At 2:00 am the torrential rain stopped suddenly, which startled me awake. The music of Yelapa changed from rain on the roof to waves breaking on the beach. It wasn’t hard to go back to sleep.
Getting up early is a tradition for Chrissi and me in Yelapa. Sitting with our coffee and watching the sun come up is one of the quiet pleasures of this place. It’s lovely this morning, seeing the sun return after days of rain.
Whenever I come to Yelapa in the winter the first thing that strikes me is color. Being accustomed to bare trees and gray skies back home it is astonishing to be overwhelmed with lush green everywhere, as if I were inside a terrarium. What would be house plants where we come from, grow wild and huge here. The hue of the ocean changes hourly, from pink at dawn to pale blue to azure to indigo, and back again as evening comes. Chrissi is working busily, preparing for our guests. Warm rains returned in the afternoon. Our guests (a very sweet family) arrived before the rain and seem to be delighted with the place. They have rented all of El Jardin Retreat Center for a family reunion.
As I listen to the rain on the roof (yes, it came back for a while) and look across the cove at the mist-covered hills, the idea of a nap sounds inviting. Mom used to say, “If you have a lot to do it’s a good idea to get your nap out of the way first.” I’m heeding her wisdom this afternoon as I do most afternoons in Yelapa. Our hanging bed faces the cove and the main beach, about a mile away. Moored white boats dot the shoreline. A man is trying his luck fishing off the rocks. All this I can see from my bed as I drift off.
Animal sightings recently include a small boa who must have wiggled his way down from the jungle – which is our back yard, really. Last night I heard the slap of mantas leaping out of the water, for the fun of it, I like to think. It is whale season, but I haven’t seen any of these great creatures yet. Our partner Ann, who left Yelapa last week, had a close encounter with a whale on her return panga trip to Puerto Vallarta. So far we’ve had to content ourselves with the many birds, such as frigates, gulls, parrots and the ever-present pelicans, along with our two domestic cats, Blossom and Lola.
We may get thunder storms this evening! Always a great show.
Steve & Chrissi
Dear Stephen and Chrissy,
i Hope you are enjoying yourseves, I like the sound of rain too. I often hear the wind whisling.
THank you for the book. I found a Kabballa in it and it was the same one of Ken Wilbers we studied in class. Have a great time.
Becky Jones
It sounds like a quiet relaxing time. I have some things to tell you. I will e-mail you .