Manzanillo to Puerto Vallarta, February 6th-20th, 2011

We arrived in Manzanillo about 3:30pm on Sunday, Feb 6th. After getting our baggage and going through customs we got a taxi and took it to our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express. It was about a 55 minute ride. Manzanillo is spread out with several different neighborhood areas. It is a port city so in the middle of the bay is the port so to go anywhere you need to go around the port. Our hotel was in the middle of the area, behind the port. We were a little disappointed at first to find that there is nothing near our hotel, no restaurants or any other tourist things. In fact, it really does not even cater to tourists. The staff at the front desk did not speak English, they had no maps or brochures, they know nothing about tours, etc. We didn’t see any Americans at the hotel. However, our room was nice and clean and the bed was comfortable. There was a nice pool, although it wasn’t heated. Breakfast was included and they had hot food as well as the usual fruit, cereal and juices. Once we arrived at the hotel I went swimming even though the pool was cold. The weather was sunny and in the 80’s so it still felt good. Doug caught up on a little work while I was at the pool. Around 6pm pm we asked the front desk about a place to go to see the beach and eat dinner and they suggested we head down to the Salagua area which was north of where we were. El Centro was to the south but they shook their head and said that this was better. Since we didn’t have a car they indicated we needed to take a taxi, which was right out front. So off we went, but when we got to the area there was very little open, not easy access to the beach, etc. It really didn’t seem like what we expected. There were lots of buses so we decided to take the one marked “El Centro”. We paid $1 for both and took about a 20 minute ride to El Centro. Once we got there we found the plaza, the malecon (boardwalk) and lots of stores. There was music and a parade going on in honor of Constitution Day which was Saturday, February 5th. On the malecon there was a plaza with a large fountain that had music with spouting water jets, synchronized to the music. Much smaller, but similar to the fountain at the Bellagio in Vegas. We were looking forward to our first authentic Mexican dinner but we were unable to find a restaurant open so we ended up eating dinner at Ly Chee, a Chinese restaurant right on the water in El Centro. Not quite what either of expected to do our first night in Mexico, but the food was good. Afterward we walked across the street and got a taxi back to the hotel. On Monday morning we got up, ate breakfast at the hotel, then headed next door to the bank to exchange our money. The bank was closed and when we asked why we were told it was a federal holiday for employees. Instead we took a cab back down to the Salaqua area and found a money exchange. We actually enjoyed walking around the area today, more things were open and we even found a Starbucks. Later we took a bus back down to El Centro area. We found a little bar and had great guacamole and chips. Afterward we walked around the plaza and malecon before heading back to our hotel for another swim and some down time. That evening we took the bus back to the Salagua area and had a great taco dinner at the one of the little restaurants in the area. We had decided although we had planned to stay 3 nights in the area it was not what we expected so we were going to leave in the morning and go to Puerto Vallarta so this would be our last night here. We headed back to the hotel by taxi. On Tuesday we left Manzanillo with the feeling that it is really not yet a good tourist area, or else we just were unable to find the right places to go. The economy definitely has hit Mexico hard and without tourists some of the places will not be able to survive. We got up early and had breakfast at hotel then got a cab over to the bus station which was close. The bus to Puerto Vallarta leaves at 8am and cost approximately $28 each. It was a comfortable ride that went along the coast and stopped in Barra de Navidad and Malague then a few other towns along the way. Part of the way was through the mountains and windy roads. It got to the bus station in Puerto Vallarta about 2 pm where we took a taxi to our hotel in old town, Playa Los Arcos. When we have come to Puerto Vallarta in the past we have wanted to stay at this hotel. It is right on the beach and has a beautiful pool, although it is right off the lobby. We got settled in our room on the 3rd floor which had a balcony overlooking the pool area, with an entrance on the street side so we could look over that area too. We walked down to the beach and had dinner at the Burro Bar. The prices had gone up since last time we were here. $ 17 for a Mexican platter and $13 for fajitas! After dinner we walked up to the malecon from one end to the other then back to old town. It was fun to see some of the new businesses and buildings that weren’t there last time (3 years ago). Wednesday morning I walked up to the neighborhood café and got espresso. It used to be the only one with espresso in the area 3 years ago so we would come to it every morning. They also have internet service. I walked a little ways past the hotel and noticed 3 more coffee places in the next block! Lots of choices this time. Doug walked up to Fredy Toucan’s for breakfast and I headed down to the pool.I spent most of the morning just relaxing by the pool while Doug worked. There were a couple of iguanas that had taken up residency and were just sunning themselves on the roof by the pool. For lunch we headed to a little restaurant on the beach for lunch of mahi mahi on a stick and coconut shrimp. It was good and the price was much more reasonable, $16 including drinks. Afterward we walked south on the beach then back on the street to the hotel. We saw several of the same businesses thriving, and some new ones too. I headed back to the hotel and I went back to the pool for awhile while Doug worked, then headed to dinner at Café de Olla which we have always enjoyed. Thursday morning we woke up to another sunny, beautiful day. Paradise! We walked down to Fredy Toucan’s for breakfast but first stopped at the store and bought some sugarfree syrup which none of the restaurants seem to ever have. After breakfast we stopped at the corner café and found that they had sugar free vanilla syrup for espresso drinks, so I headed back to the hotel and the pool with my iced mocha in hand. We had a late lunch of hamburgers at A Taste of Italy which is close to the hotel, then we took a nice walk around the area and back up to the malecon. We came back to the hotel and rested until dinner at the Cocina Mexicana which was just north of the hotel. Doug had chile rellenos and I had tortilla soup. Both were excellent. Friday, February 11th. Happy Anniversary! 16 years! Today we took a walk in the morning down the beach. I found the Cyber Smoothie, an internet café which also sold protein drinks so I had that for breakfast then headed back to the hotel for a swim. Doug took a walk further, got a little breakfast then worked for a little while. For dinner we went to the Margarita Grill which was down Basilio Badillo, informally known as "Restaurant Row". Afterward we went to Andale’s which is a fun bar, but it was crowded and loud and hard to find a place to sit so we left shortly after. On Saturday I walked down once again and got a smoothie while Doug went over to Fredy's for breakfast. I ended up spending most of the day by the pool. This vacation is turning out to be one big RELAXING time, which is how I like it. I had a reflexology massage at the hotel, right down by the beach, which was so relaxing. Around 7pm we walked to the malecon and back, then went to Andale’s for dinner. Since we got there early we got a good place to sit so we ended up staying until 11pm. It was fun to watch everyone having a good time. The music is usually 60's and 70's and the crowd is in their 40's on up so we have always liked this place. Sunday morning we had breakfast on the beach at Longostino’s. It was good although the service was slow. Afterward we came back to pack and get ready to move to the Marina for our next week. We really enjoyed Playa Los Arcos so we reserved it for the same week next year. They booked the same room and the same price. We got to the Marina Mayan Palace about 2pm. In the past we have always been told that we had to wait until 5pm to check in but we were given our room right away. It looks like there are not too many people here this year. Our room was on the 2nd floor overlooking the pool and the beach. After getting settled we walked over to the marina. It had really changed- with a lot of shops closed due to the economy. One of our favorite restaurants, Suzy Wong’s had closed. Victor’s was still there but lots of shops were closed. We stopped at the little restaurant across the street from the hotel, Tacos and Beer/ Pizza and Beer and had individual pizzas which were really good. After we got back to the hotel I went swimming for awhile. We had been told that the pool heater was broken but it wasn’t too cold to be uncomfortable. Later we went downstairs to the hotel restaurant and I had tortilla soup and Doug had the buffet meal. Monday, Valentine’s Day. We started out by taking a walk to Walmart (2 miles) and got several grocery items, then took a cab back. We spent the rest of the day relaxing around the hotel, the pool and the room. For dinner we went to D’z Rock n' Roll Diner over at the marina. We had a huge meal which we could not finish, so we brought some back to our room. Tuesday I spent most of the day, relaxing and reading. Doug took a long walk, nearly to town (6 miles) and the bus back. Later we rode the bus to town and went to Pipi’s for dinner. Dinner was OK – it was a very noisy place but it was fun. It is mostly about the atmosphere. Wednesday we decided to ride the bus to Punta de Mita. It is to the north, the beginning of the bay. We wanted to see the town and check out the Four Seasons hotel. The bus only went as far as the little Punta Mita neighborhood where the Marina is and a few little restaurants and shops. We were unable to see the Four Seasons, but we had a great lunch of fish tacos before coming back to the hotel about 3pm. We ate dinner at the hotel, which was ok. Thursday I rode the bus part way down to town then walk along the hotel zone, looking at the shops. After a relaxing walk, I crossed the street to catch the bus back to the Marina, however I got on the wrong bus. It took me up to a little town called Ramblases. It was interesting to go back into the local neighborhoods, but it gave me more of a glimpse of the poverty. I am still convinced there is not a middle class. On the way back I stopped at the Galeria’s shopping mall and had a great chicken salad for lunch and looked at a few of the shops. They had some designer stores like Prada as well as some of the regular Mall stores that we see in the states. For dinner we went to Vic’s at the Marina, which of course was very good. Victor stopped by our table with shots of tequila which he stayed and drank with us also. After we were finished with our meal, Victor asked Doug he would like to try some of his special “moonshine”. Of course Doug was not going to turn that down. I tasted it and it tasted terrible! After getting coffee at the Marina Friday morning we again spent most of the day relaxing. I can really get used to this! That evening we decided to go back to town for dinner in Old Town. We selected Joe Jacks Fish Shack which was excellent. We both thought it was the best meal yet of our trip. On Saturday we rode the bus to town for the last time this trip. We picked up a few things to bring home and then came back to the hotel. For dinner we ordered pizza at the hotel, which was the special of the night. This was our last night of our 2 week vacation. I’m not ready to go home! On Sunday we had breakfast, then checked out and walked over to the Marina for coffee one last time. We saw a crocodile in the water at the Marina which we have not seen before, although they have signs warning about them. Then it was time to leave. Once a year is just not enough! So, reluctantly we headed back to the hotel at 1:30 to get our taxi to the airport.

Click below to see more pictures from our trip.

Mazatlan, February 2010

Since I began this blog a month ago I have been working on re-creating our trips from the past using journals, notes and pictures from those trips. I finally have caught up and this is the first trip that will be recorded shortly after we returned. I decided against daily updates, although I did make notes everyday so I could remember things that we did.

Mazatlan. Home of the 3rd largest Carnaval (Mardi Gras) celebration in the world, following Rio and New Orleans. When we decided to come to Mazatlan again for our annual trip, I checked into the dates of Carnaval so we could avoid this annual celebration. Since our plan was to stay in downtown Mazatlan for 5 days prior to moving to our timeshare, I wanted to be sure that we booked our downtown stay at least the week prior to Carnaval. No problem. We scheduled the hotel and timeshare and got our airline tickets scheduled in August. In December we discovered that we were booked during Carnaval, not the week before. Not sure what happened but obviously I looked at the dates wrong. Oh, well, we are going to make the best of it.

Tuesday, February 9th. This trip started out typical of our daily life. Are we just too busy? Not organized enough? We had a list of things to remember- sunglasses, swimsuits, passports, etc. All the things you might not think of when leaving a rainy, winter in Seattle with a destination of sunny, hot Mexico. So what did we forget? As we were on our way to the airport at 5:30 am, Doug realized that he didn’t have his phone. It was in his hand as we walked out the door, but he stepped back inside to check on one more thing and set it down. So now, he noticed he didn’t have it. We were on Shuttle Express with someone else headed for their flight so we could hardly turn around. So, we got to the airport, got checked in and he headed back in a taxi to retrieve his phone. $78 cab fare later he was back with his phone and enough time to check in. Hope this isn’t a sign of things to come!

We arrived in Mazatlan about 3:15pm (Central Time) and by the time we reached our hotel it was about 5pm. The weather was warm, about 80, but it was a little cloudy. We checked in the La Siesta hotel which is right on Olas Altas in downtown Mazatlan. Our 3rd floor room looked out to the ocean and the boardwalk right across the street from the hotel. We had a balcony with 2 chairs and the room was nice with 2 queen beds, a desk and chair and wireless access. The hotel had a inside courtyard, a pool and was connected to the Shrimp Bucket restaurant.

About 4 blocks behind the hotel is Plaza Machado which is a beautiful park like setting with restaurants surrounding the plaza. After we got checked into our room we walked down to the plaza and had a great dinner at Pedro and Lola’s.

We got up Wednesday morning to cloudy weather, but it was warm. We ate breakfast at the Shrimp Bucket then walked over to the malecon (boardwalk). It is so nice to walk in the morning before it gets too warm. The malecon has several statues and there are quite a few people walking, taking in the sites. We walked about 3 miles or so, resting along the way. We stopped to watch the cliff divers. After waiting quite awhile we figured out that they have a “showman” that is there for the sole purpose of gathering a crowd. He taunts the crowd by putting his arms out like he’s going to dive, as several others below collect money from the crowd. Finally, someone else climbs the tower and is the one who jumps. We walked up past the fisherman’s statue where all the early morning boats come in and they are selling fresh fish. You can buy fresh fish and take it to a restaurant across the street and they will cook it for you. Once we got back from our walk we spent time at the hotel for the afternoon, just relaxing. Doug caught up on some email and I spent time at the pool – which was not heated. It was refreshing anyway, and I enjoyed the downtime with my book. We ate dinner that night at a great little restaurant a couple blocks from the hotel, La Cueva del Leon, Cocina Mexicana.

Thursday was the first day of Carnaval. We really did not know what to expect. All around were signs of things happening. Obviously Pacifica Beer was a sponsor (they have a brewery in town). There was a stage being set up right next to the hotel, and there were gates and barricades set up on all the street entrances to the area. The hotel gave us wristbands to wear so we got get back in if we ventured outside of the area. We decided to head for the Golden Zone for awhile during the day. The Golden Zone is at the north end of the 12 mile long malecon. It has a lot of the big hotels on the beachfront, and lots of shops and restaurants. It is where the tourists go, and where the cruise ships bring their tourists for a day of shopping and dining.

We had a late breakfast at Panama which is a chain restaurant /bakery. The food and service were good. After we ate breakfast we walked around the area. We stopped at Joe’s Oyster Bar which overlooks the ocean, then we rode the bus back downtown. By then it was about 3:30 and there was a band practicing on the stage, and more and more vendors were bringing their carts down the street and setting things up. After relaxing for awhile we had dinner at the Shrimp Bucket, and decided to settle in to see what the night would bring. As the evening went on more and more people started coming. Around 8pm the band was playing and a large crowd was gathering. As we walked the area we saw that there were at least 6 more stages set up in the 12 block area. There were food booths, entertainers, candy, toys and trinkets, masks, etc. It was fun to people watch. At 9pm there were fireworks and the crowd was continuing to get thicker. We decided to head to our room and watch from the balcony. The music went on until 1pm – I’m glad I brought earplugs which helped a lot to drown out some of the noise.

On Friday we got up to quiet streets (and clean streets). It was hard to believe that last night was the beginning of a huge party. We walked over to Machado Plaza and had breakfast at La Tromoya then walked over to the city market. Mazatlan has a huge city market with many meat and produce vendors, as well as craft vendors. We walked to the Cathedral and the plaza nearby. We came back to the hotel to rest and swim. Once again as the day went on more and more people started coming to the area, and the bands started playing. We decided to walk back to Machado Plaza to see what kinds of things were happening. Although it was outside the gates, there were vendors, entertainers and lots of people. We walked down one of the side streets and went to Te Amo Lucy’s (I love Lucy’s) for dinner. It’s a fun little restaurant with I love Lucy videos playing and all kinds of little ornamental things hanging from the ceiling. American Tony and his Mexican wife Lucy are the owners. The food is great and it is usually busy. When we got back to our hotel around 9pm there were a lot of people in the area and all the stages had performers. We watched from our balcony as more and more people came to the area. They partied in the street until about 3am. Once again I was thankful for the earplugs.

Saturday morning we got coffee at Looney Beans which is a few blocks from the hotel. Great coffee which is grown in Mexico in the state of Chiapas. With our coffee we walked up the malecon to fisherman’s statue, then took one of the pulmonias to the Golden Zone again. After lunch at Gringo Lingo we walked up the main road and took a bus back downtown. When we got back to the hotel area there was a lot of action with more and more people coming into the area and vendors getting set up for the evening. That evening we walked from one end to the other of the main street, stopping to listen to the bands and buying dinner from the street vendors. It was fun to be part of the action and watch people. We never saw anyone acting unruly… there were families with kids, couples old and young and everyone was having a good time. At 11pm we were back on our balcony to watch the fireworks show, which lasted about 45 minutes. That evening the music and the street dancing went on until about 5am.

On Sunday morning we got up and packed to get ready to move over to our timeshare at the Mayan Palace which is at the north end of Mazatlan in an area called Cerritos. We walked around the area one more time, got coffee from Looney Beans again and we both commented on how clean the streets were, just a few short hours after the all night party ended.

We took a pulmonia to the Mayan Palace and arrived there about 1:30. Doug’s Dad Cal had planned to meet us at the hotel as he was going to spend the week with us. He actually had been in the area for a week visiting with friends in Tecapan which is south of Mazatlan. He showed up shortly after we arrived at the Mayan. We were not able to check in so we left our baggage with the bellboy and looked around the resort. We sat by the pool and had lunch then we took a bus over to the Mega Foods to pick up some food for meals for the week. Once we got back to the hotel we were able to check into our room which had a great view of the ocean and the pool. That evening we ate dinner at the hotel.

I was really looking forward to resting at this hotel and spending time by the pool. When we were downtown our intent was to spend time checking out the sites, enjoying early morning walks, etc, but once we moved to the Mayan I wanted to enjoy the pool, and spend some time reading. We spent the day Monday at the hotel. That evening Cal wasn’t feeling well so we walked across the street to a little taco stand and got him some tacos then Doug and I headed to the Golden Zone for dinner at Gus Gus, which was great.

On Tuesday we got up to an overcast day so we decided to take Cal to the Golden Zone. He has a little trouble getting around and walks with a cane so we planned to walk slow and stop and rest now and then. After awhile we decided to walk to Joe’s Oyster Bar which overlooks the ocean. We asked Cal if he would like that and we planned to walk the 3 or 4 blocks slowly and take our time. We stopped to rest several times and when we were about 30 ft from the entrance Cal stopped again to rest. I pointed to the sign and told him we were almost there and he told us to go ahead and he would catch up. Doug and I got to the restaurant, ordered drinks and waited for Cal. After several minutes we were still waiting so I went back to the street to get Cal and he was nowhere in sight. I walked back to the restaurant and Doug went to look and also could not find him. We waited several minutes then left to try to find him. We walked around the area for awhile then rode the bus back to the hotel figuring that he would be there. There was no sign of Cal. He finally showed up several hours later and said that he had walked several blocks to the end of the road and waited for us for over an hour. That evening we rode the bus back to the downtown area to experience Fat Tuesday, the last night of Carnaval. We got off the bus near Machado Plaza and walked slowly enjoying the entertainment in the area. We ended up walking to the main street and ate dinner at la Copa de Leche which was really good. Afterward we walked outside the main gates and took a pulmonia back to the hotel.

Wednesday was rainy in the morning so we rode the bus again town to the City Market. Once we came home in the afternoon the weather was nicer so I spent time by the pool. That evening we went to dinner at Senor Frogs.

On Thursday morning we got up early and rode the bus to the Golden Zone and went to the Vineyard Church. We volunteered to make sandwiches and fill water bottles along with other volunteers. Once we were done several of us boarded 2 of the church buses to go the city dump where the church has a ministry to feed the “workers” at the dump. Basically they are there to salvage anything they can to sell to support their families. On our way to the dump they drove through several poor parts of town where the church has set up “feeding” centers. Many of the “colonias” (neighborhoods) have dirt roads and due to the rain the day before one of the buses got stuck the mud. After trying to get it unstuck they finally moved the sandwiches and water to the other bus and we continued our journey to the dump. They called for assistance getting the bus out of the mud. Once we got to the dump we spent time handing out the food and visiting with the workers. They are so poor and they spend 10-12 hours every day salvaging things. After we left the dump we stopped and fed the children of the workers. The experience really puts our lives full of material things into perspective. We all went away feeling good that we were able to help.

After we got back to the church we went next door to the Taco restaurant which is called Taco Time (not the chain) and had lunch. We walked around a few of the stores in the area and Cal bought a Viking hat which he had seen earlier in the week. That evening Doug and I ate dinner at the hotel then watched several people singing karaoke in the hotel bar.

On Friday it was really sunny for the first time since we got here. I wanted to spend the day relaxing by the pool so Doug went downtown on his own and I went to the pool. Cal came down after awhile, but then he decided to ride the bus to the end of the line and site see without having to walk around. That evening we rode the bus to the end of the road past our hotel and had a great dinner at The Last Drop. Friday nights are “all you can eat ribs” so Cal and Doug enjoyed and I had a great hamburger.

Saturday was beautiful again so I stayed around the hotel during the day then we planned to go to the Golden Zone to Pancho’s for dinner. It is right on the beach and has great food. We got there about 6 and had to wait at least an hour for a table. There was entertainment on the beach (fire dancers) and a mariachi band stopping at the tables. We had a good time.

On Sunday we got up and packed to get ready to check out. It is always hard to leave. We had a good time, the weather was somewhat ok, especially the last few days. Carnaval turned out to be a good experience. Cal had a good time too, even though he had a little trouble getting around.

Next year we are hoping to go to Puerto Vallarta. We’ll be back in a couple years to Mazatlan.

Mazatlan, February 2009

Although we love Puerto Vallarta, I convinced Doug to take our annual Mexico trip in Mazatlan this year. We started planning last summer and made arrangements to stay at the Mayan Palace through our timeshare. As usual, we wanted to stay for several days in the heart of Old Town to get a feel for the town before we moved to our condo. I started looking online, and also through Frommer’s and we settled on La Siesta Hotel, which has an ocean view right on the main street of Old Town. We got it booked and started planning. We flew into town on Wednesday, February 11th (our anniversary). The airport is about 45 minutes from town so our taxi ride gave us a chance to see the town. Our driver didn’t speak much English, and we don’t speak much Spanish so we weren’t able to communicate too much. We were able to communicate where we were going so that was no problem. We got to the hotel about 5pm. We liked it right away. It was right across from the ocean, had a restaurant next door (the Shrimp Bucket) and had a nice courtyard inside. There was even an espresso stand in the lobby which our plush timeshare doesn’t have. Our room was nice, on the 2nd floor with a balcony so we had a great view of the ocean, the boardwalk and the action below. Once we got checked in we walked across to the boardwalk and started walking north along the boardwalk (malecon). Mazatlan’s boardwalk is 12 miles long, with some statues and different things to see along the way. There is one place where there are cliff divers during the day and another where all the fishing boats come in. You can buy fresh fish and take it across the street to one of the restaurants and they will cook it for you. Just north of our hotel on the right is a hill called Ice Box Hill with houses on the top with beautiful views of the ocean. As we walked it started getting dark so we had a good view of the sunset. We ate dinner at the Shrimp Bucket that evening. The next day we had arranged another timeshare tour of the Mayan Palace to look at our options of upgrading to another week or a bigger unit. They sent someone to pick us up at our hotel and take us to the Mayan which was across town about 15 miles north. Once we got there they gave us a tour of the area, and we had a buffet breakfast. After breakfast they talked to us about the options. For now it was not a good option for us, so we declined and took our incentive which was $200 in cash, and a city tour which we booked for Monday. They gave us a taxi ride back to our hotel. We spent some time just relaxing at the hotel before we took a walk around our hotel. A few blocks behind it is the Plaza Machado where there is a park in the middle of the square, and several restaurants, shops, and the Teatro Angela Peralta theatre. There is a cathedral a few blocks north of the Plaza Machado and we walked around that and over to the City Market which has all the local crafts and vegetables and meat. That evening we had dinner at one of the restaurants in Plaza Machado. Friday and Saturday we walked each morning along the boardwalk up to where the fishing boats come in. One morning we had breakfast at the restaurant next door to the hotel which was not very good. The other morning we had a wonderful breakfast at in Machado Square. Both days we headed over to the Golden Zone after resting during the day and relaxing by the pool at the hotel. Doug had work to do and the hotel had wireless so he was able to do it right there. To get to the Golden Zone we took a pulmonia. Although there are taxis in Mazatlan, most people rely on the pulmonias which is an open vehicle that looks like a golf cart. We found that some are privately owned so you have to be careful when you stop one. We rode in one that had no speedometer, no mirrors, etc. Most are very safe, although the drivers do tend to dart in and out of traffic a lot. The Golden Zone is where there are most of the bigger hotels, lots of restaurants and a lot of the shops. We stopped at Joe’s Oyster Bar for drinks one of the evenings which is right on the beach. On Saturday evening we went to a Mexican Fiesta which was at the Playa Mazatlan in the Golden Zone. That is always fun with all you can eat buffet and lots of fun entertainment. On Sunday it was time to leave old town and move to the Mayan Palace. We arranged a ride on a Pulmonia and got over there about 1pm. We were able to get checked in. The Mayan bought the Sea Garden hotels several years ago and there used to be just the Sea Garden option for our timeshare, however the year before they had built the new building on the property so we stayed there. We didn’t look inside the Sea Garden units but we were told that they were smaller, all of them 2 bedroom but a lot older without all the comforts of the new building. Our room was one bedroom, but it was roomy and nice, with a sofa bed in the living room if we wanted to bring someone else with us. It was only a little further from the pools, and it had an ocean view. I was anxious to go down to the pool so we stayed around the hotel the rest of the day and ate dinner at the restaurant that evening. In the morning on Monday we had planned our City Tour so our driver picked us up at the hotel. After picking up others he headed into the Golden Zone then took us to several other spots along the way. We were not impressed with the tour at all, or our guide. Afterward we offered to stay in the Golden Zone so he let us leave the bus there. As we got off the bus we talked to a couple of gals that were on the bus with us and they were also expressing what they thought about the tour. They told us if we really wanted to get an authentic tour we could go to the Vineyard Church and volunteer to help make sandwiches and then plan to go with them on a tour to deliver them. They showed us where the church was so we went to find out more about it. We made arrangements to do that on Thursday. Next to the church is a taco place that has wonderful, cheap tacos. We sat and visited with the gals we met on the tour, had a great lunch with them then headed back to our hotel for the afternoon. That evening we came back to the Golden Zone and had dinner at Panama Bakery and Restaurant which is right on the main boulevard. Tuesday we went on a tour that took us to Concordia and Copala. On the way we stopped at the village of Malpica at a tile factory and watched them making the tiles, then went over to a house which had bakery in the back. We brought a tile home from there that we bought for $2.00, and we were able to have a piece of hot bread. In Concordia there are several furniture stores. Then in Copala we had lunch at Daniel’s which was really good and included with our tour. They are famous for their banana coconut pie which we couldn’t pass up. Wednesday we stayed at the hotel most of the day and just relaxed, rested by the pool, etc. Doug was doing some work so it gave him time to catch up on things. Then Thursday we got up early, had breakfast at the hotel, then headed down to the Vineyard Church to volunteer our help. We made sandwiches along with a few others, and filled water bottles with purified water. Afterward we got on a bus and our driver gave us a tour of the area on our way to the city dump. We went through several residential areas but as we got farther away from the beach area we saw how some of the Mexican’s really live. Even the police officers which are among the higher paying people, live in little, tiny houses. The neighborhoods rising up had small two bedroom houses and it is normal to move in and as you can then add on, usually up with another floor. Our destination was to go to the city dump and give sandwiches, fruit and water to the people that make their living to support their families by salvaging what they can from the dump. They are not searching for food however, but anything else they can sell. The city dump trucks come in anytime day or night so there are always people (mostly men) salvaging things. They know that the Vineyard bus will be there on Thursdays so when they saw us they came over. We each took the bags and handed it to them and said “Jesus loves you” in Spanish to them. They were so grateful to have this little bit of food and you could see that they really appreciated it. It was a moving experience. After we left the dump site we drove through the village where most of the workers lived in little shanties made with cardboard sides, tarps, etc. It was sad to see. We drove by the school that was breaking for lunch and there was a line of kids waiting for our bus to come. We got out and gave them each lunch also. We stopped by a house where a little boy with cerebral palsy was not able to come out with the other kids. His mom brought him out and we gave them lunch also. Of all the things we did on our trip, this by far was the most rewarding and we vowed to do it again. That evening we had dinner at the hotel. On Friday we went on a Tequila Tour. The tour company picked us up at the hotel and we stopped at the little town of La Noria first. There we went into a leather factory where we watched them making belts, shoes and purses. From there we headed to the distillery and watched them making the tequila. After we left the distillery (with a bottle of tequila to bring home) we stopped at a restaurant for lunch. Once we got back to the hotel we spent the rest of the afternoon resting, swimming, etc. The next morning we went to Valentino’s restaurant for breakfast. It is at the north end of the boardwalk, right on the edge of the Golden Zone. There is such a pretty view of the town from there, but they are no longer open for dinner which is a shame. The location is great, the food and the atmosphere were too. We sat outside on the balcony and looking down at the rocks we saw several mariachi singers that were being filmed for some kind of event. After breakfast we went back to the hotel to rest and relax on our last day in town. That evening we headed back to the Golden Zone and went to Carnaval (Mardi Gras) had started on Thursday and we were curious to see all the festivities. When our taxi was about 1 mile from the entrance gates we chose to get out because it was just so crowded. We walked the rest of the way and made it to the gates. There were so many people, and a lot were acting crazy, but it was fun to see. There was a long line to get inside the gates so we decided to head back to our hotel. On Sunday we got up and had to start getting ready to leave. Another trip comes to an end. Darn- I don’t want to go home!

If you would like to see more pictures from this trip click below.

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.

To see more pictures, click below

Troncones, Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa, October 2001

Note: I have not been able to find our pictures from this trip. Once I do I will come back and add them to this blog.

Ever since Doug and I went on our Mexican Riviera cruise we have both wanted to go back to Mexico. However, working hard on getting Doug’s new business profitable has been our focus, so travel plans have been on hold. Well, we finally decided to get something scheduled. I had read an article about Zihuatanejo /Ixtapa and how you can get the best of both worlds by staying in a cheap hotel in the heart of Zihuatanejo, then take a taxi for the plush things over in Ixtapa , which is about a 5 minute ride. Since we both were looking forward to the cultural experience we thought this was the place to go. To also take advantage of low rates we decided to go right before high season which starts November 1st. The summer rains would be over, the weather should be nice, and the hotels should be reasonable.

As I started doing research I began reading about a little village called Troncones, which is about 20 miles outside of Zihuatanejo. I contacted the proprietor of Casa Alegria and started an email dialog. She assured me that there were taxis to take us to town if we wanted, but there were restaurants and plenty of things to do in the village. Since our idea was to have a cultural experience, and to get some much needed rest, this sounded like the perfect spot. To top it off we asked Doug’s Dad and his girlfriend to come along with us.

Plans were coming along, and we were all getting excited when suddenly it looked like everything might change. On September 11th the World Trade Center, as well as the Pentagon were attacked by terrorists. Suddenly the best laid plans are in question. Would it be safe to fly? Would it be wise to go out of the country? As we reflected on the lives lost, and on the turmoil that our country was now in, we needed to make a decision. Finally after some deliberating we decided to go ahead.

We arrived at the Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo airport and took a taxi to Troncones. Though we had been assured it was about 15 miles it took us about 50 minutes to get there. As we turned down the gravel road to the village we realized that this was going to be much more remote than we had planned. With only a few dusty village kids in site, we drove to the property and found the proprietor at her house which was on the same property as the other units. Our “house” was a Mexican style bungalow with a main room, and kitchen in the center and two bedrooms on either end. It was charming and clean.

Our host explained that since we were coming before “high season” there was nothing open except one little restaurant several properties down the beach. Also, the pool would not be available until the next day. And, no, there were no other tourists at this time. Hmmmm.. not quite what she described in her emails. After cleaning up a little, we walked down to the one and only restaurant that was opened and met the owners and a couple of the locals having drinks. As we looked over the menu they were sure to point out the things that were not available yet since it was before “high season”. Well, after finally getting a bite to eat, and a refreshing drink, we walked back to our property, Cal had a bad knee so he was having to walk up the dirt road with his cane, and carefully watch every step.

After a restful night’s sleep- it was very comfortable- we got up in the morning and asked about getting a taxi to Zihuatanejo. Our host drove us to the main road where we were to meet our taxi. After finding out it was $45 to go to town we decided that we may want to reconsider staying in Troncones where restaurants aren’t open, no one is in site except the locals, Cal cannot get around easily on the dirt roads, etc. We rode into town and after visiting the local market and having lunch we checked out a couple hotels right in town. Although there were not a lot of tourists in town, we were much more comfortable and loved having streets to walk on, several choices of restaurants, markets to visit, etc. We found the Centro hotel and they agreed to let us stay for $35 per night per couple. They had a nice pool, and friendly, clean rooms. We booked our stay starting the next day. After more touring around the area we got a cab and headed back to our hotel. We found our host and she told us the pool was now available so we decided to enjoy that before telling her the bad news. After the refreshing swim, she made us dinner and brought out the wine. She proceeded to drink so Cal thought it would be a good time to tell her that we were leaving in the morning. She wasn’t angry, at least she didn’t say it, but after that she continued to drink and got more and more obstinate as the evening went on. She finally got up to leave us and we stayed and visited out on the patio for quite awhile. On our way back to our room we saw a figure huddled by the fence, but thought it was just one of the locals so we just walked on by. Well, in the morning our host came out to greet us, and gave us our deposit that we had put on the remaining nights. She had a big scrape on her face which it turns out she received when she fell on her way back to her house the night before!

Back in Zihuatanejo we explored the tiny fishing village, all the little shops and the restaurants. We rode a cab over to Ixtapa and checked out the various things over there. We saw very few tourists and when asked we were told that there were many cancellations because of the trouble in the U.S. For example, we went to Senor Frogs on Friday night at 7:30pm which any other time would be hopping (no pun intended) with customers, however we were the only ones there, except a few locals.

During our first evening at the Centro Hotel there was an earthquake which measured 5.2 It sent me running down the stairs when I heard water gushing from above the staircase. Although it sounded like a pipe had broken, apparently they had it all under control.

After 2 nights at the Centro Hotel, Doug and I ventured over to Ixtapa and went into one of the plush hotels there. Since tourism was down, we thought we might be able to strike a deal. After negotiating for quite awhile we were able to get a suite with room for all 4 of us, and breakfast each day for the same price we were paying for both rooms at the Centro. So back to Zihuatanejo to hook up with Cal and Juanita, to once again move to our new hotel. Once we got there we decided that as much as we liked living among the locals, we really appreciated the plush of a 4 star hotel. The pool, the restaurants, the room, etc were all first class.

One evening we walked down to the beach to attend a ceremony where we would be releasing baby turtles back into the sea. Each hotel has areas set aside where they are hatching turtle eggs and once old enough they are released. As we were waiting for our guide to come up, suddenly there was commotion as a huge sea turtle started making her way up the beach. They are considered endangered species, and as such there are several ordinances in place to protect them from poaching. Well, she chose to walk up the beach at the exact middle between our hotel and the neighboring hotel, so immediately the hotel security guards were there, bickering about who she belonged to. They formed a circle in the sand that we needed to stay behind as she found her nesting spot. She finally started digging a hole with her tail, and once it was deep enough she released her eggs. As she crawled off the hole, she started filling it back again with the sand that she had moved. This whole process took about half an hour, and was fascinating to watch. Once she turned and made her way back to the sea, our security guard dug up the eggs and reburied them in the area set aside for eggs on the hotel property. We were told that the turtles will come to hatch their eggs every 8 years. Back to the original ceremony, as it was starting to get dark we were each given 2 baby turtles (2 months old) that we were to release. Another line was drawn in the sand and we each put down our turtles. As they started moving toward the sea it was fun to watch. As the waves came in they were washed back several steps, and had to try again. This process is nature’s way of preparing them for the harsh situations in the future so we were told not to help them along.

We left Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo with a longing to come back to Mexico and enjoy the nature, the culture, the weather, and the rest and relaxation. We will be back!