Full report

Yesterday Erik and I took a boat to some uninhabited islands an hour or so away from Yelapa known as Las Mariatas. As a bird sanctuary, strangely, these islands had no trees, just many many unique caves and gorgeous beaches, and coral reefs to check out via snorkel. Unfortunately, the waves were powerful and made it impossible to have an enjoyable snorkeling experience, but the tour guides served us seviche and we even saw a humpback whale on the ride out!

Today we completely sidetracked our jungle experience for a temporary change of scenery. For undisclosed reasons, we are able to stay in a shareholder owner resort, very posh, right on the beach in Nuevo Vallarta until Sabado. This place is unbelieeeevable.

At the moment we are in a small town next to the resort called Bucerias. We walked here to pick up cheaper groceries than the alimentos offered at the resort. I love the colors! How are these villages able to use 80's neon colors on their homes and make it seem outrageously magnificent?

Jungle living...

At the risk of sounding romantic and sentimental, I have to admit I will have a hard time parting with the Treehouse. The "Treehouse" refers to all of Erik's land upriver. It includes sandy beaches, tropical gardens, a kitchen on the beach, a treehouse, a cliffhouse, and a guest house, all of which are up high in the canopies of the jungle.

The cliffhouse is where Erik and I have been living. We have a phenomenal view of the hill across the river, and we are surrounded by the multitude of tropical life. I am very impressed with Erik's architecture. But I am most impressed and heartwarmed by how much the people of Yelapa love and respect Erik. I have never felt more safe in any community of people, anywhere.

Although I have fallen deeply in love with the Treehouse and its lifestyle, it definitely took the full week to become completely comfortable. My first encounter with a scorpian shook my psyche for at least 24 hours, wherein every insect I saw following just burned itself into my mind and when I closed my eyes that's all I could see. Enormous spiders, endless species of them, herds of cutter ants, a plethora of creatures I have never known beyond the Discovery channel.

And if you know me, you know my love of all creatures, especially the unusual, the amphibean, the lizards and the snakes and all insects.

And yet, I still experienced a day of solid overwhelmed-ness and unrealistic paranoia of bugs. Thankfully, it dissipated when I realized I needed to stop seeking out the creatures under every rock in fascination and focus on the beauty of all the things I love here. Like the giant birds that hover in warm winds together above the hills, the view of Tamborcito, swimming in the cool river, cooking food over a fire, and even, drinking the river's water, boiled, tasting of smokey ash.

Erik told me I'd learn to love it, and I do.

Truthfully, this jungle IS teaming with life, but it's all very harmonious. Insects are easy to find when you are looking. But they don't have a natural interest in me or giving me the shivers. They stick to their places and I stick to mine.

What I am left with is a great awareness of what is. I do feel humbled. It's peaceful that way.

AAAhhhhh there is nothing like doing your own laundry in the warm sun! I enjoyed that zen Treehouse chore the most. My mind emptied and I recognized the joy of wearing the clothing I myself had washed. Neat.

It's been nice having Kip and Michel here. Their friends, Daniel and Morgan have been very entertaining and helpful as well. Yes, it's turned into a bit of a commune, but because it is temporary it is very nice. We all take turns making meals and cleaning the dishes in the river. We maintain the pot of boiled, drinkable water. Some of us rake the leaves off the sand to create a more tidy and pleasant space. One day we had the whole Treehouse crew taking buckets of rocks up to the cliffhouse, a project Erik and I started several days before. We are about to make some crazy adjustments to our home space.

Which is another revelation: Erik and I are most definitely coming back, as often as possible. Yelapa and the Treehouse will be our second home, and we will make it work. Making improvements on our living space there now is our way of beginning this new, second life, together.

Well, hmm.. back to this mysterious resort where the yuppies check out the hippies in absolute wonder.

Hasta luego amigos!!