Hola, and welcome back to OnVallartaTime!
January and February are the highest of high season here in Puerto Vallarta. Except for certain holiday times which attract National tourists from Guadalajara and Mexico City, it´s the time of highest hotel occupancy, the most crowded sidewalks and beaches, the time of the most difficulty getting a table in restaurants, and, of course, the best weather, which is kind of the point.
But it´s also the time when our friends and visitors come to town! We have made such good friends here and it´s a pleasure when familiar faces show up, either at the beach or other places, like on Tuesdays for the ukulele group. These days when we are at the beach it´s often with a pretty large group. And I think there have been as many as 14 people around the Los Strumbreros table!
There were thirteen last week at Fidencio’s! (That includes Anne, who took the picture!)
Needless to say, it has been a very busy time! I went fishing with a friend who is part owner of a panga, Peggy and I explored the new upscale La Isla mall, we went to Mismaloya for lunch on the beach, we went to a wonderful spot called Chico’s Paradise, our good friend Liep visited, we went with other friends to Yelapa for a BBQ, and of course we have been to the beach to hang out. So let’s dive right in! If it seems a bit jumbled, it’s because I’m putting these pictures in more or less the order the events took place, so you can follow along.
This is the panga owned by our friends Rich and Kris, the Cristina, with Captain Miguel. I got invited to go fishing!
It’s a beautiful morning to be out on the water!
Rich enjoying the moment.
Miguel with a hand line.
Los Muertos Pier from the water. It was a great day. Unfortunately, “fishing” is not “catching.”
Peggy at La Isla mall.
The water features at the mall are amazing. Almost looks like Venice.
Clowning around with Sr. Shark.
At Incanto on the Rio Cuale for breakfast.
Peggy with friends, in front of a leather store while shopping.
This is the beach at Mismaloya, a little south pf Puerto Vallarta, where the movie Night of the Iguana was filmed in the early 1960’s. Peggy and I went there for the day.
Peggy’s margarita.
Looking north at Mismaloya.
Looking south. They’re not visible here, but the ruins of the movie set are on top of that point.
While Liep was still in town, we had dinner with our friends Pat and Vic on their anniversary. We ended up at Twisted Palms Rooftop Lounge for a nightcap.
Vic and Pat, Earle and Eve, and Peggy and I went to Chico’s Paradise for the afternoon. As we were ordering, even more friends showed up. It was a great day at a picturesque spot. The following pics are of Chico’s Paradise.
You can hike around the grounds.
Looking back at the restaurant.
This guy takes amazing risks for tips. Cliff diver video:
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On the highway, waiting for the bus to take us back to Vallarta. Good picture. Pat!
We had happy hour high up in the Molino de Agua condo complex, invited by our friends Astrid, Al, Dawn and Frank. This was the view of Puerto Vallarta from their suite, looking north.
Our long-time local friends, Alex and Nora, bought a parcel of land at Pizota, the last little secluded beach on the bay. They invited Rich and Kris, our friend Liep and us to go see it. We took the panga Cristina, along with Captain Miguel. Alex and Nora had prepared a wonderful meal for us, so we loaded coolers with drinks and food, and their charcoal grill onto the Cristina for a day-long outing. The ocean was kind of rough that day, but it was Alex’s day off from work, so we went anyway!
The rollers were pretty big, but the scenery was beautiful. It took at least a couple of hours to get there. It’s a big bay; Banderas Bay is the fourth largest in the world!
Kris and Nora holding down the bow.
Happy Alex, on vacation for a day!
This is Pizota, our destination, but we couldn’t land because the waves were too high and the beach too eroded!
Another view of Pizota. Alex and Nora’s lot is right below that red house.
We weren’t about to let a bit of rough seas spoil our fun! We ended up going back to the town of Yelapa, in the back of a beach restaurant Miguel knew. Alex is starting the fire, while I “help.”
Fire is going, food is on the grill!
Nora is preparing to serve the food. We had carne asada, sausages, chicken and green onions on the grill, served with tortillas, and four kinds of salsas and salads. Wow! Oh, and Yelapa is famous for its pie, sold by pie ladies on the beach. I think I ate more than at Thanksgiving!
Another video! Because it was so rough, we had to take a hired panga from the beach out to where ours was anchored. We got pushed off the beach this same way!
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Back on land at the Los Muertos Pier, the three girls pose for a picture.
Finally, here we are, a group of friends hanging out at the beach!
Well, that’s it for this edition of OnVallartaTime! We have lots more of high season left and quite a few more hijinks planned. Soon, my sister Laurie and her husband Bob will be visiting, as will our friends Carol and Ethan Shapiro. We have a short getaway planned back to Rincón de Guayabitos to visit a friend who is staying there, and a return trip to Mayto. Lots more to do this high season!
Thanks for visiting, and as always your comments are welcome. Until next time!