Welcome once again to OnVallartaTime!
This has been a strange week… In the wake of Christmas we have had on-and-off showery rain for the last five days, and forecasts say it could be with us for a few days more. When I say “showery,” I don’t mean light little springlike events. These showers are monsters, and it really comes down, sometimes with thunder and lightning. This is highly unusual weather for the month of December, especially late December. Puerto Vallarta’s climate is officially classified as Tropical wet and dry, with rainy summers and dry winters. For us the rain has been a minor inconvenience, but I really feel sorry for the tourists who may only be here for the holiday week, and for those businesses who rely on them, like our friends at the Swell Beach Club.
First, here are some pictures of the rain, then I’d like to show you a special place, the El Rio BBQ Restaurant and Bar, on the Cuale River.
I’ve discovered it’s really hard to take pictures of rain! But this shows the runoff from the gutters. These are above our deck, jutting out from the top floor.
This is a rainy view from our entrance to across the street. This gutter is dumping onto a VW. Bonus: car wash!
The hummingbirds keep coming to our feeder, between showers.
True Oregonians, and diehards that we are, we tried out the beach anyway. Where is everybody? This pic of Peggy was taken just before the skies opened up once again, chasing us inside the bar at Swell.
We’re trapped by the rain in the bar at the Swell Beach Club . How sad, poor us — nothing to do but eat and drink and relax!
Here’s the inside of the palapa keeping us dry. I’m fascinated by palapa construction.
While we were there, Swell got its fish delivery. These are dorado (mahi-mahi). The fish are delivered by a purveyor at Punta de Mita, caught earlier that day off the Marietas Islands.
The Cuale River (Rio Cuale) is the southernmost of three rivers that flow into Bandreras Bay in the Puerto Vallarta environs. The others, going north, are the Pitillal, north of the downtown area, and the Ameca, the largest, which is the dividing line between the states of Jalisco and Nayarit. The Cuale is a smallish river, but it becomes a raging torrent in the rainy season, and it even changed course during Hurricane Lily in 1971, displacing many city residents along its banks.
Here’s the Rio Cuale just before it flows into Banderas Bay. It’s very turbid from the recent rains.
Here is the Rio Cuale as it empties into the bay. Now that you have seen the river’s mouth, let’s go upriver a few miles.
Farther up the Rio Cuale, across a bridge on the other side of the small town of Paso Ancho, is the El Rio BBQ Restaurant and Bar. This spot is rapidly gaining popularity, and amazingly enough is owned by a man from Portland, with a BBQ chef also from Portland. It has become somewhat of a hangout for us. On Wednesday and Friday afternoons they have live music, and Sundays they have a BBQ buffet with music, and the place fills up with US and Canadian expats as well as locals.
Since we like to avoid the crowds, we have started going on Saturdays, when we often have nearly the whole place to ourselves. We like to sit under an umbrella, read and relax for the afternoon, and have a great lunch of the BBQ ribs the restaurant is known for. The resident dog, Julieta, happily finishes off the rib bones under the table. If you want, you can go swimming in the river, a refreshing cool-off. The location itself is spectacular, with flowing clear water under a high cliff, truly a special place.
Even though it seems like another world away from Puerto Vallarta, it’s really just a short cab ride from our condo. You can also take a city bus to Paso Ancho, but the convenience of the taxi can’t be beat, for only $5-6 US. For the return the restaurant will call a cab for you.
This is a good view of the part of the restaurant that’s outside along the river.
The river, looking upstream
The cliff
Another view of the cliff, showing the top and the trees holding on to the face. Sometimes you can see golden eagles looking for a meal along the top.
Peggy and I next to the water.
A view downstream. If you look closely, you can see a woman and her children doing the family laundry on the rocks.
The big palapa at the restaurant. That’s the stage for the live music in front of the structure.
Peggy in front of the river
Me in the river. If there’s water, I can’t stay out of it. This mountain runoff is colder than the ocean.
Peggy at our table
The famous El Rio BBQ pork ribs. They come with really good french fries. Yum!
Well, that’s it for this post. Hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for reading OnVallartaTime! Let’s hope the rain stops soon so things can get back to normal. Happy New Year, everyone, Feliz Año Nuevo!
Memories! You certainly captured the essence of El Rio BBQ. So glad the resident doggie is still there, he’s a clever one. Can’t believe you braved that water. Had lunch on the ocean in Lincoln City with the girls today at Kyllos, we were all in jeans and sweaters talking about your blog and how professional it is. Kudos mi amigo! Peggy looks beautiful, as always. See you Saturday!!
Eva
Thanks Eva! We’re really looking forward to your arrival.
Wonderful ! Sorry about the rain, but it will pass, aren’t you glad you are there for months !
Yes, very glad! In fact, starting tomorrow the weather is looking much better. Happy New Year to you and Bill!
Greg and Peggy…I am really enjoying your reports. And I do feel sad for you being trapped inside a bar at the beach while the rain pounds down.
Thoughts on the storms and rain: A couple of years ago Tom Friedman had an essay in the New York Times about one of the results of the rapidly changing global climate, and that was the increasing use of several new phrases. He said that in his travels he was struck by how often people, in commenting about the local weather, now said a) “It never used to do this,” b) “It’s never done this before,” or c) “we don’t know what’s going to happen.” So I am struck by your report on this year’s winter weather in PV. By contrast, while it has been chilly (and, as you might suspect, foggy in the valley…oh the joy), it has been dry and we are under-budget in rainfall although not out of the range of normal variation.
I want you to know I saved you from a phone call. A friend of mine called the other day to ask me some questions about state government because she has recently gone to work in the Dept Admin Services on “workforce development.” I stifled the urge to say “you’ve got the wrong guy…let me give you Greg’s phone number!” Her questions were not about that directly, as it turns out, but in any event you were saved a call. You may buy…and drink… an extra Margarita in my honor.
Yes, it’s a hard job but somebody has to do it. Glad you enjoy the blog. Happy New Year to you and Betsy!
Greg- It’s so great that you guys are really living like locals. Love your adventuresome style!
thanks, Kai. Happy New Year! We’ll see you in El Tuito soon…
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Thanks for all the happy photos. Hope the rain has stopped and you are now basking in the warm dry sunshine. Love your friend, the hummingbird and I’ll bet Swell is swell…sorry. Well, the season has passed here in Portlandia. Sure do miss you two….love
Hi Tina, yes the rain has passed. Clear, incredibly blue skies today! We went to the beach, along with everyone else — very crowded. The Mexican vacation period ends after this weekend, and things should get back to normal. Great day!
Hi Greg and Peggy! Sounds like you have had as much rain as we have had here in Oregon. Great description of the restaurant El Rio BBQ. What a beautiful place it is and the food is excellent. Both of us loved the picture of Peggy under the umbrella on the beach on a rainy day. Stay dry – T&J
Hi T&J, glad you liked the El Rio part, and glad we could share it with you when you were here. We plan to go there tomorrow! The rain has finally stopped and we are back to sun and 80’s. The beach has been packed this holiday week.
Bien hecho, nice blog post, Greg. Great pix and a nice relaxing flow to your story. I will be subscribing to your blog and we look forward to spotting you in Old Town
Gracias, Bruce! Hope we run into you and Mary soon.
Hi Greg and Peggy, It was great meeting last week in Vallarta. I don’t feel bad about forgeting my camera as you guys have captured most of my vacation in this last post. In fact I think it is me in the far right side of the picture where Peggy is sitting at Swell just before the rain.
I am enjoying your posts so far and will look in to past ones as time permits. I’ll be thinking of you while we are freezing here in Toronto. I hope you guys enjoy the rest of your vacation and we’ll be looking for you next year at Swell as well as your future posts.
Hi Jeff, sorry about your camera. Hope you can track it down and have someone get it to you… It was great meeting you and we hope to see you again someday at Swell. Thanks for liking the blog!