Recuerdos— Back to Vallarta and Excursions

I’ve been lucky to travel a lot and have often written about it here. While we went with the family to Florida and on our 2023 Summer Family Road Trip, I haven’t left the country since 2016. For years, my wife has told me I should go on a trip myself or take the kids¹. I have just hesitated, feeling bad if we couldn’t all go together. In some ways, it could feel really selfish, and I also know bringing all the kids somewhere is a challenge if I go by myself (although now that they are older, it would be much easier). I also find it best if we all go together and struggle if it isn’t that. This year, when my cuñados² told me that they were going to Mexico and I should go, I decided that this year I would. With a hopeful successful trip this year, I hope to bring kids next time. I’ve gotten a mountain of potential safety concerns in the run-up to this trip, and with all of the national political craziness, it seems like it will only get worse. Although, with how touristy Puerto Vallarta is, it is probably extra insulated.

In small Mexican cities and towns, annual celebrations are often called “fiestas patronales” or “ferias” (patron saint festivals or fairs), which are important cultural celebrations for that community. My wife’s family has returned to their hometown during this event for many years. This year, it happens to be the same week as my Spring Break. I knew I wanted to come. The first problem was that they weren’t planning on coming until mid-way through my break, then staying for a week and a half. I didn’t want to make it to Mexico only to be able to spend a few days there and come back for my regular teaching schedule. With how overloaded I feel from my classes, I probably shouldn’t have gone anywhere so I could try to use the time to catch up, and it isn’t necessarily time off. I looked at options and decided to come to first to Puerto Vallarta and spend some days here before to spend more time abroad, and then I will be meeting up with my wife’s family in Mexico City to travel together to her hometown.

I’ve been to Puerto Vallarta twice when I was growing up. On the first trip, we stayed at an all-inclusive resort on the Mismaloya Beach. On the second trip, we stayed north of Puerto Vallarta in a Bucerías. With these trips being so long ago, there is a lot that we did that I don’t remember. The following are some of the things that stood out:

• Being amazed that a hotel can have multiple pools
• Jay’s (our friends we went with) Mom telling us that if we peed in the pool, the water would change colors³
• Spending time in a foreign hospital having my appendix removed ⁴
• Going to a restaurant and having them show a menu by displaying a platter of dead fish and we could point to our selections
• Learning about Leafcutter ants and that they could take all of the grass from a yard in a single day
• Being excited that I had to carry my appendix across the border in a glass jar and wanting to show it to customs officials (I was a strange kid)
• Going Snuba Diving and deciding that when I grew up, I wanted to be an underwater photographer

These experiences and exposure to other cultures and ways of life were formative for me. These trips and some of the summertime traveling I did with my cousin also helped form a love for traveling. As I sit her on my balcony overlooking some worn cobble stone streets, sipping on a Pacifico with my speaker playing and writing on a warm summer evening with the smell of the ocean and view of palm trees I am trying to soak it all in (you can see a post showing the view from the terrace rooftop restaurant)

So far, it has been amazing to be here. I’m staying at Hotel Paloma del Mar. It is reasonably priced, in the Malecón, and simple but seems generally good so far. The staff has also been outstanding. I am making my holiday include the Friday before and the Monday after Spring Break, so I got here Friday evening. I checked into the hotel, found my way to the ocean (about five or six blocks), and then ate some Green Aguachiles at Restaurante El Malecón, sitting on the sand and listening to live music. That night, I ended up at La Bodeguita Del Medio where I got to do some Salsa/Merengue to live music in an atmosphere that is great for social dancing.

The following day, I had to get up early to make my way to Puerto Magico to go on a tour I booked a boat ride to Yelapa and Majahuitas, which was moderately priced.

I posted a few pictures of the boat ride.

You can also see some photos from Yelapa.

Today has been more of a down day sleeping in, hanging out at the hotel, eating a delicious seafood burrito, and spending time at the nearby beach. I think I will put together an album of photos to share.