A 45- minute and 120 peso water taxi ride from the new pier on Los Muertos beach takes one past the gorgeous jungled, volcanic coastline to Yelapa. We always stay immediately adjacent to the grainy beach in one of the spartan, immaculate palapas belonging to Hotel Lagunita. Yelapa is a quiet place, in part because there are no cars. 
People walk and ride horses, mules and burros on the cobbled and dirt paths to and from the tiny town to their homes and to work. There is a pretty little waterfall at the top of the town, but the pool below it is too shallow to swim in now.
The ascent to the cascade takes about an hour-and-a-half. It is a beautiful walk that I never tire of. Leaving the beach, one walks beside the river, passing white egrets fishing and black vultures basking on the sand spits.
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| VULTURES DRYING THEIR WINGS |
The river will remain low and slow until the rainy season. After crossing a white metal bridge, one begins a gradual ascent. In and along the river are enormous dark boulders that have tumbled down from the foothills of the Sierra Madres. 
We see palm trees, deep magenta, pink and white bougainvillea vines, sky-high bamboo, pecking chickens and roosters, hobbled horses and burros, free horses standing still in groves of slender trees,
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saddles hanging from the ceiling of a front porch, humble homes
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| HOME OVERLOOKING THE RIVER |
with weathered palapas, and tied up, listless livestock waiting to be slaughtered. Dogs are everywhere and the trail is littered with horse, donkey and mule manure, which has a good, grassy kind of smell.
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| HORSES GREETING EACH OTHER ON UPPER TRAIL TO LA CASCADA |
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| LA CASCADA EN YELAPA |
After crossing the ankle-high, winding river twice, the climb gets steeper and steeper until one reaches the granite summit. The rush of water is heard below and we excitedly clamber down rocks and a short, hand-carved stone staircase to the cataract, which bursts out of a wall of granite. We stand as close to the waterfall as physically possible, swim in the cool water, laze on top of warm boulders and then begin the walk down the narrow trail, stopping for handmade, all fruit popsicles sold out of someone´s cinder block home.
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| BELLADONNA IN FRONT OF HOME WHERE HANDMADE FRUIT POPSICLES ARE SOLD |
LAS JUNTAS is a 25-30 minute drive, mostly by freeway, northeast of central Vallarta. “Juntar” in Spanish means “to join.” In this case, it is the place where two rivers join. The colonia is quiet and clean with cobbled and paved streets. The main plaza, surrounded by small shops and ice cream stores, was completely empty of people on Thursday.
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| DELEGACIÓN EN LA JUNTAS |
In part because the local ayutamiento (township) sent a driver around the colonia with a megaphone announcing the clinic, a long line of people with pets was waiting for us. While I was there, two ranchero types brought two completely emaciated but beautiful young Weimaraner sisters for spaying. I asked if they had rescued the dogs. No. They had purchased them in Pitillal. I asked why they were so skinny. They answered that the dogs didn´t like to eat much. I asked what they were feeding the dogs. Tortillas. A couple of us had a brief and friendly discussion about the importance of protein and nutrition and I bought two bags of dog food for the two owners. On the plus side – the owners did want to spay their dogs rather than breed them repeatedly.
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| VOLUNTEER REGINA NEXT TO THE STARVING WIEMARANERS BROUGHT IN BY THEIR OWNERS |
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FAT (!) PIT BULLS ON WAY TO CLINIC |
Two teen-age boys brought in dogs, but came back to retrieve them after they had told their family that this was a spay/neuter clinic. Their parents only wanted the dogs treated for fleas. 
PEACEAnimals clinics only treat animals for ticks, fleas and parasites if pets have been sterilized. As I drove away from the clinic, I saw three very fat Pit Bulls on leashes with their owners, heading towards the clinic. I stopped to tell them that we were at capacity with 41 cats and dogs and to come back tomorrow.
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| WAITING FOR SURGERY AT LAS JUNTAS CLINIC |
A GENEROUS GRANT OF 7,000 EUROS FROM FONDATION BRIGITTE BARDOT PAID FOR 6.2 CLINICS. The clinic in La Floresta March 12-15 completed the 6th clinic sponsored by Fondation Brigitte Bardot. The remainder of the grant money (1/5 of a surgery week) paid for the sterilization of 22 more animals at Las Juntas clinic. The projected number for 6.2 clinics at an average of 90 animals sterilized per clinic was 558 cats and dogs. The realized number of animals sterilized in 6.2 clinics was 579.
STERILIZATIONS AT LAS JUNTAS CLINIC:
MENDING: “Spirit,” the broken dog. I went to visit him at Dr. Peña´s clinic this week, and though I have seen many sad dogs here, I´ve never seen one so dispirited and weak as this one. Even though I sat next to him stroking his head and emaciated body, he never looked up. However, Dr. Peña had said Spirit is making progress, is eating well and will start his chemo sessions in seven to ten days. If Brischa Borchgrevink hadn´t gone looking for him, he would certainly have been dead by now. “Fabulosa,” one of eight large dogs rescued from the Acopio by Brischa Borgrevink and taken to
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| “FABULOSA” AT PUERTO VALLARTA AIRPORT |
“Ladra” (“Bark”), the dog sanctuary built by her and husband Ted. Fabulosa´s new home is in Canada.
NEED HOMES: Two six-year old dogs that have grown up together. Owner cannot keep them and will take them to the Acopio if no homes found. This is not a place where they will be happy. Contact: mailto:[email protected]
ESCORTS NEEDED: TO TRAVEL WITH RESCUED DOGS TO CALGARY, EDMONTON AND VANCOUVER. ALL EXPENSES PAID FOR DOG. THIS IS A SIMPLE PROCEDURE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU CAN HELP.
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CLINIC SCHEDULE:
APRIL 9-12 opp. the airport – Colonia Guadalupe Victoria – Calle Manuel Gomez Pedrasa 351 – DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
Get in far right lane before getting close to airport. Drive past the airport. Before pedestrian bridge near orange business complex named Plaza Coral, make a right turn one block after that. (The following directions are more or less correct. The original location changed. Address is correct and location is near soccer field) Drive to the end where you will find a soccer field. Make a right again. After one block, made a left turn and you will be on calle Manuel Gomez Pedrasa. Number is 352 and you will see the red PEACE trailer in front.
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| DR. POLI AT LAS JUNTAS CLINIC |
Semana Santa – OFF
Pascua (EASTER) APRIL 23-26 La Peñita (JBAR- MexiCan – PfL)
April 27- “Adopta un Amigo” – PfL intensive clinic in Tepic
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| PAULINA IN PRE-OP AT LAS JUNTAS CLINIC |
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El costo para nosotros de una clínica cada semana es de $ 1,500 EE.UU.
LAS CLÍNICAS NECESITAN FONDOS. Por favor, considere donar.
Para obtener más información sobre las clínicas y del rescate de animalitos:
www.peaceanimals.org
https://www.facebook.com/PeaceAnimals?fref=ts
Gracias por su interés y su apoyo.
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