Saturday, March 24 -- vacation, part 3

A frenzy of packing-up; our “personals” were pretty well handled last night, but we had provisioned the kitchen pretty well and it all needed to be packed up as well.  We surely have returned to the 14 (!) pieces of luggage that we arrived with.  Yikes!  The baggage handler did manage to fit it all on his big cart, and checkout proceeded without incident (though why we have to stand in line for our official “release slip” when I settled the account last night will remain a mystery).  An ample vehicle arrived to drive us over to our new (and final!) abode.

We were given only a street name and the name of the condo development; having asked for more detail we were told “It’s on the same street as the etc. Beach Club.”  We did pull that up on the Web, to discover that it’s actually a beach restaurant; this cul-de-sac is the most northerly public entrance to the Nuevo Vallarta beaches.  The bellhop recognized the street, and it seemed that our driver had gotten sufficient information … until he stops briefly at an intersection along the way to inquire of the fellows picnicking on the median.  He must have been given good advice, as we arrived at the end of a street which, ultimately, was our destination.  However, nothing was labeled and he tried one little parking lot; decided that didn’t look right, and pulled up to a massive wooden door with a guardhouse on the left.  He has conversation with the guard, who clearly was not expecting company.  Eventually, backed up by our printout of the confirmation email, our target unit is identified and it’s decided that we can enter.

We’re up on the second level; the driver, of course, offloaded everything onto the curb and went off to find a new fare.  We grabbed something reasonably light and headed upstairs, and were VERY relieved to find we are followed by the guard and another sturdy fellow who rapidly fill the living room with our stuff.  We were quite early by check-in standards, so we fled to the balcony to stay out of the cleaning crew’s way as much as possible.  The couple who owns the place are currently in different places, the husband who handles the listings is on a temporary gig in La Paz.  The wife, a lovely lady, and their small daughter came by to acquaint us with the place and hand over the key.

This is a lovely setting, though the place is quite sterile compared to the heavily-decorated condo on the hillside.  No matter, we are mere steps from the beach and the sound of the ocean rolling in all day and night is delightful.  We overlook the smaller of the two pools here, and tall palms nod within arm’s reach.  We’re bereft of internet access, a mixed blessing but probably a good de-tox for us all.

Friday, March 23 – another walk on the beach

Looks like my given role is to be first up after a late night, who knew?  Up late isn’t usually my best event, but I was out for a beach stroll early this morning.  I was reminded of a brief, happy encounter as we were ambling around the pools earlier in the week, when a woman came up behind me and complimented me on my jeans.  It´s been a long, LONG time since I earned a compliment from behind!

After enjoying breakfast, Linda & Claudette went on down to the lazy river and some poolside reading; I got to work on the next needlework piece … to discover that I’m in need of some recalibration time.  I’m moving from a yarn-based piece to a very fine counted-cross-stitch and found I could barely make out the stitching!  A little concentration on the chart allowed me to determine where I’d left off and I did make a bit of progress, but had to chuckle at myself when, having already removed my glasses, I went to take them off AGAIN to make the close work easier.  LOL!

To simplify our relocation in the morning, we enjoyed a torta using up the remaining eggs.  Well-browned potatoes as the base, with a nice layer of sautéed onions & mushrooms.  Though the pan had no non-stick coating, it generously ceded the eggs when asked politely.  We all made some progress toward packing up, and I went down to formally check out and simplify our departure.

Thursday, March 22 – Rhythms of the Morning, Rhythms of the Night

Having scrupulously filled out the laundry form last night, we call down to have the clothing picked up and suddenly I’m filled with misgivings.  I call the dispatcher to check pricing – Linda had been told 80 pesos for up to 14# of clothes in the wash.  The itemized pricing on the form we’d completed would total to more … a LOT more.  The dispatcher confirmed that if his person picked up the clothes and the form, we’d be charged the rate on the form.  Linda gets back together with the concierge desk, NOW to be told that for 140 pesos we can do our OWN laundry.  This makes much better sense, so we try to cancel the pickup but ultimately the person arrives anyway.  We say we’ve changed our mind, and thanks.
I amble on down to the concierge desk to acquire the tokens, incidentally identifying the location of the lavanderia enroute.  It turns out the price all depends on your status when you made the reservation…whatever.  It’s a WHOLE LOT cheaper than sending it to the fill-out-the-form place.  I am amused to note an astonishingly effective way to eliminate confusion in translation – the token for the washer is clipped off on two sides, making it a rectangle with rounded shorter ends.  The dryer token is a traditional coin.  So … you can’t confuse them because you’ll always wash before you dry, and the dryer token won’t fit in the washer at all.  Cute!!
Back in the room I pack up a few amusements and the clothes and head back to the main floor to launder.  We have 13# so it all will fit.  There are uncomfortable chairs in the small laundry room, but comfortable ones in the elevator lobby, so I just keep half an eye out for traffic in or out of the room.  Everything goes smoothly and we have plenty of clean clothes to see us through our remaining stay and beyond.
I’m beginning to feel the “pressure” of a trip’s last few days … pill boxes are emptying, we have pretty specific plans for all the groceries we have in inventory, we’re doing our last planned event tonight.  On the one hand it seems like I’ve been away from home forever, on the other hand it feels like we’ll be going back all too soon.  And I haven’t gotten NEAR enough reading done compared to my (possibly dopey) goals.  But at least all the periodicals are handled, and I’ve been happy to have Linda & Claudette soaking them up as well.  We left a couple, as well as the first Stephanie Plum book, at the condo on the hillside and expect to leave the second Stephanie at the next condo.  So that’s two not to take home, progress is made.
As the day pleasantly wears on, Linda and Claudette return from the pool deck and we gradually prepare for the evening outing.  I am nonplussed to find ONE MORE PERIODICAL hiding in my tote.  Oh well, something to do tomorrow.
It’s a quick cab to the departure point, and we snag boarding numbers 47, 48 & 49.  This is lucky as they board by even tens!  After chillin’ in the waiting area, with some entertainment by a talented mime, we board the catamaran for the about-an-hour ride to the evening venue.  Drinks are flowing, and a good number of people opt for seats on the front deck.  ERROR!!  The ocean is quite choppy and waves are breaking over the right front corner; the willowy & sultry Italian-esque woman in clinging dress and 5” platform heels and her Latin-esque, unbuttoned-to-the-waist escort are the first to bolt.  Eventually, there’s one mid-grade-school boy and his dad; dad is seated back-to-the-pilot and dry, the son is reveling in the waves, arms outstretched to greet the spray.  For a while.  Then he’s good and soaked and just waits it out beside Dad.

The crew is, of course, chipper and welcoming.  We’re given some time to introduce ourselves to “everyone else on the boat” and we are drilled in chanting “BOAT ONE” – AND given little pink stickers to identify ourselves as members of that team – so that when it’s time to go home we go the way we came.  I am meditating on what the crews must see week-in and week-out … both the evening tours have had an alarming emphasis on learning how to get home while you’re still sober enough to care.
With the lowering skies and splashing waves, the plastic walls are soon pulled down, though I’m on the aisle and still do get a regular misting even 3 rows back.  It’s all good, not enough to get soaked.  There’s no lovely sunset tonight, but the view Tuesday was so magnificent I feel it all averages out.  Once we arrive at the island, it’s a challenge to leave the boat which is rocking a lot.  The crew & land staff are solicitous and helpful and, gingerly, we all do arrive on terra firma again – even our passenger in a wheelchair.  I’m impressed!
As we boarded, we were asked how many would be sitting together for dinner.  There were a number of buffet lines here; we were directed to an upper terrace where several tables-for-3 were laid.  This was a nice upgrade from the Tuesday night “family-style” seating, though in the end we had prime accommodations with our table only partially filled that night.  THIS night, we had a round table which could have seated 4, the empty place was snuggled against the railing so we could look out to sea as we enjoyed dinner.  A competent buffet, if much less than gourmet, certainly as good as one would expect.  And, for better or worse, a welcome break from rice/beans/salsa – it was pretty Americanized fare.  There was a splendid dessert selection, even though we shared we all ate entirely too much of it.
After a relaxed meal period, we meandered around the trails a bit and found a line forming which we HOPED would lead us into the performance amphitheater.  After a good wait, it did; of course you couldn’t get down to your seat without posing for a photo with a couple of costumed accomplices.  We had second-row seats (benches) and were treated to quite a nice show once the obligatory Adirondack-humor warm-up session was completed.  With elements of Cirque de Soleil, Lion King, and Barnum & Bailey, there was plenty to “ooh and aah” over and well-earned applause at the end.
Back to the boat (BOAT ONE!!) and an hour back to port; some amusement provided by members of the crew and a few drafted passengers.  It actually seemed warmer coming back, probably the wind was behind us.  I never needed to put on my windbreaker!  We arrived back in the room and Linda checked her pedometer – a paltry 260 steps?  Oh, yes!  It’s past midnight!  And so, to bed.

Wednesday, March 21 – “free” day

This morning I shook off my role of “official slug” and went out early to find the ocean shore.  Linda and Claudette were well asleep as I tip-toed out of the room and headed west.  It wasn’t difficult to find a path that, eventually, got to the beach.  Everything is beautifully planted and maintained, so naturally the paths meander and provide a different vista around each turn.  The beach was thinly populated at about 8AM, and I enjoyed a long stroll to the sound of the breakers rolling in.  The ocean itself was WELL populated with fishing & pleasure boats getting about the business of the day, and it was easy to see how the midday crowds would fill the sand.  It was very peaceful, though, except for the visual interruption of the very tall emergency pole from which warning flags would fly to alert marine interests as needed.  The hotel makes it very clear that the oceanside itself is government territory, and you go there at your own risk.  Mother Nature is not always predictable OR kind.
Back up in the room, everyone was now up and we enjoyed a light breakfast.  We somewhat went our own ways; I’d finished National Geographic – the FINAL magazine! -- and started the second Stephanie Plum book and was concentrating on completing the needlework piece (DONE!).  With that major goal accomplished, whoever’s been keeping the records for the “how long will she last” pool now knows:  I have completed my 1st crossword in 10 whole days … few would have bet I’d last that long.

Mid-afternoon we organized ourselves to head out to Wal-Mart for groceries for the remainder of the week.  List in hand, I negotiated successfully with the butcher to package the correct three steaks in one tray, and then split 7 chicken breasts among three trays, 3/3/1.  I think both of us were pretty pleased with ourselves.  Continuing through the store, we completed our tasks and added some fun breakfast pastries as well.  Shaking off some dude who wanted to sell us a timeshare, we found the cab dispatcher and got a safe ride back to the hotel.
Dinner utilized the Thai-style peanut sauce we’d purchased at the farmer’s market Saturday, a big glumph of caramelized onions, a poblano pepper and some pseudo-zucchini squashes to make a pretty tasty dish.  We discussed getting laundry done tomorrow as the condo to which we’ll move for our final segment does not have on-site facilities.  And, we went to bed at a sensible hour!

Tuesday, March 20 – Confusion & FIESTA!!

In the evening we would head out to a “true Mexican Fiesta,” so we went down to the pool area for the morning.  One offering is a “lazy river” which circulates around a large, undulating channel.  You pick up a giant inner tube, sit into it, lean back and let the “river” carry you along.  This had a few waterfalls and a couple of “islands” where the channel split for a brief time, just to keep things a little interesting.  I went around a couple of times and then headed for a shadier place, ultimately retreating to our room for sun safety.  Linda & Claudette rejoined after a while and we had a light lunch.
Linda and I set off to untangle a mystery … why was the rate quoted for our Thursday excursion showing very different values on the order form vs. the charge-card receipt?  We had a pleasant stroll over to another building which houses the tour desk, and though it was a major DOH! moment, it was an easy explanation … one figure was in dollars, the other in pesos.  Both currencies use the $ so it wasn’t QUITE as obvious as it might seem, and in any event, it was nice to know all was good.
The meeting point for the bus to the Fiesta was described in a somewhat confusing manner – find this hotel, then find the Pemex gas station & affiliated OXXO.  The driver was all ready to drop us at the hotel, but he figured out quickly where we truly needed to be and got us there.  After a few minutes the bus arrived, but we didn’t leave on time.  Apparently there was another party expected, but after about 10 minutes’ grace, we departed anyway.  Two more pickup stops resulted in a few more passengers than seats, so a small van arrived to get everyone safely to the ranch.
The drive to the ranch was incredible.  We’re in a full-sized tour bus, grinching through these tiny, narrow streets with lots of speed humps and lots of turns.  I doubt anyone among us, except of course the driver and the guide, expected to complete the obstacle course without making contact with SOMETHING.  Then once we cleared the urban area, we’re on lumpy country road and a steep ascent up to the ranch.

The evening was delightful.  We were met with trays of liquid refreshment (a straw meant it was “virgin”), a plate of beans & salsa & corn chips, and an invitation to gather near the corral.  Soon several riders galloped in, including a young lady in a traditional very wide skirt which almost covered her steed.  The horses showed off various skills which a bit north might have been called dressage; then one of the cowboys showed off his skills with his lasso.  Quite impressive, and of course the horse was a key assistant as the rope went whizzing around both of them, the rider stood up on the horse’s back to do further rope tricks, and the brave critter stood calmly through it all.
Now it was time for dinner; everyone found tables and we were called in turn to the generous buffet.  If you got through all that you could return for dessert:  fruit leathers, a custard tart, “cinnamon tortillas” which were much like pizelles.  Quite a feast.

The dining & performance area overlooked the town & coastline, and we had a truly dandy sunset as dinner came to a close.  Our table was not entirely full, but we were joined by a woman attending alone (her travelling companion had to cancel due to illness).  As we made our introductions, we were surprised to find we were all from the Chicago area, she lives in Hyde Park.  So we had pleasant conversation.  Our table staff ensured that anything we desired to eat or drink was immediately at hand.

After the sky was dark, the dance performance began.  This troupe of a dozen has been touring international dance exhibitions representing Mexico, and offered an interesting variety of dances from the various Mexican states.  The costumes were beautiful and the dancing seemed quite inspired; the ladies tossing their yards and yards of skirting around and the fellows stealing kisses (maybe).
 Two of the gentlemen did an amazing sequence of moves with serving platters of beer & glasses full of … well, probably it WAS water, but it’s fun to think otherwise.  After a lot of moving around the stage and tap dancing, they capped it with a whirling-dervish impression that resulted in the water rotating up and out of the glasses – and at no time did the tray threaten to tip or drop.  Amazing!
The ladies came out with their own balancing act – each one had a candle in a jar on her head.  The stage lights were out, and a ghostly dance ensued with the women in white costumes and the candles flickering.  These were not the dances with which we were familiar, that’s for sure!
In a wrap-up, the men carried pairs of machetes and after performing a number of complex steps with and without the ladies, the dance completed with the men sparring with their knives so energetically that the sparks literally flew from the blades.  Then the rope-master came out again for a show on the stage, if anything even more impressive than his tricks while mounted.  The live mariachi band played with brio and enhanced the energy the performers were exhibiting. Quite an evening!
We were invited to move to the overlook for a final surprise, and after we had a few minutes to drink in the view of the city lights, a brief fireworks display brought the show to an end. The bus was escorted down the dark hillside by a pickup trick from the ranch, and we again picked our way through the narrow, though less-populated now, streets of town.  Back home about 11P and definitely ready for bed!

Monday, March 19 – Escape to Paradise Tour

Finished Chicago, Mental Floss, The Progressive over the past couple days, and good progress on the needlework.  Hooray!
Random observation:  Mexican dairy products are looser than their Yanqui counterparts.  Butter collapses rather than spreads; yogurt is flaccid in the spoon.  It all TASTES fine, but the consistency is consistently odd.
This morning we connected with our “Escape to Paradise” tour at 9AM and certainly had a day of it.  The bus picked people up from two additional meeting points, and then we were sorted out by tour itinerary.  Our tour began in downtown Puerto Vallerta, and though we had seen a number of places before, we learned a little something from the tour guide at each stop.  One of the features of sidewalks downtown is a river of smooth “river rocks” winding through each slab of concrete (indeed, I saw fresh concrete being poured around the mold for the river-rock insertion, it was unusual to see that empty groove down the middle of the square).  On the long waterfront promenade called the Malacon, the stone inserts are in much more interesting patterns.  Turns out these are traditional representations of local items (the sun, a tarantula, a scorpion, various marine life) which alternate styles between the two neighboring states which “greater Vallerta” spans.

The main church is an olio of varying styles because it was funded “as-you-go” and at a point the money dried up altogether … so people started trucking in their own boulders & bricks from home to keep things progressing.  Very nice!!  And to cap it off, the vendor selling freshly candied local fruit came highly recommended.  We picked up coconut and also pineapple and are pretending it’s at least a little healthy  
After soaking up some downtown history, we stopped at a jewelry store where items are often customized right on the spot.  I found a chain which, with any luck, will allow me to again wear the intricately-carved jade piece I bought many years back in Hong Kong.
Finally, we were awarded some free time to wander the local flea market.  Happily, only a very few key purchases called out to be made before we met up with the bus for the second half.

Clambering back onto the vehicle, we set off for the mountains.  This actually retraced our route to the Botanical Gardens for a good way, but we were able to stop at several lovely overlooks and soak in views of Banderas Bay.  A bit before the Gardens, we turned off of the main road and jolted down to a boutique tequila distillery. 

Our guide, who looked “barely legal” to these parental eyes, assured us that he was the third generation involved in the business … but quipped that they’d been open legally for a scant three years.  He explained that their agave fields were further inland so the plants wouldn’t be tainted with the salty sea air.  The process of cleaving, steaming, and pulverizing the bulb of the plant is extremely laborious and done mostly by hand … with the assistance of the occasional mule!  They make 3 flavors and 2 unflavored versions (aged for different periods) of their tequila.  Though it’s not stocked in stores, the production level doesn’t support that, we recognized the label from the shop at the Botanical Gardens.  Indeed, we were to meet it again in a small-volume environment!
We enjoyed generous samples and then had to gather our wits and decide what to purchase.  A good assortment among us…hope it all makes it back to Glenview!

After wrapping up at the distillery, we bussed across the street and down a steep hill to a delightful fish & seafood restaurant right on the bank of a river.  The weather was perfect and we enjoyed our meal in an open-air setting.  Not being a shellfish person, I opted for a grilled, small red snapper.  Linda & Claudette bravely ordered the “combo plate” for two … a split whole lobster, the same red snapper I had for lunch, 2 crabs, several shrimp cooked in several ways, a mahi-mahi fillet, and at least one other hunk-o-fish on the monster serving platter.  They bravely dug in and pretty much finished it off … but no one felt the need for dinner THIS night.
A nice feature of the bus tours is that though you get picked up from only a few “meeting places,” at the end they deliver you right to your hotel door.  Pretty good thing, given all the tequila & beer that the group had consumed.  Home around six, we just hung out until we all started yawning.

Sunday, March 18 – buffet & financial analysis

We receive not one but TWO reminder calls to keep our date for breakfast.  SHEESH!  We’re honest (if simple) folks here!  So we arrive on time and are mated with a loquacious gentleman who provides information at some good length and then takes us out to breakfast.  WELL!
Breakfast is at the “buffet restaurant” and good heavens.  There were at least four, maybe five, buffet setups plus omelet stations, crepe station, and probably a few things I’ve forgotten.  The fresh fruit display was dazzling, and complemented by house-made cottage cheese and yogurt.  I passed on the omelets in favor of a wide variety of Mexican-inflected choices (pork roast in adobo, beans several ways, green-tomato-and-chicken mini-crepes just to name one side of one buffet station).  Showing interest in the brisket got a good quarter-pound slab, and the pan-roasted potatoes were fabulous.  Had to ignore the very enticing bread table in order to hit the sweet breads and dessert line.  Didn’t have it in me to pay homage to the Japanese sushi and tempura, alluring as they were, and the (I could NOT make this up) array of the top 5 dishes purchased in Japan last night. 
Our handler, of course, was the 4th at our table and we continued the conversation throughout the meal.  There was more to consider than we had expected, and in the end I “sold” them some existing vacation-point assets for a more-flexible program with better properties.  Time will tell, but since I had Linda and Claudette listening in and asking additional questions, I think it’s a good thing.
By then, we were very substantially past the advertised 90-minute promotional period … it was early afternoon.  We headed back to the room to recoup for a bit; then found the on-site (and predictably dramatically overpriced) grocery-ette and decided to just order up pizza and make a decent salad out of the vegetables remaining from Puerto Vallarta.  My decision to buy meant substantial savings for an evening outing planned for Thursday, plus better wristbands  
So we’re chillin’ (actually, it’s kind of humid and muggy here at the moment) and preparing for a relaxed evening.  Tomorrow we have a bus tour which was tossed in because we were such nice people during the sales pitch (wink, wink); we’ll visit a bunch of places including a tequila factory.  Seems like we won’t be up too late tomorrow evening either!