…though let’s hope that it won’t be my last. I love that line so decided to use it, forgive the liberty. (quote is from a poem in the movie “The Grey“)

One week home:

• laundry – check
• 4 day work week – check
• pack, again – check
• kitty hugs – check
• recover from jet lag – check

So this trip is sooo different from the last one (so long ago now, I can barely remember). This one I get to spend 1 week in Puerto Vallarta with my favorite travel buddy, Kerry and then 1 week in Yelapa, on my own, with the famous pie Auntie! Years ago I went several time to PV and discovered Yelapa on an ill-advised booze cruise where we stopped at the small fishing village/gringo enclave for yet more tequila at 1pm.

I was smitten and made sure to always make the trek (albeit by water taxi, which did much to save my liver) at least once a visit. To a large degree it was because of pie Auntie. She would make these lime pies that would make Darth Vader weep with joy. Now, true, lime pie is hands down, my favorite pie. (But not keylime, which I find way too sweet. I mean, really, why use limes if you are going to kill the taste of the m?)  But

Yuana, Yelapa’s pie Auntie
(photo credit: Pan Bimbo)

Auntie took it to new heights in culinary splendor. All fresh ingredients (I would imagine her every day picking the limes from the trees in her yard) and she didn’t taint it with senseless meringue. That pie, my friends, stood alone, it needed no superfluous accessories. Then she would send her niece out to sell slabs of it to the drunks who would be spit out of the various boats from PV. We all became addicted. I have met people on my other trips that knew what I was talking about! I even ordered a whole one once and took it back to PV so I could enjoy it every day of my vacation. Alas, it did not last. The downside of no preservatives, the only one in my opinion. So based on my obsession with the pie, I am thinking there will be weight gain.

There are other reasons for my choice, Yelapa is a sleepy town only accessible by boat and is a unique blend of Mexicans and gringo all co-existing in a yoga, artsy, drinking laid-back soup. I always felt that it would be a good fit for me.

Los Naranjos Retreat (photo credit:

Also what is different for me is that I am staying at a place up in the jungle instead of the beach. Since I will have been on beaches quite a bit in the last few weeks I thought a new adventure would be in order. This should be interesting since my “shelter” has no walls to keep critters out. Stay tuned for some amusing (I’m sure it will be amusing by the time I write the post about it) antidotes on that one, if I survive.