March Guests

A band is playing, cars and buses are beginning to roll in to our area, Bay of Jaltemba, for Semana Santa or Easter Vacation, the biggest tourist season of the year for locals. We are enjoying a quieter location this year compared to one year ago in Guayabitos, just a few blocks from the beach. Weather is about perfect now, 80 or so, but cooler at our house. It is 5:30 p. m. and I have jeans and a turtleneck sweater on. One block down, I would be hot in this attire.
This cute Mexican hairless dog is adorable, eh?

Our March guests have come and gone. It is so quiet! Sister Joanne was here a week, and we started it out with a night in Old Town of Puerto Vallarta walking and shopping, sipping Margaritas and eating Guacamole and Chili Rellenos at Cuates y Cuetes Restaurant by the pier on the beach.
We took a taxi ride south of Puerto Vallarta to check out Conchas Chinas, the stunningly beautiful area built high on the hills overlooking Bay of Banderas. I guess if I had millions, I might end up living here if I could.



Joanne had some relaxation in La Penita, lying in the hammock reading and napping, and doing some watercolor with the help of Sheila our cat. Boating out to the island for sunbathing was a highlight for her. It was very peaceful to start out, as only 3 other people were there, but then the tour boats arrived and the scene changed. While there I saw two dogs chase down an iguana and kill it. The owner said the dogs eat them, they taste like chicken.








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My Spanish teacher Chuy threw a Fiesta for his Spanish students on his parents Ranch up in the hills outside of town a few weeks ago. IT was a potluck, but his folks prepared the meat and lots of yummy tacos for us. About 50 people attended, students and spouses. We were taken on walks up into the hills to see the views and their land. Chuy is only 24, and teaches mostly English to local Mexicans with a few Spanish classes thrown in and has proved to be an excellent teacher.
Emily had a chance to rest and get some vitamin D and tan while here this past week. She also celebrated her 32nd birthday, and a ladies lunch at Vista Guayabitos Restaurant up on a hill overlooking the ocean, the mountains, and town of Guayabitos was fun. She was pretty surprised when the waiter brought out the cake and the birthday hat, and 3 different birthday songs were piped over the loudspeaker.



Emily joined my Spanish class twice . Now she is on her way to Boulder, Colorado for Arctic Survival Training for her job in Alaska. Fieldwork will begin for her up on the North SLope of the Brooks Range, monitoring snowmelt.


Victor's cousin Janet and family from Kansas City vacationing in Nuevo Vallarta, decided to get adventurous, so they rented a car and drove up to La Penita to see us and go to the Market (Tianguis). We lunched and shopped and walked around town, and up the hill the 5 blocks back to our house. I think they really enjoyed experiencing a Mexican town and escaping the urban tourist areas.