September 27, 2018

The highlight of the week was a trip to Yelapa and Los Arcos via panga.  I made a similar trip last year with a different group of friends and thought it was worth doing again.  Yelapa is a small village on the south side of Banderas Bay, accessible almost exclusively by boat.  No cars or roads.  The land is communally owned by the indigenous inhabitants.  Tourism is the about the only source of outside income.  After quite a bit of walking, we had lunch at a beachside restaurant and jumped back in the panga to do some snorkeling at the underwater park at Los Arcos.  The videos and stills tell the tale.
The rest of the week was mostly boat maintenance, with one day off to join a casual pool party at my dock neighbor's new condo at Paradise Village Golf Club.

The Panga Trip to Yelapa

The trip to Yelapa

I cajoled a group of friends into hiring a panga to take us

to Yelapa and Los Arcos:  Vicky, Mike, Mike, Bob, Lisa.

Juan was our skipper.

Francisco was crew and guide.

Looking east from the landing dock

in Yelapa

The village "Home Depot"

Walking through town:  there are no cars

or roads, the largest paths are cobblestone

about 4 feet wide.  They can barely

accommodate the ATVs that are the 

only practical vehicles in Yelapa.

Chickens, horses, mules, dogs, cats are all common

sites around the village.

Horses are a great way to get around, so the kids

apparently learn young.

When it's difficult to bring in construction

materials, you make do with what you can

get.  Makes for some interesting results.

A chachalaca

Here you can see the color.

Bob and Mike checking out a small three-way dictionary

painted on a school wall.

Left to right:  local dialect/Spanish/English

The village is squeezed between the jungle-

covered mountains and the bay, with a 

stream running through the middle and 

one side separated by the river.

At one end of the village is the famous

waterfall, a major tourist draw.

Because of recent rains,

it was running too strong

and muddy for the

usual dip.

We walked about two miles through the village and

across the river to get to Fanny's Restaurant on the

beach at the small cove on the east side.  This view 

shows the village and the main cove from the hillside.

On the left side, the beach with Fanny's; on the right,

the river mouth.

We had to walk all the way to the bridge

to cross the river because it was running

too deep to ford.

Looking downstream

Upstream

The main "road" to Fanny's

The red umbrellas mark Fanny's.  Our panga awaits on the left.

Looking back toward the river from the beach

in front of Fanny's Restaurant.

No comment.

You never know who might be looking over your shoulder

at Fanny's!

A Stop on the Way Back to Snorkel at Los Arcos

On to Los Arcos

Tossing breadcrumbs into the water brings the fish.

Into the warm water….

Through the cave and back to the boat....

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

Returning to Nuevo Vallarta Harbor

 A Little Pool Party

My dock neighbor Jack invited a group over for a 

little pool party at his new condo.

Nice place right on the golf course, easy going, casual group.

A Surprise Visit

Not the same one who visited me in Yelapa!

A jellyfish swimming along the dock.

Just a purple plant

Boat Maintenance Never Ends

Second maintenance coat of Cetol Gloss on the rub rail

Stainless trim strip remounted and the brightwork
maintenance is done for the year.  Hoorah!!!

The old raw water pump impeller prior to replacement.

New impeller.  Face plate cleaned and fine sanded.

I didn't have the exact replacement gasket, so I modified

a variation.  To ensure no leaks, I used a little hi-temp

silicone as well.  Impeller lubed with silicone grease.

Cover plate prior to cleaning up.

Ready for re-installing

Paint touched up, checked for leaks and good to go.

Pumping out the old oil, the first step

in the oil/filter change process.  Not

a technically tough job, but very hot

and sweaty since the engine has to

be recently run and hot.