Another New Movie Theater

Last night my friend and I went to the recently hyped new cineplex called "Cinepolis" next to the Soriana grocery store. Wow! It's as fancy as any I've been to in Canada and the entrance fee was only $30 pesos or about $3.00 U.S. (On Wed. they have the special price, reg. price: $40 pesos.) There is a large variety of snack outlets and the aroma of caramel corn as you walk in the doors is so enticing I marched robot-like to the counter to get some! Since the show we wanted to see (War of the Worlds) was sold out, we bought tickets for the next showing and hunkered down in the snack area with a Scrabble board and some caramel corn. Time passed fairly quickly and we were soon entering the selected viewing salon. Beautiful! The seats are cushy, have the capability to recline and the drink holders actually accommodate the small sized popcorn cups. I'm loving this! The film was action-packed and the special effects truly wild. A couple of times I was actually grabbing onto the seat in fear of what would happen next! Spielberg pulled out all the stops on this flick and between Tom Cruise crying, Dakota Fanning screaming, houses blowing up and aliens marching across the earth on their mission to exterminate, I was an emotionally exhausted when the film ended. Isn't that why we go to the movies in the first place? Two thumbs up!

San Sebastian.

The beautiful Colonial town of San Sebastian is now accessible from Las Palmas in just under an hour! The new highway is a marvel and we took a spin this past Sunday to check it out. There are some spectacular views and everything went along swimmingly until we got to a detour. It appears the most dangerous and difficult part of the highway is not complete and we were forced to drive on a narrow, super steep road through a river and then ascend the other side up an even steeper mountain with a few hair-pin turns thrown in just for fun. Of course we had to meet a bus on our way back and were forced to go into reverse on one of the curves. Not exactly my idea of a relaxing Sunday drive! Apparently there are plans underway to build a huge bridge to span this hair-raising gap, so until that project is finished, I won't be making that trip again!

Once in town however, the cool mountain air, the yummy food at "Comedor Lupita" and the quaint Colonial atmosphere makes you want to stay and spend the night. We stayed at the Parador facing the plaza where huge rooms with Kingsize beds go for about $35 US a night and it gets so quiet, you can only hear the chirp of crickets and that's right in the center of town!

In the morning, stop at the Coffee finca on the way out of town and pick up your free brew and a bag of beans to go. It's a worthwhile visit and you'll have a tasty souvi that'll serve to remind you of your visit to this picturesque mountain town.

No Burning Burrito!

Yesterday I found burrito heaven! It's even located in an exoctic sounding location on the corner of Lisboa and Roma in the area known as Versalles. I had read about this family owned operation in one of the local mags and based on the description, I knew it was worth hunting down. Hubby and I had just emerged from a lengthy session with a notary and we both had a powerful hunger on when it occured to me to take a spin and look for "Tacos El Indio." Well, we eventually found it (the easiest way to get there is from the main highway. If you're driving north, hang a right at "Pollo el Pepe" [Office Depot is across the road] and go down a block. It's the gleaming metal operation with all the people eating out front.) When I saw the friendly Sra. rolling up the giant burrito chock-a-block full of your choice of machaca, adobada or carne asada, fresh avacado, onions and tomatoes, I was literally salavating! Gimme one of those! Once we got home and slathered our burritos in the provided selection of salsas, well, I can say it was one of those pow chows that will not soon be forgotten. The best part is the price since one of these delux treats is a mere $26 pesos which makes it well worth the stop. "Tacos el Indio" also makes fabulous looking tortas, generous tacos and sells agua de Jamiaca to wash it all down with. Check it out next time you're in the hood, you won't be disappointed. (Open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, closed Sundays.)

Cycles in Vallarta.

As I look out the window at the sky, the slate gray clouds hang low and the humidity is palpable. You can almost hear the cry for rain and although we've had some "chispas" of late, only a serious downpour will wash the coat of dust off the town and clear the air. It's a much needed phase of the tropical cycle as even the rivers are mere rivlets.
Those of us who teach here are also completing a cycle of sorts. Classes have ended, exams are in session and the countdown to summer holidays is on. It's interesting to hear the wide variety of plans afoot. Some teachers are pulling out immediately to visit family and friends north of the border, others are headed to more exotic locations such as Thailand or India to teach or to become students themselves. One of the best parts about working in an International school is the collective experience of professionals coming from or heading to distant lands because the stories they tell offer insight into different cultures and what may have seemed foreign and forbidding in the past becomes more familiar in the telling. Honduras, Egypt, Peru and Spain have all been subjects of recent conversations in the staffroom and it makes for more than mere casual conversation. One teacher left our school last year for a position in Mayanmar and sent us pictures of herself swimming with elephants, another sent us a picture from Egypt as she toured the pyramids atop a camel and still another found the love of her life while on a trip through eastern Europe. These are just a few of the people who have passed our way and next year more will come in the ever revolving cycle of International educators.

Cinemark on the Mark.

After listening to the bothersome construction noises for over a year from our apartment, the new Cinemark multiplex has finally opened and yesterday we made our first visit.
To get there you have to walk a good distance through the corridors of Plaza Caracol towards the back of the building until you come to the escalator. Once you arrive at the upper levels you will be pleasantly surprised by this state-of-the-art movie theater, but here's the catch: The entrance price is a moderate $40 pesos per person but the price gouge is at the refreshment counter! I paid $81 pesos for a small popcorn and three small soft drinks--ouch! We went to see the new Brad Pitt flick, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," and I have to say it was a very entertaining couple of hours although the plot is completely over the top. The seating inside is amazingly comfortable and each seat has a nice reclining capability. Unfortunately, the family sitting behind us brought their small children AND their baby, so there was a certain amount of superfluous activity going on behind us and we ended up shifting to seats farther down the aisle. We still enjoyed the show and I would recommend the theater to everyone but perhaps it's best to have your snacks BEFORE you hit the show.

Visiting Tia Catrina.

This weekend I had the pleasure of visiting a new restaurant with lots of flair and felt the need to share the experience. The occasion was a birthday which attracted all the gang from far and wide (there was even a couple up from Australia!) and as usual, it was good to hear all the tall tales and catch up on the local news.
Well, Tia Catrina's is a "gem in the rough" and definitely worth a visit. From the moment we entered, we could tell we were in for something special beginning with the bright decor utilizing the best colors of Mexico and lots of great artwork. There are comfy seats strewn with soft pillows and cute touches like hand embroidered coasters on the tables. The menu offers tasty selections at good prices and we were able to sample a few things including the Beet soup and the Chile Relleno, both of which were beautifully presented and delicious. The prices are resonable and the staff friendly so what's not to like? Tia Catrina's is located on the corner of Pino Suarez, just over the bridge heading south about a block from the beach and the Olas Altas area. They are open each evening at 5:00 and will soon be open for breakfast as well.

Vallarta's First Podcast.

Check out Vallarta's Podcast called "Vallarta Undiscovered" by Paco Ojeda because it's just super! A firend put me onto this great site and I'm sure the fan base will grow in leaps and bounds due to the attractive and professional quality of the entertaining articles. I loved the variety of topics under "The Vu" which are easy to access and fun to read. It's not hard to sign on and become a "member" which means you can interact and make comments, which is always nice. Great job, Paco!
Go to: www.Vallartaundiscovered.com

More Random Musings.

Walmart or Squalmart? The other day, insearch of the ever elusive New York bagel, I went to Walmart. This is not the first time I've noticed things sliding at this mega-chain. The freezer where the bagels are normally found was busted, none of the service people could answer my questions, the store appeared dirty and disorganized and the parking lot littered with garbage. To boot, my husband got in an arguement at the bread counter because he lined up at the wrong place. An all round unpleasant experience!

Newest Fave Treat: The Thai spring rolls with the peanut dipping sauce at Gourmet to Go across from the American School are delicious! I haven't had an Asian spring roll like that since I was at Granville Market in Vancouver last summer. They are a little pricey, but if you are craving those distinct flavors, it's worth the splurge. Oh, and try their artichoke dip.

Chez Wooly--also known as Woolworth's--is chock-a-block full of summer tobettes and makes for a fun outing if you're looking for some new stuff. Most of their fashions are geared towards the ectomorph (which I'm not), but if one looks hard and long enough, you can usually find a cute thing or two to fit your Nordic physique.

Polo's for Breaky? One of my favorite dinner joints is planning to open this week for breakfast and I caught a glimpse of the new menu. If it's anywhere as good as the food at dinner, they will likely get a good crowd. The breakfast prices were good, the variety enticing and my all time fave, eggs benedict, one of the offerings. For neophytes, Polo's is located near the Cine Bahia on the south side of town.

More musings to come...

Close Encounters of the Auditory Kind.

What was intended to be an enjoyable seaside teacher TGIF at Holli's next to the Rio Pitillal, turned out to be rather surreal to say the least.

It was the usual gang, chillin' over cold Pacifico's and "pow-chowing" (that's short for power eating) shrimp tostadas and guacamole with the regular tunes a blarin' when all of a sudden a giant truck with a "cherry picker" arm arrived beside us on the beach along with a gaggle of green shirts from the "Proteccion Civil." We managed to ask one of the officials what was going down and he said they had arrived to test a new early warning device for disasters. True to his word, the arm of the cherry picker began to hoist what looked like three enormous green saucers into the air. It wasn't long before a loud female voice came over their system to announce the test was about to take place. If you remember the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and the distinct musical notes the extra-terrestrial's sounded in order to herald their kind, you'll have an idea of what was going down. You have to up the decibal count to the level of "I can't hear what you're saying" AND throw in the added sonic rumble of a giant dump truck off-loading monster-sized boulders across the river to get the full effect. They continued to test the device over and over again, each time with a different variation of tones and seeming louder until we all just looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and chalked it up to just another strange occurance. We could imagine the tourists in the adjacent hotels getting nervous and wondering what the commotion was all about and hoping a major disaster wasn't about to occur. The testing lasted about 30 minutes, after which time, Holli's rgular music was turned back on, more cold fluids were ordered, freshly grilled fish arrived and our normal conversation resumed. We all agreed it was good to know Vallarta is preparing for the next Armaggedon.

The Power of the Siesta.

I'll admit to being one of those people who worships the siesta. After living in a tropical climate for so many years, my blood has thinned and so has my energy! I get home from work each afternoon about 3:00, the family has the mid-day meal and I head for the bedroom like a pre-programmed robot with my sight set firmly on my pillows. The ideal siesta involves a trouble-free mind, a good air-conditioner and two comfy pillows. My children generally head to their room to do their homework and know from experience not to disturb their mother unless they want to experience the wrath of Khan.
I discovered taking a siesta up in Canada can cause some people to worry: Are you ill? Did you get enough sleep? Is everything O.K.? are just a few of the queries I get when I head for a quick snooze up in the land of serious energy. I try to ignore them but often wind up with a disturbing feeling of guilt that is counter-productive to the very non-activity I seek. Oh, I guess I should get up and find something to "do". I have noticed, however, there is a sly way to build in a siesta without arrousing suspicion, and I learned it from my brother. Turn on the T.V. to some innocuous show, turn down the volume, lie on couch, close eyes and everyone will think you're watching T.V. which apparently is an acceptable activity because it suggests you are doing "something" as opposed to merely sleeping. Well, I cherish those siestas almost as much as the meal that precedes them and I'm not planning on giving them up anytime soon.