One day last week we went south of Puerto Vallarta to a little place called Mismaloya. It took us 3 buses to get there....about an hour or so. If you are old enough to remember Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, the story of how they fell in love and got married (not sure which time....) begins here. Richard Burton was starring in a film called "Night of the Iguana" that was set in the jungle - and the filming location was Mismaloya. They stayed in Puerto Vallarta, bought a couple of houses there, built a bridge to connect the two houses - and you can still see these houses in PV today. Anyway - we aren't allowed to go into the location of where the filming was done just outside of Mismaloya, but the little place ... read more

Sunday afternoon, after cooling off from our morning at the market, we hopped a bus and went into Puerto Vallarta. We walked around, taking in the sights of what is called "Old Town", and hanging out on the Malecon some more. The Malecon is the ocean front walk, and is always full of people, artists, vendors, food stands, and on Sunday there was a band. It was a nice, relaxing day, and beautiful weather too, so we really enjoyed our day. We ended the day with some tacos al pastor - my favorite - found unexpectedly at a little place at the end of the Malecon. I have included a picture, so if you ever see this roast pork on a spit like this - stop and try it! ... read more

If you want to come to the Pacific coast of Mexico, and are looking for a really great beach, then Bucerias is the place for you! The beach stretches as far as you can see in either direction, and it really is as nice as it looks. The water is refreshingly cool, but not at all cold. The waves are enough to have fun playing in, but rarely too high for swimming. The vendors are not pushy, and often have things that you really want to look at, or to eat. There are ladies selling pies, guys pushing wheelbarrows full of assorted nuts and candies, and barbequed shrimp on a stick that can be had at a reasonable price with just a bit of bargaining. Young girls sell small purses and beads, and bigger girls sell ... read more

We took another bus trip north to the surfing town of Sayulita. They have bigger waves here than in the protected southern part of the bay, and even host surfing competitions here in December and January. The town itself looks much like any other small Mexican town. But many of the people we saw looked more like 60's flower children and surfer types, complete with dreadlocks, bare feet and deep tans. The shops sell artsy stuff that is way above my price range, and the clothing stores stock name brand shorts and beach attire, also at a high price. In contrast, Huichol indians weave baskets and sell colorful beadwork in the square. We spent an enjoyable day there, watching the birds and the people play in the waves. The pelicans wait for each big wave to ... read more

It's been over a week since I have updated the blog. We have been keeping very busy going places and seeing things. I will post lots of pictures in the next day or two. We have decided that we need to take a day to rest from our vacation! First, here are some pictures that we have taken around the town of Bucerias. I have mentioned that it is a smaller town than Puerto Vallarta. The "downtown" area and a few of the main streets - mostly where the shops are - are paved with cobblestone. The rest of the town has dirt roads which get pretty rutted when there is rain or if someone has a water leak - this has happened in the street by our place and the water running down the road ... read more