasant late breakfast of huevos rancheros... most excellent!  I made my way to an ATM to get some cash because I just got paid, and asked around for the Pharmacia Guadalajara.  I took about an 8-block stroll and got what I needed and headed back.  Without incident I made my way back "Home".  I was very happy to exist without a plane ticket, without a specific time to be somewhere... I flowed with the natural rythem that is Yelapa.  I am liking it very much.  While bugs and critters abound, I find myself in harmony with them, the plant life, and all that surrounds me... I showered and slipped into my white Mexican sun dress, and felt one with the rythem of Yelapa... Tomorrow I will feed the wonderful cats, water all the plants I can find, and then maybe go to town... if I feel like it.  After Iraq, this is bliss...

My Frog

I have come to embrace the wildlife here... well, at least most of it.  Tonight, after a short journey to get a bite to eat at April and Jose's place, I came home and sat in the sala to watch the sunset.  I had a glass of water by my side, and a bee of some kind, not a honey bee, kept flying around the glass.  I would shoo it away but it continued.  So I thought, "Well, maybe the thing is thirsty, and if it gets a drink, maybe it will just go away".  I didn't feel like getting up and having a war with a damn bee.  So sure enough I left the thing alone.  It wandered down into my plastic cup, got a drink, and then flew off to who knows where.  As the sun went down, nearly completely dark, I saw something by my lounge chair near the foot... it was a very large bull frog.  I started talking to it as if it were a cat, or a dog:  "Hello frog.  Why don't you go in my room and eat some bugs."  I know you won't believe this, but the thing turned and hopped into my room.  I am just hoping he ate some bugs.  Now he is back out here on the sala with me... a curious creature...  I like any animal that eats the bugs that want to eat me!  Frogs Rock!

Where to begin!

     So much to talk about, but where to start?  How about the weather?  Well, the majority of the time it has been very warm.  When there is a breeze off the ocean it's comfortable, but when the breeze dies down it can get pretty hot and muggy.  The remedy is cold lemonade and a fan...
     I am beginning to get to know a few people here, and my Spanish, although limited, is improving.  The people here, so far, are wonderful.  I was fortuate enough to receive two wonderful friends, Tami, and her son Sam.  Tami's hubby, and dear friend of mine, Dennis, was unable to come.  Dennis and Tami and Sam have been coming here for years, and young Sam has grown up coming here.  He has grown up with several of the Yelapan boys here, and I'm sure that every time he comes and goes, they miss him... and I know he misses them.  Tami and Sam introduced me to several of the restaurants and many of the local natives they know here.  They fully embrace the culture, a beautiful one at that, and are enthusiastic about exploring every nook and cranny of Yelapa.  Thank you Tami and Sam for everything!  I love you guys!  And Dennis, if you read this, I missed you! Your family rocks!
     While Tami and Sam were here we had one very interesting morning:  while in a dead sleep I was awakened by a loud screaming noise.  It sounded as if it were right next to me!  "What in the world?", I thought.  When I awoke I understood that it was either a burro or a horse.  Then I heard Tami laughing somewhere in the house.  I laughed a little and zonked back out again.  When I got out of bed, Tami and Sam said that about six horses had come from the hill behind the house and had come into the house and made their way down below to the mango tree.  What I had heard was a very loud whinny.  Sam said he thought one horse was right by my bedroom... poor thing was probably stuck in the house and didn't know the way out!  They wanted the mangos I guess.  I don't know how none of them broke a leg.  It's quite the drop off... I guess they used the stairs!  If I lived in Yelapa I would have a burro or a horse.  They are invaluable here.  I posted several photos on facebook today... I hope you check there to take a peek. 


    

First Week...

I had a little trouble at the airport in Salt Lake City because they couldn't find my ticket.  I had to pull out my lap top, try to get connected (you would have thought it was easy, but it took quite awhile), and then pull up the information on the email.  Once I was able to do that and show the airline rep, he realized that my ticket was booked under my old last name... my new passport had my new name.  When I applied for my new passport (because I couldn't find my old one) I applied at the Davis County Courthouse who originally did my name change from Ramonas to Ortiz.  Needless to say, and of course, my name is legally Ortiz, therefore my new passport came back that way...  I had forgotten that when I got my plane ticket way back when I used Ramonas.  Aye Dios mio.

So I made my flight, landed and met Susana who was standing behind the glass with a giant sign that said: "LESLIE".  I was off and running.  People here who I met were surprised that all I had was a backpack and a laptop.  Six months?  Heck yeah!

So now I am here, Lance has gone to New York, and I am taking care of his beautiful Casa Arriba...
Yesterday was my first real excursion anywhere... I went back to Puerto Vallarta (PV) for some supplies.  I needed a few things that I can't really get here (Nicotine gum, decent sponges, a 3-pronged extension cord, a good pocket knife, etc). 

Luis told me I could meet the PV water taxi at 1030 at the Puebla pier, so I took off around 9:45 yesterday morning.  I finally got to the pier around 1010 and waited only a few minutes before the water taxi pulled up.  I got on, and we rode over to the beach where a handsome young Mexican man lifted a pretty young blond girl, about 23, into the boat to help prevent her feet from getting wet.  She sat next to me and I asked her where she got such a nice guy.  She immediately smiled and said he was her boyfriend.  We struck up a conversation, her name is Kristina, and I think she is from Washington State.  She lives in PV with her boyfriend's mom.  We eventually exchanged email addresses.  I found it odd that the boat was hugging the shore line as we made our way north.  It stopped at a couple of beaches, and eventually ended at Boca T.  Hmmm... everyone except me got off the boat.  A guy asked me if I was planning on going to "Vallarta" and I said yes, and asked if the boat was going there.  He told me no, that the next boat wasn't going to PV until 3PM.  Crap.  So I caught up with Kristina , we hiked up a really steep hill, and I was huffing and puffing the whole way.  We caught the bus for seven pesos (about sixty-seven cents), and drove north.  The bus stopped along the way at various stops for several additional passengers.  One older guy got on about ten minutes out of PV.  I thought it was odd.  He was carrying a small boom box and was holding it to his chest with the speakers facing out.  He was about seven or eight feet away from me.  He cranked on the boom box and this delightful Mexican music came on... It was instrumental.  I thought the guy was just on the bus and was kind of quirky, and was just listening to his music for entertainment while he rode into PV.  Haha!  The guy starts belting out a song... like Karaoke, only he sang pretty darn good.  After the song was finished he went around asking for tips.  I didn't give him anything.  Maybe next time.  There's always someone to tip.

So I got into PV and made my way to the restaurant where I was to meet Susana.  Kristina walked with me and showed me how to get there, and I introduced the two.  Susana was very gracious and gave Kristina a ride home.  Susana and I had plans to shop for my supplies, and I wanted to buy her lunch.  We went to Costco, Walmart, and Pharmacia Guadelajara...  By the way, the stores are almost identical to those in the states, so if you ever come here you'll be able to find what you need, and what you know.  Oh, and by the way, it is appropriate to tip the baggers... I think that's all they get paid.  Ten pesos is plenty.  Thanks to Susana for telling me that.

Our next thing on the agenda was lunch... OH MY Goodness!  What an extraordinary taco stand!  (By the way this is not in the tourist area... it's deeper into town).  A woman was literally making the corn tortillas for the tacos one by one... I had camarones (shrimp) tacos... The most exquisite shrimp tacos I've ever had!  The place was clean, the women were nice, and the food was to die for.  I am going to have to find that place again! 

After lunch Susana dropped me off near the boat landing, and low and behold there stood my new friend, Claudia, a large bag of dog food, and another bag in tow.  We made our way to the little restaurant by the landing (I call it a landing because there is no more pier... they are building a new one, and you must board the boat from the beach).  We sat down in the restaurant and I ordered a cold Modelo, and Claudia ordered guacamole... the best ever, and a lemonade.  Then up walked Judith, a woman I have heard about, my neighbor actually, but whom I've never met.  Both were very happy-go-lucky, lovely women.  Judith's place is the Sky Temple... a yoga studio up on the hill just south of me...  I will learn more about that as time goes on.

We made our way onto the boat, and on to Yelapa.  My pack weighed about fifty-five or sixty pounds, and of course I thought I was going to die hiking up the hills.  And when I finally made it to the notorious steps at Casa Arriba... I stopped... breathed, listened to my heart try to pound its way out of my chest, and then trudged on.  I stopped about four times coming up.  I am hoping I can get to the point where I can charge up the steps without too much effort.  I was soaking wet with sweat when I arrived home.  Luis, Susana's husband, was here waiting for me; he was watching the place until I returned.  I left a puddle of sweat droplets on the tile, and flung my backpack onto the table.  I chatted with Luis, and then he left for the evening.  After a shower, and some cold lemonade, I planted myself in the sala on the lounge chair. 

It was a beautiful sunset, and almost dark.  I was watching the cats come and go, and then Blue, one of the five, has something long and wiggling in his mouth and he comes within about ten feet of me with it, looking at me, and then at the thing in his mouth... it's a small snake, and Blue is putting it down, picking it up, batting it around, while the thing is trying to get away.  But Blue didn't let it get away, he just kept playing with it.  Me and the other four cats, from a safe distance of course, were all curious and we watched Blue and the snake.  They made their way into the kitchen.  I think the funniest part of this whole thing was the fact that I, and four other cats, stood watching as if we were an audience, and Blue was performing some risky act to entertain us.  We watched for ten minutes or more, and the snake made its way underneath a ratan rug... But Blue was brave and lifted the rug and picked up the snake and brought it out for us to see again.  He continued playing with it until he bit it and I could hear the bones crunching... ah, he was going to kill it. The snake wouldn't wiggle much anymore; he was moving in slow motion, so Blue lost interest.  What really cracked me up was after Blue left, Max approached the snake with great caution... he reached out slowly at tapped the tail of the snake with his paw... the thing moved a little... and Max jumped back.  I laughed outloud and Max looked up at me as if to say, "Hey, I don't see you doing this, ya big chicken!"  So I praised Max for being very brave... and so the night went. 

This morning the snake was in the place Max had left it, and strangely there was a dead geko near.  One of its legs was torn off.  I am assuming that some time in the night one of the cats, maybe Brave Max, brought in a geko to prove he could do it too.

I'm Here!

Whew!  I made it!  Just a short blog today to say that overall my trip has been great!  There were a few bumps along the way, (I will explain later), but overall things went well.  I will write more later when I am settled.  I will say here and now that Yelapa is absolutely gorgeous.  I don't know if there are enough adjectives to describe it properly, but I will try over time... Here are a few:  Enchanting, Rustic, Alive, Friendly, Magical, Beautiful, Natural, Flowing, Living, Flourishing, Earthy, Vast, Taxing, Manual, Physical, Real, Organic, Diverse, Humble, Exotic, Moist, Varied, Hilly, Mountainous, Endearing, Pleasant, Old, Gracious, Respectful, Fluid, Moving...

So I will leave it there for now.  A mango just fell from the tree and scared me.  It hit the floor of the Sala, then rolled toward me... I guess that's one I will save to eat!  More later!

Hello All!

I'm sorry I haven't written the last several days... I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to my property in northern California to camp, visit, and enjoy the gorgeous surroundings.  There is no place on earth more beautiful than the Pacific Northwest, and I have a small piece of it.  I have been to the Swiss Alps, the Colorado Rockies, Maine, and every state within the United States, and I have come to the conclusion that the Pacific Northwest is hands-down the most picturesque, friendly, and wild-life filled-region in the lower 48.  (For you non-US citizens reading this, the lower 48 means all of the states except for Alaska and Hawaii.) 

I only have two medical appointments with the VA, get a prescription filled, tie up a few loose ends here at home, and then I am off on Friday!  Please stay in touch!  I love to hear from people... everyone!  So don't hesitate to contact me!  You can email me at:  crowsoldier59@yahoo.com, or Facebook Message me.  I will, or should have, Internet service, so please don't hesitate to stay in touch and let me know how you're doing.  I will be thrilled to communicate with all of you!  I wish all of you could come visit!  I am so excited!  I only temper my excitement with the fact that I will miss home and all that goes with it... friends, my pets, English television, etc...  Other than that, it's where I hang my hat that I call home.  Love you all, and hope to hear from each and every one of you very soon!  Please forgive me for not getting back to you immediately, but I will do my best!  Hugs!
Leslie

Things Coming Together

I breathed a sigh of relief when I made out my passport application, complete with photos, and all of the other "Stuff" I had to provide, and had the clerk tell me that my expedited application (over two-hundred dollars) would get my passport to me before May 9th... whew.  I also closed on my house today, and will hopefully have a renter soon.  I am hoping the renter will take good care of my house until I can get back and begin renovation.  Tomorrow I'm off to New York for a few days, then I will return, rent out my house, and then I'll be off to Yelapa!  If you want to watch a great old movie, check out:  Night of the Iguana.  It deals with a place just north of Yelapa, and stars Richard Burton and Ava Gardener, 1964.  It's one of the movies that helped make Puerto Vallarta and places like Yelapa famous...

First Hurdle

Okay, so I have run into my first bump in the road... I can't find my passport!  I have moved several times within the last year and a half, therefore I have no clue where the little oddly-sized document might be!  So I will be frantically tracing my steps of the last year, all of my containers, suitcases, boxes and document holders.  Two days to go before I head for New York to enjoy a short visit with my battle buddy from Iraq, and his family, and then back home for a short stay while I pilfer through things to find that passport.  If I don't find it I suppose it's a couple hundred dollars to expedite a new one.  I think I can get into Mexico without one, but getting back to the states could be a problem... 

Changing Text

Okay, I am going to try and change the text on my blog so that you can read it a little easier...  It might take me awhile to figure it out, but I do plan on making adjustments as I go.  Feel free to let me know what I can do to make my site better!

Necesito Practicar

Today, even with a helacious chest cold and cough, I must say I devoted a whole twenty minutes to Spanish.  I am very excited about this new adventure, and of course although I probably romanticize the experience, I know that even with frustrations and bumps in the road, I am committed to enjoying each and every moment, and being patient... after all, I am a young retiree, there are only moments in time, and I am determined to enjoy each one, recognizing the good, and appreciating each experience.  Quiero ir.

Bound for Yelapa, Mexico

I decided that in order to share my upcoming experience with everyone this should be the ticket!  I will try to blog as much as possible during my preparation and arrival in Yelapa.  My journey will take me from my home near Salt Lake City to the small fishing village of Yelapa.  In preparation I am practicing my Spanish, and although I'm not very good at it, I plan to become much better before I leave in a few weeks. 

I came by this wonderful opportunity when a friend, Tami, suggested that I contact Lance, who runs the Casa Arriba bed and breakfast in Yelapa.  She told me Lance was traveling to New York and would be gone until November, and that he needed a caretaker for his property in Yelapa.  I contacted Lance, and through several phone calls and emails, I accepted the job.  Summer is the low season in Yelapa, and I won't be renting out rooms.  I will be tending to the property and Lance's pets... watering plants, etc.  Meanwhile I hope to enjoy the people and the culture of Yelapa. 

Come along with me on this new six-month journey to Yelapa, Mexico!