First chapter, getting to Yalapa
I was to leave on Alaska Airlines in SFO in time to arrive in Puerta Vallarta at 3:30pm. Well that didn't happen.
My son, Joe was to meet me in P.V., he forgot exactly what time so got to P.V. airport at 1pm. There he was waiting, looking for his mom. Only info at P.V. was flights going out (remember this is Mexico style!) Who could talk English? Imagine the panic he was experiencing, where was she, what had happened. He called Deb, his wife "did you hear anything? Did mom get on the plane? Finally at 6pm I rolled thru the gate (in a wheel chair, friends if you think you need it-GET IT, so smooth). He was REALLY happy to see me.
We are to take a ferry to Yalapa, a small village 45 min south of P.V. To start, my vision of a ferry is the Sausalito ferry that goes back and forth to SF. WRONG, a ferry in this case is a large size row boat with a motor. Holds about 16 people max.
After a 30 min cab ride to where the ferry dock is...hmm...too late, last ferry left at 5:30pm. So here we are, DARK, crowded streets. no hotel rooms and no ferry... the only way to get there. Joe tells the cab driver, stay here and goes to the dock.
Old guy in charge says, nope there are no private boats, nobody has gas. Joe presses him. I NEED to get there tonight. No way, he says...well it will cost a lot. Joe says how much, old guy says , maybe $300 (thats right, american not mexican-this ride is usually $10 each) Joe says OK-lets do it! Old guy says, Oh I got no one who will. Joe scrambles on down the dock asking every Mexican he sees who looks like he has a boat. Finally one guy says yes, but I have to go get gas. He comes back with his gas-DIVES into the water and swims out to his boat. he brings it to the dock, loads our luggage on top of the wet life vests and Joe and I sit on top of our luggege. Mind you it is pitch black. We hang on as we pound our way thru the rough waters. After 30 mins the boats pulls up to an area that is not Yalapa and driver asks another Mexican "where is Yalapa"? Joe is yelling, "we need to go further". Did I mention this was a boat that usually only goes in circles in the bay pulling people on a bannana board? They have been to Yalapa, but only in the day light.
Finally we arrive and the driver asks "where's the dock?" Hmmm Joe says they usually beach the boat while people climb out. Driver says No Way, not his boat. So we find a dock that was built last year except it was built too high from the water (remember, Nexican style). Joe jumps out of the boat onto a pipe sticking out and pull himself up onto the dock. The Mexicans throw our luggage onto the dock. Now the thrill..,"Mom, jump on the pipe and pull yourself up onto the dock". This is NOT going to happen. As I TRY, I hang onto the pipe and the boat is pulling back and forth, the waves up and down. And can you imagine my son says "Mom you have to-suck it up!!"
My body just can't move like a 35 year old. After many, many tries, they turn the boat around and I climb onto the front and go for it. There I was hanging onto the pipe with my knees on the pipe. Joe gets his arms around under my arm pits and the Mexican drivers grab the seat of my pants and PUSH. I made it. Like a beached whale lying on the dock. We scramble thru the dark rock pathway to the hotel office to pick up our keys. This was a "surreal experience". And if any of you go to Yalapa, it will probably not happen to you. What a way to start! However we were glad-really glad to be there in the safe, calm protection of Yalapa.
I was to leave on Alaska Airlines in SFO in time to arrive in Puerta Vallarta at 3:30pm. Well that didn't happen.
My son, Joe was to meet me in P.V., he forgot exactly what time so got to P.V. airport at 1pm. There he was waiting, looking for his mom. Only info at P.V. was flights going out (remember this is Mexico style!) Who could talk English? Imagine the panic he was experiencing, where was she, what had happened. He called Deb, his wife "did you hear anything? Did mom get on the plane? Finally at 6pm I rolled thru the gate (in a wheel chair, friends if you think you need it-GET IT, so smooth). He was REALLY happy to see me.
We are to take a ferry to Yalapa, a small village 45 min south of P.V. To start, my vision of a ferry is the Sausalito ferry that goes back and forth to SF. WRONG, a ferry in this case is a large size row boat with a motor. Holds about 16 people max.
After a 30 min cab ride to where the ferry dock is...hmm...too late, last ferry left at 5:30pm. So here we are, DARK, crowded streets. no hotel rooms and no ferry... the only way to get there. Joe tells the cab driver, stay here and goes to the dock.
Old guy in charge says, nope there are no private boats, nobody has gas. Joe presses him. I NEED to get there tonight. No way, he says...well it will cost a lot. Joe says how much, old guy says , maybe $300 (thats right, american not mexican-this ride is usually $10 each) Joe says OK-lets do it! Old guy says, Oh I got no one who will. Joe scrambles on down the dock asking every Mexican he sees who looks like he has a boat. Finally one guy says yes, but I have to go get gas. He comes back with his gas-DIVES into the water and swims out to his boat. he brings it to the dock, loads our luggage on top of the wet life vests and Joe and I sit on top of our luggege. Mind you it is pitch black. We hang on as we pound our way thru the rough waters. After 30 mins the boats pulls up to an area that is not Yalapa and driver asks another Mexican "where is Yalapa"? Joe is yelling, "we need to go further". Did I mention this was a boat that usually only goes in circles in the bay pulling people on a bannana board? They have been to Yalapa, but only in the day light.
Finally we arrive and the driver asks "where's the dock?" Hmmm Joe says they usually beach the boat while people climb out. Driver says No Way, not his boat. So we find a dock that was built last year except it was built too high from the water (remember, Nexican style). Joe jumps out of the boat onto a pipe sticking out and pull himself up onto the dock. The Mexicans throw our luggage onto the dock. Now the thrill..,"Mom, jump on the pipe and pull yourself up onto the dock". This is NOT going to happen. As I TRY, I hang onto the pipe and the boat is pulling back and forth, the waves up and down. And can you imagine my son says "Mom you have to-suck it up!!"
My body just can't move like a 35 year old. After many, many tries, they turn the boat around and I climb onto the front and go for it. There I was hanging onto the pipe with my knees on the pipe. Joe gets his arms around under my arm pits and the Mexican drivers grab the seat of my pants and PUSH. I made it. Like a beached whale lying on the dock. We scramble thru the dark rock pathway to the hotel office to pick up our keys. This was a "surreal experience". And if any of you go to Yalapa, it will probably not happen to you. What a way to start! However we were glad-really glad to be there in the safe, calm protection of Yalapa.
posted by Suzanne at
2:58 PM
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