Eighteen dollars mojitos
Hertz
We start off with our typical greasy breakfast in the
Airport, except that this time we are SFO's old
International terminal which makes San Jose's Terminal C
look like Shangri La! Anyways… off we go on an uneventful
flight to Puerto Vallarta.
Of all the places we have visited, and all the airports we have landed in, the
Puerto Vallarta experience was the most bizarre! Right out
of Customs we get hounded, I mean HOUNDED, by random
people trying to sell us anywhere from hotel rooms to cab
rides. Frustrated that we couldn't actually make our way
thru this crowd Dan mentions that we already have a rental
car reserved.
Sunset at Punta Mita
"Ah, but of course, which agency?"
"Hertz."
"Right this way sir…"
Except that the counter he takes us to not only
is NOT hertz, it's not even a car rental! It's his buddy trying to sell us
a condo or something! Right-this-way my ass! We
eventually find Hertz across the street, politely resist
the dude trying to lure us into a time-share demo, get our
crappy car and off we go.
Unmarked Gate
Punta Mita is an hour to the north of Puerto Vallarta. It
promises to be deserted and pristine. We exit and bam! We
are plopped into a crappy town with a super crappy
apartment building. Ayyy! Hopefully this is not another
Soliferino on our hands! The road leaves the crappy village
and becomes narrow and beautifully meanders thru the
jungle…not bad. At one point we pass a beautiful imposing
unmarked gate and a guard… one of those If-you-must-ask-you-don't-belong type gates.
Tourists on the beach
At the end of the road, lost, confused and with no
Four Seasons in sight, we ask around and realize that the gate was our
hotel. Nice! Inside the compound, the resort is still a
few kilometers away, and when we do reach it, we are once again
reminded that you get what you pay for! :) This resort
is so well positioned on its land. There are gorgeous
views everywhere, two deserted and isolated long white-sand beaches, a
rock to have a private dinner on - for which we promptly make
reservations - great restaurants, one right on the
beach and the other perched higher with a view of the ocean,
and a fabulous spa. Too bad it is hotter than hell!
Jet Fuel
Ahhhh...
One of the highlights of our trip is our daily visit to the cultural
center. The art director, Ms. Patricia Gonzalez Moller, is a
fabulous lady, and fabulously knowledgeable.
Best of all, she puts up with our constant questions.
We attend all her lectures on all-things-Méxican: Art,
Culture, Architecture, History, People, etc. We learn all about Taquila
and even take a tasting class; it is still too rocket-fuel for
our taste, even after learning the proper drinkng
techniques. And then we spend every spare moment we have
on the resort's fabulous sandy isolated beaches. The water,
she is warm as bath-water. Between ice-cold drinks and other
constant goodies - ice cream, fruit,
frapuccinos - we are total beach bums for hours each day, something
we have never done! Ahhhh…. so relaxing.
Best Guacamole Ever
We driver to Puerto Vallarta for the day and it is just
what we expected: very touristy and spring-breakish, and
again, it is hotter than hell! Fortunately for us there
were no cruise ships in town that day. The main breach
drag is nice with the ocean on one side, the old town on
the other, and sculptures scattered about. There are a few
cobblestoned streets, but they seem silly compared to San
Miguel de Allande!
The basket guy on the beach
The outdoor market is cute, albeit full
of stuff one can live without, and the constant calling
from the stands and hand vendors really puts a damper on
any visit. You can't even look at a stand because they
sense your interest - just as cats zoom in on the person with
allergies - and flock to you! The highlight of our day is the guacamole Si
Señor made for us at our table: the absolute best guacamole we have EVER had! Yummm.
Choco Banana Patricia recommends that we visit the small villages of Sayulita and San Francisco. Sayulita seems to be very popular with x-pats. We eat breakfast at the birthplace of frozen-banana-on-a-stick, Choco Banana. Yuuumm-mmmy. The town is tiny and very surfer-dudy, and FULL of méxi-pups: everywhere you look there is a cute dog, and all with collars. And they all look like they came from the same parents. While having breakfast a dude offers to make us bracelets. We say yes, and 120 pesos later we have matching "Shmoopy" bracelets!
The next day we go to San Francisco which is cuter than Sayulita but not as well-known. The streets are, again, cobblestoned and cute. And the beach is deserted and beautiful. We find it fascinating that the tourist doesn't make it up this far from Puerto Vallarta, but we are also happy that they don't! I'm sure they will beat the charm out of these villages.
The Rock To keep with our tradition, we are doing something special for our last night's dinner. And this time, it is one of the highlights of our trip: we are having dinner on The Rock. Edgar greets us with champagne and tells us we have both him and The Rock to ourselves all evening, then proceeds to take lot's of pictures of the two of us. Some of them are actually really good. The clouds are just incredible and they make for a surreal sunset. Then once the sun sets, they just disappear and we have a fabulous star-filled sky above us. Couldn't have asked for a better behaving sky, or a more perfect last-night's dinner.
Oh Punta Mita! We loved you, and hope to soon see you again!