Puerta Vallarta

Today in Puerta Vallarta, is a busy, exciting day. We docked at 8am and our first excursion/adventure is a combination event; Yelapa followed by a Sunset Sail. All four of us are again de-barking for this days’ journey.

For our first tour, we board another catamaran, single level this time. As we proceed out of the PV harbor we are informed we are heading on a 30 minute ride to an island that is only accessible by boat. It is a private island so we could not step foot on it. In the bay of this island we could swim, snorkel or kayak for an hour. Three of us chose to snorkel but sadly Patti cannot snorkel because of her recent dental work.O

I was a bit scared to enter the water ’cause I’m not a good swimmer. I can swim but it’s a lot of work!!! As I struggle into my snorkel gear I bust through my fear and enter the water into the bay. The first thing I notice is that the ocean water is tepid. Surprise! Being so far south and closer to the equator – is probably the reason. Once in the water I realize with the life jacked         securely around my waist, and fins on my feet – I won’t sink, so I am               relieved… All I have to remember now, is to keep my mouth closed around the mouth-piece of the snorkel tube. Duh

Looking to the island I say, “Look there’s our new ‘time share’.” Looks like paradise, right?

The water was a bit cloudy, but once we swam closer to the rocks it was much easier to see through the murk and observe the fish. There was such a variety of tropical fish, sure wish I could have identified them. My favorite was one with a deep blue/black body, a purple head and a bright, vivid yellow fin. We saw a long thin snake like fish that I thought was an eel but was told it was a barracuda. At one point I was floating around and a ‘school’ of small fish surrounded me and I felt like a member of their school for a little while – quite exciting for me. Would have been great to have an underwater       camera. The three of us were the last to board the catamaran, reluctantly leaving our own private paradise, at least for that hour.

Once aboard the ‘cat’ with all gear safely stored on board, we were offered lunch. I was hungry now. With lunch we were offered Margaritas, Pina       Coladas, soft drinks or bottled water – All included!

Yelapa

We now headed to the island of Yelapa where we would hike to a waterfall and meander through the old village of Yelapa. The jungle trail wandered in and around thatched roof huts. On display were brightly colored hammocks & shawls, vividly painted tapestries, bracelets & necklaces, and pottery painted in traditional Mexican style, everything was offered for sale. If all the brightly colored wares were not enough to entice you, the houses and walls were also saturated with the same brightly colored hues, even the walls that were decaying had a mural effect. Our cities are so dull in comparison.

The best part of our trip to the waterfall was the tour through the village, the waterfall was a bit disappointing, after all we are from Colorado. None the less, we enjoyed our walk.

Winding back down a different path through another area of the village we encountered magnificent bougainvilleas, avocado trees laden with fruit, chickens preening on a wall and horses ready to carry weary hikers to the beach. At one point in our procession I see a Yoga and Meditation retreat “Count me in…”

We could tell that the villagers were quite poor and I wondered how much of the tourist money makes it into their hands? Probably not much…

At one point when the Palms and undergrowth cleared, there was a stunning view of the harbor: a magnificent cobalt blue, dotted with all manner of white sea-going vessels. Again, we would have about an hour to unwind on the beach under an umbrella, take a dip in the bay, savor a Corona or get our pictures taken with an enormous iguana. The iguana’s body was about three feet long and the tail around five feet longer. I am NOT a reptilian fan so I watch from afar.

Now sufficiently sun tanned, (and mellow from our Coronas) we head to the pier where a water taxi will ferry us to our catamaran, where our Captain navigated back to the Miracle.

It was about a 45 minute ride to the harbor and once we were full speed ahead out to sea, the entertainment began…

The crew were our entertainers, all but the Captain, of course. There was a DJ, and 5 or 6 of the crew members began our show. They pantomimed to Reggae & Classic Rock ‘n’ Roll songs complete with costumes and make shift plywood guitars, bass and drums. The guitar also doubled as a violin when needed. They had costume changes to fit the music and at one point Pancho (our fabulous tour guide) reappeared fashioned in a Diana Ross type wig and a voluptuous bra and did a ‘pole dance’ around an upright canopy support. The audience laughed and cheered him on, powered by the free flowing Margaritas and Pina Coladas. We were thoroughly entertained and amused, they were all so funny and gave it their all to make sure we had a GREAT time. It certainly looked like the crew had as much fun as we did! Why didn’t I ever get a job like this… probably because I’m not a good swimmer. After about a 15 minute break and making sure everyone had all the ‘spirits’       needed, a new variety show began… Break Dancing.

Not all of the crew members participated in this awe inspiring dance. The ones who did were incredibly limber, and strong and it all happened on a fast moving catamaran… I can barely dance on a level floor, let alone contort my body that way to music, while on a high-speed catamaran cutting through the choppy ocean waves. This excursion was provided by “Vallarta Adventures” and is WELL WORTH the money. We highly recommend this excursion!!!

Sadly we reached the dock and we had to debark and say goodbye to our crew – this tour was, by far, our most exciting and entertaining seaside trip. I don’t know when was the last time I have laughed and cheered so much and so effortlessly.

While we were waiting on the dock for our second adventure to begin, we decided to have a bite to eat – because we would miss out on our dinner. Later when we boarded the Miracle, we found out we missed “All you can eat lobster night” –  what a meal to miss! Really very distressing, as we         L-O-V-E lobster. After our meal in a quaint open-air restaurant (plentiful quesadillas and rolled vegetarian burritos), we made our way to the ‘Sunset Sail’.

Sunset Sail

I had never been on a sail boat before so this was exciting for me. There was room on board for approximately 35 people, although the sail boat was not at capacity tonight, great for us! One woman was apprehensive about being ‘safe’ and she afraid of getting sea-sick. The sail-guide assured her he would not put her or any of our lives in danger, and not his own either. Why book a tour on a sail boat if you felt so very unsure – go figure? I thought it was a bit late to bring this notion up as the harbor  was getting smaller and smaller.

It was an exhilarating feeling to be at the bow of the sailboat, having the wind in my hair and only a narrow handrail separating me from the ocean… This evening the ocean seemed to have an ax to grind with our boat as we were tossed up and down, the waves felt like we were riding in a toy boat. Now, I KNOW I can’t swim that far to shore…!

We sailed, presumedly, south towards Old Town, Puerta Vallarta. The evening there was alive with music that drifted out to our boat. Lights were beginning to illuminate the night life of Old Town, (Party time!). The       bountiful outdoor restaurants were full of hungry/thirsty tourists and the vast beaches full of ambling lovers walking hand in hand, waiting for the sunset to reveal her glorious colors.

Patti and I had been to Puerta Vallarta years ago… As we were sailing past Old-Town we tried to pick out our hotel from the past and the restaurants we ate at – nostalgia at its best.

At one point the Captain slowed down and our sail guide gave us guacamole & salsa; with crackers & cheese (not exactly lobster)… AND more Margaritas and Pina Coladas, or beer if you preferred. Most of us had one Margarita and then I was Margaritaed out…

As the sun made its leisurely descent into the ocean, the sky did not disappoint. The red hue, left behind from the sun, painted the clouds and in turn, reflected in the windows of buildings on shore. The glorious show went on and on while we drifted under the sail and were rocked too serenity by the waves.

By this time it was about 7:30pm and we were concerned about getting back to the ship on time. The ship was due to leave port at 8pm and we thought our Captain was cutting it really, really close. As it turned out – we needed to be on board by 8pm and our ship headed out at 8:30pm. We certainly didn’t want to test the theory that the ship HAD to wait for us – no matter, we made it by 8pm.

It was a long, beautiful and colorful day filled with new adventures, at least for me. Now we would sit on our balcony and share stories, pictures of the day and a glass (or two) of fabulous wine… We would all sleep soundly tonight.

“Anchor’s Away”

Sadly our adventure is winding down. We have only 2 days left at sea and then it’s back to the USA and Long Beach, California.

We had a Grand Time sailing to the Mexican Riviera and back, seeing other lands, people and cultures.  Thank you Carnival, Miracle, for being our host…