Shopping Trip to Tlaquepaque & Tonala

At last a shopping trip to Tonala was in order.  My fellow coworker Heriberto decided he as going to go to Guadalajara (GDL) and so I jumped on board and said......."let's go shopping".   With a planned Friday afternoon departure, we drove to the 4-5 hours to GDL.  I had prearranged my hotel again at the Gran Hotel los Reyes as it was the perfect location and the right price, and we headed directly there.  Hery was staying with a friend so we parted ways with plans to meet the next day for some shopping on Saturday in Tlaquepaque.  A friend of mine from Mexico City met me at the hotel and we had a nice evening with drinks, dinner, and Mariachis at Plaza Los Mariachis across the street.
The next day was they day for "real" shopping as it will be my first trip to the Sunday flea market in Tonala!  Many of my Mexican friends from PV have told me about this overwhelming experience, so e prepared........ but I was not!!  Miles of vendors combined with multitudes of people all squeezed into a 5 foot wide aisle, combined with the sights and sounds of wares, food, and trinkets being sold from makeshift stalls and in the small ailse, make this a total sensory overload!
I was on a mission however, so I persevered.  I had a list of things to buy that  had been looking for and of course several things I did not have the list..........but a buyer I was.  It was just too irrestiable to find so many Mexican goods at these prices.   I bought two very large flower pots that I paid about $40 USD for BOTH that would have cost me about $100 USD  EACH in PV.  I bought a wall mask, I bought a wall plate, I bought other small flower pots, I bought a painting, I bought, I bought........  Now how do we get all this stuff back to the car?  After carrying and making my friends help carry, Hery pointed out these cart people who do the hauling for for free.....only a propina "tip".  So they will follow you around for as long as you want carrying all of your purchases in their cart?  "Of course, he replied"  What more can you ask for?
After about a couple hours of this madness we decided to get more money!!  Why not?  So conveniently across the street are several bank ATMs in the area and a row of great restaurants.  After more cash withdrawal and full bellies we venture back into the madness for what?   More shopping of course!
But time was running short and we wanted to back in PV by dark, so we had leave the shopping tasks somewhat incomplete.  After dropping my friend from Mexico City at the bus depot a few miles away we head back on the road to PV with happy "shopping" faces.  I begin to visualize where to put all my newly purchased items at my place in PV and I begin to make new plans to go back as soon as I can!

Rincon de Guayabitos, Nayarit

A short drive north of Puerto Vallarta about 1 and 1/4 hours takes you to the coastal town of Ricon de Guayabitos.  I have passed it many times on my drive down and up from the US or to Guadalajara over the past few years and thought it was time to check it out.  A planned to find a hotel on the beach and it took some time to find a value as most of the places were in the 2000-3000 peso range, which I thought was too expensive!  I finally found a place called Las Cabanas del Capitan on the beach with a very nice pool and hot tub. http://www.bungalowselcapitan.com/ It was cheaper at 950 pesos as it did not offer the full services like TV in the room....but who needs that for a 1 night stay?
Arrived in the evening and since it was rainy season, the rains came, and boy did they come that night!  Finding the hotel was a little tricky as I had forgotten to bring along the address and name!  Little hard to find a place when you forget the name!  Decided to grab a bite to eat on the main street while I worked on my memory bank to remember what it was called.
Anyway, found it after a few searches around as there is really only the main entrance street and a parallel street along the ocean.  Check-in was simple even in the torrential rains and we were escorted to a simple room near the front entrance with a King size bed, bathroom, ceiling fan, AC, etc.....just right for a 1 night stay.  The rains let up a bit, so we decided to venture out and explore the property and ended up in the hot tub for a few minutes before they closed the area.
The next day with clear sunny skies, we went back out to main street and found a place for breakfast and a tour operator asked us about a bay cruise to show all the beaches and the island we could see from shore.  Why not?  I like to do a tour the first time I am at a new place as it gives you the real feel for the area.   The main street of Rincon de Guayamitos seemed to just be loaded with shops and restaurants like many Mexican tourist towns.
About 2 hours later we were met on the beach and took the small ponga to the main boat out in the bay as there is not dock in this small bay.  It was a bit of a "party" cruise with some Mexican entertainment onboard, loud music, and a free drink....but indeed it took us to at least 6 private beaches in the area and it was very interesting.  Unfortunately for me, about 1/2 way through the cruise, I discovered I had misplaced my car key and was worried about where it was and therefore did not enjoy the whole cruise, because I had no idea where the key was! 
Upon return to the beach area my panic continued as the key was not any where I thought it could have been; beach, boat, ponga, room, car, grounds, etc.  It must have come out of my pocket while on the Bay cruise into the ocean.   Now what to do?   I know I had a spare at home that maybe my neighbor could bring...but so far away?   I remember I had an emergency one in the car glovebox, but how do I get it?  Only solution was to break the smallest window I could to get inside and open the door....but guess what?  No way to open the door from inside....damm BMW security systems!
Then I remembered that I had seen a Mexican boy who was very skinny and could probably crawl in through that small vent window and get the spare key out of the glovebox for me?  A search on the beach and we located him.  In he went, located the key, and was able to start the car to allow us to unlock it from inside.  Found some plastic to cover the broken window as I knew the rains were going to be a for sure occurence and we were on our way back to PV. 
While I knew we had major rains in Rincon de Guayabitos, it was the night that the main bridge washed out between Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta!  So the drive back to PV found us detoured not only at the bridge through Neuvo Vallarta.......we had to detour the back way from Sayulito to Punta de Mita to Puerto Vallarta too!  The bridge to San Pancho had also dissappeared that last night!
Rincon de Guayabitos seemed to be a popular Mexican weekend destination and vacation spot as I did not see many Gringos, but I thoroughly enjoyed the town, the beach, and area and recommend it for a short getaway!!

Drive to Guadalajara for the First Time!

Now that I have been in Puerto Vallarta for about 6 months and have gotten settled in, it is time to venture outside of this great city and head to another great city Guadalajara, Mexico.  GDL is the most common reference, is the 2nd largest city in Mexico with over 6 million people living in the city including the suburbs of Tlaquepaque, Tonala, Lake Chapala, and Ajijic.  There are 2 ways to drive to GDL, via the toll roads or the back way through Mascota, but time was of the essence. So I decided to go the quicker toll road way which costs you 280 pesos each way.  The drive from PV is via a 2 lane road almost to Tepic for the turn off near Compostela to the toll road.  You enter GDL via the western side and driving on that main road puts you into the center of town quite easily.  I made a detour into the BMW dealer as I wanted them to look at something that concerned me on my car and it is located in the weathly suburb of Zapopan.  While the car was being serviced, we went across the street to an upscale mall and looked around.  I felt like I was an any upscale mall in the USA, as all of the major chain stores were represented plus many Mexican ones.
I had prearranged my room at a hotel that I found on the internet, Gran Hotel Los Reyes as I wanted someplace not too expensive and near the center of the action. It turned out to be across the street from Plaza los Mariachis and the indoor market San Juan de Dios.  http://www.granhotellosreyes.com/
After checkin, a quick visit to the infamous Plaza los Mariachis for lunch was in order.  This is very interesting place where Mariachis (originally founded in this area in the state of Jalisco) "hang" out and try to find gigs to play for people either right there at the plaza or maybe somewhere else in town that night.  So they tend to approach people all the time, as well as stand on the street corners to catch potential gigs from cars driving by.  If you need a Mariachi band this is the place you go to find one.
Our next task as to do the walking tour of the area, so we head up the plaza street and begin to see the sights and sounds of historical GDL.  There are many plazas along the way with fountains, stores, churches, state buildings (GDL is the capital of Jalisco), and restaurants.  This is the main shopping area for Guadalajarans with a lot of chain stores. We stroll along taking pictures, reading plaques of tributes, and just take in the sights of a first time visitor to GDL.  In our travels we notice a double decker bus tour that is available and we decide that tomorrow morning we will make the tour of the city that way to get the best overall overview of GDL.
My friend was originally from GDL, so he kind of new some of the areas and we decided to find a restaurant for dinner.  So just walking around we discovered a very interesting restaurant called Birrieria las Nueve Esquinas www.las9esquinas.com/ingles/index.html  with their special recipes of Goat and Lamb.  Homemade corn tortillas, homemade salsas, homemade beans, etc. it has won many awards for providing authentic traditional Mexican recipes and preparation methods. Located at a plaza that has 9 street corners because many streets come together here......hence the origin of their name.  It was an excellent meal!  After dinner we explored some of the night clubs in that area.
The next morning we venture back out near the main cathedral where the tour buses depart and board our tour of the city.  The tour last several hours and takes you all around the city including as far away as the Convention Center complex, Tlaquepaque, and it was a great way to get an overview of the city.  The perfect clear skies made the whole ride from the upper level just better.  The stop in Tlaquepaque allows you as much time as wish to walk around, sightsee, and shop.  All you have to do is pick up the next tour bus which run about every hour!  So we did just that for a few hours and shopped in the local shops that provide an great array of household decor items including furniture, paintings, sculptures, nicknacks, etc. etc.   A quick lunch of Torta de Ahogada a GDL specialty was my request because I had see the advertisements all over the city!  It is a french roll topped with pulled pork and then topped with a spicy tomato sauce......delicioso!
Upon our return to the starting point of the tour, we did some more walking towards San Juan de Dios flea market and more exploring of the plazas around that area.  Of course we ended up shopping there and make some great purchases for prices at least 50% less than in Puerto Vallarta.  Another evening back at Plaza Los Mariachis just made the day complete!
Our plan the next day was to drive down south past the airport to Lake Chapala area where so many Americans and Candians have retired and call this area home.   Lake Chapala is the largest fresh water lake in Mexico. There were many homes in the area with some limited shopping, so we decided to stop at the main plaza for some lunch.  We were treated to a great lunch of breaded fish filet stuffed with shrimp....just fantastic and reasonably priced!  Our time was running short and we wanted to be back in PV before dark, so we left the beautiful city of GDL in the early afternoon for 4-5 hour drive back to PV.

Joe Jacks Fish Shack

Joe Jacks Fish Shack has been a great place for fresh seafood and of course their infamous Fish & Chips for over 4 years now and every time I go there, I have never been dissapointed.  That is because every time you go there Joe is always in the kitchen making sure things are right!  Why do I know this, because as you proceed up the stairs to go the upper level, you walk through the kitchen and see Joe there.
The use a lightly batter Red Snapper fish filet for the Fish & Chips and there just is nothing better.   As usual when I went there last week the place was packed with everyone enjoying the great fare and of course the Mojitos are to die for....best in Puerto Vallarta.  And to boot they are not just the normal flavors but many varieties as well such as ginger, strawberry, and pineapple.  If you get there earlier enough in the day it is 2x1 time from 12pm-5pm.
I highly recommend this restaurant located in Zona Romantica at Basilio Badillo #212.....tell Joe I sent you!

PEACE Benefit

Last evening I attended an event at the Rivera Cuale a new condo development right on the Rio Cuale up from the Romantic Zone. It is a spectacular property as it was built with nature in mind at its location right next to the river. From the saline swimming pool, to the use of natural materials in the landscaping and design, to the use of native plants....it provides a tranquile setting in the middle of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
The event last night was a benefit for a group that supports and finances spay and neuter of pets in the Puerto Vallarta area. After a social hour that included complimentary wine and beer, a tour of the models, lite hors d'oeuvres, and spectacular sunset; we watched an outdoor movie called "Home". It was a documentary that showed the destruction that humans have wielded on the planet Earth. While is was sad, it was a great eye opener to our plight and that of planet Earth. I have to admit the breeze was quite cool from the mountains behind us, but watching a movie outdoors with the Rio Cuale rushing was neat!

Botanic Gardens

I visited the Puerto Vallarta Botanic Gardens yesterday for the first time since I have been coming here. It was well worth the trip south of town of about 20 km! This is a very nice facility with a great restaurant to boot, so make it a luncheon trip and enjoy the views from the upper level main buiding that includes a gift shop as well.
The gardens themselves are nice with many tropical plants as well as some paths that lead to the lower areas including the river nearby where you can also take a refreshing dip in the crystal clear cool water. Another path went down into a jungle area with a hanging bridge. So it was not just a wander around the main gardens and the orchid building, you could get the feeling of being in the jungle with banana trees, plenty of 'birds of paradise', and many other plant varieties known in the area and other tropical areas of the world.
Of course there were also cacti of various speices as well. Then the Botanical Gardens also sell some varieties of their plants including orchids for you to take home with you and remember your visit to this great place!

Owning Property in Puerto Vallarta

A very intresting subject becomes the ownership of property here in Puerto Vallarta. As per federal law all property within 50 miles of the border and 50 miles of the coast, all foreign property ownership must be held in a irrevocable bank trust, whereby the property owner is the sole beneficerary of the trust. As part of the closing documents the buyer will need to pay for and setup such a trust with the bank here Puerto Vallarta. Fees range from $450-$600 per year including a one time setup fee.
Other than that the property is handled the same as just as it is in the United States with the owner being able to sell or transfer the property to another person. Property taxes are paid annually and the bank trust requires that the owner show proof of such payment.
A legal representative, especially a Mexican lawyer should always be used in the sale of property to make sure that the owner does indeed have ownership of the property via a recorded deed and that their are no liens against the property. The buyer usually pays for these costs and also the closing costs associated with a Notary that is he legal representative to handle the transfer of the property. (Notaries in Mexico are far more than a Notary in the United States. They are always lawyers appointed by the State they office in to handle multitudes of legal documents and recordings for the governments of Mexico)

Restaurants

Puerto Vallarta is loaded with many restaurants from the elegant expensive ones to the casual ones with more reasonable prices....but then again this is a resort town in Mexico and all prices are higher than you would find in the countryside. I have several favorite ones than seemed to be more reasonably priced:

El Coleguita-Marina-(located on the same entrance to the Marina with the large whales sculpture)
his is the best price value restaurant in Puerto Vallarta because for 109 pesos you get the following: at least 1 shot of house tequila, tostadas with salsa, your entree of fish and shrimp (30) including salad, rice, bread, and dessert of baked plantain with vanilla syrup. If that is not enough you get an after dinner drink of kahlua & cream. (Revisited in March 2011 and all the items are the same as mentioned above)  NOW THIS IS THE DEAL OF CENTURY!!

Barcelona Tapas-Downtown Malecon-(located on the block between 31 Octobre & Jesus Langarica and straight up either street to Matamoros)
Tapas is alive and well in Puerto Vallarta at this great restaurant owned by an American with Mexican wife! The menu is extensive and complete with medium to high prices, but the portions are large for tapas and the Sangria is excellent offered in red or white. The best part is the fantastic sunsets here in the downtown area...make sure you sit in the upper level of the restaurant with the breezes of the ocean it is a comfortable place even in the summer.  But just in case they also will close the windows and turn on the the AC! http://www.barcelonatapas.net/  (Updated in March 2011 and everything remains the same!)


Cafe Bohemia-Zona Romantica(127 Rodolfo Gomez-next to Los Arcos Hotel) Another fantastic restaurant with great value for the money owned by Sol Rosen a former New York Broadway star. The menu has a great selection of Mexican & American comfort food dishes with a daily special starting at 129 pesos. All meals include homemade tortilla chips(the light & airy kind) & salsa, soup of the day and your entree. Sol is known for his special Jewish holiday feasts including his homemade Matzo Ball soup that has been known to be the soup of the day too! When things are really busy (which they usually are because of the limited seating), Sol will burst out in song to the delight of everyone enjoying their fantastic meals!  Updated in March 2011 and the experience remains the same, eventhough Sol was out town the staff seems to have kept up the quality of the food.  I enjoyed the daily special at 139 pesos which was Mahi Mahi topped with shrimp and oyster sauce.  Very tasty and well presented. 

The Weather

While I know most of you are freezing your you know what's off...here in Puerto Vallarta it has been very pleasant. The last few days have been cloudy though which is unsual for this time of year, but at least the temperatures remain in the 80's during the day. The humdity is around 50-70% this time of year vs. the 90-100% humidity we will have in the summer months. Now is the best time of year to visit us, as the weather really does not get any better.
This weekend looks to clear up and I am sure I will head to the beach sometime!!

Welcome!

I have created this new blog for people who are interested in the details and 'real' story of Puerto Vallarta from the perspective of a 14 year traveler and now resident of this great city.....not a town anymore!
It continues to grow and grow and the options for travel, rentals, restaurants, and things to do and see continue to grow and grow. Just let me know if I can help you in anyway to make your travels here just that much more special!