This & That
A Few Words from the Editor
  
     We experienced a few days of nervous anticipation  last month in Los Ayala, as the projected path of Hurricane Jova was quite close to Jaltemba Bay. Surprisingly, it was business as usual in Los Ayala albeit with a definite twinge of excitement in the air.  Even though hurricanes are exceedingly rare in this area, and 
most often move out to sea, it sure looked like there was a possibility that Hurricane Jova might be headed our way, and that we could experience heavy rains and tropical storm force winds. As a precaution, we stocked up on bottle water and non-perishables, and a few people in the neighbourhood taped up their windows.  I became a little bit obsessed with taking photos of the stormy skies and clouds as the vistas were simply stunning.

    Thankfully Jova turned out to be the storm, that did not happen in Jaltemba Bay. Instead Jova, hit the coastal towns of Barra de Navidad and Melaque, and the city of Colima, as a category one hurricane, quickly dissipating into a tropical storm.  On behalf of everyone in the community of Los Ayala, I would like to say that our hearts are filled with sadness & regret, and our thoughts and prayers go out to those who suffered loss and/or destruction of property as a result of Hurricane Jova.

     Shortly thereafter the temperatures in Los Ayala cooled down considerably. The days are still hot, but the evenings and mornings are pleasantly cool, and most folks would say that air conditioning is no longer necessary. Coincidentally, along with the cooler temperatures, flocks of green parrotlets can once again be seen happily flying around Los Ayala. The Mexican Chachalacas are also back in town and hanging about the trees in my neighbourhood. The parrotlets sing sweetly, but honestly the chachalacas squawk loudly; and typically during the early morning hours.  However, the biggest reminder that Los Ayala is located in the tropics, was the Boa Constrictor, pretty as you please,  sauntering along Madre Perla, just a block up from Bahia de Banderas. The snake was approximately 8-10 feet long, and magnificently beautiful! That said, I hope I don't see too, many more in town.

    With the arrival of November the pace of life seems to have picked up a bit, in town.  Workers were seen tidying up the median that runs down the center of Bahia de Banderas, and sprucing up the greenery and planters in the Town Plaza.  The streets in town and the beach were also cleared of litter. Proprietors seem to be taking the initiative to fix the roads in front of their properties, as best as they can afford. The local strategy is to buy a truckload of rocks to fill the potholes, and hire a tractor to level out the road. The roads in Los Ayala are dry, and despite the local effort, they remain very bumpy.

    The fishermen tell me that humpback whales are now in the waters of Jaltemba Bay, and that baby pelicans can be seen on the island in the bay. I took a boat trip out to the island, and indeed the pelicans are nesting high up on the rocks and in the trees! I did not see any baby pelicans, or shoot many good photos because frankly the waters were rough, and the boat kept bobbing up and down, so most of my photos were blurry. However, I did see several Blue Footed Boobies on the island and I find this pretty extraordinary! People spend thousands of dollars on cruises to visit the Galapagos islands, just for the chance to view a Blue Footed Booby! Imagine that... Blue Footed Boobies! Right here in Jaltemba Bay!









    


  

  

Los Ayala Local Folks

Terry and Gary Kuchirka

     Terri says, " I still can’t believe that a prairie couple like us, own a vacation home, just steps from the ocean. Mi casa es su casa!"