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Pool at our Zihua upgrade
We were very happy with the change of room.Zihuatanejo turned out to be therapeutic for two of the three sick travelers who arrived there ten days ago. Nathan and Leanne’s medicine sorted them out in no time, but I took a while to shake my dose of Montezuma’s revenge. Not diabolical but I was a bit lethargic. So, it was only Leanne who signed up for the Red Cross fun run on our last day in Zihua. In hind sight Nathan and I could have walked or jogged it too but it was just Leanne who completed the 4 km course, which turned out to be a 2.8 km course in reality. She says that she would have won if she knew it’s true length.
Zihua has a pleasant heart of the town near the pier, with restaurants, bars and streets that have been pedestrianized and paved nicely. When we arrived this part of town was super quiet though, because the high season finished a month ago. We ate in good restaurants, by ourselves sometimes, and more were planning to close their doors in the following week. One last kick to the tourism industry came from the Sail Fishing competition that went for the final three of our
5 days and had a party atmosphere most of the time on the pier. Fishermen come back all day with their catch to be weighed and measured. I don’t know who eats all of those sail fish and marlin. There was a band or DJ playing most of the time as well as an MC who kept the crowd entertained and got me to dance to the Village people at one stage. Thankfully, Leanne had technical issues with the camera and there is no recording of this event.
The absence of tourists (in large numbers, at least) has been noticeable all of the way along the coast. The temperatures are high here and water is good for swimming. It’s just that the North Americans are coming out of their winter now and don’t need to head south to catch rays at the moment. This, of course, made us a valued customer everywhere we went and we got the royal treatment in our hotel in Zihua. When the AC broke on the third day they just moved us to the best room in the place and we had a giant spa for the last two days. We called it our
private pool. They even let us check out at 7PM and drove us to the bus station for free. Lovely people at Hotel del Pescador!
Between Zihua and Puerto Vallarta we had planned to see a few more coastal towns. But then we changed our mind and stayed a little longer at places and instead of three days of five-hour bus travel we did the long haul in one hit overnight. It was a smelly (broken toilet), bumpy (speed humps) and restless night for all of us (probably not for Nathan, as a reclined bus seat for him is like a king-sized bed for us) but we were glad to arrive at our two-bedroom apartment in Vallarta to enjoy more comfort for our last stint in Mexico.
So, what can I tell you about PV? Well, Sarah Palin would like it here. Every speaks American. PV is a slice of the USA that has been relocated to a favourable climate and retirees flock here to live permanently or just for long stays (months at a time) to keep warm. American accents are everywhere from ex-pats and well-trained locals who work in shops, restaurants and for tour companies. It
Nasty wildlife in Zihua
Scorpion that tried to hitch a ride on Leanne's back pack. It ended up in a glass on Nathan's bed and was as much a surprise to the staff of the hotel as it was to us. is all set up for all-inclusive one-week holiday packages and they will try to sell you time share at every opportunity. You can negotiate some freebees if you are willing to endure the so-called one-hour sales pitch. We wanted a free day at the water park so did just this and lost half a day of our lives, having to beg in the end for them to let us go. The guy who arranged our sales pitch, and gets a cut just for bringing us there, told us to tell them that we were in Mexico for just one week and then two weeks in America, otherwise he wouldn’t qualify for his pay check. We briefed Nathan on the lies that we would tell that day and told him not to correct us about anything (as he often does at inopportune moments), but I probably should have known this info before I got dressed in my Cuba t-shirt and Oaxaca cap. Things I had clearly picked up along the way. More lying, Nathan!
Vallarta is a place where you can enjoy some of the things you take for granted at home (Costco, Netflix, refrigerated meat, etc.) and we did
Ziplining in Puerto Vallarta
We had a blast crossing the valley where they filmed "Predator" with Arnie in the 1980's at high speed and high above the ground. just that for a few days before venturing to the other side of the highway and discovering again what we love about Mexico. There are nice ceviche and taco restaurants at bargain prices. There is also a Malecon (beach front walking path) which is interesting at night, and we saw street performers and fireworks after drinking some Mother’s Day Margaritas. They celebrate Mother’s Day on Thursday here so Leanne is expecting twice the love this year. We will be in America by Sunday.
When we finally got to the water park (for free, thanks to the time share company) we paid a bit extra to get the dolphin experience and had a great day. We had a free turn at the high ropes course. Our little man, being the climber that he is, was in his element and showed Mum and Dad how it is down even with his shorter arms and legs. Then we watched the dolphin and seal shows; from the front row you get the sensations of the seal’s fish breath and spit, increasing the authenticity of the experience. After that Leanne and Nathan had an up-close experience touching and being in the water with Dolphins.
Predator Mask
Stunt double? Followed by hours of water slide fun, it was a magnificent day for all.
Before we came I wouldn’t say that PV was a place I particularly wanted to visit, but it turned out to be the antidote to a physical and metal case of “over-Mexicanitis” and now I am a little sad to leave, but more excited about what lies ahead of us in the USA. There are a few things I won’t miss about Mexico. It will be nice to drink water from a tap and flush paper down a toilet again. Tomorrow we go to a very different part of North America.
Happy Mother’s Day Mum.
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Nina
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Lucky Nathan!
How cute is he! He must be loving the attention and all the special experiences that come his way. What memories for a young boy to store away. Happy travels! Xxx