Back in Friendly Puerto Vallarta – Dolly Travels

Friendly Puerto Vallarta - Dolly Travels

Yes, I have been in Mexico for 4 days already, but I seem to have succumbed to the leisurely life, therefore, the dearth of communication from me. As usual, in March, here in friendly Puerto Vallarta, the weather is very agreeable, not quite balmy, but temperatures range in the high 70’s, with breezes off the Bay of Banderas. So yes, it is shorts and t-shirt weather.

Life is good. I am happy to be here in Puerto Vallarta, my second home away from home. Since I cannot be in Italy right now, this city is a favorite place for me to stay. It is warm, comfortable, friendly and the pace of living has slowed considerably.

Relaxing in Friendly Puerto Vallarta

I like to go for walks early in the morning, before it gets too humid. That has not been a problem, yet, but this morning, as I neared the finish of a three-mile walk, my back was hurting me. So I stopped at one of the many spas along the Marina and got a 30-minute back massage. Prices are so reasonable here. My massage cost me about the equivalent of $17 USD, so I know that will be a more frequent stop along the way. First, Starbucks, then further along, a massage. Hard to beat that combination!!

Full Story at Dolly Travels

Puerto Vallarta Gay Travel Resources

Casa Alebrijes Hotel – Gay Owned Bed & Breakfast in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Casa Alebrijes Hotel - Gay Owned Bed & Breakfast in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

CENTRAL NEAR GUADALAJARA GAY NIGHTLIFE

Welcome to Casa Alebrijes – the best hotel in Guadalajara, Mexico for gay men and lesbians and their friends.

Guadalajara is often called the San Francisco of Mexico, and our boutique Guadalajara hotel is just two blocks from gay nightlife in town – twenty-five gay bars and discotheques, all within an easy walk from our front door.

Our Guadalajara hotel has two floors with two suites for 1-4 persons, and seven guest rooms that can each accommodate 1 or 2. The first floor also has a beautiful garden patio with a lovely fountain. The second floor has a wide balcony that overlooks the garden.

Casa Alebrijes is in a late 19th century home that has been carefully and lovingly restored in a traditional style. We’ve added all the modern conveniences, while respecting the beauty of the original architecture.

See the Casa Alebrijes Hotel Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Guadalajara Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

Guadalajara Frescoes – Keep Calm and Wander

Guadalajara Frescoes - Keep Calm and Wander

These frescoes at the Government Palace in Guadalajara (Mexico) are some of the best I’ve seen. Well, I haven’t seen many, but I could name the Top 3 frescoes that blew my mind away. They’re the ones that made me dumbfounded while staring at their magnificent details. They are: Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgement”, Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry Murals” and José Clemente Orozco’s “The People and Its Leaders.”

Guadalajara Frescoes

One of the most noticeable details of José Clemente Orozco’s fresco is his dark interpretation of the revolution. While Diego Rivera saw the revolution as a good thing, Orozco saw it in a different way. This particular mural will leave you speechless. The more you stare at it, the more it gets creepy. At least, that’s what I felt.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Guadalajara Gay Travel Resources

Another Beautiful Day in Puerto Vallarta – Dolly Travels

Puerto Vallarta - Dolly

Hola!

I know. I did not put the upside-down exclamation point at the beginning, as I should have done. Nevertheless, I want to write another post, and tell you more about this lovely city.

On Saturday, I went downtown to the weekly open market. There were many things to see and do. The market was busy, crowded, for apparently, many of the ex-pat locals get together at the market; I heard English spoken more than Spanish, and I just knew those people were not ordinary tourists, like me.

As so often happens at markets, some of the merchants do not have their own stall… Some have to wear their merchandise on their head.

I did not investigate the vegan taco/hamburger stand. It just did not sound right to me. It must seem right to others, though, for the stand was quite busy.

Later, I walked along the Malecon, starting at the southern end and walked back toward the Centro, near the Cathedral.

It certainly was a day to be in or close to the water.

Back in my own neighborhood, which is at the far northern end of Puerto Vallarta, by the Marina, I found some interesting sights that I probably would not see back home.

First, I saw two different versions of food trucks. I have made a habit of going for an early morning walk every day. This enterprising man was doing a booming business, every day. His customers were locals, I believe.

Yesterday, I left the marina and walked into an older neighborhood just a couple of blocks away. Another food truck was there. The man was a genius. He was standing at the tail gate of his truck. He had a griddle to his left, a pot of beans to his right, and a work station right in front of him. He was cutting up a piece of meat that just came off of some unseen pot, and he was chopping it up for tacos or burritos. He was doing a booming business, with customers coming out of the nearby shops, waiting for their breakfast. I stayed away, but the aroma from that truck certainly was enticing.

Many of the workers on the construction sites and other businesses nearby do not have their own transportation. Hotel workers receive bus fare from the employer, or some, like the Westin, run their own employee vans. Others, as these men below, just get into the back of a pick up truck.

Today, I am going to go back to town, and hopefully, walk the entire length of the Malecon, up and back, for there is just something about that two mile stretch of walkway along the seashore that keeps calling me back.

Then, this afternoon, I will relax under a palapa, sip a refreshing tropical drink, and end another happy day.

My goal for the afternoon…relaxing on the beach.

I will say, “Adios” for now. I will be back soon.

Dolly

San Sebastián del Oeste – Dolly Travels

San Sebastián del Oeste

!Hola!

I think I am finally getting the hang of this Spanish language. I know how to ask for someone to fix the sink. I can order food and drink, get a taxi…hmm. That is about it. An older man, a helper at Walmart, asked me today why I didn’t speak Spanish. I told him I was working on it, but he shook his head and declared I should have done that years ago. I don’t know why he felt that way, but I told him I would keep trying, but he shook his head again, as if to declare me hopeless. Oh, well. My new phrase today, direct from my language translator, is: ¿Alquiera en busca una cerveza? Is anyone up for a beer?

Today is a lovely day: a bit breezy, but the sun is shining, and all is well in Puerto Vallarta.

This morning I walked to Walmart. I can see that complex from where I sit, but to get there, one has to go around the marinas, past the Naval Base, then take your life in your hands to cross the busy boulevard. I didn’t trust the policeman who kept telling me to go, when trucks and buses were coming around the corner aiming for me. I waited until some locals crossed, then I went with them. Whew! Adventure looms everywhere.

Today is going to be a relaxing day for me. I have an appointment at a spa later this afternoon for manicure, pedicure, 50 minute massage and a facial for a cost of approximately $55. We will see how that turns out.

Yesterday, I took a tour up to an old town far up in the Sierra Madre, reported to be the oldest town in this area. San Sebastián del Oeste was established in 1605, and flourished due to silver mining. After that, gold was discovered up there, so mining for those minerals, plus lead, made San Sebastián a busy place, with the population in 1900 being around 20,000 persons. Now, there are fewer than 1,000 residents. The town is kept clean and pretty, as it is considered one of the “Pueblos Majicos”, due to its history. The town receives a subsidy from the Mexican government to keep it historically correct, including the thick adobe walls of the buildings, and red tile roofs and the architecture. The streets are made of rock: big rocks, little rocks, all cemented together in an uneven hodge podge, it seemed to me. There are sidewalks for about half of the town. I had to laugh, as we saw cars proceeding down the street, slowly bumping up and down. Not that it was needed, for the cars could not go very fast, but the speed bump on one of the side streets was constructed of a heavy rope thrown across the street. It had obviously been there a long time, for it was pretty well enmeshed into the rocks of the street.

Before we got to San Sebastián, which, by the way, is a two-hour drive from Puerto Vallarta, we made three stops. Our guide told us that the first paved roads to that town were constructed in the 1960’s. Up till then, the only roads were dirt. Can you imagine, in the silver and gold mining days, goods and people had to be transported from Puerto Vallarta, where they arrived by ship. The primary means of transport, then, was by pack mule. The journey took two days.

Our first stop, about and hour from PV, was at a store called El Puente de Krystal, which I assume refers to the bridge over a huge ravine beside the store. I was happy that we stopped there, for Frank and I had visited that place on a tour a few years ago.

We watched a woman making home made tortillas from the masa de maiz. She had a big bowl of that lovely dough under the cloth beside her. When someone wanted a taco, she pulled off a ball of dough, pressed it into a tortilla, threw it onto the wood-fired stove top, let it cook until it puffed up, then she picked it up, turned it over. When it was done to her satisfaction, she pulled the tortilla off the grill, put it onto a small plate, then handed it to the customer. There were bowls of retried beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, shredded cheese and salsa prepared. The customer made his taco to his or her preference. I had two of the delicious tacos, for a cost of $1 each.

Our next stop was at a tequila factory, of course. Jalisco, the Mexican state we are in, is the birthplace of tequila, so on any tour, one ends up at a tasting of that beverage.

This place was very simple, with techniques for making tequila going back generations of this same family. They use pure blue agave, the leaves and the root, to begin the process.

I took tiny tastes of tequila, but I am not a connoisseur; others said it was very good.

Next, we visited a coffee farm. There, I did taste the product, and it was delicious. The coffee farm had been established over 100 years ago. There was a woman called Maria, who had been the mother of 21 children, who started the farm with her husband. She outlived him, so she continued the farm and coffee production. Her next-to-youngest son now runs the business, and he is getting up in years, also. Maria, by the way, lived to be 85 years old. I cannot even fathom having a baby almost every year, as she did, beginning with the first child when she was 15 years old, and her youngest, when she was 46. Holy moley! And then she ran the farm, which is about 20 acres, I believe.

We were given a lesson on coffee growing, harvesting, roasting. I also learned that this is an organic farm. An interesting side note is the farm uses natural pesticide: a mixture of oil, garlic and serrano pepper. Hmm. Sounds a lot like the recipe for shrimp ajillo I told you about in an earlier post, except the pepper or chile is different. I might try that on my plants at home and see if it will keep the squirrels away.

Our guide took us to a very nice restaurant in San Sebastián. It was tastefully decorated, and the food was scrumptious. We were served chicken mole, cheese quesadillas, shredded beef for tacos, rice and beans. I could see the cook making tortillas in the kitchen, and cooking them as needed.

We ended our tour in the town square, after visiting the church of San Sebastián.

All in all, it was a pleasurable day. After all that walking on the rocky streets, and listening to Mario tell us all the cultural information, we were a tired group that headed back to Puerto Vallarta. I was grateful to Mario, our guide, for in his real life, he is a history teacher. He gave us so much very good information, both on the history of Mexico and this area in particular, but he expanded more on the anthropological and sociological aspects of Mexico. I felt it was a very worthwhile trip, for me.

By the time I got back to the resort, though, my feet and my brain were tired. I settled into my room for a nap before I ventured out for dinner.

I stayed at the resort for dinner and was treated to a lovely sunset.

So, adios from Puerto Vallarta, until next time. This is, indeed, a restful place.

–Dolly

Original Post: Dolly Travels

Another Day in Puerto Vallarta – Dolly Travels

Puerto Vallarta - Dolly Travels

!Hola, mi amigos,

Good morning, everyone,

It seems that time just is flying by, as every day I find something new to do; although, most of the time, I am simply relaxing and being lazy.

My youngest son, Rob, and his wife, Amy, joined me here a few days ago, so we have been exploring the town and the marina, primarily looking for the best food and drinks.

I have been here for 11 days already and I have eaten shrimp everyday. I am still not tired of it. Sometimes I have the fresh catch of the day, which so far has been either mahi mahi or red snapper, both of which have been delicious. If I have shrimp for lunch, then I might have the fish for dinner. Or vise versa.

One of my favorite dishes (above): Camarones in ajillo sauce. I had to look up the recipe. It is very simple, actually. The chef sautés garlic and chopped dried guajillo chiles in oil, then sautés the shrimp in that. The spicy oil is poured over the camarones when it is served. Here at the Tenampa pool bar, the shrimps are served with steamed veggies, a portion of rice, and for some reason, toasted bread. It is so good. I tell myself it is a healthy meal.

In the right, you can see the shrimp salad, which is another good choice. Those shrimp have also been sautéed in the chile oil.

Another favorite dish has been the fajitas del camarones. Just so much good food here, sometimes it is difficult to make a decision.

Okay, other than the food, walking has been on my agenda, nearly every day. I start my mornings with a three mile walk, up and around the marina, stopping for a Starbucks cappuccino, then continue on back to the condo. I have breakfast, then I write, every day, for at least an hour. Afternoons are devoted to relaxing by the pool or going into town.

Or, if I am not by the pool, relaxing by the beach, under a palapa, is also a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

On Thursday afternoon, there was a big market at the marina. Tents were set up all around the perimeter of the marina, selling all different types of merchandise: food stalls, taco wagons, dessert tents, where slices of some of the most delicious-looking cakes were sold. One stall had huge pans of paella and more pans of gumbo. Fortunately, I had already eaten, or I might have made a pig of myself.

There were also Indian dancers performing.

Yesterday, there was high clouds over the city, making the day a bit cooler, but no rain.
As we walked along the Malecon, we could see the waves crashing onto the shore. We watched pelicans diving into this waves to catch fish. Those big birds dive so fast, and so straight down, I had to wonder if they every suffer broken necks. They were amazing to watch.

Today, on my walk through the marina, I once more spotted a big crocodile. I think he was waiting for me, for today, his head was out of the water, up on the rocks, and he was smiling at me.

I was too mesmerized this morning to think to take a picture, for all I could think of, was the Disney song, “Never Smile at a Crocodile”, from the movie, “Peter Pan”. Now, of course, I can’t get the song out of my head.

So, life is fun, and I am getting work done on my book. Most of all, though, I am relaxing. This vacation was much-needed and I appreciate all of you who helped me get to this lovely, restful place.

I will close with a sunset picture from a few days ago. Now, it is lunch time, and the camarones at Tenampa Bar are calling for me to come enjoy them.

So, I shall say,

Hasta la vista, until we meet again.

Dolly

Casa Alebrijes Hotel – Guadalajara Gay Owned Bed & Breakfast

Casa Alebrijes Hotel

Welcome to Guadalajara, Mexico’s best hotel for gay men and women and their friends – Casa Alebrijes is only two blocks from the center of the gay nightlife area with 25 gay bars and discotheques, all within walking distance of our front door. Guadalajara is often called the San Francisco of Mexico.,

This Guadalajara hotel has two floors with two suites for 1-4 persons, and seven guest rooms for 1 or 2. The first floor includes a lovely garden patio with a fabulous fountain. The second floor has a wide balcony that overlooks the garden patio.

Our Guadalajara hotel is in a late 19th century home that has been carefully and beautifully restored in a traditional style, along with modern conveniences, while respecting the original architecture.

See the Casa Alebrijes Hotel Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Jalisco Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

 

Vacation Like a Kardashian – Out With Ryan

Punta Mita - Out With Ryan

I’m going to be honest… the first time I heard of “Punta Mita” was from the Kim Kardashian smartphone game. That’s right, the popular app where you pretended to be in Kim Kardashian’s world back in the Summer of 2014.

What I didn’t realize is that not only does Kim Kardashian actually vacation in this private peninsula situated in the Riviera Nayarit Mexico region, but Punta Mita can also be very affordable for couples, who aren’t millionaires.

You can pay a fortune to stay at the same resort The Kardashians often vacation, which is Casa Aramara, or you can relax more affordable and still share the same waters, sand and sunshine as Kim Kardashian!

I’m sorry but who doesn’t like the idea of relaxing in lush tropical paradise, similar to the ones Kim Kardashian has, but on a more affordable budget… I KNOW I DO!

By Ryan at Out With Ryan

Jalisco Gay Travel Resources

 

Villa Encantada – Puerto Vallarta Gay Friendly Villa

Villa Encantada - Puerto Vallarta Gay Friendly Villa

Experience ultimate luxury in our large, 5,000 sf villa in the Conchas Chinas Hills. This new, five bedroom, five and a half bathroom villa is in the upscale Amapas area, where you’ll find some of the most beautiful vacation rental homes in Puerto Vallarta.

Villa Encantada is in the middle of a vibrant, tropical jungle, and has panoramic Banderas Bay views. It’s also a great place to watch the sun set from the wide pool deck. When the days are hot, you can cool down in our gorgeous turquoise blue pool, or relax with a drink at the outdoor bar under the shade of the palapa.

Villa Encantada is a great place for families or a group of friends, with 5 elegant bedroom suites, each with private bath, wide balconies, a large sitting room, and a complete staff that make this house a tropical paradise.

Villa Encantada is close to downtown Puerto Vallarta in the Amapas/Conchas Chinas hills. We offer an open air paradise where you can enjoy the warm ocean breeze and the tropical evenings.

See the Villa Encantada Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Puerto Vallarta Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

 

Old Town Puerto Vallarta – Dolly Travels

Old Town Puerto Vallarta

Hola, once more.

This will be my last blog post from Puerto Vallarta this year. Next year, I hope to spend longer than a week. I love this town.

When I told the kids that I wanted to go back to explore Old Town Vallarta, Rob asked me, “What will you do there?”

“Oh, just walk around, and see what the Old Town is like,” was my reply. What I really thought was, it will be more “What can I learn by going back there:” Rather than what can I do there.

I took the bus to town again, by myself. I call it the “Chicken Bus”. Although no one here is transporting chickens, the buses look similar to the ones I have seen in other places of Mexico and Costa Rica, where cages of chickens were being carried on top of the buses.

The bus stop is on the street in front of our hotel entrance. The fare is 7.50 pesos, which is about 42 cents in US money.

After a bumpy ride, for most of the streets are made of cobblestones, and I am sure the buses do not have the best springs, I arrived in the main part of Puerto Vallarta, near the Cathedral of Guadalupe. I knew I wanted to go further east, into the old town from that church, so I followed the streets that Chef Julio had taken us on, the other day when we went to the Mercado.

There is a river that empties into the sea, at the southern end of the main part of town. This river, the Cuale River, creates an island called the Isla Cuale. Now it is a lovely park.

A staircase crosses the river on the north side, and leads to an upper affluent neighborhood, where Elizabeth Taylor lived, while she was filming the movie, “The Night of the Iguana”. That movie brought Puerto Vallarta to the attention of travelers, and as the locals tell me, that was the beginning of the town becoming a tourist attraction.

A statue of John Huston sits at the entrance to the park. That man was the director of the movie, “The Night of the Iguana”. He made the film here, as he had already fallen in love with Puerto Vallarta. In fact, his home was at Las Caletas, the beach where we saw “Rhythm of the NIghts”. He gave that property to the town of Puerto Vallarta.

As I walked further into Old Town, I saw the everyday life of those residents, going on quietly, without the hustle and bustle of the touristy part of town.

I found the Mercado again, and after a few more blocks, the streets ended, so I made my way back toward the main part of Puerto Vallarta.

At the very western end of the park, I found a small restaurant that served breakfast. Although it was almost noon, I decided to have brunch instead of lunch.

This cafe, called “Incanto”, had a guitarist playing soft music for the patrons.

On the other side of the river is another restaurant that was closed, for workmen were trimming a large bamboo tree that sat at the end of the restaurant. The roots of that tree were actually down at the river’s edge.

There was a man with a machete trimming a tree by the river. The branches fell at the river’s edge, and two more workmen went down there and piled the branches up. Then the machete man went down there and trimmed those branches into tall poles, and stacked them up . All the work was done with a machete. And it was all done while I was having my meal.

« Rhythm of the NIghts and Other Adventures in Puerto VallartaWarm Places »
Old Town Puerto Vallarta
January 16, 2018 by dollygoolsby
2 Votes

Hola, once more.

This will be my last blog post from Puerto Vallarta this year. Next year, I hope to spend longer than a week. I love this town.

When I told the kids that I wanted to go back to explore Old Town Vallarta, Rob asked me, “What will you do there?”

“Oh, just walk around, and see what the Old Town is like,” was my reply. What I really thought was, it will be more “What can I learn by going back there:” Rather than what can I do there.

I took the bus to town again, by myself. I call it the “Chicken Bus”. Although no one here is transporting chickens, the buses look similar to the ones I have seen in other places of Mexico and Costa Rica, where cages of chickens were being carried on top of the buses.

The bus stop is on the street in front of our hotel entrance. The fare is 7.50 pesos, which is about 42 cents in US money.

After a bumpy ride, for most of the streets are made of cobblestones, and I am sure the buses do not have the best springs, I arrived in the main part of Puerto Vallarta, near the Cathedral of Guadalupe. I knew I wanted to go further east, into the old town from that church, so I followed the streets that Chef Julio had taken us on, the other day when we went to the Mercado.

There is a river that empties into the sea, at the southern end of the main part of town. This river, the Cuale River, creates and island called the Isla Cuale. Now it is a lovely park.

A staircase crosses the river on the north side, and leads to an upper affluent neighborhood, where Elizabeth Taylor lived, while she was filming the movie, “The Night of the Iguana”. That movie brought Puerto Vallarta to the attention of travelers, and as the locals tell me, that was the beginning of the town becoming a tourist attraction.

Some of the homes up in that neighborhood now.

A statue of John Huston sits at the entrance to the park. That man was the director of the movie, “The Night of the Iguana”. He made the film here, as he had already fallen in love with Puerto Vallarta. In fact, his home was at Las Caletas, the beach where we saw “Rhythm of the NIghts”. He gave that property to the town of Puerto Vallarta.

As I walked further into Old Town, I saw the everyday life of those residents, going om quietly, without the hustle and bustle of the touristy part of town.

The apartments are newer, the streets are quiet. The tangle of electrical wires overhead is a bit disconcerting.

I liked this place. I think it is a restaurant below, but the tower had small tables and chairs on three levels. It must be a good place for Happy Hour, for a few people

I found the Mercado again, and after a few more blocks, the streets ended, so I made my way back toward the main part of Puerto Vallarta.

At the very western end of the park, I found a small restaurant that served breakfast. Although it was almost noon, I decided to have brunch instead of lunch.

This cafe, called “Incanto”, had a guitarist playing soft music for the patrons.

You can see the river flowing below the deck. On the other side of the river is another restaurant that was closed, for workmen were trimming a large bamboo tree that sat at the end of the restaurant. The roots of that tree were actually down at the river’s edge.

I don’t know if you can see him, but at the right side of the tree, standing on a 12-foot ladder, is a man with a machete trimming that tree. The branches fell at the river’s edge, and two more workmen went down there and piled the branches up. Then the machete man went down there and trimmed those branches into tall poles, and stacked them up . All the work was done with a machete. And it was all done while I was having my meal.

After my wonderful breakfast and the best cup of coffee I have had , I meandered back into town.

The peaceful River Cuale.

The Crown Dome of the Cathedral

One of the many sculptures along the Malecon.

I finished my day in town by walking the length of the Malecon, then I caught another “Chicken Bus” and made my way back to our hotel.

Later, as we were waiting for our dinner, at Victor’s at the marina., I had time to contemplate what a relaxing week we had enjoyed. Although we were active, we were never stressed. I enjoyed the non-stress times immensely.

So here I am, dreaming of my return to one of my favorite cities . Puerto Vallarta.

Adios, Puerto Vallarta, until next year.