Blog du Wren

Detatched Living

"Isolated", "cut-off", "remote", "simple", "primitive", "detached"... For the past couple days, while composing this post, these words have been going through my head. None of them quite captures what I want to say, but there is a part of all of them. Hopefully I can convey what I want to you even if I don't have the right word.

I've always had an affinity for places that are somewhat removed from what I consider modern society (interstates, big box stores, electricity, access to all sorts of entertainment, services, and products). In my travels, I've had the good fortune to visit quite a few: Cinque Terra, Italy; Fanning Atoll, Kiribati; Lasqueti Island, B.C. Canada; nameless jungle village, Ecuador. I've now got another place to add to that list: Yelapa, Mexico.

Yelapa is situated around a small bay about an hour's boat ride south of Puerto Vallarta. There is no way to access it by car which means there are no cars (or roads) in town. People get around by walking, riding donkeys or horses, or, more recently, motorized quads*. Electricity came a couple years ago along with phone service, which allows for the dial up internet that I am currently using. There are a few little tiendas that sell various groceries, all of which keep their own hours. Almost all the residents recognize each other and always have gossip to share. The time spent walking to town is usually equally divided between walking and stopping to chat*. Wednesday and Saturday nights, one restaurant turns into a disco that all the young folks attend (and many of the old folks). It is a little gem of a community hidden between the and the .

I've been here for over a week now. My original plan was to only stay one night, a chance to get a break from the bus and let the circus folk do their circus thing on the streets of PV*. In my time here, I've found a couple geocaches*, hiked to a great water fall, jumped some into the river, swam in the ocean, played about 673 games of ping pong*, gotten to be recognized enough around town to elicit a smile and nod from the locals, listened to live music by the around a fire under a palm tree almost every night, and totally relaxed.

Yeah, Yelapa definitely goes on my list.

Monday January 14 2008

File under: travel, mexico

Toggle Comments (2)

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on Tue 15th Jan, 2008 03:35 am PST Horge said:
Not related at all (other than the fact that I live in a country off the typical beaten path in Europe), but thanks Wren! Just got my Troothpicks today! :) Just curious about one of them "Good lucks beats rising early". Can you clarify? Guess probably just take the "s" out of "lucks"... But in any case, I am a very satisfied customer, and to all the rest of you out there in BdW-land and beyond, get your Troothpicks while the time is right for picking teeth with truth!
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on Tue 15th Jan, 2008 04:06 pm PST katherine said:
It snowed today where I am...my jealousy is at an all time hight. Also, I just read an article in Sunset Mag. about Yelapa. It's there #1 place to visit...so evidently, you're on to something. For food the mag. suggests Barracuda Pizza Lounge, Pollo Bollo and Tres Amigos...as well as pie from "the pie lady Augustina" evidently she sells on the beach?
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