The last post for 2012

the last pose

As we prepare to pack up the question before us both was - did the great experiment work? That was how does one fill a month in a different place without blowing the budget or going mad and killing th3e marriage? As Doreen puts it "We just do what we would do at home except we are doing it in the sunshine and warmth."

All I can say is that without an internet connection and a ton of books on my e-reader I would be climbing the walls right now. For instance this morning's attitude was, "we have to get out  of here." A solid day of rain and a broken internet connection can only be stretched so far. So what happened to us this morning was a wonderful surprise. We got on a green bus marked "Centro". Normally green buses serve the suburbs and don't venture downtown, so we usually use the blue ones. Anyway this green bus was marked Centro but still took us all around the 'burbs and streets that we have never seen before before we got to Centro. Pittilal is a very interesting place that few 'gringos' venture into without purpose, not because it is not safe - it is - but because they have no need to visit.

a mountain view fom the seventh floor

Arriving downtown with little ambition we meandered around, rediscovered the farmers' market and walked up and down a few streets just idling. Stopping at a real estate office we had a conversation with Monty who told us he had plenty of rentals for next year, including four in the newest condo downtown. Walking over to look, it was built on the lot that we parked the car on three years ago, we walked in a went to the seventh floor - it was a magnificent view and worth the effort. This place could be ours next year for only $1800 a month.

As we arrived back at the Plaza Marina to wind down we realised that as it stands now we must do this again next year!

Thanks for reading this travelogue.

Monday and it's time to catch up

Brother Charles left us on Saturday, but just before we parted at the airport we had to taste "the best burritos in the world" so says the champ of burrito munchers - Patsy's Sandy B. The tacos hang out in a small roadside cafe under the pedestrian arch at the airport, a quick and easy walk for us all. Marlin tacos are the speciality of the house and they were good. One odd thing was that the waiters directed us the store next door to buy the beer. Inside the terminal the place was just as crowded this week as it was last week. Saturday is a bad day to travel to and from PVR.

Sign advertising the Primary elections downtown

Sunday was the start of phase three - the next ten days are ours; will we be able to stand ourselves? Skipping the walk because we had to be downtown by ten o clock. We were off to see the Constitution Day Parade. Not knowing what it was we just hopped a bus and got off where we thought it might be. Arriving at the main square we saw hundreds of people neatly queued in a circular line around the square. As we stood the lineup grew and we were intrigued. Walking to the front and spying tables and ballot boxes political juices kicked in and interest was piqued. A fellow with a nametag identifying him as a candidate's representative appeared and I asked what was going on. He told us it was a Primary Election for the PAN party and all were here to vote on their selection for three positions - President, Governor and National Deputy. All we could think was that these were mighty committed folks. When we came back a few hours later we saw from the bus that the lines had become bigger. Congratulations to the organisers for getting out the vote; most people had to travel in to Town to do this.

It turned out the parade was the Annual Charros de Puerto Vallarta celebration. PV is based on farming and cattle ranching is a big part of this and any occasion that lets the industry dress up and parade is a welcome and festive  opportunity. This year was the fifteenth year for the parade. We had been told it was on the Malecon, but nothing was happening there at the appointed time. Seeing a family, on horses, coming down the street we decided to follow them to find out what was really going on - people on the street did not know. Over the bridge into Old Town we came upon the collection of horse trailers and 'charros'. Asking them about the time we were told "11am". Good, time for a coffee at the "Page in the Sun". Back at the Malecon an hour later the crowds had swelled but we sat down on the roadside step and waited.

The parade consisted of about one hundred and fifty horses and riders, two bands and a couple of roping exhibitions. A community and family affair the riders lined up by the regional associations that they belonged to. Except the women's team they rode as one. Loudly cheered by all on the sidelines. There were three roping displays, two charros on the ground and one on his horse. The parade finished with the cleanup crew armed with brooms and shovels picking up the "pucks".

Feeling hungry and knowing where there was a good place to eat, we walked over to "Fredy Tucan's" this restaurant specialises in breakfasts and closes at two in the afternoon, We arrived at twelve forty-five to see the usual lineup. This place is very popular with the Mexicans even though it is completely Americanised in makeup. Hearing the constant refrain - "fifteen minutes to wait" we knew it was going to be longer - and it was.

Completely fed and watered back to the Plaza Marina and into the grocery store to buy a couple of days supplies. Into the pool and called it a day.

here is a video of one of the ropers at the parade

Thanks to the readers for coming in everyday

Had a post ready but the pics never materialised - no memory card in the camera - had a couple of good ones too.

Stay tuned we are off the parade, it's Constitution Day

Sayulita - sleepy no longer

A Beach Band, drummer is only about six years old

Sayulita, a town to the North of PV has been a favourite of ours for years. With a reputation of being more laid-back than than the City it has always attracted those looking for peace and quiet. Well folks it is no longer peaceful or quiet, in the original sense. The masses have invaded and now the people looking for p&q are moving further North - San Francisco et al.

However enough of the original charm still exists, mainly due to the smallness of the Town. The streets are now being filled in with  shops and cafes. Hotels appear to be of the Mexican style so the younger crowd prevails. The main attraction is still the surf. Sayulita is recognised as the second-best surfing beach in Mexico, Puerto Escondido is the best. Sandy decided to surf. Hiring a board is cheap and easy, sign the waiver, grab a board and head off into the briny. The rest of us sat down in the sun and waited for the intrepid surfer to get ashore. As usual the waiting place was with drinks at a table on the beach. One  of the reasons for this is that only patrons of the bars are allowed to use their wasrooms, rather a redundant position - have to buy drinks just to use the washroom - definitely only renting the beer.

A word of thanks to the person on the internet who gave us the best tip of the travels - always book the rental car online. When I took the car back, I asked "how much would this rental have cost if I walked through the door?" "Seventy five dollars Senor" As I completed the credit card slip for half of that it felt pretty good. 

Vendors waiting for customers

Stopping in Bucerias, the place that was sleepier before Sayulita was awarded the monicker, we browsed around the flea market, all the while feeling sorry for the vendors who were fighting with a decreasing number of tourists. "Business is bad this year, Senor."

One sight that we will never see in Ontario is the Voter Registration Van. This van will park itself in small towns and register voters. There are upcoming elections and naturally a complete registration list is the backbone of a vibrant democracy. These vans do a good job - MPAC should take notice.