US Airways - February 2013 - (Page 46)

take my banana pie back to the beach, order a cold Pacifico, and watch a few hours of afternoon drift over the Pacific. discovered this spot. I sit at a cafe table that leans slightly askew in the loose sand. I order a Pacifico and two fried eggs, beans, rice, and tortillas while I wait for the panga that will take me to Yelapa. A few other tourists wait as well, but it’s mainly local kids kicking the soccer ball and fishermen getting ready to leave. Riding in a panga (a sturdy outboard boat with bench seats and a shade canopy) is a study in style and boatmanship, and it is a must for anyone seeking remote Mexican beaches. My panga driver puffs on a fat cigar. His thick fingers, wrapped in heavyweight gold rings, rest lightly on the wheel. He could be driving a Caddy in a ticker-tape parade, he’s so cool and composed. He deftly usairwaysmag.com I Clockwise from top left: Cafe bahia in yelapa, colorful handicrafts, the harbor at yelapa, and a frosty bottle of Pacifico maneuvers through the sixfoot Pacific swells and backs us stern-first to the perfect crescent beach of Yelapa. The other passengers and I hand him some pesos, remove our flip-flops, and hop onto the yellow sand. The options here for my four-hour afternoon stay are limited: sitting on a beach chair with a cold beverage and a platter of fresh guac and chips, following a local guide up the easy trail to a waterfall, or wandering the steep footpaths of the Yelapa village, which tucks into the hill on the south end of the beach. Curious to see what witches do during the day in a beachy paradise, I head into the tiny village and discover a maze of simple concreteblock homes, an open-air church with kids studying in the vestibule, and little tables of crafts for sale. No witches apparent to the naked eye, but the “Pie Lady” puts me under her spell. She’s famous for her banana pies (and cheeses and chocolates carried in a basket on her head). I take my banana pie back to the beach, order a cold Pacifico, and watch a few hours of afternoon drift over the Pacific before a dinner of tuna in a pipian diabla sauce (made with ancho and pasilla chilies) just outside my stone-walled, thatch-roof private casita at Yelapa’s beachside Hotel Lagunita. In the morning I catch the 8:30 water taxi back to Boca de Tomatlán and my car. I’ve got a twohour drive to reach my final stop, a two-night stay at Costa Careyes. While the drive from Puerto Vallarta to Boca was a cliff-hanger of twists and dips, Boca to Careyes is, for the most part, a smooth shot through a quiet, rural landscape with few ocean views. Amid this lull of low-canopied dry jungle, Costa Careyes can sneak up on you. There’s no way to know that a few hundred yards past the simple gate there’s a cliff scattered with architectural marvels overlooking the deep blue Pacific. 46 february 2013 http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - February 2013

US Airways - February 2013
Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: Best Literary Pilgrimages
Wine & Dine: Top Chefs on This Year's Trends
Wine & Dine: Comfort Food
Great Escapes: Secret Mexican Hideaways
Adventure: Best Hikes in the Valley of the Sun
Gear Up: Romantic Gestures
Destination 48: Phoenix
Travel Feature: La Magnifica Costa del Pacifico
US Airways Feature: Sky-High Sips
Best of Living: Scottsdale Saddles Up
Special Section: Chateau on Central
Best of Living: The Reef Residences at Atlantis
Williamsburg: Rediscovering the Revolutionary City
Arts Spotlight: Ovation
Special Section: Kentucky
Riding Lessons: Miller School of Albemarle
The Arts of Orange County
Must Read: Pandora's Lunchbox by Melanie Warner
Great Dates
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
Giving: US Airways' Do Crew
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - February 2013