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With our lovely group, we wait for our boat in the cold morning on the pier.  We’re off for a day trip to San Sebastian.  Getting an early start before the sun even rises . .  . .the morning chill will change as soon as that sun comes over the mountain.  The 7:30 a.m. boat is the first boat of the day and we’ll take it to Boca de Tomitlan where our car is parked.  We’re all looking forward to our day adventure in the mountains.

As the boat pulls away from the pier, I try to take a photo of the yoga terrace from the boat.  Behind some palm trees a bit left of center I can see the orange, red space with prayer flags hanging.  I always enjoy pulling up to the pier or leaving and acknowledging this very special space where I get to share yoga with so many lovely people!  We are on our way.  Considering the motion of the sea and the boat, this photo is not too bad. 

Our drive to Puerto Vallarta flows easily in the early morning.  Elizabeth suggests we stop for coffee and pastry at a french coffee house in PV before we get on the road to San Sebastian.  With lovely treats we begin our climb into the mountains.  A walk around the village square fills us with the change in climate, the mountain air that is dryer than the humid coast.  The Spanish influence in San Sebastian is strong.  Peeking into stores and garden squares we all meet for lunch at San Sebastian’s of all things Italian Restaurant.  Coco is from San Sebastian.  She lived in Vallarta for many years and met her husband there from Italy.  They have created this lovely place and the environment and the food give us the sense of being in another part of the world.  Her outside dining and garden along with a wonderful menu made this a lunch to remember.

This four hundred year old village that once was thriving with thousands of people as a mining town now has a population of about six hundred people.  The church gives the feeling of going back in time.  The size and the colors along with the holiday lights make it a place that reflects the warmth of the devine.  I could not stop looking at the ceiling and really enjoyed the bright colors in this well cared for church. 

Just outside of San Sebastian we visited the well known hotel and museum The Hacienda. An old mining area, this hotel is surrounded by lovely gardens and a river in a beautiful quiet setting.  The Hacienda is unique in that you could imagine horses pulling up with passengers from a long journey.  Old oil lamps are still used instead of electricity and this hotel would be a very special place to spend a night.  The rooms embody the past with comfort and the kitchen prepares breakfast.  We walked through the museum and the old mining areas. 

Pulling into Boca to catch our boat back to Yelapa at the end of the day, we saw our boat take off into the sunset.  There goes our boat!  We bargined with another boat man who fortunately agreed to take us to Yelapa.  On the bumpy sea at the end of the day, we were stunned at the beauty of the sunset as the sky changed colors all the way home.

Excited by both the beauty and good fortune of our boat ride back, the wind in our faces and the sea giving us a thrill, I celebrated a wonderful day adventure shared with friends!

After a warm beautiful clear day in the 80’s leading up to Christmas Eve, our outside celebration is welcomed with a very cool night as we wait for entry into Christmas day.  The colorful Christmas pinata begins to warm us after our late meals eaten in the cool night with all our friends and neighbors.  The laughter and games as we all try breaking open the pinatas and dancing around chairs warms us til midnight strikes.  Hugs, music and joy welcome the holiday as we pass through midnight.  Many begin to fade by 2:00 a.m. but for others the music and dancing continue til almost daylight!

After our outside neighborhood dinners as midnight nears on Christmas Eve, the pinatas are strung up into the tree and the child in all of us comes out for their chance to break open the sweets.  The traditional fiesta games of both the pinata and musical chairs sends the whole neighborhood into hysterics as all the age groups in the community take their turns dancing around the chairs til the music stops.  Grandmothers and Grandfathers reliving their youth to young men and women, children all in their own turn.  We are filled with glee watching the groups dance around the chairs.  I’m right in there on the Grandmothers turn to play musical chairs and I notice that no one tries to beat the oldest of us all as she catches the winning chair on the last round. At midnight the whole community shares hugs one at a time wishing each person Feliz Navidad and then the games, music and laugher continue.