Day #47…Wednesday, March18, 2015

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

VIEW FROM EL SET

We docked in Puerto Vallarta this morning and what a beautiful port area!  Our first visit to this city was a positive one and we both agree that this is the most beautiful port of the whole cruise.

Spanish explorers discovered the area of Puerto Vallarta in 1525.  For the next 400 years, Puerto Vallarta remained a sleepy fishing village.  Then Hollywood celebrities discovered this coastal wonder in the 1960s and when Richard Burton bought land here, many other celebs followed.

Puerto Vallarta is located on the Bay of Banderas  (Day of the Flags) and is the seventh largest bay in the world.  Its population is approximately 300,000 people.  It enjoys a tropical temperature with everyday high averages of 86° F.  The rainy season extends from mid-June through mid-October.

The primary languages are Spanish and English and the national currency is the Mexican peso (MXN) with a conversion rate of 15 MXN = 1 USD.

We met Frank and Judy and walked on the pier looking for a private tour guide to show us the city and coastline area.  We soon found a young tour guide who was eager to show off his city.  At only $25.00 per person for over four hours, we felt we got a very good deal.  He let us pick and choose what we wanted to see and do, and we were very satisfied.

Our first glimpse of the city was a greeting with song and dance from a traveling mariachi band as we exited the ship.

After boarding the van, our tour guide told us he would be taking us to all three sections of the city.  We walked along the city’s popular boardwalk called the Malecon that was lined with shops, restaurants and artists selling their wares.  A green monument of a sea horse and a stone arch monument mark this area along the coastline.

The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe was our next stop in the colonial area.  The cathedral featured a gilded crown, a replica of one worn by Carlota, empress of Mexico.  The cathedral construction began in 1903 and was not completely finished in 1987.  Near the church was the former home of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.  Five stories high and located on a very hilly street, it has been sold and is currently undergoing renovation and will become a hotel complex.

We arrived for a photo stop at the El Set Restaurant and had piná coladas and took breathtaking pictures from the cliff area overlooking the coastline.  Free WIFI was a bonus here and we caught up on our email messages from the past couple of days.

This city reminded us of a continuous road show.  We were introduced to so many options such as great shopping, lively music or wandering through the many types of crafts and artwork shops by local artisans.  The Mercado Municipal Market was a great example of the variety of shopping options that the city offers.

From December to April, dolphins and humpback whales use the Bay of Banderas as their breeding ground.  The large dolphin and whale population in the bay has kept the shark population to nearly zero here.  Though we did not see any marine life during our tour, we did see some dolphins off the side of our ship just before arriving here. 

Since Bonnie was interested in looking for Mexican fire opal jewelry and Dennis wanted to look for some leather goods, we were able to check out some stores in the romantic area of the city.  A silver and jewelry factory was one of the stores we visited and Judy and Bonnie were able to find some very beautiful pieces to buy. 

Judy and Frank had been to Puerto Vallarta several times before and wanted to visit the shoreline near one of their favorite hotels.  We stopped at the Playa Los Arcos Hotel and walked through the lobby and pool area and onto the beach.  This is definitely a hotel we will be getting more information for booking. 

A tequila distillery called Don Tadeo was our next stop and we were welcomed by a staff member who explained the process of making tequila from the blue agave cactus into a fine brand of local tequila.  The agave “fruit” grows as the plants root and is about the size of a large watermelon when harvested for the process.  We sampled four (4) different types and flavors of tequila and we found peanut butter flavored tequila to be very tantalizing.  Judy and Frank could not resist buying some bottles to take home to enjoy.

When we returned to the ship’s docking area, we decided to try some authentic Mexican cuisine at the El Bucanero Restaurant and Bar.  The café style eatery offered a variety of delicious dining choices and we enjoyed tacos, homemade nachos and guacamole.  We then visited the many vendor stores along the marina area and found some souvenirs at reasonable prices.   We only wish we had more luggage room for some of the larger items that we would have liked to bring home.

We ate dinner with Ann and Ruben in the dining room.  Stella and Bill did not dine with us, as Stella is still not feeling well.  We worry about her health, as she has been sick off and on for the past six (6) weeks.

We then attended a comedy performance by Cary Long.  We have two (2) more sea days and then will be arriving in Los Angeles.  Our flight will leave in the afternoon and we will be home on March 21, 2015 before midnight.