a little bit of heaven

by ronie reiley

San Francisco……….not the famed city by the bay but a village by the sea, an hour’s drive north of Puerto Vallarta, is a little bit of heaven. Known to the locals as San Pancho, it is for the moment, relatively unspoiled. But don’t wait too long to visit this idyllic spot, as development if coming. One can only hope that it won’t erase the charms of this sweet spot.

But the most wonderful feature to be found in these homes is spectacular ocean views. Casa Blanca, the one my friends and I rented for 8 blissful days, has an expansive deck with views that go on forever. Just sitting on that deck gave me all the bliss I needed. Add to that a few margaritas and some of Estella’s fabulous guacamole and freshly made chips……….what more could anyone want?

Estella is the sweet, wonderful woman who comes daily to Casa Blanca to fulfill your every wish. Slice a few mangoes, perhaps a fresh pineapple, squeeze fresh limes for those margaritas? Extella is happy to comply, in addition to washing your dishes, your laundry, if you wish, and, of course, make your bed and give you fresh towels. Sigh. If only I had an Estella at home!

A long expanse of sandy beach fronts the village, never crowded except by the Plaza del Sole and its beachfront restaurants where you can drink or eat and take in the view for hours. Horses and their riders amble or sometimes gallop by. And, of course, the ubiquitous jewelry, pottery and other assorted crafts are offered for sale. But away from this action spot, you can have the beach virtually to yourself, for long walks or lounging in the sun with only a ghost crab for company.

The highlight of my visit was the opportunity to participate in the release of Ridley sea turtles hatchlings. Grupo Ecologico de la Costa Verde, which is dedicated to the preservation of endangered marine turtles, is making great strides in bringing back this endangered species.

In the spring of 1992, the founding members of the Group built the first marine nursery to incubate the turtle eggs they collected from the beach. The local sea turtle population had been decimated by several preditors, including humans looking to illegally poach the dwindling egg supply to use as an early form of Viagra. But in 16 years the number of nesting females has increased from 72 to 661. What a record!

Nothing can compare with the thrill of seeing these tiny babies struggle to make their way to the sea. It’s not an easy journey, with the waves frequently washing them back to the beach, but each and every one of them eventually made it into the ocean as we watched. They will have a lot of other hazards to overcome, but surviving to get into the water is a major hurdle. it was wonderful to see them enter their briny home.