I woke up about 7:15 a.m., and ate a roll and some yogurt on the porch. By the time I finished eating, David was up and shared one of the huge oranges with me. It was delicious! A man was sweeping all the cobblestone sidewalks again. It must take quite a few people to run a place like this, and it provides a lot of jobs for locals. It was very relaxing to sit on the porch and eat, write, and listen to the surf, watching people walking and jogging along the beach. It was sort of hazy that morning. I was hoping for some fantastic sunset shots with my camera, but I found that it clouded up every afternoon, and the sun couldn't be seen as it set.
I went to the bank to cash some traveler's checks, and then went to the market. David and our daughter rested at the room. I found some sterling silver earrings, a nice serape which I wanted for a table cloth, and a chess set made of marble. The chess set was really heavy, and I knew I would be carrying it as we left Mexico, because I didn't want it to get broken. When I bought the chess set, I had shopped in the central market in the center of Puerto Vallarta near the Ocean. The market was similar to the indoor markets in Mexico City, and offered just about anything you could want. They even had a whole row of stalls selling fresh fish, fresh meat of various kinds, and lots of onyx and marble chess sets. I began to bargain for a small onyx chess set, and got confused on the value of pesos, so I backed off, telling the fellow that I changed my mind. Later, when I passed their stall again, he came out and offered me the same chess set for about half of what I had offered the last time. I said, "Really?" And, he shook his head, and turned away from me, saying, "I changed my mind!" Ooops! I guess I had offended him, but it was not intentional. Anyway, I was glad I hadn't bought that one, because when I found the marble one that I really wanted, I got a very good deal for it - and didn't get lost in the bargaining. (Later, at home, my son Dave told me that my set was missing crosses for the tops of the 'kings' crowns...oh well...) I did find that prices in Puerto Vallarta were higher than in other areas we had visited. They get plenty of tourist business, so they can afford to lose one customer, I guess. But, everything is so reasonable anyway, that you really can't complain. Of course, just when I was getting good at bargaining, it was time to think about leaving!
After I returned from the market, we went to Las Tres Huastecas restaurant for lunch. This place was recommended in the travel guides as a good restaurant. It was quite a small place, and not so fancy, but had sayings displayed on the walls which were interesting when translated. I'll post those after I complete posting this journal of our trip.
I ordered red snapper with garlic sauce for our main meal at Las Tres Huastecas. David had Fish Veracruz, and our daughter had a hot ham and cheese sandwich. After dinner, we decided to get some vanilla at the market. Then we went to swim in the ocean near the hotel, but the surf near that beach is dangerous and too rough, so we swam in the hotel swimming pools. I enjoyed laying in the sun for awhile, and we all sat in the jacuzzi and visited with a couple from Wichita and a man from New Orleans. The man from New Orleans said our daughter had 'lily petal skin, just like her mama.' I enjoyed that - I had always thought I was just plain pale!
Who is that lady with the 'lily petal skin?' (Sunbathing at Molino de Agua)
The man from New Orleans and David in the jacuzzi.
We returned to our room about 4:30 p.m. and got ready to go to the Bouganvillas Sheraton for their Mexican Fiesta. We took a cab to the Sheraton which was around the Bay of Banderas to the north of the city. (I was amazed at how the shocks on those cabs could hold up - Puerto Vallarta has a rule saying that all streets must be cobblestone - to help retain the fishing village atmosphere, I guess. But it has to be hard on the vehicles as they drive speedily from here to there, trying to get their clients to their appointments in a hurry so they can pick up another customer.)
I was feeling really pretty miserable by this time because of my head cold. My head was plugged up and I was coughing. I'm sure the people who had to share our table at the Fiesta were wishing I would go back to the hotel. Anyway, I enjoyed myself as best I could in that condition, and I did try to cover my coughs.
The Sheraton was huge and very nice, but I still prefer the Molino de Agua as a place to stay in Puerto Vallarta - much more cozy and not so touristy. When we arrived, we each received a small red clay mug on a yarn string to hang around our necks. The mugs were filled with tequila for David and me. Our daughter had to pass, of course. We all received a miniature serape attached to a tiny sombrero as a lapel pin. The food was presented on a banquet table, and looked great! Lots of serapes and candles, flowers, etc. decorating the serving tables and the patio where the festival was held.
Before eating, some mariachis played and sang. Then the emcee had a few drinking contests - the other tourists seemed to enjoy that. There were a lot of college-age people in Puerto Vallarta when we were there, so that kind of entertainment (?) goes over well with them, I guess. A lady who was supposed to be a famous Mexican singer gave a short concert of Mexican songs. Then, the meal was served - lots of variety, but David and I agreed later that it was pretty bland. During the meal, the mariachis played, and after the meal, some young couples performed folk dances and one fellow did some rope twirling with a lariat. I guess we were a little disappointed with that part of the evening. We had been spoiled by the excellence of the Ballet de Folklorico. Nothing could top the troupe we had seen in Mexico City. I would certainly go see them again, if they came to Ames or Iowa City - the Ballet de Folklorico, that is!
After the Fiesta, we took a cab back to the hotel and went to bed.
Here are some random photos I took while we were in Puerto Vallarta. Our daughter and David did swim in one of the motel's pools near the ocean, and while we were on the beach outside the ocean entrance to the hotel grounds, a little girl came around selling Chicklets... that was sort of a common occurrence in various places where people gathered.
The ocean-side entrance to the Molino de Agua grounds. You can see the Bay of Banderas to the left.
This is the pool near the ocean-side entrance to the hotel grounds. There is a bar that you can see in the background. The whole complex is very nice, and we really enjoyed our time staying there.
This was the view of the ocean and pool from inside the bar area.
Here David and our daughter are enjoying the ocean-side pool, along with another unidentified kid. Very nice...
David and our daughter sitting on the porch outside our hotel room...such a relaxing spot!
When we were in town one day, I took some photos of the area near the Bay of Banderas. This is a pretty archway, and like in this shot, people enjoyed posing near it for photos.
Near the arches was this sculpture of two dolphins, leaping. There was also a sculpture of a Zeus figure, but I seem to have misplaced that photo. One could probably see it online after a search for Puerto Vallarta photos.
This was the 'sunset' shot I got of the Pacific Ocean on our last day...not very colorful, but still was beautiful in a way in which cold, snowy Iowa would not be able to compete!
In the next post, I will tell about our trip home, and will post translations of some of the sayings that were on the walls of the restaurant - Las Tres Huastecas. Come on back!
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