Yoga in Yelapa 2018 | Becoming friends with Vallarta

I am sitting on the top floor patio and pool deck of my hotel listening to the trabajadores on the construction site behind me, hoping to pick up a few words of  Spanish they don't teach in class. Casa Susana is only a block or two up from the waterfront and Malecón so from the other side there is a vista through the high-rising hotels to Bahia Banderas. There are humpbacks out there in the hundreds. (On our trip over from Yelapa out captain detoured to get within photo distance of a pod of six.)

The River Oasis Restaurant in Puerto Vallarta

 This side, which faces the water, is shaded by a giant tree I cannot name, but since it is rising up four floors through the stairwell and towers over by another 15 feet, I can say that it is un muy gran arbol. The pool is L- shaped, providing about a 20 m lane for swimming. The rails are lined with pots, and sunny yellow hibiscus are nodding their heads in acknowledgement of the day. A tiny sparrow pokes around looking for something to eat. Oh, there he goes headed for what looks like a split leaf philodendron that wraps around the elevator shaft. The hotel has been here a long time.

I have been in Vallarta now for two days and it becomes more friendly with each slowly passing hour. I found Salud again with its fine coffee and healthy savoury dishes. I found Cafe Coco this morning and had oatmeal for breakfast with raisins and cinnamon and warm milk. Yesterday I walked the Malecón early, and went to Her Lady of Guadalupe for the bilingual service where I added a few words to my vocabulary. I met a woman from Saltspring Island at the Chocolate Factory and Cigar shop cafe then wandered along the river walk and through the market. I ate scallops and grilled romaine salad and managed to get a second Margarita because I said the first one was too sweet. I drank them both, and was out for the rest of the day.

Today I am meeting my friend Frances and we will walk the streets and browse the shops before heading up--way up she tells me--to their casa for dinner. They have booked a local chef to prepare dinner for us so in addition to enjoying their company I hope to pick up a few cooking lessons and practice my Spanish.

Off to find some lunch--I am smelling street tacos!

Yoga in Yelapa 2018 | Becoming a yogi

It's Tuesday and so far we have been stretching and nimbling up for five sessions, starting with an easy stretch-out on Saturday evening, followed by  two grueling sessions on Sunday, and then settling in for two more yesterday. Sunday was hard. My brain just kept thinking about how much I do not get enough of this. But of course with yoga your brain just settles down in time, and by yesterday I was feeling very good. Alison is amazing, and teamed up with her mom, Joan, who takes care of all logistics, we could not be in better hands. I'm even managing to enjoy the after- dinner meditations. Perhaps the margaritas are having something to do with that! The food is good now that the kitchen has limited our choices and we have stopped asking for miracles.

Yoga at 10 am and 4 pm

Meditation after dinner; a great tonic for sleep.

Miracles. That was the first card I drew. Then power. Then tenderness (ooooohhhh) and last night love. These lovely cards are lined up along my yoga map ( I said I was turning into a yogi!) The room is lightly scented with herbs and incense, and candle lit at night. The ocean waves are a soothing counterpoint to strong poses and a gentle yin and yang during the meditation. We have regular visits from los niñas and niños from the puebla. One little chica took a liking to Hilary's flip flops on Sunday. Alas--someone likely needs them more than any of us ever will, and the store made a sale they might otherwise not, so it's all good. A village perro has also taken up the class and wanders in to demonstrate from time to time.

Mis amigas are parading past, stopping briefly to listen to a Texan sounding folk singer who is entertaining his friends at the breakfast table. Ahhhh Yelapa. How did I not meet you sooner?

Yoga in Yelapa 2018 | Back to PV today then Yelapa tomorrow

We are connecting with our yoga group tonight. They are in the air now, munching on pretzels and drinking tomato juice. We are yogis after all! At least for the week. Leanne and I had tacos from Los Abuelos last night--tender carne and pollo on delicate blue corn tortillas. With cabbage of course, the way a taco is meant to be. Oh yes, and a bottle of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc-- not quite the whole bottle but close to it. We will finish that off before we go today! Franco who is in love with Leanne-- who wouldn't be--is picking us up with our luggage down at the beach and taking it over to Hotel Lagunita whee we will store it over night. We will see how this all plays out over the next few hours. It is lovely and warm and we have the makings of some guac and wine of course to keep ourselves entertained this afternoon so all good.

Yoga in Yelapa 2018 | Back to Yelapa

Well I'm going to give this a try again on my iPad although I have to say I am more frustrated than enamored. Perhaps because it is so old. You are likely reading this somewhat after the fact, because I will try a few posts before letting you know it's here. And I'll try a few photos with the very poor camera ( It's a very old Ipad!).
Leanne and I arrived after a delay in our flight out of Edmonton, at about 7 last night. We checked into our budget hotel which makes up for in location what it lacks in elegance. Minimalist might be a nice way to think of our room But with a bookstore, taco bar, and the Malecón just half a block away, it's hard to go wrong. Next year we want a suite on the sunny side with a view of the bay.

We arrived in Yelapa at about noon and after watching a macho hombre haul our bags by wheelbarrow up and over to our suite, we headed back to our favourite Cafe Bahia for a late breakfast. We met up with old friends and made new ones. There is a writers' retreat starting tomorrow with a group staying here in our hotel. Unfortunately when we start our yoga retreat we will be across the bay at Hotel Lagunita.   But for now we are happily settled with books and tea looking over the water, taking in the gentle slap of the waves on shore, and waiting for the night life to get up to speed ( dead slow mostly). There is a concert tonight at the Oasis with a number of local artists. 50 pesos.