Week Five Puerto Vallarta

What day is this?

You know you've been on vacation a long time when you are close to turning into a jellyfish. I just feel too lazy. 

I'm thinking back on the resorts we have stayed in. What do I like best about each?
Villa del Palmar Downtown: Here for 3 weeks. Easy to take a fairly quick bus ride to  downtown. Nice supermarket and shopping center just across the street. Although we had a one bedroom booked, we had the right to ask for a two bedroom at check in, if we had thought of it. Nice upgrade to the front. Nice new paint job inside and outside.  Nice new furniture. Very comfortable king sized bed.  Enjoyed the activities. This place is very much a spot for  older guests. Members meeting serves medium sized plate of snacks to each person. 

Saw this in the Vallarta Tribune, a weekly paper. Mommy in Mexico.  A cute article about the carnival we saw within walking distance of VDP Downtown, across from the Argentinian restaurant we walked to one night. Glad we gave the carnival a pass, but the article made funny reading.
Villa del Palmar Flamingos: Here for one week.  Nicer, larger kitchen. Has a laundry room ensuite. One bedroom has two bathrooms and much bigger deck with comfortable lounge chairs with big towels. Activities nice and able to see most dancing entertainment from our deck. No extra charge for most entertainment. Basically a newer resort. Guests a bit younger overall, less gray hair. Can take buses to Supermarket and small towns to the North, but we chose to use taxis during our short stay here. 

While we were at Flamingos, we took a taxi to La Cruz to the Sunday Market at the marina. We arrived early, 9:15, before it got too crowded. Very nice handicrafts and food items all made by the sellers. At this market they do not allow resale. Of course we bought a few things. 

With the pillow seller

 As the market began to get too crowded, we took a taxi back for the coolness of the pool.

Iguanas on one of the pool islands. They had been hiding up in the palm trees.

Although there are very good restaurants in Bucarias, it seemed we were not here long enough to do much exploring.

Garza Blanca: Here for two weeks. We just arrived a few days ago.  So far I am impressed. You have a personal concierge to check you in right in your room. No hanging around in the lobby. We received an automatic upgrade to a two bedroom suite with 3 bathrooms and a very private giant ocean view balcony.

Sunset from our balcony

 This place is as big as our house. A large gas stove and plenty of room to put away groceries in the pantry in the spacious kitchen. I love the bath towels and Toto toilets with quiet close lids.We also have a personal butler to take care of any problems in the room. We are on an end just a few floors  above the ocean. In the early evening a front end loader was busy hauling sand to rebuild the beach that was lost to a hurricane.

So far the guests are younger. Few children at any of the three resorts. No school vacations except for one weekend in February. At Garza Blanca all we hear is the ocean and our own music. This is the newest of the three resorts. We are in an older part of the resort, but building three is still the newest building we have stayed at in Puerto Vallarta. The very newest buildings are on the other side of the highway and are high rises. You get across to the other side over a foot bridge or with a little trolley.

On the foot bridge over to the other side, looking towards the newer high rise towers.

Looking down at the highway and the transport trolley.

Looking at the lower pool from the bridge.

 Three of the resort restaurants are on the other side, including a steak house and a Japanese restaurant.

Met up with Tito here in Garza Blanca. He used to work in activities at VDP Downtown. We first met him in 1990 when he was leading a bus tour for the downtown resort. Very funny guy who was a great MC. He now leads hikes here at Garza Blanca. He took William on a meditation walk this morning. 

With Tito

  We have been taking the bus into town from the front of the resort. Pretty easy to do. Just take the white and orange Mismaloya bus from outside the resort to the end of the line in old town. We have been on a shopping trip into old town and enjoyed Saturday Market for brunch and shopping.

Lucy's Cucu Cabana, a favorite store. A local author and his wife run this. We also bought his latest book. Slime and Punishment by Gil Gevins. He writes humorous adventures. 

Lunch at La Fantasia

Saturday Market

 I wonder how we are going to get all these items home. I think I will have to stuff a bunch of purchases in the canvas shopping bag I got at  the Soriana supermarket.