Getting there is none of the fun

Nat and I left Granville Ferry, NS, on November 19 for an early morning flight to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, via Calgary. All went well until we were 2 hours into a 4 hour flight to PV. The captain announced that we had to turn back to Calgary due to an electrical pump failure. OK, stuff happens. But after another hour, el capitan said, 'And now for more bad news. We have to fly around for a while to burn off excess fuel because the plane is too heavy to land. And you'll be spending the night in Calgary because it's too late to fly to PV, where the airport closed down at 9 pm.' Arrived back in Calgary, got our hotel vouchers and a measly $20 each for dinner/breakfast, went to pick up our bags, only to discover that they had gone to Toronto. Waited for the hotel shuttle van with the 100+ other West Jet passengers outside the airport in -20C weather with no coats (left them in the car at the Halifax airport in the interest of less stuff to lug around). Finally got a voucher for a cab, had dinner and a couple of alcoholic beverages not covered by our food vouchers and went to bed for a 4:30 am wake up call.


De-icing in Calgary

By now it is Sunday, November 22, and we are ready for some hot Mexican weather. Which we get in abundance when we arrive in PV that afternoon, and are driven to Chacala by Selvio who has 3 daughters and a taxi cab.

Mar de Jade is just as welcoming as ever. The sea still rolls in, the curving lines of the buildings ask you to come in, and Laura, Angelica, and the staff give us big abrazos!

10 kids, 4 cameras, 2 maestros

Blanca's photo of Karina, age 10

Marilyn's photo of Carla, age 11

Leslie's photo of Marilyn, age 9

Blanca's photo of Wendy, age 11

Wendy's photo of Blanca, age 10

We are driving Laura's VW to Las Varas, a distance of only 12 kms. or so, but the road out of Mar de Jade to the little fishing village of Chacala is really just a bunch of rocks and holes. So the shocks are non-existant. The brakes and headlights work which is important as we screech to a halt before a particularly large 'boche' (pot hole) and come home in the dark.

Carla's photo of Leslie, age 10

This year we have 9 students; once again only 2 boys. We are also missing Chuy, our go-to guy and assistant last year. However, since he is in university in Puerto Vallarta, we are not complaining.

Melanie's photo of Janeth, age 10

Janeth's photo of Melanie, age 10

Maestro Nat with the gang

Ricardo's photo of Jesus, age 11

Herding cats

photo: Blanca and Wendy

photo:  Leslie

photo:  Janeth

photo: Carla and Leslie

photo:  Jan

 And so they take photos without too much arguing about whose turn it is to shoot.  They do portraits of each other, portraits without showing the subject's face, pictures that show movement, and photos using the edge of the frame.

  photo:  Karina   What is it?

photo:  Marilyn  Where is this?

photo:  Janeth  What is it

There are mystery photos:  take a photo of something so that it is hard to tell what it is.

photo:  Marilyn   Blue

photo:  Melanie  What is it?

photo:  Jesus

  

Photographing a color

There are photos of color and a photo scavenger hunt.

photo:  Wendy

Find:  something you eat, the number 6, something yellow, an animal.

photo:  Melanie

photo:  Karina

photo:  Janeth

Find:  someone under the age of 8 and something square.

Looking for a clue

Jesus gets his shot

photo:  Ricardo

All work and no play...you know the rest!

We discovered a couple of rusty mountain bikes and after locating an Allen wrench or two, we set off from Mar de Jade to the main highway, about 18 km. round trip, involving a little bit of dirt, rock, and coconut infested road and a lot of semi-paved tarmac.  If felt good to be back on 2 wheels.

Abandoned police station just outside Chacala

Self-explanatory

Aaah...the open (and pot-holed) road

 

Nat taking a photo of me taking a photo of him...

There are no Starbucks in Chacala, but there is Chac Mool which has cappuccino right by the beach.

Nat and his friend Pulga (flea in Spanish

Aaaah...the beach

















 The town of Chacala has a tiny cultural center: 2 rooms, some photos of the people of Chacala and some books.

Chacala's cultural center

Nat on the beach

and there are butterflies...

There is meditation and yoga every

Renee Thomas leads yoga and meditation

Jorge and Laurel do their magic

 morning, followed by an enormous breakfast...fruit, eggs, beans, cookies, cinnamon rolls...

Cinnamon rolls, omelettes

Saida is the queen of pastries

Going to the beach

Go to sleep to the sound of the surf.  Wake up to the smell of chilaquiles:  beans, tacos, sour cream, cheese, mmmmm...

Wash day

Show & Tell

Leslie. Marilyn. & Carla

Melanie puts up her photo

The photo teams: los equipos

Jesus & Ricardo

Blanca, Wendy, & Karina

Janeth and Melanie

We discover the self-timer function

Leslie and her proud mama

Nat prepares to eat...

 Last day; the students put up their photos and then the parents, aunts, uncles, baby brothers, grandmoms and dads come to oooh and aaah.  Nat and I are presented with this enormous chocolate cake which, even after sharing with all and sundry, has enough to take back to the staff at Mar de Jade, where it disappears instantaneously.

The CAKE and Janet, who runs La Convivencia