Kathy’s visit
Since before we arrived in Puerto Vallarta for the winter, our sister-in-law Kathy had been planning a trip here. We had been busy thinking of things to do while she was visiting. Kathy arrived on Palm Sunday and left on Easter Sunday. We packed a lot of activity into that week. I’ll do my best to remember what we did.
We were supposed to pick Kathy up from the airport at 4:15. Earlier in the day, however, we heard from her that she had gotten bumped from her flight and would arrive at 10:15 instead. We met her at the airport. Late at night there was no crowd to deal with. She was among the first out of customs. Apparently she got an upgrade to first class as well as a $400 voucher for agreeing to be bumped. That was a good start for her trip.
From the airport we drove down to the Malecon to look at the crowd. The vacationing Mexicans had begun to arrive and even at 11 in the evening the Malecon was hopping.
Since Saturday was her birthday, we had a cake for Kathy when she arrived. She was surprised!
Shopping was one of the main things Kathy wanted to do. We all went a few times and one day Kathy took the bus into town and shopped till she dropped. Not quite, just until we met her for lunch at El Torito for the rib lunch.
One evening we went up to Las Carmelitas for sunset and dinner. Harold and Kathy agreed they have the best guacamole there. We had a nice leisurely dinner at a perfect table. The weather was beautiful and the sunset was gorgeous.
Paul and Maureen invited all of us to visit at their condo in Nuevo Vallarta. We walked along the beach to the Rio Ameca. From there we could see the cruise ships at the Marina. While relaxing on the balcony, we saw the replica of the ship the Nina which is docked in Nuevo Vallarta. Paul prepared a delicious dinner and we all enjoyed the food and company. Thanks again Paul and Maureen for the fun evening!
Since Kathy likes shrimp and adventure, we took her to the restaurant Guero Palancas in the small town of La Desembocada. We each ate a huge platter of shrimp and were totally stuffed. The restaurant is located right on the river and is a fun place to eat. After that lunch, we went to Bucerias for the afternoon. Our tenants were nice enough to let us show Kathy the house. Deb, you better watch out, she thinks that second bedroom is hers! We also showed Kathy around the town and we strolled through the little street market. Afterwards, we relaxed on the beach for a few hours.
Like most neighborhoods, there are plenty of little stands and restaurants near our house. One night we intended to go to a small seafood place. Turns out it was closed but the owners have a hamburger/hotdog cart, too. Kathy and I had shrimp burgers, Harold had a hamburger, we had a couple orders of fries and each had an agua fresca. Cost of all this – less than $10 US. We were thinking it should have been more, but that’s what the guy charged us. Maybe math isn’t his strong suit?
Our “last supper” with Kathy was at the Pacifica Grill. It is a very nice restaurant on the south side of PV. Harold and I had been there before, but not recently. We were pleased that it was every bit as good as we remembered. Each meal comes with soup (onion or a shrimp broth), garlic bread, hand-cut fries, a great tossed salad and all-you-can-eat shrimp. Kathy ordered the ribs and shrimp, I had the steak and shrimp, and Harold got the teriyaki steak and shrimp. The shrimp comes in boiled, breaded and coconut varieties. We all were stuffed when we left and it was a wonderful meal.
It was Semana Santa (Holy Week) while Kathy was here. There were crowds of people on Los Muertos Beach. Even in Bucerias the beach was busy. Everyone cautions how difficult it will be to find a parking spot in town, but Harold must have the magic touch and found them easily. On Friday evening, I talked him into taking the bus into town since the crowds would be huge. It turned out to be one of those plans that sounds good on paper but doesn’t work out quite right.
The bus ride down was interesting. A fellow got on the bus with his dog, Bingo. I questioned him that I didn’t think dogs were allowed on the bus. He shrugged his shoulders and said, “it’s a holiday.” Bingo was well behaved but wanted to visit everyone on the bus. His owner called him Bingo Coqueton, meaning Bingo the flirt.
We planned to ride the bus to the south side to go to CyC for the Friday sunset meeting of the All Vallarta board. The plan started falling apart when the bus stopped a couple blocks north of the Pemex station north of downtown. We started walking towards CyC, which was probably close to two miles. The Malecon street was completely closed to traffic and was full of people. We got to CyC, had a couple drinks with Postie, Dylan and their wives and Jeff and his girlfriend. After that, we strolled back down the Malecon enjoying watching the people and listening to the entertainers. We got back to where we thought the bus would pick us up. Well, we never saw the bus for our route so we were thinking of taking a cab. Well, they were all full. So plan 3 became catch the bus that gets close to our house. We did that and ended up having to walk about ¾ or a mile from the bus home. We sure got our exercise that night! Needless to say, the next night I agreed when Harold suggested we drive downtown.
Kathy did a lot of walking in our neighborhood as well. She even had an offer of a house for sale. We didn’t get to go see which one it was, but will try to figure it out. We took one long walk way up the mountain from our house. Seemed like every time we thought we were as high as we could get there was another trail. The views were fabulous!
We tried to allow enough time for reading and siesta as well. The Big Lots airbed we brought from Waco worked well.
Sunday morning came and we delivered Kathy back to the airport. The week just flew by and there were so many things we did not get to do. I guess she will have to come back.
Any one else who is reading this, you too can have the full PV experience by visiting us, too. But first, we need some time to rest and diet!
Monday, March 28, 2005
The wedding, Palm Sunday
The wedding
We were invited to the wedding of Joe and Monica. Joe is Pam Thompson’s son and he, Monica and their son Nicholas live in Puerto Vallarta. They had a beautiful wedding at Rancho El Ojo de Agua. We had arranged with Pam that we would pick up some beer and sodas for her and take them to the ranch in the afternoon. We didn’t have an address, we were told “everyone knows were it is.” So, off we went with the skimpiest of ideas of the location. About 45 minutes later and having asked about 6 people, including some policemen, we finally got there! I think what happened is that some people were thinking of another ranch, so we were traveling back and forth between the two ranches. But, we got there and dropped off the stuff.
The invitation was for 7:30. We know that “Mexican time” comes into play here when deciding when to arrive. But for a wedding we thought we ought to arrive at the appointed time. When we got there about 7:15, the ceremony was already going on. It was a beautiful outdoor wedding. Both the bride and the groom looked great and very happy. It turned out that many people are invited for the party and would be arriving later. We sat with another American couple who are also friends of Pam. As you sat down, the waiters brought bottles of mixers to the table and would bring a bottle of tequila, whiskey or rum to the table. There were also big dishes of ceviche served. After a while, many more people arrived. There was a good DJ and dancing. Of course the drinks were flowing! We enjoyed the fajita buffet and wedding cake. Everyone was having a good time. We left around 11 and the party was going strong. It was a beautiful wedding, a great setting and the couple couldn’t have looked happier. Congratulations Joe and Monica!
Palm Sunday
There is a church on the hill at the end of our street. It is a fairly rustic looking church with an excellent location high on the mountainside. Rigo, our landlord, mentioned that on Palm Sunday there would be a palm procession down the street. I went to the corner and found the vendors selling palm crosses and other palm items. I got my palms and got ready to watch the procession. Many people gathered in the street, probably 150 or so. Most were dressed in white and all had palm fronds or crosses. A young boy was dressed as a king complete with a crown of thorns. The priest spoke and blessed the crowd. There were guitar players and songs were sung. The entire group walked up the hill to the church for the Palm Sunday mass.
On Good Friday, the church had a “stations of the cross” procession around the neighborhood, too. They went to a number of houses in the area, sang and prayed.
We were invited to the wedding of Joe and Monica. Joe is Pam Thompson’s son and he, Monica and their son Nicholas live in Puerto Vallarta. They had a beautiful wedding at Rancho El Ojo de Agua. We had arranged with Pam that we would pick up some beer and sodas for her and take them to the ranch in the afternoon. We didn’t have an address, we were told “everyone knows were it is.” So, off we went with the skimpiest of ideas of the location. About 45 minutes later and having asked about 6 people, including some policemen, we finally got there! I think what happened is that some people were thinking of another ranch, so we were traveling back and forth between the two ranches. But, we got there and dropped off the stuff.
The invitation was for 7:30. We know that “Mexican time” comes into play here when deciding when to arrive. But for a wedding we thought we ought to arrive at the appointed time. When we got there about 7:15, the ceremony was already going on. It was a beautiful outdoor wedding. Both the bride and the groom looked great and very happy. It turned out that many people are invited for the party and would be arriving later. We sat with another American couple who are also friends of Pam. As you sat down, the waiters brought bottles of mixers to the table and would bring a bottle of tequila, whiskey or rum to the table. There were also big dishes of ceviche served. After a while, many more people arrived. There was a good DJ and dancing. Of course the drinks were flowing! We enjoyed the fajita buffet and wedding cake. Everyone was having a good time. We left around 11 and the party was going strong. It was a beautiful wedding, a great setting and the couple couldn’t have looked happier. Congratulations Joe and Monica!
Palm Sunday
There is a church on the hill at the end of our street. It is a fairly rustic looking church with an excellent location high on the mountainside. Rigo, our landlord, mentioned that on Palm Sunday there would be a palm procession down the street. I went to the corner and found the vendors selling palm crosses and other palm items. I got my palms and got ready to watch the procession. Many people gathered in the street, probably 150 or so. Most were dressed in white and all had palm fronds or crosses. A young boy was dressed as a king complete with a crown of thorns. The priest spoke and blessed the crowd. There were guitar players and songs were sung. The entire group walked up the hill to the church for the Palm Sunday mass.
On Good Friday, the church had a “stations of the cross” procession around the neighborhood, too. They went to a number of houses in the area, sang and prayed.
Friday, March 25, 2005
more goings-on
Sorry this is late, I haven't been spending much time on-line recently. Harold is being a Web-hog, and also Kathy (our sister-in-law) is here visiting. So this entry is late, I promise more soon!
Curves
I have been going to Curves three times a week while we have been here. The Curves gym in Puerto Vallarta is near a very popular restaurant, Chile’s, but I have only gone to Chile’s once. Shelley, the owner of Curves, has been very nice about letting me continue my workouts for the Curves study. After one month here, I had lost 1 kg, which is 2.2 pounds. At least the beer drinking hasn’t overcome the exercise!
Children’s Parade
This week I saw several parades of little children dressed in costumes. Most of them were butterflies, bunnies and birds. There were a few Tiggers and Poohs in the mix, too. I asked Melissa if her school did that, too. She said the kindergarten kids had a parade and that it was for the beginning of spring. The parades I saw downtown were really cute.
Tom and Marsha
It seemed like the time went really fast and then it was time for Tom and Marsha to return to Nebraska. We will miss waving to them at their balcony over Olas Altas and sitting up there watching the drama that goes on in the evenings. See ya next year!
Tia Maria
We saw an ad for a little place called Tia Maria in the hotel area. It is just south of Plaza Caracol, almost across the street from the new KFC. We had comida corrida there for 35 pesos each. It was good and we would recommend it to anyone staying in that area or shopping at Gigante.
Fox
Our dog Fox has discovered that she can sit in the windowsill of the front window of our house and get a good view of any action on the street. Now she spends plenty of time perching up there and watching the world go by. The kids in the neighborhood like to come up and pet her and talk to her.
Palm Sunday
This morning there was a procession on our street to the church up the hill. Several vendors set up early selling crosses and other items made from palm fronds. There was a boy dressed in a king costume complete with crown of thorns. He and the priest let the procession up the hill. Many of the people were dressed in white. Two guitar players let a few songs before the procession and while they were marching. The priest also spoke and blessed the parishioners while they were waiting to march. There were probably 150 people in the procession.
Car Wash
Our landlord’s on, Rigo, offered to clean our car. He and Harold agreed that Rigo would wash and dry the car, clean the windows and wheel, and clean the interior. Rigo did a great job and the car looked better than it has since we arrived. An the cost – 30 pesos, or less than $3 US!
Curves
I have been going to Curves three times a week while we have been here. The Curves gym in Puerto Vallarta is near a very popular restaurant, Chile’s, but I have only gone to Chile’s once. Shelley, the owner of Curves, has been very nice about letting me continue my workouts for the Curves study. After one month here, I had lost 1 kg, which is 2.2 pounds. At least the beer drinking hasn’t overcome the exercise!
Children’s Parade
This week I saw several parades of little children dressed in costumes. Most of them were butterflies, bunnies and birds. There were a few Tiggers and Poohs in the mix, too. I asked Melissa if her school did that, too. She said the kindergarten kids had a parade and that it was for the beginning of spring. The parades I saw downtown were really cute.
Tom and Marsha
It seemed like the time went really fast and then it was time for Tom and Marsha to return to Nebraska. We will miss waving to them at their balcony over Olas Altas and sitting up there watching the drama that goes on in the evenings. See ya next year!
Tia Maria
We saw an ad for a little place called Tia Maria in the hotel area. It is just south of Plaza Caracol, almost across the street from the new KFC. We had comida corrida there for 35 pesos each. It was good and we would recommend it to anyone staying in that area or shopping at Gigante.
Fox
Our dog Fox has discovered that she can sit in the windowsill of the front window of our house and get a good view of any action on the street. Now she spends plenty of time perching up there and watching the world go by. The kids in the neighborhood like to come up and pet her and talk to her.
Palm Sunday
This morning there was a procession on our street to the church up the hill. Several vendors set up early selling crosses and other items made from palm fronds. There was a boy dressed in a king costume complete with crown of thorns. He and the priest let the procession up the hill. Many of the people were dressed in white. Two guitar players let a few songs before the procession and while they were marching. The priest also spoke and blessed the parishioners while they were waiting to march. There were probably 150 people in the procession.
Car Wash
Our landlord’s on, Rigo, offered to clean our car. He and Harold agreed that Rigo would wash and dry the car, clean the windows and wheel, and clean the interior. Rigo did a great job and the car looked better than it has since we arrived. An the cost – 30 pesos, or less than $3 US!
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Dog Show and Ranch Capomo
Dog Show
We saw the advertising for Puerto Vallarta’s first Perroton (dog show) so we wanted to see it. It was at the sports stadium near the Sheraton. Friday we just went to watch. There was a demonstration of police dog skills that was quite impressive. There were drug sniffing dogs and attack dogs. Another demonstration was a dog and his handler who are national champions in French Ring skills.
Saturday we took the dogs to the show. It was pretty unclear what categories there were so I registered Sarah for agility. As it turned out, they ran out of time and didn’t have all the categories. They had golden retrievers, Labradors, Chihuahuas and poodles as separate groups. Then large, medium and small dogs had their own groups. It was funny because the whole show had a very informal feel to it, except the judges seemed very serious when looking at the dogs. There was a competition for costumed and trick dogs and one for obedience.
Sarah, the 3-legged Dalmatian, got special recognition in the show. She and Harold were in the ring with the MC while she told Sarah’s story. She used it as an example of how well a dog can adapt to injury and how much people love their dogs.
The dogs enjoyed the show because there were plenty of things to sniff, plenty of new dogs to meet and they got out of the house for a day. There were quite a few people at the show Saturday, Mexican families with their dogs, ex-pats with their dogs, and some tourists who just came by to watch. Of course there were food and beverage vendors and displays by vets and animal groups.
Rancho Capomo
We volunteered to drive a group of kids from RISE, the children’s shelter, to a field day at Rancho Capomo. We met at the house and found that we had 5 cars to transport 20+ kids and an equal number of adults. We loaded 4 adults and 6 kids in our Mazda Tribute for the 45-minute drive to Las Palmas. As soon as we got there, a group of kids went horseback riding. The other kids played on the playground while they waited their turn for the horses. The second group of kids and one madre rode the horses later. The ranch greeted us all with glasses of Jamaica. After the riding, lunch was served The restaurant is set up with mostly table for 4 and 6. Volunteers sat at the tables with the children and ate. Harold and I ate with Beto and Chuey. They are two adorable little boys. Beto kept saying “yo quiero” as plates of food went by, and licking his lips loudly. The waiter brought him a big plate of chicken, rice and beans. Both boys had good appetites and enjoyed their dinners. After the chicken, plates of shrimp were also served.
When the kids finished lunch, they went down to play in the river. Almost all the kids and madres went wading in the river.
After the fun-filled afternoon, we all headed back to the Refugio. Many of the kids slept soundly on the return trip. Harold and I really enjoyed spending time with the kids and meeting the other volunteers.
We saw the advertising for Puerto Vallarta’s first Perroton (dog show) so we wanted to see it. It was at the sports stadium near the Sheraton. Friday we just went to watch. There was a demonstration of police dog skills that was quite impressive. There were drug sniffing dogs and attack dogs. Another demonstration was a dog and his handler who are national champions in French Ring skills.
Saturday we took the dogs to the show. It was pretty unclear what categories there were so I registered Sarah for agility. As it turned out, they ran out of time and didn’t have all the categories. They had golden retrievers, Labradors, Chihuahuas and poodles as separate groups. Then large, medium and small dogs had their own groups. It was funny because the whole show had a very informal feel to it, except the judges seemed very serious when looking at the dogs. There was a competition for costumed and trick dogs and one for obedience.
Sarah, the 3-legged Dalmatian, got special recognition in the show. She and Harold were in the ring with the MC while she told Sarah’s story. She used it as an example of how well a dog can adapt to injury and how much people love their dogs.
The dogs enjoyed the show because there were plenty of things to sniff, plenty of new dogs to meet and they got out of the house for a day. There were quite a few people at the show Saturday, Mexican families with their dogs, ex-pats with their dogs, and some tourists who just came by to watch. Of course there were food and beverage vendors and displays by vets and animal groups.
Rancho Capomo
We volunteered to drive a group of kids from RISE, the children’s shelter, to a field day at Rancho Capomo. We met at the house and found that we had 5 cars to transport 20+ kids and an equal number of adults. We loaded 4 adults and 6 kids in our Mazda Tribute for the 45-minute drive to Las Palmas. As soon as we got there, a group of kids went horseback riding. The other kids played on the playground while they waited their turn for the horses. The second group of kids and one madre rode the horses later. The ranch greeted us all with glasses of Jamaica. After the riding, lunch was served The restaurant is set up with mostly table for 4 and 6. Volunteers sat at the tables with the children and ate. Harold and I ate with Beto and Chuey. They are two adorable little boys. Beto kept saying “yo quiero” as plates of food went by, and licking his lips loudly. The waiter brought him a big plate of chicken, rice and beans. Both boys had good appetites and enjoyed their dinners. After the chicken, plates of shrimp were also served.
When the kids finished lunch, they went down to play in the river. Almost all the kids and madres went wading in the river.
After the fun-filled afternoon, we all headed back to the Refugio. Many of the kids slept soundly on the return trip. Harold and I really enjoyed spending time with the kids and meeting the other volunteers.
Monday, March 07, 2005
Visitors
One of the most fun parts of being in Puerto Vallarta is spending time with the people who are visiting here. We have lots of “Internet friends” from a couple different bulletin boards.
One of the boards I read is the Tepic board. Tepic is the capital of the state of Nayarit, which is the state Bucerias is in. Cliff is the host of that board, and is assisted by his wife Alice. This week, Alice made one of her periodic trips to Puerto Vallarta to enjoy the shopping, restaurants and general atmosphere of PV. It’s lucky she didn’t come for the sunshine as it’s been unusually cloudy and cool!
Harold and I had the pleasure of meeting Alice for lunch at Chile’s. This south-side restaurant is known for their hamburgers and roast chicken. We enjoyed a very nice lunch with Alice. We all shared stories of the trials, tribulations and rewards of moving to and living in Mexico. Thanks, Alice, for the fun afternoon and for lunch. We hope to be able to visit Tepic before our return trip to Texas.
Some other visitors to the area are Missy (MadisonMissy) and Ron, from the Madison, Wisconsin area. We met Ron and Missy a few years ago at a board get together and have kept in touch. It was great to see them again. And thanks, Melissa, for bringing me the “foot care package.” Wearing sandals all the time has been taking its toll on my feet and Missy has rescued me with foot scrub, nail polish, a callous-remover and some great lotion.
There have been many other board members we have met, including some who live here full or part time. As a result, we have had a busier social life here than in Waco. But we will have plenty of time to visit with you, too, if you come to town!
One of the boards I read is the Tepic board. Tepic is the capital of the state of Nayarit, which is the state Bucerias is in. Cliff is the host of that board, and is assisted by his wife Alice. This week, Alice made one of her periodic trips to Puerto Vallarta to enjoy the shopping, restaurants and general atmosphere of PV. It’s lucky she didn’t come for the sunshine as it’s been unusually cloudy and cool!
Harold and I had the pleasure of meeting Alice for lunch at Chile’s. This south-side restaurant is known for their hamburgers and roast chicken. We enjoyed a very nice lunch with Alice. We all shared stories of the trials, tribulations and rewards of moving to and living in Mexico. Thanks, Alice, for the fun afternoon and for lunch. We hope to be able to visit Tepic before our return trip to Texas.
Some other visitors to the area are Missy (MadisonMissy) and Ron, from the Madison, Wisconsin area. We met Ron and Missy a few years ago at a board get together and have kept in touch. It was great to see them again. And thanks, Melissa, for bringing me the “foot care package.” Wearing sandals all the time has been taking its toll on my feet and Missy has rescued me with foot scrub, nail polish, a callous-remover and some great lotion.
There have been many other board members we have met, including some who live here full or part time. As a result, we have had a busier social life here than in Waco. But we will have plenty of time to visit with you, too, if you come to town!
Sunday, March 06, 2005
More adventures
Tom (known on AllVallarta as Sky King) and his wife Marsha are in Puerto Vallarta for 3 weeks or so. We had volunteered to make a dentist appointment for Tom and gave him a ride out there the first time. We have taken several adventurous trips with Tom and Marsha. We went to the Marina one night (OK, not that adventurous) and walked around looking at all the yachts. We ate at Victor’s and had a good meal of fish fillets. We have also eaten at Taste of Italy, one of their favorites and a place we hadn’t tried before. The sub sandwiches and spaghetti are all good and the prices reasonable.
The kids from the RISE shelter are going to go on a fiend trip next week. There is a ranch along the river outside of Las Palmas called Rancho Capomo. They have a restaurant, river access, horseback rides, a playground and plenty of room for the kids to run around. Chris had the name of the place and the location, but no phone number. We went to the ranch to “warn” them that 40 kids and 20 adults would be coming next week. Harold, Tom, Marsha and I walked down to the river, enjoyed the scenic surroundings and had a snack at the ranch. The terrain near Las Palmas is not at all like the coastal area. Many trees, huge rocks in the river and very scenic!
After lunch, we thought we’d see if any progress is being made on the mythical new road to Guadalajara. There is a lot of road construction going on, so maybe the road will be a reality some day.
We drove through the small town of Las Palmas and ate lunch at a restaurant Harold had seen an ad for in the paper. We shared coconut shrimp dinners. The price was reasonable and the food was good and filling. Great mango sauce for the shrimp, too!
Another day, we drove up the very steep hill near our house. The houses at the top have a fabulous view. We watched a kid scrambling up and down a hillside that would have been a recipe for disaster for any of us it was so steep.
We have also sat on the balcony at their apartment on Olas Altas. They have a perfect spot for people watching.
Twice we have taken the dogs to walk along the Pitallal River. Denny told us there was a dirt path along the river all the way over to Pitallal from the Holiday Inn. It is really more like a dirt road, very wide and smooth. No cars can get on the road, at least from the west end. We walked down a ways and then there is a place you can easily walk to the river. The dogs have a great time running around leash-less and chasing birds. Both times we have been there we have see very few other people. It appears a number of workers use it as a short cut to bicycle from Pitallal to the hotel zone.
The weather has been very strange, many days have been cloudy. And don’t laugh you northerners, but one night it was actually cold in the wind! This afternoon, after walking the dogs, Harold and I were going to go to the beach but it is overcast and cool. He is squeezing oranges for juice instead. I bought the oranges this morning from a guy driving through the neighborhood in a pickup truck. A couple days ago we bought strawberries from another truck - 20 pesos a kilogram. That’s about 80 cents US per pound.
Since I haven’t yet figured out how to put pictures in the blog, you will have to look at my Webshots http://community.webshots.com/user/sioux4noff for photos of this stuff!
The kids from the RISE shelter are going to go on a fiend trip next week. There is a ranch along the river outside of Las Palmas called Rancho Capomo. They have a restaurant, river access, horseback rides, a playground and plenty of room for the kids to run around. Chris had the name of the place and the location, but no phone number. We went to the ranch to “warn” them that 40 kids and 20 adults would be coming next week. Harold, Tom, Marsha and I walked down to the river, enjoyed the scenic surroundings and had a snack at the ranch. The terrain near Las Palmas is not at all like the coastal area. Many trees, huge rocks in the river and very scenic!
After lunch, we thought we’d see if any progress is being made on the mythical new road to Guadalajara. There is a lot of road construction going on, so maybe the road will be a reality some day.
We drove through the small town of Las Palmas and ate lunch at a restaurant Harold had seen an ad for in the paper. We shared coconut shrimp dinners. The price was reasonable and the food was good and filling. Great mango sauce for the shrimp, too!
Another day, we drove up the very steep hill near our house. The houses at the top have a fabulous view. We watched a kid scrambling up and down a hillside that would have been a recipe for disaster for any of us it was so steep.
We have also sat on the balcony at their apartment on Olas Altas. They have a perfect spot for people watching.
Twice we have taken the dogs to walk along the Pitallal River. Denny told us there was a dirt path along the river all the way over to Pitallal from the Holiday Inn. It is really more like a dirt road, very wide and smooth. No cars can get on the road, at least from the west end. We walked down a ways and then there is a place you can easily walk to the river. The dogs have a great time running around leash-less and chasing birds. Both times we have been there we have see very few other people. It appears a number of workers use it as a short cut to bicycle from Pitallal to the hotel zone.
The weather has been very strange, many days have been cloudy. And don’t laugh you northerners, but one night it was actually cold in the wind! This afternoon, after walking the dogs, Harold and I were going to go to the beach but it is overcast and cool. He is squeezing oranges for juice instead. I bought the oranges this morning from a guy driving through the neighborhood in a pickup truck. A couple days ago we bought strawberries from another truck - 20 pesos a kilogram. That’s about 80 cents US per pound.
Since I haven’t yet figured out how to put pictures in the blog, you will have to look at my Webshots http://community.webshots.com/user/sioux4noff for photos of this stuff!
Out on the town
Sunday night is the best night to walk on the Malecon, Puerto Vallarta’s oceanfront walkway. It stretches right along the beach in the center of town. Originally, the Malecon was only on the north side of the river that runs through the center of Puerto Vallarta, the Cuale. Now there is a pedestrian bridge across the river that connects the main part of the Malecon to a “mini-Malecon” on the south side of the river. Well, part of it is under construction now, but it will b nice.
On Sunday evening, we ate a fairly early dinner at Machi’s Barbeque. Machi’s was recommended by other members of the All Vallarta board. We enjoyed our meal there, I had tortilla soup and Harold had the chicken special.
After dinner, we started at the south side and walked to the north end of the Malecon. There are always several musical groups playing along the way. The Folkloric ballet was performing at the Los Arcos amphitheater, 2 different pan flute bands were performing, a talented duo of keyboard and violin was there, and the Voltadores. They are a Mayan group that has an act where they fly around what looks like a big May pole, hanging by their ankles. We walked along listening to the music, stopped a few times to sit and watch the performances and to watch the people go by. There is always a mix of local families, tourists, teenagers and others to make the people watching interesting. The weather was perfect, warm enough to wear shorts, but cool enough to be comfortable. Altogether we probably spent three hours on the Malecon.
Last week, we got a phone call one day. It was a woman inviting us to the El Dorado Restaurant on the beach for cocktails. She mentioned the name of Nelly, who was someone we me through the RISE fundraiser. We went to the event not really knowing what it was. It turned out to be an art show of Nelly’s work. We had cocktails, ate a few snacks and looked at the paintings. We saw a few people we knew and visited with them. Nelly’s brother, Julian, was visiting from California. We enjoyed talking to him, also.
For dinner we went to Tia Catrina. It is a small restaurant on the south side of downtown Puerto Vallarta. The food and service were good and the prices were reasonable.
Another evening we went to Chris and Keith’s condo for dinner. Chris is the lady who chaired the RISE fundraiser. They live in a very nice condo in Conchas Chinas. It has a beautiful view of the bay. We had a fun evening visiting with them and enjoying the great meal that Keith cooked.
James, who posts as “earlyretire” on several boards, planned a beach party for Thursday afternoon. It was at the Lazy Lizard on Los Muertos Beach. There weren’t as many people there as James had hoped, but those of us who went had a good time. I think if another party like that is planned, a smaller time range would help. Some people apparently didn’t show up until after most of us were gone.
On Sunday evening, we ate a fairly early dinner at Machi’s Barbeque. Machi’s was recommended by other members of the All Vallarta board. We enjoyed our meal there, I had tortilla soup and Harold had the chicken special.
After dinner, we started at the south side and walked to the north end of the Malecon. There are always several musical groups playing along the way. The Folkloric ballet was performing at the Los Arcos amphitheater, 2 different pan flute bands were performing, a talented duo of keyboard and violin was there, and the Voltadores. They are a Mayan group that has an act where they fly around what looks like a big May pole, hanging by their ankles. We walked along listening to the music, stopped a few times to sit and watch the performances and to watch the people go by. There is always a mix of local families, tourists, teenagers and others to make the people watching interesting. The weather was perfect, warm enough to wear shorts, but cool enough to be comfortable. Altogether we probably spent three hours on the Malecon.
Last week, we got a phone call one day. It was a woman inviting us to the El Dorado Restaurant on the beach for cocktails. She mentioned the name of Nelly, who was someone we me through the RISE fundraiser. We went to the event not really knowing what it was. It turned out to be an art show of Nelly’s work. We had cocktails, ate a few snacks and looked at the paintings. We saw a few people we knew and visited with them. Nelly’s brother, Julian, was visiting from California. We enjoyed talking to him, also.
For dinner we went to Tia Catrina. It is a small restaurant on the south side of downtown Puerto Vallarta. The food and service were good and the prices were reasonable.
Another evening we went to Chris and Keith’s condo for dinner. Chris is the lady who chaired the RISE fundraiser. They live in a very nice condo in Conchas Chinas. It has a beautiful view of the bay. We had a fun evening visiting with them and enjoying the great meal that Keith cooked.
James, who posts as “earlyretire” on several boards, planned a beach party for Thursday afternoon. It was at the Lazy Lizard on Los Muertos Beach. There weren’t as many people there as James had hoped, but those of us who went had a good time. I think if another party like that is planned, a smaller time range would help. Some people apparently didn’t show up until after most of us were gone.
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