Puerto Vallarta, February 2007 with Cal

Well, here we are again- planning for our annual trip to Puerto Vallarta . It is always fun to plan and dream of the warm weather, especially at this time of year when Seattle is rainy and dreary. This year Doug’s dad Cal decided to come with us, although his girlfriend Juanita will not be coming down. Cal decided to go early and meet up with some friends for a few days, then meet us at the Posada de Roger the day we get in. He even said he’d be waiting in the courtyard with a margarita in hand! Sounds wonderful! I have to admit, I was a little worried since he is 75 and has a little trouble getting around. Will he remember our hotel? Will he remember the date and time? And most important of all, will he remember the margarita? No need to worry, we flew in on Wednesday and when we arrived at the hotel, there was Cal, sitting in the lobby waiting for us. And yes, he had his drink and immediately ordered ours. We got checked in and headed down to the beach. Cal needs a cane to walk so we just took our time and made our way the 5 blocks or so. We ordered dinner on the beach then made our way over to Malecon to see what was happening. We had a nice evening checking out the entertainment. Cal was not staying at our hotel, so we walked with him to his hotel then headed back to ours for the evening, with plans to meet up in the morning. The next day we headed down to Mismaloya Beach where we have gone for the last few years. It’s a beautiful bay where there are fishing boats and lots of little beach restaurants. The film “Night of the Iguana” starring Richard Burton was filmed there years ago, and is what brought life to Puerto Vallarta when John Huston was looking for a setting for his movie. There still are ruins from the movie set which you can walk out to on the point. A pole with an iguana has been placed on the site, and the film is played non-stop at the La Jolla de Mismaloya Hotel. So we spent the afternoon at the beach watching people and just relaxing with lunch and drinks. The weather was in the 80s, there was an ocean breeze, so it was a wonderful place to catch up on some much needed rest from the hustle and bustle and rainy weather in Washington. We spent the next few days around old town during the day and enjoying the entertainment in the evening on the Malecon. There is always something going on, and if you can't find entertainment you can always have your picture taken with the Senor Frog's statues. One evening Doug and I went to the Panorama restaurant which is on the hill above the town. Cal did not want to go with us. We planned it so we would be able to enjoy the sunset while we were there. Another tradition is to get Mexican Coffee which is made with tequila. There is usually a whole production as they make it right at your table. On Sunday we moved over to the Mayan Palace at the Marina. About 15 minutes by bus from downtown Puerto Vallarta, but lots of restaurants, shops etc at the Marina which is across the street. One place we have always enjoyed is Victor’s where the food is good, and the owner makes a point to visit all the tables and drink a shot of tequila with his guests. Every drink that is ordered comes with a shot of tequila. There is a vacant lot a few blocks from our hotel and for years we have seen an iguana sunny himself on the log as we walked by. One day Doug and I went on a tour of San Sebastian which we had not done before. It is an old mining town up in the Sierra Madre mountains. 40,000 people lived there at one time, but now only about 600. There is an old church, a museum, Café de Altura coffee mill which we toured. The museum is the front room of a house owned by Dona Conchita, who will guide you on a tour, telling stories about her youth and growing up in the area. Doug posed with her for a picture and she requested that we send her a copy, which we did. After our tour of the town we had lunch together as a group at one of the local restaurants before we headed back to Puerto Vallarta. This was a fun tour and we will probably do it again. We enjoyed relaxing at the Mayan and even though we have been there several times, we really enjoy Puerto Vallarta and will plan to be back. I think Cal enjoyed it too. The pools are warm, and inviting, and we always enjoy our stay. Note: Dona Conchita passed away in August 2009 You can read more about her life here.

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