Puerta Vallarta, a Highlight of Mexico

The Extensive Malecon - Puerta Vallarta

Friends Susan and Chris

Enjoying the shops and beach along the Malecon

Locals Enjoying Family Time

We shared a taxi with our friends Susan and Chris and spent an afternoon in the heart of downtown Puerta Vallarta; such a fun and exciting city! The waterfront malecon includes numerous artistic sculptures, curved pathways, and foot bridges with easy access to the beaches and restaurants. The well kept stone streets are full of interesting shops and cafes; one could spend hours exploring the city, a maze of narrow avenues with interesting discoveries around every corner! White washed homes and condos tucked in the steep hillsides overlook the ships at sea. Located near the waterfront is the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico and of Puerto Vallarta. The lacy crown of the bell tower is a replication of the crown worn by Princess Carlota, wife of 19^th century Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico (1863-67). The bustle of activity, sights and sounds kept us so occupied that we lost all track of time. We stopped for a late lunch and had a wonderful discussion with our like-minded friends who also enjoy traveling, boating, and life’s adventure of self-reliant independence. Our taxi ride back to Nuevo Vallarta turned out to be an adventure in itself. The traffic in the city was quite busy that day and our cab driver weaved between cars and trucks at a fast clip; I must admit he was very skillful and avoided the long backups with a known short cut. Vendors who were selling fireworks came up to the taxi when we stopped at a light - Susan purchased two huge sparklers and the cab driver bought a serious looking firecracker. Later that evening, the gang got together aboard Got D’Fever to share bringing in the New Year followed by a nice walk on the beach, a great opportunity to light those huge sparklers! After a pleasant evening and goodnight wishes to friends, Leonard and I headed back to the boat and stayed awake until midnight, contributing to the noisy merry making. We could see fireworks over the marina from our boat, blossoms of red and white lit the night sky. Loud music was still playing at one of the local restaurants as we dozed off to sleep. In the wee hours of the morning, I awoke to the sound of rain, a downpour on the docks and rooftops; the smell of fresh rain reminded us once again of home. Perhaps the rain was washing away the old in preparation for a fresh start to a new year - Feliz ano Nuevo! Happy New Year!