Rest and Relaxation in Puerto Vallarta

I booked 4 nights at the Hotel Encino for rest and relaxation in Puerto Vallarta.

Starbucks

I know, you are getting tired of hearing about Starbucks ha ha.

The main plaza and church was only 3 blocks from my hotel.

plaza-church

And just my luck, there was a Starbucks in the plaza.

It is hot and humid here during the day. I am not sure if later on in the winter the humidity dissipates. But that isn’t the case now. So I spend the morning and into the afternoon in the air conditioned Starbucks.

I think everyone else does something similar as the town sand malecon is dead during this time.

Starbucks gives me a chance to work on my Daily Journals.

Afternoons in Puerto Vallarta

By late afternoon I venture outside to walk the malecon and find a place for a drink and to practice my Spanish.

malecon-statue

malecon

malecon-brian

I have been using apps to learn Spanish. The primary one I use is Duolingo. But I also supplement it with Memrise. So far so good.

Evenings in Puerto Vallarta

In the evening everyone comes out of hiding. Along the malecon people set up food stalls, and entertainers do their thing to make some money. One game people like to play is stand at the age of the malecon and daring the waves to splash up over the wall to get them wet. When a wave does, everyone laughs.

What I like is that it isn’t just young people like so often is the case in Canada in these pedestrian malls at night. Here, families come out too to enjoy the evening. Kids are up late in the coolness of the evening. It is really enjoyable.

malecon-night-2

church-night-2

malecon-nightlife

USA vs. Mexico in Soccer

On Friday the USA was playing Mexico in soccer. I looked for a place to watch the game. I thought I spotted soccer on the TVs in a restaurant called Wing’s Army. When I went in it was soccer but not the USA Mexico game. Only 2 women were in the restaurant. The staff managed to find the right channel for the game and turned up the sound. When they did, people started coming in the watch the came. You owe me Wing’s Army!!

As the game started a Mexican guy and his wife sat across from me. He was really into the game and was yelling and jumping up and down. I was laughing and it made me get into the game even more. Lots of fun. Mexico beat the USA 2-1. As I left the restaurant a guy yelled at me, “Who won the game?” It was obvious he knew who won the game and thought I was American and wanted to rub it in. I just laughed and said Mexico. He laughed as well.

My Location in Puerto Vallarta from November 11 to 13, 2016

Puerto Vallarta-map

Back to the Ocean in Puerto Vallarta

After many days in the inland of Mexico, I finally arrived back at the ocean in Puerto Vallarta.

Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta

Sometimes where I think I am going, is not always where I am going. The main toll free road from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta went through Tequila. I planned on stopping there. Perhaps even buy a small bottle of tequila. In the morning I put in Puerto Vallarta into my GPS thinking it would taken the this road. I was wrong.

I kept looking for Tequila but I didn’t pass it when I thought I should. I tried to find out where I was on my map. There was nothing recognizable. Huuummmm …. I figured I would just trust my GPS.

When I reached the town of Mascota I found it on my map! I was way off the route I thought I would be taking. Somehow I had turned off before reaching Tequila. Oh well … this route was interesting and not much traffic. Mascota was actually a cool little town to ride through.

Since I came in through a back road, the entrance into Puerto Vallarta was less than grand. I wandered through cobble stoned back roads before finally finding my way into the main town and my hotel.

Hotel Encino

Like a lot of resort towns, the prices for hotels are above my budget. But I did find a hotel in the middle of the old town of Puerto Vallarta. I thought it had free parking. At least that is what the ad said. It turned out the parking consisted of a reserved spot on the roadway. So that is where I parked.

hotel-3

It was right outside a 24 hour reception so I figured it was safe there.

The hotel itself was a typical 2 star hotel … not the cleanest or well appointed … but it was within budget and within walking distance of the town centre. Nice lobby though 🙂

hotel-2

Wandering Around Puerto Vallarta

After checking in I needed to get my bearings of where everything was in the town. I walked up and down the beautiful malecon.

malecon-3

malecon-4

Off the main malecon there was sort of an extension. There I found umbrellas and chairs or a restaurant called Sea Monkey, right on the beach. It just so happened I go a nice chair right up front for the greatest show on earth – the sunset.

beach-drink

beach-4

beach-brian-sitting

sunset

It was SOOOOOOOO nice to be back at the ocean again. I love the sounds, smells, and sunsets.

My Route for November 10, 2016

Guadalajara-puerto-vallarta-map

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