As the Burrito Burns

Burro's Bar

2009-06-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows Vallarta knows about Burro's. It's that funky beach joint that serves the best nachos, coldest beer and most romantic sunsets. The mariachis are always close at hand and the Margs are huge, and jet fueled. Recently, some good friends arrived in town for a visit and the meeting spot was none other than Burro's. It didn't let us down. The ambience was perfect and the nachos and Margs stellar. I'm going to be spending about 10 days living in a friend's condo right across the Malecon from Burro's so that should be fun/dangerous. I can see it now: post working day cocktail on the beach, toes in the sand and some tropical tunes in the air. Oh ya! Wasting away in Margaritaville never felt this good.

La Troza and the South Coast.

2009-05-01T07:42:00.001-07:00

Just a short drive south of Vallarta is the village of Boca de Tomatlan. This picturesque bay is the launching point for destinations along the south coast such as Quimixto, Las Animas and Yelapa. Well, there's also a lesser known jem called "La Troza" www.latroza.com where you can truly escape the hustle and bustle of city life and just kick back in style. They have their own private panga and within about 8 mins. you'll be on La Troza's beach. As you can clearly see by the accompanying photos, La Troza is gorgeous. The view from the terrace is spectacular and with all the amenities, you won't want for anything. We were there just yesterday and spent a lazy day playing Scrabble, swimming, eating and enjoying the fresh air. La Troza is also a mere 20 min. hike from the well known Las Animas beach where visitors will find a selection of seafood eateries and great swimming. In other words, if you want to hang with the gang you have that option, or you can just stay put and enjoy your solitude.

Vallarta's Marina Area Part II

2009-04-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

AFTER I published my last blog on the Marina area, my friend Jenny wrote to say I had missed some important businesses and right she is!
An establishment that always gets a good crowd during the lunch hour is "8-Tosdadas." This is a friendly spot owned by the Macedo family and specializes in really fresh seafood "cazuelas" and tostadas loaded with ceviche, smoked marlin or shrimp among other possibilities. Wash it down with an icy cold beer and you are set for the day. The price is right, too.

If you are looking for a more formal dining experience with LIVE JAZZ music, then Tikul is an excellent option. Tikul is owned and operated by Alberto Perez of La Palapa fame and he has done some nice work at Tikul in terms of creating a really pleasant atmosphere. He has an eclectic menu with such delights as lobster risotto and charred venison and surely the only walk in wine fridge in the Marina. This is a perfect place for a romantic dinner a deux or a family celebration.

One of the newer members of the Marina is a spot I call "Baby Rizo's." The well know grocery family has opened a small version of their flagship store with an impressive variety of items. If you're looking for that elusive peanut oil, coconut milk or Panela cheese from El Tuito, then Baby Rizo's is your one stop shop. It's located on the east side of the boardwalk next to El Coleguita.

Well, I think that wraps up the best of the Marina's offerings and before I close, I have one sad piece of news to share. My friend and I passed by "Once Upon a Bean" this morning and noticed the doors are closed and all the installations have been ripped out. It's pretty clear they have shut down forever. It's a real loss for the Marina since they had fabulous service, great coffee and wonderful desserts. I wish them well wherever they went!

The Marina Area of Vallarta is Growing Quickly!

2009-04-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

Over twenty years ago when my friend first bought her condo in the Marina area of Vallarta, she said she could water-ski out front because there was nothing there! Well, as you can well see--times have changed.

The Marina is now full of yachts of all sizes from all destinations; there are shops, restaurants, salons, and tour outlets. I've had the opportunity to try pretty much all the eateries at one time or another and can make a few confident recommendations. The best Fajitas are at "Fajita Banana" and this little spot also has a great ambience. The best desserts are at "Once Upon A Bean," a Canadian owned coffee shop that features Naniamo bars, butter tarts, and freshly made cinnamon buns among other homemade treats. The best seafood pizza and pastas are found at "La Terraza" owned and operated by Esteban Gangoitti and a delicious breakfast can be found at "Las Palomas Doradas" owned by the Flammant family. On the other hand, beware of the restaurant "Las Palomas" which attempted to rip off a group of students I took out for breakfast by padding the bill, adding the tip without letting us know and to add insult to injury, a number of my students were sick the next day! I certainly won't be darkening their doorstep any time soon!

All in all, the Marina is a great place to gather for any meal, to take a stroll or to just sip a coffee or cocktail while you ponder life. Que sigue la buena vida!

Olas Altas/Los Muertos Beach

2009-04-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

It was a particularly blustery Friday yesterday; the kind of day that sweeps the air clean of haze and pollutants and makes everything look especially detailed. It was a good day to take a photo or two of the beautiful view from my friend's terrace at La Palapa. She has one of the best views I know of. The Sierras, the islands of Los Arcos, the sweeping beach and the palms swaying make for quite the attractive combination. Couple the view with a refreshing coctail and some tasty "botanas" and you've got a fantastic Friday evening on your hands. It really is the quintessential tropical view and I never get tired of looking at it. Granted, the good always contains a little bad and such was the case last night when the Restaurant El Dorado set up an outdoor disco/reception on the beach next to her terrace and thumped the music until 4:00 am. Noise pollution reigns free in Vallarta and most people will tell you: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." One definitely has to have a "roll with the punches attitude" down here--it's not for the uptight or anal retentive. One thing I've acquired over the 20 odd years I've lived here is a certain "live and let live" attitude which saves me from developing life threatening stress attacks. Or maybe that's from the Bacardi? Whatever it is, one quickly learns to "chillax" and say "ni modo." It's just another day in Mexico.

Mexican Stair Master and Coco's Kitchen

2009-04-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

The only way not to feel too guilty about eating the breakfast at Coco's Kitchen over the holidays is to put on the miles! This morning we managed a solid 10,799 steps or 5.11 miles and that included the dreaded Mexican stairmaster!! I'm not one for stairs but I succembed to peer group pressure and got dragged into the climb. It's only 211 steps (says Candace) to which I replied, "only?!" Huff, puff and a way we go. The way I get this all accomplished is through visualization. What am I visualizing? Breakfast, of course and not just any old breakfast but the serenity of Coco's back patio. I've been talking a lot about this establishment on Calle Pulpito just a block or so up from the beach but it's because they make some wicked eggs Benedict with spinach, tomato and bacon. I finally remembered to photograph them BEFORE I messed them up with my fork. I get excited by a good breakfast as it's always been a tradition in my family to enjoy some bacon and eggs on the weekends. Over the Easter holidays I've had the luxury of enjoying quite a few good brekkies but the largesse has to come to an end (God knows what my cholestrol count is!) and the holidays are drawing to a close. It's certainly been great to share all this walking/talking time with my friends and now that I'm all caught up on the affairs of most everyone in town, I can resume my normal life. Back to the Steel cut Irish Oats and lowfat lifestyle. It's been a nice ride!

Hiking in the Marina Area (9,223 steps or 4.36 miles)

2009-04-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

Every morning during the holidays we have tried to get out and do our 10,000 steps. Sometimes we get downtown and include a little breakfast but most times we walk through Vallarta's Marina area. This walk includes skirting the golf course (where the crocodiles roam) and making our way to the beach.

This is a moody beach. Some mornings it's heaped with slippery rocks and soggy sand and other days the waves have acted like a vaccume cleaner and sucked most of the rocks away to their underwater lair. Still other times, like today, there is smooth sand then a hillock of rocks followed by more smooth sand. It's never really an easy walking beach but we still enjoy the expanse of blue water, the waves and the boats.

We generally cut through the grounds of the Marriott Hotel (where security has been very nice of late) to get back to terra firma and make our way to the docks, our coffee shop and all the yachts. It's definitely a pleasant trip but not quite as challenging or interesting as weaving our way downtown. Then there is the famous hike from Boca de Tomatlan to the beach at Las Animas. That's my walking pal Candace's fave hike and she's planning to do it this Sunday. I'm not big on the hills and the rickety wooden "bridges" but the final destination is certainly attractive. I still rather get there by boat!

Power Walking in Downtown Vallarta

2009-04-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

Power Walking downtown before the crowds surface is one of the most enjoyable ways to take advantage of the sights and sounds of the City. The "carrot" to motivate us is usually breakfast at one of the many delicious outdoor breakfast spots. This morning we decided to return to "Coco's Kitchen" on Pulpito just about a block up from the ocean. They have a really attractive back patio and certainly some of the best Eggs Benedict in town. Not only do we walk faster to get there but we can afford a few extra calories since we usually clock in at around 10,000 steps when all is said and done.

There are always lots of things to see along the way such as the arrival of one of the cruise ships, giant sand sculptures of The Last Supper (during the Easter hols) and much more. The bonus of getting out early is the lack of crowds and the cooler air which tends to heat up rather quickly after about 9:30 am. My friend Candace always brings along her dog Honey and many other people are walking their pooches so it's a doggie social outing too. You can see some pretty unusual breeds around town! Maybe I'll take some pictures of the odd dogs for the next blog...

Hasta the next time! The MPWS (Morning Power Walkers.)

Family Update...

2009-04-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

I am WAAAAAAY overdue on this Blog with new news! I've been spending too much time on Facebook and need to get back to my writing on the Burning Burrito. Here's the Ruesga update:

Jacqui is wrapping up her first year at Carleton in Ottawa and has a couple more exams to write before she truly smells freedom. Her plans are to move into a four bedroom house with some friends near campus and find a good summer job to replenish her bank account.

Steffani is working the Easter holiday at "Once Upon a Bean" in Vallarta and fufilling the stringent requirements for the Communications Studies program at Concordia. She really wants to be in this program and has had to jump through quite a few hoops to get there. We are sure she'll make it and that means one daughter in Montreal and one in Ottawa. I know Jacqui will be thrilled to have her sister closer!

Events on the Home Front in Puerto Vallarta...

2008-06-29T17:50:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted anything of interest but that's not to say I've been idle. We just finished what was perhaps one of the highlights of our lives--the graduation of our eldest daughter preceeded by the 57th wedding anniversary of the parents and the 18th birthday of our other daughter. It was a veritable triple-header!

Friends and family flew down from Canada, we partied hardily and it was a wonderful time for all involved. One kid down, one to go and we'll truly fit the empty-nest profile and our future plans will unfurl with hopefully Spain in the crystal ball.

In the meantime, we have some humidity to get through--the barometer says it's 31*c with 71% humidity--and that's what life here involves come summer. Soon enough we'll be on our way up to Canada for some needed respitefrom the mugginess and some fresh adventures.

Aztecs at Cuates and Cuetes.

2008-03-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

I'm certainly no expert on Aztec ceremonial dances but I do know they perform every year for the arrival of the Spring Equinox. For the second year in a row, we gathered with friends down on the beach at "Cuates and Cuetes" by the pier. The dancers were out in full regalia performing their ceremony in front of crowds of curious spectators. I have to say it's one of the best places and times for people watching and what's ironic is that the Aztecs are probably the more civilized of the guests. You are bound to see a veritable sea of humanity in front of the sea. Indeed!

Anyway, Linda, the world's most efficient waitress at "Cuates" was keeping all the patrons well-watered and Vallarta's reputation for gorgeous sunsets was upheld as that godly orange disk attempted to upstage the dancers. It was a spectacular sight and I felt fortunate to be apart of the gathering once again.

What? No Beach Vendors?

2008-03-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

Everyone has been to the beaches of Vallarta and been disturbed time and time again by the steady stream of beach vendors asking you for the twentieth time, "You want braids?" or "silver?" or a picture with an iguana, but nobody is asking if you want to be left alone! It can get annoying, to say the least. There is salvation however and it's not too far away. Just a short drive down the Mismaloya highway is "Playa Conchas Chinas" and there you will find respite from most interruptions. It's a small beach but very few of the vendors from "Playa Los Muertos" will make the hike so you can actually read a chapter or two of your book or take a brief siesta. Depending on the conditions of the water you can snorkel, kayak or just listen to the waves. The day we went, we were lucky to see a couple of whales jumping not too far offshore--what a treat! If you want to drive to this special beach, take a right on Calle Sagitarius off the main road and head down the steep cobblestone drive. Rest and relaxation is still possible!

Sunday Morning Along the Malecon

2008-03-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

One of the nicest things to do here in Vallarta on a Sunday morning is to get up and go for a long walk. After many forays over the years, I would suggest the following itinerary: First of all, get going earylish, say 8:30 am and park your car in front of the Sheraton Hotel since this is a good starting point and there's always lots of space. (Sunday is a great day since there's very little traffic and a clamer atmosphere in which to get into your groove. )

Once you get to the Buenaventura Hotel, take a right and head to the beach where you will pretty much have the sand and the sea to yourself. Stay on the beach as long as possible and eventually you will get to the fabulous sand sculptures right downtown. That's when you will have to return to the Malecon as the beach becomes insurpassable. Keep walking towards the Olas Altas are along the newer stretch of the Malecon and enjoy all the new sculptures such as the Merman and the dancing couple. I get a coffee to go right at the corner facing Parque Lazaro Cardenas and then make my way to Basillio Badillo where I hang left and head to "Johnny's Diner" for breakfast; they have the best omlettes and hash browns in town. I recommend the Mediterranean omlette with fresh basil, tomatoes and feta. It's really delicious and the gal in the kitchen knows what she's doing!

Enjoying a T.G. at Fajita Banana

2008-01-18T05:12:00.000-08:00

The best fajitas with the nicest view are in the Marina overlooking the fancy yachts. It's a fave Friday hang-out for the English dept. since they offer a discount for locals and it's easily accessible from the school. It's a casual spot with good tunes, big screen events and friendly waiters. Then there is a wide selection of food items to choose from but our preference leans towards those flaming-hot fajitas served at your table in a cast iron fry pan accompanied by lots of toppings. They make a good taco salad and the ribs on the bbq aren't too shabby either. If you are craving those tex-mex flavors, then this is a great option.

A Toxic Brew Comes A Long Way.

2008-01-17T06:28:00.000-08:00

Back in the 80's, to get a decent cup of cafe in this former pueblo, one had to look long and hard. For a coffee producing country it was one of those sad ironies that every establishment in Vallarta and environs served instant Nescafe and badly! (The good coffee was apparently all being exported.) You would generally be served a plastic tea cup filled with tepid water in which the granules would barely dissolve. There would be some condensed milk on the table and refined sugar to add to the toxic brew. The granules would float on top and the whole mess would be swallowed with a grimace and you would pay for this experience! The other option was to make your way across town to the "gringo" grocery store, "Gutierrez Rizo's" and purchase some whole beans. I still remember the wonderful smell of that kilo paper bag and how I hustled it under my arm like so much gold; the only hassle was the inconvenient location.

Fortunately times have changed and there are a plethora of new coffee serving establishments around town. The one I'm most interested in is across from The American School since it's easily accesible and affordable. It's called "The Coffee House"and they aim to please. They even have a little system where they punch your card and after eight coffees, you get one free. Anyway, it's located in the Plaza Marina and they are open from 6:30 am so you can be sure to get a steaming cup of Joe before you start work. Sometimes it's the small things in life that make all the difference.

Burger Bonanza!

2008-01-15T14:36:00.000-08:00

If you want to tie the feed bag on and watch some sports without feeling the hit on your wallet then I recommend a little spot in the hood called "Vacas Grill." It's an appropriate name for a place that specializes in grilled cow's meat and they defy you to find a better burger. The one we tried was so big it couldn't be picked up all in one piece. If you want something other than moo cow, they have ribs and shrimp along with a few more traditional offerings. The beer is cold and the place is casual so you can get "stuck into it" without worrying about offending fellow diners--not that you would! They have more than one giant screen to keep tabs on your fave contact sport and the service is decent. So where is this little joint? In the area known as Versalles on the corner of Lucerna and ? Well, that's half the fun isn't it? "Discovering" that gem in the rough.

Enjoying the "La Palapa" scene

2008-01-15T14:23:00.000-08:00

Seaside Restaurant "La Palapa" Wins!

2008-01-15T06:18:00.000-08:00

After so many years in Vallarta, it's never boring to gather at one of the nicest spots in Puerto Vallarta-the beachside establishment known as La Palapa. Of course it makes a difference when you are accompanied by good friends and the owner's wife who generously offers a 50% discount! The occasion was a Friday gathering to celebrate Lisa's birthday and there was no lack of fun, frivolity and beautiful scenery. La Palapa is upscale and therefore the food selections are imaginative and beautifully prepared with many seafood selections available. The ceviche is served in a coconut shell and there are crisp banana chips and fresh salsas as an accompaniment. You can also enjoy everything from Red Snapper to Tuna to Flounder. As coastal breezes waft over the table, the surf is a mere 50 yards from your table at most. This is a tropical lifestyle everyone can enjoy and worth the visit any time of year.

Sacramento Bound.

2007-11-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

Eventually our time in San Fran came to an end and we headed for Sacramento and the home of Linda and Karla. One of the great things about their house is its proximity to MORE STORES!! Target, Nordstrom's The Rack, and Ross Dress for Less are all pretty close by so we didn't even need the GPS to find them! Ha!

The deals at Nordstrom's were epic. They had the summer stuff down 50% to 75% and just to give you an example, I got a pair of Jones of New York capris that were reg. $70 for $12 and a beautiful bather that was $68 for $6.99!! Hello! The list goes on. At Target I got a few things for the girls and a nice sports bra I've been wanting and at Ross we found a few nice items for Fernando at excellent prices as well! Once we were all shopped out we hit "Le Bou" for those Vietnamese spring rolls with the peanut dipping sauce which is a fave of ours and then we went back home to chill for a bit.

Once again the evening plans were delightful! Linda's beau is a salvage diver and had given her a pantload of lobster tails. There was also a few tubs of the famous Pismo Beach clam chowder and a big slab of steak for the Char-b-que of which Karla and Linda own the Cadillac. My gall-bladder was quivering with anticipation.

Later in the evening Karla fired up her excellent metal fire-pit and got a suitable flame going. The weather was conducive to just a light sweater and so we took our libations out to the backyard while the chowder bubbled on the stove inside. Eventually the Q was ready to receive the meat and the tails and it wasn't long before we were all sitting down to a feast fit for Queens. Karla's daughter Xochitl had us laughing because she had been anticipating this dinner since the day before and her rapture over it all was pretty amusing.

The soup was served in hollowed out bread bowls and was definitely the best clam chowder I've ever tasted. The lobster tails were tender and flavourful and dipped in a bit of clarified butter just tasted like food from the gods. The whole meal was suberb and just added to the whole extravagant quality of the entire visit. I can't thank Karla and Linda enough and I just want them to know how much I appreciate their friendship. Viva California!!!!

Beach Balnket Babylon.

2007-11-23T08:31:00.000-08:00

This is the 3rd installment.

The theater we were looking for is actually located on Beach Blanket Babylon Boulevard; that's how long-running and famous the show is to San Fran. I had no idea what to expect but it was totally over-the-top entertainment as only a City like this could present.

The theater is historical and offers a really intimate setting with tables and chairs close to the actors and cute waiters wandering the aisles offering splits of champagne, wine or beer for your viewing comfort. I read the show had been in production for over 30 years and after seeing it i could see why! It¡s absolutely hilarious and I'm not going to be able to give you a great idea since taking photos was strictly prohibited, but at least I got a shot of the outside of the theater! Anywho...the premise of the show involved an adorable Snow White---who was referred to through-out the show as "Snow-Ho," "Snow-blower," and "Snow-slut," looking for her Prince and being sent to a long list of foreign destinations such as France where she met an extremely gay Louis XIV who tried in vain to explain to "Snow" why he would not be a suitable match. All the actors and actresses wore enormous wigs and/or hats and the singing was just incredible! They made Celine look like an amateur--no lie. The whole show was hilarious and included appearances by Hillary, Bill, Dick Cheany, Nancy Pelosi and many more-- (lots of hilarious rep. political jibes!) and then there was Elvis, the Beatles, Harry Potter, and the list goes on. Finally, the boys from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" decide "Snow" needs a make-over if she's ever going to find her man and when they do the big reveal she comes out looking exactly like Madonna when she wore that pink outfit with the pointy cones over her breasts and her hair in a tight pony-tail. Then she's suspended on a guy wire and starts flying all around the theater while belting out some hot new song. It was hilarious! The final number was just so incredible it pretty much defies description. Try to envision the actors all dressed as Xmas trees while the two leads come out in spectacular get-ups including headpieces at least 6 feet long. "Snow" has the City of San Fran on her head replete with an escalating skyscraper shooting upward while her "fairy godmother" had a complete Xmas scene on her head with an electric train chugging around the base of the tree. Amazing and the crowd loved it!!! It was a great finish to a wonderful night and it made me realize all the incredible diversions a City like San Fran has to offer. Major fodder for the memory bank!

Leaving A-16 after our pow wow with Pam.

2007-11-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

A-16 Yak-fest 2007

2007-11-23T07:35:00.000-08:00

This is the 2nd installment of the San Fran Glam sojourne.

Friday night was destined to be a memorable one since we had major plans in the works which included dinner at A-16, a reunion with Pam and tickets for a long-running theater production courtesy of Karla. It was over-the-top night and we were up for the ride.
We spent some quality time getting foxified and then --I've been dying to write this--hit the streets of San Francisco. Karla was Carl Malden and Linda was riding shotgun with her custom talking GPS which is truly a marvelous invention since we would surely be, well, lost without it! I was definitely along for the ride and basically kept my mouth shut-no small feat- and let the experts do the navigating.
A-16 was heaving with well-heeled 30-somethings as we rode the wave through the cacophany of conversation and clinking wine glasses to the back where we soon spied Pam looking as Pamish as ever in her stylish high-end fashions and blond coiff. There was a flurry of hugs and kisses which served to set the chinwag cogs in motion. We were off!
A-16 on Powell Street is known for its southern Italian fare so we started with salads of escarole, walnuts, olives and parmesan follwed by fabulous brick oven sausage pizzas and glasses of Merlot. Delicious! The yak-fest was proceeding beautifully when Pam stunned us all by gifting us with one of her gorgeously designed necklaces!! She just blew me away because the necklace she gifted me was one I had spied at her house last year and admired greatly for its chunks of turquoise and filigreed silver. Its truly a piece to be admired and I still can't believe she gave it to me!! Wow. Her generosity obviously knows no bounds.
Dinner wrapped up with some Blue Bottle coffee in a French press and two sublime desserts to be savoured slowly. It was a repast to remember and just reafirms what a great combination good food and good friends are.
Next stop? The Beach of course, as in Beach Blanket Babylon!

San Fran Glam!

2007-11-22T15:53:00.000-08:00

Photos from the Shopping mecca of the West Coast.

San Fran Glam!

2007-11-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

This was my second annual Christmas shopping trip to the fabulous city of San Francisco and I didn't think it could be better than last year---was I ever wrong!

First of all Linda got us the cushiest digs in the very heart of downtown--The Hotel Westin St. Francis which has all the amenities you could ever want and then some but don't move anything in the servibar since it's all computerized and the charges go direct to the bill if you even shift the M and M's!
It started with the valet parking and the plush lobby beautifully decorated with lots of glimmer and glamour in the form of beautiful people dressed in leather and fur sitting around sipping expensive wines and chatting on their iPhones and Blackberrys. We took the supersonic glass elevator to the 15th floor where we entered our den of delights and just soaked up all the excitement in the air. Just the thought of 4 days of shopping and eating was enough to cause my blood pressure to rise. Our room had a large flatscreen TV, two huge beds with Egyptian cotton sheets and down comforters all in white and a bathroom big enough to disco in with a double-headed shower with enough pressure to make it worth your while. But enough about the room!
When we walked out the revolving doors of our lobby, there was Union Square in all its glory. A guy in a cherry picker was decorating the 50 foot tall Spruce Christmas tree and there were several stately palm trees as well; rather an incongruous but delightful vision. To the right of us was Victoria's Secret, H and M, Urban outfitters, and much more. To the left was Macy's, Sak's and Bloomingdale's. Charge!!!!
The first dinner was at an exquisite Italian restaurant with a billowing fire and lots of Talavera tile and mirrors. Our waiter, Bruce, was just a hoot and full of vim and vigor, he was pretty impressed when after introducing the special, Baramundi, I guessed it was a fish from Australia. He asked me how I new that because it was sooo new to the City and I told him becuase I skinned more than a few down under which got his attention! Anyway, Karla and I both had the fetuccine with Dungeness crab since it was the start of crab season. Divine is an understatement. It was nirvana and the flavours just so right with the lemon peel and whatever else was in the sauce. It was to be the first of some VERY memorable meals!
All Friday was dedicated to shopping and it was incredible! We hit the discount and clearance racks since most of the stuff they were clearing was appropriate summer shoes and clothing for Vallarta. It was 75% off in some cases and we kept saying, "almost free today!" It got to the point where we actually had to go back to the hotel to unload and recoup from the shopping fun. That doesn't happen very often! Anyway, we literally shopped til we dropped and then it was relax, enjoy a cocktail in our ever so comfy room and then shower and glam up for dinner at A-16. I'll have to save that all for the next blog. Too much fun!

Sunset in September.

2007-09-29T14:42:00.000-07:00

Even though September is hot, humid, rainy and shy on business for people living here, the sunsets are just as spectacular as any other time of year. The sun sets right in the middle of the Bay and viewing is easily done from your favourite beachside eatery. Aside from waiting for the sun to put on a show, there's always soemthing going on out on the water and yesterday was no exception. We saw baby mantarays jumping, and a bit later a super fine yacht cruised passed. Then, the well known Marigalante "pirate ship" could be seen drifting towards the horizon which is always an enjoyable sight. There were people swimming, kids playing in the sand and lovers strolling. Sitting at the edge of the sea is therapy for a slow September afternoon.

The Barracuda Addiction.

2007-09-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

It's clear I can't get enough of "El Barracuda" and therefore, I invited some gal pals to join me yesterday for a Tuesday lunch and gab session since one of our friends is down from Canada.

Everyone knows how hot it is here in September but clients at this seaside establishment will only sweat from the habanera chiles. The steady coastal breezes keep the humidity at bay and the worst thing that can happen is a rearrangement of your carefully coiffed bouffant. As usual, our server, Jorge, was on top of his game and kept us all well supplied. During our gathering we enjoyed a cocktail known as a "Pinky" which includes a splash of cranberry juice, some soda water, a generous pour of vodka and a slice of lime. It's a perfect "ladies" afternoon selection. We accompanied our cocktails with orders of the tempura shrimp tacos, and once again the selection of salsas made the grade. ( I would venture to say the chipotle sauce is my fave.)

The music was hip and unobtrusive, the vibe conducive to great conversation and I think it's just a super little escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. I won't be surprised if the TG teacher gang want to return this Friday.

More Barracuda.

2007-09-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed the El Barracuda experience so much on Friday afternoon that I decided to take my husband on Saturday. We decided to get there in time for sunset and we weren't disappointed as the sun performed directly West of our table, smack in the middle of the Bay. I could attach pictures of the sunset but I'm sure you're more interested in the food. Hubby ordered a "Sarten" of Garlic shrimp which came to the table in a sizziling metal fry pan along with an order of warm garlic bread to soak up the juices. We also ordered their generous shrimp burrito which was such a hit the day before. Excellent! It's interesting to note that the evening menu is different than the day time and has Arrachera/shrimp combos along with a number of shrimp dishes, all of which sound wonderful. Since I love to cook, my husband is something of a tough customer but I'm happy to report he gave his food a thumbs up which means we can go back. Hopefully it will become a regular hang-out for locals and visitors alike as it deserves the kudos it receives. I recommend you try it soon!

El Barracuda Bites the Teachers!

2007-09-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

I don't think yesterday's TG could have been more enjoyable! We had the coastal breezes, great views, fun people and delicious food. Oh, and need I mention cold beer? This little restaurant overlooking the water has the right ingredients for a fantastic afternoon/evening and the friendly service and fresh shrimp burritos/tacos made it so worthwhile. It's billed as "casual fresh" and that's exactly what it is. It's the ideal place to chill with friends, eat, drink and be merry--very merry! We all had such a good time yesterday I know we'll be back.

If you're interested in checking it out, it's next to the Buenaventura hotel at 1290 Paraguay. There was lots of parking and you can't really have a bad seat. Their specialty is seafood tacos and some of the offerings include garlic shrimp, baja shrimp, smoked marlin and roasted pork loin in a pibil sauce. Speaking of sauces, one of the best features is the selection of savory sauces they serve with each order. There was everything from a mild chipotle sauce to a fiery Habanera which we loved! Wash it all down with a frosty Negro Modelo and you are in business!! It's open from 1:30 to 10:00 pm every day except Monday. I think you won't be disappointed.

Dinner and Kareoke?

2007-09-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was packed with fun activities and beat the heat options for the rainy month of September. It started off at Xitomates at their new location a block up from Las Palomas. This is a stellar place to have a nice dinner with good friends or a significant other. It's wonderfully appointed with mood lighting, quality air-conditioners and exquisite decor. The service, menu selections and food are all excellent and worth the slightly higher prices. I can recommend the coconut shrimp appetizer and the seafood linguini main heartily as both were delicious and beautifully presented. If you want a sinful dessert try the chocolate mousse and go directly to heaven! Fantastique!!

Maybe your ready for some action after a sedate dinner? Try La Regadera (Kareoke bar) even if you don't want to get up and sing. It's across the street from Xitomates and offers quite an entertaining selection of "wannabes" crooning every kind of song possible. It ranges from the truly horrible to the odd unexpected talent but you can be assured it's never dull. They offer both English and Spanish song slections and since the stage is designed like a giant shower, with a lot of imagination, you can feel right at home singing your fave tunes. It's a popular place and stays open late so you can get your yah yahs out.

"Jeramiah was a bullfrog..."

Breakfast Cheapy.

2007-09-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows this blog knows I like to write about restaurants and food in general. My daughters had been telling me about a cheap place to go for breakfast and I finally got around to trying it out. The place is called "Confetti" and it's located on Calle Hamburgo in Versalles right next to the establishment known as "Bill's Place" and around the corner from Tarantino's Pizza.

The place is clean and spacious with comfortable wooden furniture and plenty of fans to keep the humidity at bay. The service is friendly and fast and the offerings very tasty especially once you consider the price! A heaping plate of chilaquiles in red or green sauce will only set you back $25 pesos and some really savory huevos rancheros are $32 pesos and come with a basket of hand patted tortillas frijoles and avacado slices. They also offer a comida corrida until 5:00, but I haven't tried that yet.

It's worth checking the place out if you're on a budget and even if you're not, it's an enjoyable place to spend some time on a Saturday morning. Cheers!

A Humid August Night on the Town.

2007-09-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

There's a newish establisment called "Tabu" on the highway heading south which is actually the latest reincarnation of a place that used to be known as "The Tree House" and was run by a friend of ours called Nacho Vega back in the late 80's. Anyway, the place has the same great view but the furnishings are much nicer and there's a nice little menu of salads and pastas. We gathered there last night for cocktails and enjoyed the trasformation. It's also a great place to see sunsets since it's perched high enough for a great view and friend Jenny took quite a spectacular shot of the darkening sky meeting the horizon. Apple maritinis and bruschetta with goats' cheese were in generous supply.

Then we headed to Archie's Wok for dinner but that didn't pan out at all since the place was loaded to the hilt, boiling hot and required at least a 20 minute wait. We were all out on the sidewalk dripping sweat in our nice outfits and finally decided we'd had enough of that action. We headed to the air-conditioned Cafe Maximilian and almost kissed the owner with appreciation for his climatically optimal diningroom; a veritable oasis in a desert of humidity. Now, let's really start enjoying ourselves! The appertizers we had ranged from crab cakes and onion soup to foie gras. Mains included veal, lamb and beef and in the Maximilian tradition, it was all superbly prepared and delightful to look at. The flavours were outstanding and because we were celebrating a birthday, they brought us a comp. dessert which consisted of a molten flourless chocolate cake and a refreshingly light mint ice cream. Fantastique!

So, after plenty of conversation, laughter and boisterousness we headed for the Club Roxy's. We arrived a few minutes before the band was about to start a set so our timing was good and they've added a new pool table on the upper level which is a good touch. We were expecting "Red, Red, Wine" but instead got Jimi Hendrix and Led Zepplen with some Creedence thrown in for good measure. It wasn't exactly dancing music but it was definitely air guitar and drum solo worthy. I have to say when he broke into Zepplin's "Whole Lotta Love" I was transported into the rec room of a teenage friend's house which was a rather vivid experience. It's spooky how certain music can do that. The lead singer had to be in his late 20's, was wearing a pair of acid wash skin tight jeans, no shirt and a leather vest. His voice sounded not unlike Dan Fogerty but he also ripped out the other leads equally well. Turns out he's from Torino, Italy. Who would have thunk it? Anyway, Jenny was at it with the camera so maybe she got a shot or two that can be shared at a later date if she gets to uploading them soon. It was a really good time and I'm not even paying for it too badly, which is a very good thing.

A Great Mexican Breakfast Option.

2007-08-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

You might not be overly familiar with the breakfast offerings in Vallarta but I do have a suggestion that should satisfy most. My husband and I just came from a delicious repast combined with excellent sevice and a great view. Where? At the long established spot known as Las Palomas on the Malecon. My husband has been eating here for over 30 years so you might say it's tried and tested and then some. Here's why we like it so much:

The decor is truly Mexican with stucco walls, lots of ceramics, beautiful paintings and equipal furniture that squeaks with comfort.

The views are relaxing since you can look out at the ocean, the passing boats and an interesting array of pedestrians as you sip your fresh grapefruit juice.

The food is GOOD. They really do specialize in Mexican food so my husband was very pleased with his chicharrones in salsa verde accompanied by hand patted tortillas and a couple of fresh salsas. The truth is, there are not many places with a woman on tortilla duty as most restaurants are giving you the factory made tortilla and there is a BIG difference. One of my faves are the huevos Rancheros. Try them.

As an added bonus, they actually had live music this morning! Two chaps on Marimba and they were far enough away to be pleasant and didn't overpower our conversation.

So, if you are looking for a special breakfast on a Sunday, take a trip to Las Palomas, grab one of their comp. newspapers, order up a jugo natural and mellow out with the ocean view. I think you'll be very satisfied with the experience.

Dusting Off

2007-08-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

Hi!

If you are reading this, you are probably wondering why I haven't been keeping this blog up. The truth is, I've been working on another travel blog since we just spent a month in Ecuador. Anyone interested in travelling to this fascinating little country can check out our reports and photos at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/ruesgini/ We sure did have a great time!

Anyway, since I'm back at work after a fantastic summer off, I will be making an attempt to keep the burrito burning! There's almost always something going on, so check in from time to time to see what's happening.

Ciao!

Andrea

Choco-Banana and Jumping Ship.

2007-04-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

Although I've been in Vallarta for many years, there always seems to be something new to try as was the case last night when a group of us hit a spot called "Banana Cantina."

"Banana Cantina" is located above the old "Choco-Banana" location just up the street from La Palapa. It's a hip little spot with some interesting decor and a really tasty menu of offerings including a variety of original salads and some fabulous looking coconut shrimp. It's a good place to check out if you're looking for something comfortable and not too pricey. The place has somewhat of an interesting history and my husband and I play a small role in that history.

Many, many years ago a woman jumped ship here in Puerto Vallarta. I can't remember her name but she was a crew member aboard the Cruise Ship "Canaval" originally from England and she was just having so much fun on the weekly calls to this destination that she decided to ignore the boarding call. Shortly after jumping ship she developed an enterprising idea in an effort to provide an income for herself. She was soon seen all over town with a cooler over her shoulder going from business to business offering her homemade chocolate covered frozen bananas. Well, at the time I recall Vallarta hadn't seen anything like her or her product so her fame grew quickly. One day we were driving by and she asked us for a ride and we obliged. She had been at our ranch a few times to party and ride the horses so we knew her story. Well, that sidewalk business grew into a fixed restaurant called "Choco-Banana"which still operates and I heard she eventually sold that business for a pretty penny to as American couple and the new owners opened up the more expansive sit-down eatery above the original.
That's the history of Choco-Banana/Banana Cantina here in Vallarta.

Doing The Full Frida.

2007-04-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

My parents are down visitng from Canada and they brought me a copy of the Toronto newspaper. As I fondly remembered, it's chock-a-block full of good stuff, but one article in particular was quite entertaining. It talks about Mexico as a haven for the geriatric set seeking to re-juvenate their lives and says: "San Miguel is full of menopausal women who dress in a style known as the full Frida, which features colorful peasant dress, giant hunks of turquoise jewelry and long hair braided down the back." Reading that article had me recalling my own "full Frida" phase quite a few years ago and I even taught many a class at my school dressed in a variety of hand-embroidered huipils from Chiapas, a long, full white cotton skirt and some leather sandals. No doubt I was wearing my silver bracelets and probably a piece of turquoise or two and I might still have been smoking, a la Frida, to boot. Because I did it, I can understand the appeal for these women in San Miguel and other parts of Mexico. It comes from a deep-seated admiration for the simple nobility of so many of the indigenous peoples of this country. The incredibly rich color and design of their clothing is in direct contrast to their economic situation and once you have travelled around the country, this becomes so apparent. Take the Tarahumara of Chihuahua or the Huicholes of Jalisco and you can't help but admire their culture and that's just to name a couple of the many incredible groups exisitng in huts, caves, casitas and mountains all over the country. One of the best parts of visiting places like San Cristobal de las Casas is seeing the various indigenous groups at the local market and being so amazed by the beauty of their textiles. Since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it is understandable that many North Americans would want to lose the crass, mass produced polyester of their past ( how's that for alliteration?) and embrace the fabulous and ancient custom of these hand-embroidered huipils where no two are exactly alike. Frida did it most certainly because she was an artist and could well appreciate the beauty of the clothing and many, many more women have followed the trend. Then there is the whole practicality issue of wearing loose cotton in tropical heat. One soon learns that non-breathable fabrics cause sweating and unsightly rashes and that a nice loose skirt is ideal for allowing the curative breezes to blow. So, the next time you see a Gringa dressed as Frida you will understand that she is simply making a clear statement about her love for the uniqueness that is Mexico, menopausal or not.

Tapas and Fireworks.

2007-03-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you looking for a great dining spot you should consider Barcelona Tapas which is located downtown just about a block up from Woolworth's. We went for dinner last night and the place was happening!

Barcelona Tapas has what discerning diners look for: a great view, fantastic food and great service and they aren't even paying me to write this! If you can manage the "huff" up the many, many stairs to get there, you will be glad you are in shape to do it. They also have a no smoking policy during dinner, so if you are put off by that, it's probably not the place for you. (My husband was asked to "butt out" and he respected that.) Anyway, there is a huge list of tapas which are small plates of food designed for 2 or 3 people so you can have a nice variety. Some of the delicious possibilities include bacon wrapped dates, baked goats' cheese in a tomato sauce, 3 types of 'shrooms in a devine sauce with bits of chistoro, sizzling garlic shrimp and skewers of delicious arrachera beef. We also ordered some spicy baby potatoes and it was all so good, hot and tasty although we were fairly stuffed when it was all said and done.

The side bonus is the show of fireworks during dinner. Due to the location of the diningroom, diners have a fantastic view of the bay and night sky and all the fireworks from a variety of hotels and the pirate ship as well. It makes for a nice added extra.

Cuates y Cuetes and the Spring Equinox/07

2007-03-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we found ourselves ring-side for a spectacular show. It was the annual Spring Equinox concert at Los Muertos beach by the pier and although the place was just jammin', our good friends managed to hold us a couple of seats since we arrived later than expected. What a view we had! We were front and center, so we had the whole cavalcade of characters walking past, the stage, the beach and another delux sunset to savor. It was a tropical extravaganza in front of a navy blue ocean with good friends and everyone present was in great spirits (in more ways than one.)

Just to give you an idea of how great the people watching was, this is a small sample of the circus: At any given moment you could look up and see Santiago from The Old Man and the Sea, a handsome pseudo pirate, a ZZ Top wannabe, a shipwreck victim, hosers, a "model," a tatooed hippy, a "Pat," a tranny, lots of girls in skimpy tops and plenty of tanned body parts. Once the music started-- an eight piece salsa band--random couples just started dancing right there on the walkway and everyone was feeling the love along with the margaritas or Cubas. So, following the Salsa band, a Canadian Rock group took the stage and they were rockin' it with Chuck Berry's "Suzie-Q". Somewhere between the salsa and the rock was the pre-hispanic dancers. Several men and women dressed in Aztec outfits replete with large feather head-dresses performed a "cleansing" ceremony that involved lots of smoky incense. It was an entertaining juxtaposition to see an Aztec smoking down a Hoser. At one point some newbys arrived and stood right in our viewing area so we had to resort to hucking limes at their backs when they wouldn't respond to "down in front!" Eventually they moved on after a few "limonazos." Heh, heh. Well, safe to say it was a heck of a time and since we had to work the next day we left our vacationing friends and made our way home at a relatively decent hour. We will certainly look forward to our next equinox down by the pier.

Gone Blogabout.

2007-03-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

In true Aussie form, I went walkabout on my Blog but after seeing and doing and having an assortment of adventures, I'm back on the job. Did you miss me? Hope so!

I will make an attempt to report more faithfully to those out there who care about what's going on here in Vallarta. This town is BOOMING and it would truly amaze someone who hasn't been here in awhile to see what changes are taking place. Yesterday as I carved a route along the highway, I was amazed to see the development progressing where the Cruise ships arrive. The pier has been greatly expanded to accommodate even more passenger ships, and across the highway there is an enormous structure rising amidst the dust which I'm told will be Liverpool, one of the mega department stores found in large Mexican cities. There are at least 3 new plazas/parks with underground parking facilities, a new extension of the malecon, new highrise condos and the list goes on with development after development; sort of like Vallarta on steroids. There will be many new places to write about in the near future, so stay tuned if you want an idea of what's shakin' in the ever-changing, fast paced former fishing village.

What Does That Say?

2007-01-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

Reading signs and menus that are poorly translated is an amusing passtime here in Vallarta. I thought I'd seen some of the best until I read these:

In a Bucharest Hotel Lobby:
The lift is being fixed for the nest day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable.

In a Yugoslavian Hotel:
The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid.

In a Japanese Hotel:
You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.

In an Austrian Hotel catering to skiiers:
Not to preambulate the corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension.

On the menu of a Polish Hotel:
Salad a firm's own make; limpid red beet soup with cheesy dumplings in the form of a finger; roasted duck let loose; beef rashers beaten up in the country people's fashion.

Outside a Hong Kong Dress shop:
Ladies have fits upstairs.

In a Zurich Hotel:
Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this purpose.

Hunting the Healthy Stuff

2006-12-29T11:24:00.000-08:00

For a change of pace, I parked the car in the underground parking lot at Mega Commercial (lots of room!) and hoofed it downtown to my fave bulk food/health store as I am back at it once again with the low carb/healthier eating. (At this time of year, I actually think it's faster to walk than to drive since the main drag was pretty congested!) It's interesting to note they have a good supply of dried cranberries which are excellent for your health and do really well in banana bread or bran muffins and come to life nicely with a bit of boiling water and a packet of Splenda for a side dish with poultry--hubby loves then heaped on top of his mashed potatoes. Anyway, I got some cranberries and then I found a bag of flax seed for the Omega-3 factor and this bag is mixed with Nopal cactus for extra benefits. Next on the goody list of favourable items was a jar of 100% natural peanut butter which I enjoy on grainy toast and I also found a small container of peanut oil which is good to cook certain dishes with, especially Indian or Thai food. Just as I was wrapping up my little shop, I found a big container of pecans in the shell which the Mexicans call "nuez" although nuez are technically walnuts. I asked the girl how they crack open the pecans and she simply grabbed two in her hand and squeezed them against each other. Voila! I do possess a nut cracker and during the holidays I've been enjoying REAL walnuts from the shell. Now I have some pecans to throw in the mix. Anyway, this store full of goodies is located just south of Ley on the same side of the road and worth a visit if you're hunting for something healthy, holistic, unusual or exotic.

Take a Lude!

2006-12-28T11:06:00.000-08:00

Here's what happens if you go to the Commercial Mexicana during Christmas Vacay in the Marina. First of all, you will spend long minutes circulating the parking lot looking for a space to park the car and maybe you'll find one miles from the actual store. Then you will have to arm wrestle another person for a shopping cart and when you finally get one, the "fun" truly begins and here's why: All the shopping aisles are narrowed, blocked or otherwise littered with merchandise and WAY too narrow for the passage of more than one cart; in fact you have to squeeze through slowly and you may or may not knock something off the shelf as you do. Then there's the bumper car scenario which happens when ignorant shopper person leaves their cart in the middle of the aisle and makes any kind of passage impossible. After a few of those, you just bumper car them out of the way out of sheer frustration with the stupidity of it all. Then there's the young workers unloading merchandise in EVERY aisle during peak shopping hours and in the case of today, causing an honest to goodness log jam of shopping carts in which the only solution was a U turn and an attempt at another congested aisle. The Pharmacy inside the store is not to be believed! An old Gringa with her pills not sure if it's the Mexican equivalent and the 18 yr. old behind the counter cooly eyeballs the mounting line of customers and proceeds to haul out a 2,000 page medical dictionary and begin to slowly flip the tissue thin pages. Later for that! In the juice aisle there were only 3 cartons of orange juice left and they were on the highest shelf at the back and one needed a step ladder to get to them, or a pogo stick or a store assistant (not to be found for the price of gold) so shoppers are left to their own creativity. Meanwhile, an entire family of 10 is shopping en masse and want to pass by. It's a living, breathing circus and I warn you to not attempt it unless heavily sedated or drunk.

Live Lobster and Chocolate Chips.

2006-12-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

Well, I've just come from a shopping excursion at the ultra new Soriana grocery store and must admit it's a pleasant surprise! The layout is very modern and the produce beautiful. There are fresh flowers, good chocolate, a wonderful bakery full of rustic breads of all varieties, fantastic cakes and desserts and even an aquarium with live lobsters. How very first world. The place is spotless and the service friendly and it made shopping for groceries quite enjoyable and a far cry from the old days when you had to push the rotten veggies away in order to find something semi-edible, or go to the tupper ware section to get coffee filters (??) or my fave foray for a sports bra when the sales girls paused from their chisme to tell me, "no son brasiels, son tops!" and quickly went back to their chisme. Yes, it appears those days are becoming fewer and fewer which is a good thing although I 'm not convinced all these super stores can find enough business since there are so many in a small area, but time will tell. Anyway, that's the low down on the new Soriana from my perspective. It's definitely worth a visit or two although no one will top the convenience of the good old Commer Mex.

Now That the Weather Has Changed...

2006-12-13T12:59:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year I enjoy the most in Puerto Vallarta. Everything is lush and green thanks to several long weeks of rain and humidity. Now the City has been scrubbed clean and the mountains are shining in their coats of emerald green. The rivers are flowing, the ocean is cool and unsullied and the morning/evening air nothing short of invigorating. We have the BBQ working once again and jogging or riding a bike is a pleasurable option instead of a chore. This is the time of year when the Christmas decorations go up on homes and inside the hotels, there are posadas and parades, songs and celebration and an definite air of excitement as we head into the Christmas holidays. Some people make plans to fly out while many more are making plans to fly in, but we are staying put this year anxiously awaiting the return of our eldest daughter who has been living and going to school in Montreal for the past four months. Our tree is up and decorated, the stockings are hung, there are a few gifts under the tree and plenty of plans to be with family and friends. 'Tis the season to be jolly for sure!

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee.

2006-12-08T06:44:00.000-08:00

From few options to many, the coffee consumer world here has grown to several options and it is nice to have more choices than we used to.
The organization known as "Organic Select" will deliver beans from the mountain finca of San Sebastian with your weekly order, which I've tried and like. There's "The Coffee Cup" which is located in the Plaza Marina and they have a tasty variety of good coffee, plus they offer teacher discounts which is a bonus we certainly appreciate. Yesterday the Starbuck's promo truck paid our school a visit and got the entire student body jacked on java for the afternoon, which wasn't ideal for teaching, to say the least! Anyway, there's a Starbuck's next to the school in the airport as another coffee option. Good news for coffee lovers young and old!

Times in Vallarta are a Changin'!

2006-11-24T11:13:00.000-08:00

So, they've opened up Vallarta's first Starbuck's in the airport which happens to be about a 20 minute walk from where I live in The Marina. As I stepped out this morning into that great November air, I decided to hoof it towards the airport and check out the scene. Well, the new addition to the airport for departures is large and impressive and people who haven't been here for awhile will certainly notice a change! Then, as I glided up the new escalator and passed the new Carl's Jr. (there are now 3 in Vallarta!) I began to see people walking past clutching coffee cups with the familiar insignia. Sure enough, there at the end of the second floor sits our first Starbuck's ever. (I've heard there are at least 2 more opening within the next while...) I bought a "grande" and a bag of beans from Kenya and had a short chat with the manager who is busy hiring new staff. It's exactly the same Starbuck's as you'd find in any town or city back home and the coffee tasted good, although now that I have a new Krups machine and some good bean, my own coffee is pretty tasty! Anyway, for better or worse, the mega chains are here and more will come. Every day Vallarta gets busier, flashier, and more expensive. Will it eventually be the next Acapulco? Let's hope not.

"Once Upon a Bean"

2006-11-14T05:58:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of spreading news about a good thing, I came across a place in the Marina Monday evening as I was out doing my exercise. It's called "Once Upon a Bean" and it's a few locales down from the popular Cafe Tacuba or Victor's Place. This new spot is a combination coffee shop, book exchange and internet cafe. The menu features a wide variety of sandwiches panini style, on focaccia or chapata with yummy fillings. They also have that hard to find Cobb salad that I like and of course, the ubiquitous Ceasar salad. It's owned by a Canadian woman from Vancouver and it appears she's done a bang-up job with the place since it features lots of books, computers and a nice ambience in which to sit, sip a coffee and communicate with the outside world. I'm quite sure she'll find "Once Upon a Bean" to be a great success and if you're in the "hood" you should check it out. Open 8:30 am-9:00 pm Sundays open until 3:00. Buen provecho!

Lake Tahoe/Final Day

2006-11-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

I couldn't believe how lucky we were to awake to a beautiful Saturday morning, my last full day in California. I had all my shopping done so a road trip up to Tahoe was a total bonus! Karla fired up her custom Saturn, we opened the sun-roof and off we went on our big adventure. The scenery was extra spectacular thanks to the brilliant fall leaves in hues of red, orange and yellow contrasted against the clear blue sky. We threw on some good road tunes and the trip morphed into a memorable experience for me, since this was all new territiory and I was loving it!
We broke our journey in a quaint and historical town known as Placerville (formerly known as Hangtown.) Karla knew of a popular spot for excellent home style breakys and she wasn't wrong. "Sweetie-Pies" is an old Victorian home built in 1865 that this couple has refurbished and opened as one of those places where locals gather for good food and conversation. As we waited to be seated we were handed a coffee mug and told to "help ourselves" to a cup of coffee from the two large coffee machines in the diningroom. We soon learned it's a bottomless cup and the general rule is just to keep helping yourself. Well, we did and it wasn't long before we were seated and offered the menu. The selection was nothing short of mouth watering! The house special is a four egg omlette with asparagus spears wrapped in smoked turkey and drizzled with Hollandaise sauce! Since I didn't want to send my gall bladder into conniptions I opted for the lighter fare of three scrambled eggs with melted Cheddar, home fries and a combo of sausage and bacon. Ha! Seriously, it was large enough to feed 3 people but I put a fair dent in it and enjoyed every bite! Especially the home made whole wheat toast with butter and marmalade washed down with good, strong coffee. Bwap! Let's git on the road, lil' doggie! More to come....

Shopping 101

2006-11-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

My introduction to shopping 101 truly got underway in Sacramento. My friend Karla is the queen of shopping and knows where all the deals are (she used to work at Nordstom's) and since it was sort of a pre-Christmas season, I was on a mission to fulfill the wish lists of my family, with the odd thing thrown in for myself. Well, I remember starting at the huge TARGET store earylish in the morning and was just amazed at the selection and the prices!! No wonder so many people talk about what a great deal it is. Just the selection of Christmas baubles was incredible and there were sections of the store we never even perused. It was overwhelming, but in a good way and I think I got a great selection of gifts without doing too much damage to my wallet. I would definitely go there again! I also got to understand how people can easily max out their credit cards since it's easy to enter a state of shopping frenzy thanks to the sheer cornucopia of goodies and the ridiculously low prices!

Another store we visited in the area was Nordstrom's Rack which I learned is designer clothing and merchandise at bargain prices. We had such a great time at the sales racks pulling out all sorts of surprising deals and there were plenty of other ladies doing the same. The selection of stuff boggled the mind!

Another GREAT store is Ross (dress for less) I believe it's called and this place was chock-a-block full of deals. Man oh man, I hardly knew where to begin. All I can say is that we spent a good amount of time and found some excellent bargoons!! By the end of the day, I had pretty well covered everything on my list and I still had another day to go, so Karla suggested a drive up to Lake Tahoe and we both kept our fingers crossed that the weather would cooperate. Boy, were we ever lucky when we woke up on Saturday morning to a blue sky and plenty of sunshine! Road trip!!

Shop, Drop and Woofin' at the Wharf.

2006-11-07T18:08:00.000-08:00

The shopping selection in San Fran was nothing short of epic! The stores were a feast for weary eyes and there is a dazzling array of merchandise all beautifully displayed. I'm used to perusing a selection of stained and hideously colored cotton T's at The Commer, Gigante and Chez Wooly's (which can be positively depressing at times). It was the equivalent of leaving a dry, boring desert and finding a sumptuous oasis! I think I was salavating! We hit Victoria's Secret, Nordstrom's and a tri-level store known as "Forever 21" before heading down to a fabulous food court where I bought some chocolate covered espresso beans and a beverage before hitting another level-energize! Once we were shopped out and more than ready to tie on the feed bag, we headed to Fisherman's Wharf and scarfed down shrimp, clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls, crab meat dipped in seafood sauce with fresh lemon and some calamari all purchased from the stands. Yum-o! Then it was back to Pam's for a vehicle switch as we were bound for Karla's pad in Sacramento and of course more shopping! Karla used to work at Nordstrom's so she is in the know about the best discounts and I was only too happy to follow her knowledgable lead. We both vowed to return to Pam's ultra cozy digs in the future which I think will be sooner for Karla based on logistics.

San Fran./Day 1-Hunting the Blue.

2006-11-07T06:03:00.000-08:00

Day one in San Fran was designated for shopping and finding the supremely delicious coffee we had savored the night before at the restaurant. Pam led us first to a breakfast spot in her hood called "The Barefoot Cafe" where we fortified ourselves with a generous breakfast of eggs Benedict before heading into downtown San Francisco. It was rainy and cool but I didn't mind because we would be inside stores most of the time anyway.

Finding the "Blue Bottle Coffee Co." turned out to be a bit of an adventure since they only have a small kiosk on a laneway called Linden St. Luckily Pam knows her way around the City and eventually we found a parking space in the vicinity of Linden. A few moments after leaving her vehicle, we were pleasantly assualted by the distinct aroma of brewing coffee. Delightful! There, on a small side street was a gathering of young, local city goers lining up for their morning shot of the dark nectar. We told one of the guys behind the counter about our fabulous coffee at "A-16" the night before and he immediately disclosed the special blend: half Ethiopian and half Chiapan beans, freshly ground. I noticed an informative brochure on the rustic counter, so I read a bit while I waited to make my purchase. The descriptions are so entertaining, I thought I would share a couple with you. This is what they report about their coffee from Chiapas: "More important than any implausible grasping for adjectives, is that this is an excellent food coffee - a bacon and eggs coffee. Big bowls of chilaquiles, stacks of pancakes, buttered brioche: the Chiapas is a lovely companion to almost all conceivable breakfast foods. Takes milk well. Stalwart black. Invite some friends over, make waffles and drink some coffee. Lots of coffee." This is what they write about their 100% Yemen beans: "This is an intoxicating coffee that produces a huge aroma, and, at this medium-to-dark roast level, it is one of the few single-origin coffees that makes an excellent shot of espresso. Lovers of clean, snappy Costa Ricans or Columbians might consider drinking a cup of Yemen uncomfortably similar to being picked up by the lapels, shaken, then tossed into a grimy Manhattan snow bank. But for some of us, this is the most complex and desirable cup in town." I'd like to meet the person who wrote the descriptors! I made my Ethiopian/Chiapan blend this morning for the second day in a row and I have to say it is by far the best java I've ever experienced. So, if you are heading to San Fran, you'll find the "Blue Bottle Coffee" kiosk at 315 Linden St. and they told us they do ship coffee within the U.S. so their phone number is 510.653.3394 or bluebottlecoffee.net Can you tell I'm a fan?

San Fran./ First Night.

2006-11-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

All good things must come to an end and such was the case with my wonderful trip to San Francisco which may just become an annual since I enjoyed it so much! What follows is an account of my trip but told in installments since we did so much, it would fill a small book!

It was just a four-day weekend but it turned into something extra special when I got the go-ahead for a trip to a city I had only visited once and only on a astop-over which doesn't count. I got off my direct flight to be greeted by two old pals both of whom used to live in Vallarta and our memories go waaaay back to the mid-80's, so it was bound to be a good visit. A truer word was never spoken!

Pam and Karla met me at SFO airport and we immediatley headed into the hills of the City for a beverage and dinner. As we were driving towards our destined dining spot, Pam swung over to the famous Lombard street and we barely fit its tight, steep curves in her giant GMC, but we did manage to make the descent without a hitch--cool street! Then it was into a random bar for a cocktail since we were early for our dinner reservation. After some catching up and lots of laughs, we sauntered into the happening environment of "A16" on Chestnut Street. The place was bustling and we felt lucky to have a reservation! Before long we had steaming plates of fabulous pasta, thin crust sausage pizza and the best arugula salad I've ever tasted. It contained walnuts, figs, some olive oil and parmesan shavings. The olive oil dressing just made it taste so fresh it was insane. Well, the dinner was topped off by the best coffee I've ever tasted which was served in a heavy silver French press. We obtained the info needed to track down the coffee and made it a mandatory expedition for the following day. The whole meal was just stellar and I would recommend the place heartily to anyone visiting the city. Then it was off to Pam's crib in Fairfax which involved my first trip across the Golden Gate bridge. Exciting!
Pam's house sits at the top of a 2-mile long winding mountain road and the whole effect is truly spectacular. Aside from her amazing views of the surrounding mountains,(which I saw the next morning) the interior is equally, if not more beautiful! She has it decked out in fine Mexican art, comfy furniture and scatter rugs. Every detail, from her Guatemalan table cloth to her collection of Mexican crucifixes on the old chimney in the kitchen gives her place such artistic flair. Comfort with plenty of Pam style, would be the best way to describe it since anyone who knows Pam knows how creative she is and her jewelry designs deserve their own blog! Anyway, we spent the night in total comfort and silence and I slept like the dead thanks to an action packed 12 hours. To be continued...

More Great Road Trips to Ponder.

2006-10-31T19:22:00.000-08:00

May I be so bold as to suggest some road trip tunes to get you in a good mood for the trip? I have to say my current fave is Celia Cruz and her CD called "Siempre Vivere" which kicks off with a happening version of "Oye Como Va" that just begs to be cranked every time! It will definitely put you in a tropical mood.
Anyway, back to the business at hand: Project Puente.

Another spectacular and interesting destination North of Vallarta is a spot called Santa Maria del Oro. Quite a few years ago, Lisa, her kids and our family went camping there and discovered an incredible scenario. It turns out that the town sits above an extinct volcanic crater which is now a lake surrounded by beautiful "cottages" and a campground. What made it all the more magical was the fact we were told the lake is so deep, no one has managed to calculate its depth and we found the swimming amazing! The lake is also famous for being ultra calm therefore the water skiers have discovered it's benefits. You get there by taking the same highway to Guadalara but after Compostella, my memory is foggy so consult a map or ask at the Cuota (where you pay.) Thumbs Up: While camping, we saw a bazillion fireflies, the kids caught them in jars and we used them as candles during our late night feast. Poetic but true.

Another big fave of ours is Ajijic (ah-hee-heek) which sits on the northern shore of Lake Chapala. (You are talking about a 5 hour drive from P.V. on the highway towards Guadalajara) This is a town we have visited MANY times because it has a unique flavor and lots to see and do. It's more expensive but we just love the atmosphere and food at the Real de Chapala hotel. Obviously there are more economical options but at least check it out for lunch or dinner. The Hotel sits smack on the shore of the lake, has all the amenities one could want including a roaring REAL fireplace in the diningroom and features one of my favourite bars which is decorated in honor of a very famous Mexican movie star by the name of Maria Felix. I have fond, fond memories of sitting in that bar at night, the kidlettes asleep in the spacious bedroom while hubby and I wax poetic overlooking the expansive blackness of Mexico's largest lake. Heaven! Can't say enough good things about the place but again, not for the super budget concious. Thumbs Up: Inexpensive horseback rides along the shore of the Lake and some great dining and shopping options.

I will now end with a quote from one of my fave writers, Mr. Mark Twain: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

In Four Days You Could...

2006-10-30T15:05:00.000-08:00

What follows is a list of possible excursions to be undertaken during the four-day weekend. All involve good scenery, fresh local food and cheap accommodations. In fact, with any luck, you could have the beach to yourself! "Do" them or save them for future "puentes."

Beginning with southern destinations and heading north, these are a few of my faves:
La Manzanilla (not to be confused with the bigger city of Manzanillo.) This seaside getaway is on the Bay of Tenacatita which is about as picturesque a bay as they get. It's about 3 hours south and offers good local seafood at very reasonable prices, lots of inexpensive accommodation and a Bohemian air. Thumbs up: Watch them feed chickens to the crocodiles or take a tour through their Mangrove swamp. Drive around the bay to the plethora of fish shacks for the cheapest and freshest of the days' catch.

Perula! This is one of my fave beachside getaways. It's about 2 hours south of here on another beautiful Bay called Chamela. You will be pleasantly surprised by the beauty of it and it's quite undeveloped which means good prices. Thumbs up: Cheap, very fresh fish and a long, long beach for "combers." Accommodation is a bit of a crap shoot, so check out what's available on the water and make your choice accordingly. You also have the option of camping, but beware of the high tide or you'll wake up with Little Nemo.

Any trip south should include lunch at Rancho Alta Mira which is about an hour south just past El Tuito. In fact, you can miss the turn-off if you don't keep your eyes peeled for the entrance on the left about a minute past El Tuito. Anyway, this hilltop spot is fresh, lovely and offers GOOD food at reasonable prices plus you can go horseback riding if the idea appeals to you. I really like this spot for the view, the cooler climate (it's about 1,000' higher than Vallarta) and the verdant hills surrounding the ranch. Thumbs up: The super friendly service.

El Tuito is worth a spin around for it's rancherito feel but the best trip is beyond! Drive into El Tuito's central plaza and ask for the dirt road to Tehuamixtla (better known as Tehua.) That's a road trip! The scenery is interesting but the final destination is truly worth the effort. Tehua is a gem of a bay with turquoise water, the freshest of seafood and friendly people. There is limited accommodation but close by is Maito which features quite a decent hotel. A Great palce to explore and "chillax" off the beaten path. Thumbs up: Diving in the bay over the ancient anchor left behind and if you time it properly, you could have a fantastic beach (Maito) to yourself. Bring a good novel.

East of Vallarta is San Sebastian del Oueste. This is also a gem of a place high in the mountains with a storybook feel. On the new highway, it only takes about an hour and the scenery is spectacular, perhaps even "white-knuckle" at times but take comfort in the notion that it's about 70% safer than it used to be! Once in San Sebas, get some home grown coffee, hike to La Buffa, or just kick back with the locals in the plaza. This place literally reeks with history and we always stay at the old silver mint which is now a hotel called "El Parador." The rooms are enormous but ask for a back room if you don't want the noise of the plaza. One note: watch out for the desrumbes! Thumbs Up: Breakfast at Dona Lupita's for her home cooked sabor and those hand patted tortillas.

Plane trip to Talpa. Check into flights to the mountain town of Talpa famous for it's Virgen and the "chicle" souvenirs. Very inexpensive accommodation and a real feel of a Mexican mountain town with all the charm and friendliness included. Thumbs up: flights are cheap and the rollo de Guyaba factory fills the air of the town with the sweet smell of fruit. Nice! Thumbs Up: taking home tiny, perfect decorative items made from the sticky chicle of the chicle tree. Excellent dust collectors!

More to come...

Dia de Los Muertos has plenty of meaning.

2006-10-30T13:43:00.000-08:00

"The word 'death' is not pronounced in New York, in Paris, in London, because it burns the lips. The Mexican, in contrast, is familiar with death, jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it; it is one of his favorite toys and his most steadfast love." Octavio Paz.

I recently read this quote in conjunction with an article on the historical significance of celebrating death here in Mexico. In reading about it, I learned some new facts and thought I would share a few in this blog.

According to the experts, The Day of the Dead has nothing to do with Halloween but the two are close in date and have been celebrated here in Vallarta thanks to the large foreign population. The Day of the Dead celebrations actually hark back to Aztec times and the month of Miccailhuitontli on their calendar. (Try saying it with a mouth full of noodle soup.) Anyway, since the ancient peoples believed in the whole life/death/rebirth process, they treated death quite differently. These pagan practices eventually inter-twined with Cathoicism and the result is two or three days of celebrations in which the pagan and the Christian share the spotlight.
Typically, relatives prepare for the event towards the end of October by making a variety of offerings to the souls of the departed. Included in the gifts are photos, candles, candied skulls, flowers (specifically Marigolds which are an Aztec symbol of death and commonly formed into the pattern of an arch or cross) and the ubiquitous "pan de muerto" or bread of the dead baked in the shape of a pile of bones. Candles are subsequently lit along with aromatic incense to "lure" the souls to the feast and the celebration is underway. Sometimes toys are offered to the souls of children to create an even more pleasant atmosphere. Interestingly enough, there can be as many as seven different celebrations due to the Aztec belief in seven different "heavens" for all types of people.
The entire celebration serves to highlight another idiosyncrasy of Mexican life. The mixture of sadness and joy, reverance and mockery all combine to create a festive atmosphere in a cemetery where death is celebrated with the same energy as new life. The cycle continues...

A Very Scary Night!

2006-10-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

The Colegio Americano sure knows how to throw a scary party--Halloween party that is!
Last night it appeared to break all records as cars lined both sides of the street as far as the eye could see. It was wild! Hundreds of ghouls and goblins, witches and villians, and was that "Reflecto Man" the super hero of the 21st century? Yes! He was the one on stage getting his super hair cut for a goodly cause. And is that our Director dressed as a hamburger with his wife disguised as a side of fries? Yikes! A gastronomically attractive pair if I do say so myself.

There was no end of entertaining pit stops along the way to the Haunted House. Mechanical bulls, live horses, a disco, food stalls of every variety and even a marriage/divorce booth! Tired of Hubby's shenanigan's? Throw him in jail for the price of one ticket! Leaving him there? Priceless.
Yes, once again the American School staff, parents and students pulled out all the stops and threw the best Halloweeny shin dig in town and there can be no doubt it was a total success in every way! BOO!

Shopping Michelin Style!

2006-10-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

Get a load of this shopping excursion!
A friend of mine owns a consignment store here in Vallarta and I had taken her some used clothes last June or July. Well, she recently wrote me to say that she had some cash for me and that she was also having a sale at her store, so I grabbed my pal Lisa and headed on over.
When we got there she explained the rules of her sale. She said that she wanted to liquidate her current merchandise to make room for the "new" stuff so she was allowing any clients to take home as many clothes as they could fit on their body for $200 pesos ($20 US) and we were like: "say what?"
Well, you should have seen us work that system! I took pants, blouses, sweaters and whatever I thought would accent my current happening wardrope and proceeded towards the change room to try it all on. I even found a few nice shirts that I thought would suit the hubby. So, after trying it all on and discovering that I liked most of it, I walked over to my friend's desk and said: "Are you ready?" She just laughed and said: "ready!"
Well, I started wih the pants. Each pair I put on she would take the ticket off and prepare for the next layer. After I had on 3 pairs over my original pants, I started with the blouses. I managed to layer those with the smallest first and the loosest later and I also fit in a sweater and the shirts for my hubby. By the time I put on the last shirt, it was so tight I could only get it on half way and then I remembered the custom leather boots that I wanted! "If you can get 'em on they're yours," she said. Dang! By that time I was a total Michelin Man and could barely bend over and I was sweating like a stuck pig! I felt heart palpitations as I bent over to crank up the many layers of pants in an effort to make way for the custom boots and I thought to myself what an inglorious death this would be if I just kacked right now looking like a giant pinata! Well, I was determined to leave with the boots so it became somewhat of an epic battle to get those puppies on. Once I stood up victoriously, I felt like I had won some special challenge! (more like specially challenged shopper!) Anyway, then she says that if I cough up the $200 pesos, it's all mine and I'm like: "Um, I think You owe me some money!" Too true! She gave me $300 pesos and I went home a little worse for wear and tear but a lot better off in the clothing department. My friend Lisa did so well she said: "I'll go shopping with you anytime!" What a great deal!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday Morning on the Malecon.

2006-10-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

Feeling energized after a good cup of Colombian coffee this morning, I decided to go for a power-walk/jog along the Malecon. I drove to the Sheraton Hotel, parked my car and made my way towards this favorite downtown landmark. What follows is a description of what you can expect to encounter should you decide to participate in the near future.
First of all, the scenery is truly inspiring. The ocean was extremely calm, there were small fishing boats in the distance and a man and his wife were rowing a tiny dingy close to shore. There were people poking over the morning catch at the small fish market by the Rosita hotel and an odd looking gringo woman was coaxing her two large Afghan dogs into sitting positions on the laps of the extra-terrestrial statues. A drunk was sleeping off the effects of his Saturday night high, a woman was feeding the pigeons in the square and it looked like something out of "The Birds" by Hitchcock. Kids were climbing the ladder of that other strange statue, a couple of hippies were making out on a bench, a family with about 6 kids was looking out to sea and a man went by huffing like he was about to kack. As I got closer to the Rio Cuale, there were more people, guys out fishing below the bridge, more people walking dogs and a couple of time share weasels sniffing out their next victim: "Hey lady, are you a speed devil?" O.K. People were sweeping in front of their tiendas, a woman was sketching and another woman was feeding her baby. More people walking dogs, more ladies exercising and the odd tourist looking baffled.

Anyway, that's probably a fairly average account of what you might encounter should you venture out on a Sunday morn. City explorers be prepared!

For Better or Worse.

2006-10-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

A new chain restaurant opened this week here in Vallarta and it's called "Chili's." Those of us who have been here a long time found it a novel experience although we still prefer the smaller more authentic Mexican eateries along with the prices! (We did, however enjoy their air-conditioning!)
Chili's has all the bells and whistles of a wealthy chain similar to Outback with a plethora of helpful servers, plenty of gimmicky accoutrements including this giant "bong" of beer brought to your table (about 3 litres worth) with a pour your own spigget for about $13 US. We tried a couple of those along with some regular old one serving beer bottles and found it all decent. I gather their specialty is a variety of giant margaritas but none of us was up for a ring of salt on our forehead at 3:00 in the afternoon. The menu included lots of glossy food photos and we managed to order most of what was available between our rather large group. The portions are hefty and splitting a burger was a good idea since it is about twice the size of a regular burger. Everyone deemed the fries excellent and the chicken wings are as good as any you could get back home. The fajitas came to the table sizzling in a cast iron fry pan and there was a side dish loaded with the requisite sour cream, shredded cheddar and guacamole to add at your discretion. The pasta dishes looked good although I didn't taste them personally and the whole place was packed with satisfied looking customers. In a nut-shell, it's a good place to go if you are starving or craving American style food with an emphasis on large portions. The location is the new Penninsula development which used to be a beautiful piece of land adjacent to the Rio Pitillal full of birds and assorted land creatures, but that's another story. Oh, and just an aside: They are working on another restaurant a short walk from Chilis which should open within the next few weeks and that happens to be another "Hooters" which of course is just what we need, right?

What's Good About Bogota.

2006-10-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

Instead of a lengthy and monotonous account of our personal adventures, I thought it expedient to cut straight to the chase-- Good things about Bogota:

The Mountains.
The Museo de Oro.
The arts and crafts.
The cool, misty mountain air.
The friendly people.
The clean City.
The coffee!!
The regional food.
The Cathedral made of salt.
Restaurant Club Columbia.
Restaurant Andres Carne de Res!!!!!!!!
The coffee! (yes, again.)
The polite taxi drivers.
The lilting accent.
"Si Senora!"
The Colegio Nueva Granada.
The Dog Walkers.
The views.
The winding roads.
The emeralds!!!!!!
The Esmereldas!!!!!!
The tea de Coca.
The 25 varieties of Papas.
The coffee-- Juan Valdez, Cello Rojo and Oma.
The Chocolate covered coffee beans.
The Indigenous people and their noble air.
The regional cusine.
The Education--28 universities in Bogota!
The culture.
The experience.
Thank-you Columbia!

Con suerte, un dia voy a regresar.

Cheesy Sauce.

2006-10-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

This is a bit different since it's not really in keeping with burrito business, but how about some savory cheese sauce for your favourite dish? It's just that Wally Mart got some Jalapeno Havarti cheese in and I tried it in a cheese sauce recipe and it's pretty tasty. So, without getting complicated, this is the deal: You melt a couple of generous tablespoons of unsalted butter in a smallish non-stick sauce pan and add a couple of tablespoons of flour. Keep the heat low and slowly add some milk stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the consistancy is smooth. Add about a cup of the grated havarti and a tablespoon of spicy dijon and a pinch of salt. Stir and taste. It should be sharp enough to awaken most of your taste buds. Ladle over some broccoli or your fave veggie and enjoy!

"Espana World" and a "lil bit of Hell"

2006-10-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

So, to continue with the tales from the most imaginative party ever---we all made our way across a great expanse of lawn in the dark to yet another apt. this one in building 16. It was truly a welcome feel to walk into the air-conditioned realm of "Espana World" and to be greeted by our hostess, dressed to the hilt in the attire of Spain. The entire apt. was decorated in yellow and red, there were same colored ribbons to affix to your clothing, and a generous selection of "tapas" awaiting the tipsy travellers. While we were served regional wines, trays of crusty bread laden with proscuitto were passed around and on a separate table one could nosh on olives, smoked oysters, tiny dried fish, chunks of cheese and the list goes on. There were pictures of fighting bulls on the walls, red and yellow banners and generally a very pleasant atmosphere--no sign of Pedro Romero though, much to my chagrin.
The last "world" was one of the wildest. It was billed as "Heaven and a lil bit of Hell" and we had to follow a trail of small candles up the stairs of building 11--up to the very top. As the door opened we entered "heaven" and it really was something! The entire apt. was tricked out in white balloons, glitter, and tons of "clouds" containing interesting quotes and pictures of teachers and students from our school. It represented an amazing amount of preparation!! There was a teacher dressed in full angel regalia and another dressed as a devil. The devil passed out red and white jello shots and the angel offered tiny "clouds" of whipped cream sprayed directly into your mouth. The drink of the evening was a heavenly concoction of vodka, Sprite and some pinkish ice cream--not sure the name and on an adjacent table was a selection of brownies and lemon bars, fresh fruit including giant strawberries and star fruit. Meanwhile, out on the balconey there were "flames" shooting up from the floor and the devil was busy pouring shots of Cuervo tequila. Mwaaa aaaa aaaa! It was truly something to experience.
Well, the guantlet has definitely been thrown down by these intrepid and tremendously imaginative teachers! We were joking that no one will want to follow that act---how could you??? I'm just glad I was able to participate and I raise a multi-national toast to you all! Salud!

Around the World in One Night!

2006-10-08T08:06:00.000-07:00

Last night was so surreal, it still feels like a dream and I'll attempt to share a few of the highlights with you, but you may not believe it yourself!

Hubby and I were invited, along with about 50 other people, to a party hosted by a group of teachers from our Primary School. It was dubbed the First Annual "Around the Worlds" Party and the invitation led us to believe it would certainly be something different---Ha! Can you say understatement?
The whole shin dig took place at "Suites Marbella" and kicked off at 6:30 with a tailgate party by the Art teacher's truck. His truck is hard to miss since he has been customizing it over the months with a series of guady neck ties glued to the exterior. It's pretty wild and he loves it. Anyway, a decent sized crowd gathered at "Dave's Place" for a couple of Caguamas (the name for the giant bottles of beer the boys favor) and I'm quite sure Marbella hasn't seen the likes of our group ever! People we driving by just giving us the hairy eye-ball and one woman even paused in her car long enough to ask, "what's the occasion?" to which we replied, "Ahhhh, Saturday of course!" Heh, heh.
The party really started to get interesting at 7:30 when we were all told to make our way (sort of like a pilgrimage for the soused) to apt. #14-- where the theme was billed as "Under the Sea World." Well, we were like a bunch of kids on Christmas morning when we walked into this pad---just buggin'! It was totally tricked out in sea paraphanelia and the host had swim goggles on! There was a large TV playing "Little Nemo," the walls were covered in colorful sea life, there was sushi and fish crackers to eat and "Blue Lagoons" in the blender to drink. It was a tremendous effort and we "soaked" it up in more ways than one. But the fun didn't end there---ha! Just imagine, after about an hour of doing the Jacques Costeau thang, we were told to move to apt. # 14-- and visit "Jungle World!"
I've been to a lot of parties in my life (probably more than I'm willing to admit to) and I have never seen anything like we all saw at jungle world. Forget the fabulous jungly decorations, the plastic bugs everywhere, the fake paper palm fronds and the wild decor, try clearing the floor and being told "the show" is about to begin. With the beat of native drums thumping, armed with another "native coctail," all of a sudden this young man "gazelle leaps" into the livingroom sporting just a loin cloth and leopard skin leggings!!! Due to the tropical heat wave we're currently experiencing, he's glistening with sweat and begins this amazingly limber and seductive performance designed to impress us all with his dancing prowess. Well, it was truly spectacular and just as we were "ooohing" and "ahhhhhing" and shaking our heads in amazement---out comes "Jane" to dance with her "Tarzan." She was scantily clad and she even had flames in each hand! Their dancing was just over-the-top and the crowd got so excited, they started a cacophany of jungle noises similar to what you might hear if a gang of male chimps came into heat. It was truly "Wild African Safari" and I can only imagine what the neighbours in the adjacent apts. were thinking!!! OKAY---time for a break. There are still a couple more worlds to visit, but that's in the next blog...

Bogota-licious

2006-10-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Recently, I found out I'll be travelling with a fellow teacher to Bogota on business. Not knowing too much about this City, I decided to do a little reading and was surprised to learn a few Bogota-licious factoids: Aside from having the best pre-columbian collection of gold in the world, more plant species per unit area than any other country in the world, 80% of the world's cocaine production, and 50% of the world's emeralds, it also names the "Hormiga Culona" as one of it's regional dining specialties. Translation: Big-ass Ants. Although this is unique to the Santander area, it can be found in certain regional restaurants along with another South American specialty, grilled guinea pig or "cuy." Although we consider ourselves fairly adventurous eaters having savored gusanos de maguey in Mexico City, tripe, lip, and other "head" tacos here in Vallarta, and the ubiquitous Menudo (everyone's fave for a hang-over) we aren't sure about the "cuy" but we are toying with the idea of trying the hormigas. When in Rome...(I'll keep "foodies" posted.)

The Prettiest Little Focaccia.

2006-09-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

On a more appetizing note than yesterdays' blog on "chewy rings," ---- I just made the prettiest rosemary focaccia and it was easy, peasy, so if you are hankering for some nice flavours to accompany your next Vino Tinto session, this is the way it happened: First of all, I found the instant fast rising yeast at Sam's and it will last a long time if you keep it tightly wrapped in a cool place. You will also need some fresh rosemary, extra vrgin olive oil and maybe some black olives or Reggiano cheese depending on the variation you prefer.
So, you put 4 1/2 cups of flour in a large bowl, add 2 1/2 teaspoons of the yeast, a couple of teaspoons of salt and just mix it all through with a fork. Then add 2 cups of warm water. This is when the fun begins! After mixing it with your hands until it holds together, turn the whole mess out onto a floured surface (I use my wooden dining table) and knead it for about 10 minutes. I love kneading since it's such a pratical arm work-out and there's something comforting about the feel of the dough. Anyway, get it into a big ball, grease a large ceramic bowl with olive oil and put the dough ball in the bowl and cover with plastic. Leave it to rise for a couple of hours in a warm place. Go take a siesta!
After the dough has risen, punch it down, knead it into a ball again and put it back into the greased bowl for another 45 mins. Get a metal tray out, grease it with Olive oil, chop up some fresh rosemary, slice some olives or chop some garlic. Take the newly risen dough and plop it onto the tray (like 13" by 9" ) and poke it with your finger-tips into place until it covers the sheet. Let it rest another 10 minutes, then drizzle the dough with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle the chopped rosemary all over and maybe shred some Reggiano cheese on top. Then it's into the oven for about 20 mins. Your kitchen will smell like Mama Leona's!! Provecho!

Chewy Rings of Mystery Meat.

2006-09-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

First of all, thanks to a good friend who managed to cure my case of "blogstipation," I've passed a few "stones" and am ready to do "business" again. I can't believe it's been this long! The burning burrito was totally "crispified" in every sense so I'm attempting a new batch of epistles and if you've been checking in, I'm really grateful for your loyalty. xxo

It's 10:30 on a Friday night and there's thunder outside but I am totally unconcerned because I have "Black-Eyed Peas" on the sound system and a few "Cubas" under my belt. The tunes are quite appropriate in terms of the theme: "Mexican girls, girls, girls, Latin girls, what's happenin' girls? Yo quiero...."

A group of us hit "El Grito" after school for a few "cool ones" and plenty of interesting discussions. This spot is a "centro Botanero" which mean as long as the beverages are flowing, the snacks are free. Who can argue with that? The thing is, we enjoyed the first few "items" but then they brought us these tostadas with suspect chewy rings of mystery meat buried in spicy salsa and there were a few comments regarding the origin of the meat. I had the idea that the "meat" came from the hind end of a burro and after hitting on a knarly piece of "ring" shaped meat, my friend David agreed. Ha! We still had a great time and the price of $18 pesitos a brew is all that matters. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what the actual reprecussions are but I'm OK with the fact that we might have to "pay" for all the fun we had. Hey, what else is new?
More to come. I promise!

Typhoid and Dengue Anyone?

2006-06-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Well, as we all sit here in the intense humidity of mid-June waiting for a serious downpour or two to wash out the stagnant waterways and dusty air, several of my friends have been hit by illness. Two have contracted Dengue thanks to the mosquitoes that carry it and one was in the hospital with Typhoid, while two others came down with Salmonella poisoning. 'Tis the season to be wary, Cholera, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. My friend with the Typhoid thinks he got it from those homemade icy sweet treats known as "Bollis" that some local kid sells after his soccer game. The obviously question being, where is he getting the water from to make them? My friends with the Dengue admit sitting in a mosquito infested area without repellant. Hello! The Salmonella victims were just eating the wrong thing at the wrong time, ergo, highly perishable street food in 100* degree heat. Diesel infused oysters anyone? I don't mean to make light of any of this since I can only imagine what it would be like to make continual "long distance phone calls on the porceline telephone" (as the Aussies so colorfully term it). I touch wood often, avoid road-side seafood and close the screen doors during the "mosquito" hours; then I touch wood again.

If Jeff is reading this, send me your new e-mail Mr. Spinmeister!!

June in Vallarta.

2006-06-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy June is here! This is a month of many important events beginning with the finalization of another school year. Students I've known for many years are graduating and leaving our little nest for bastions of higher learning. We have kids leaving for UBC in Canada, La Roche in Switzerland and Spain, The American University in London, Swarthmore, University of Miami and the list goes on. It's rather exciting to think about what lies ahead for them and knowing we have done what we can to prepare them for the future. It's now in their hands.

June is also important for two major mile-stones. My dear parents are celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary which in this day and age of quickie divorces is quite remarkable. Congratulations!!!!! The other is the fact that youngest daughter is turning sweet 16! I know it's cliche to ask where has the time gone? But I'm going to ask it anyway. It's just amazing that my little bundle of joy, "la nina sin huesos" as she was dubbed by a neighbour, has morphed into this lithe and savy teen with a lovely sense of self. I feel very fortunate to have such a gift in my life, because I really believe kids are the gift that keeps on giving. Oh, happy June!

The First Rains and other "hot" topics.

2006-05-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

For those of us living here in the tropics, the first rains are always a welcome event. I woke up this morning to the refreshing drizzle of tiny drops out on the balconey and thought: the time has come once again. It's been so long since moisture has collected and dampened the earth and I can almost hear the plants whispering "thank-you" as the dust and dryness is washed away. What we have going on outside is comparable to a city wide greenhouse since the humidity combined with the temperature has literally caused steam to rise from the hot surfaces of roads and sidewalks. Want to test the effectiveness of your new anti-persperant? Try walking any distance in these conditons and you should be soaked right through your shirt in no time. It's great for the plants but rather uncomfortable for humans, so thank goodness for air-conditioning!!!

Good pal Jenny just left for Mississippi for 10 weeks. She's off to get her post graduate degree in Library Science. She'll be living in a dorm and had to take her own sheets, towels, blanket and even a lamp! She said the dorms are like Monk's cells stripped bare for the summer. In light of all this she is still excited about going back to "campus life" and we are all excited for her!

It's getting closer to that time when everyone will begin to drift off to distant lands for the summer and that distinct smell of adventure is in the air as the rains begin to fall once again.

Restaurant Week In Vallarta

2006-05-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

It's Restaurant Week here in Vallarta which actually runs from the 15th to the end of the month. What it means is that lots of good places to eat are offering special menus at reduced prices. For example, a group of us ate at Archie's Wok last night and it was excellent! For a set price of $149 pesos you are served a three course dinner with a decent number of options. Our group tried a good variety of things and it was all superb. The best part is, the bill doesn't take much figuring out and is very reasonable for the quality of the food. A full listing of participating restaurants and their special menus can be viewed in the latest edition of Vallarta Lifestyles.

Enjoy!

Another Long Weekend!

2006-05-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

It's at times like this that I really love Mexico. Once again we are celebrating a Mexican holiday/three day weekend better known as Cinco de Mayo. No doubt there will be parades and celebrations honoring the battle of Puebla in which the Mexicans defeated the French troops and sent them packing. They've been celebrating ever since and I'm glad of that! Bring it on!
The weather is spectacular, there are no crowds, heavy traffic or over-populated beaches. It's actually a great time to be here and there are quite a few deals to be had.
Our favourite couch jumper is here in town and I'm talking about Tom Cruise in the new Mission Impossible III which I'm quite sure is full of tons of implausible action and over-the-top hoopla but I still want to see it. Speaking of hoopla, the circus is STILL here which has to be a record. One of my friends went last night after managing to snag twofers in the best section, so I'll have to wait for her assessment. I've heard from others, it's really good but somehow I just can't get motivated to go to "Las Vegas" during my spare time. I've been burned too many times by sketchy acts involving shady characters in freakish outfits and sadly neglected animals reduced to performing humiliating acts at the crack of a whip--and those were the good shows! Don't get me started on "Barbie on Ice" and similar side shows from the depths of circus pergatory. I'll stick to Dr. Phil and Oprah for my entertainment, Ha!

An update.

2006-04-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Carumba! Time does fly by and I was just noticing I haven't written any burning epistles for quite some time. Someone light a fire under my butt or something!

The weather is getting more humid, the traffic seems worse, there's a giant circus in town which is very "Las Vegas" I'm told and life goes on here in Puerto Vallarta.
The Mayoral elections are coming and there was a debate between the cadidates last night which my husband watched while I tuned into OPRAH and a very inspiring show on child prodigies. Since I'm still not a Mexican citizen and I can't vote, I have to say I'm not paying much attention to the candidates. Besides, political campaigns turn me off especially due to a plethora of hollow promises pouring forth amidst all the rhetoric. Ya, ya, heard it before.

Had a great meal yesterday at Archie's Wok thanks to the fact we are hosting three educators from Reno, Nevada. Needless to say, they are very impressed with Vallarta albeit a bit on the humid side, but they love the scenery and had dinner last night with their toes in the sand. AAAH! Life can be very good when business takes you to the beach, wouldn't you say?

More later...

Beach Blanket Stampede

2006-04-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Well, the burrito's not burning but the beach is! There are zillions of tourists here from all over Mexico and they are all at the grocery store right now! They are stocking up with supplies before hitting the beach and yesterday there was the usual traffic jam as hundreds of cars lined up to head North towards the public beaches. I'm a bit mystified concerning the concept of sitting in traffic with a car-load of kids, aunts, uncles, cousins and the requisite beach supplies and then fighting more crowds at the beach and calling it a vacation, but it's like this every year and I know we all have to make sacrifices...but at the cost to our own sanity? No wonder lots of beer is a mandatory picnic item! A Corona lobotomy and lots of snacks and we had a great time, didn't we? Now, we just have to fight the traffic back to Vallarta, and do it all again tomorrow.

Easter Vacay.

2006-04-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

We are almost halfway through our two week Easter vacation and I feel like I'm just hitting my stride. I have got the recipe for maintaining sanity and it's the same strategy friends of mine use when they go to Disney Land; get up early and leave before the crowds arrive, and don't go out unless it's an emergency!

Case in point: The grocery store in our area is large and normally efficient, but during these holidays, timing is everything. I made the mistake of ducking in the other day for a needed item but it was a few minutes after 11:30 am and a total zoo. The "caja rapida" (10 items and cash only) was closed and the lines snaked through the aisles. I left. This morning, however, I rode my bike over bright and early, there were no crowds, the "caja rapida" was open and operating smoothly. Yes! I actually enjoyed my outing and will stick to that routine.

Don't even think about going to the beach during this vacation. It's like the Europeans who close down and leave during the month of August to avoid the summer crowds. I am "hunkering down" in our apt. doing home projects, grading exams, baking, reading and watching lots of T.V. That's maintaining sanity! See ya later.

Tuesday Musings...

2006-04-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

I have a short break between third quarter exams so I thought I would just throw down a few musings:

This is the last week of school before Easter Break and the last week of relative peace in this Town before we get hit in the smackeroo by thousands and thousands of vacationers ready to party. The only ones who are happy about this development are my two teenagers who are of the opinion that the more the merrier. Party on, dude.

The weather is still spectacular and the heat has not set in...yet. The cool mornings have been a balm to my soul and I just wish they would last, but it's not to be and the humidity is just lurking behind the next cloud waiting to spring on us here in the tropics.

The parents are only here until the end of the week and then it's back to Canada. It's been so great having them here and I think they've had a good time judging by all the things they done and all the places they've eaten. I think they decided their fave eateries include Dacquiri Dick's and Archies Wok but they also found a couple of little places for just coffee and cheesecake that were pretty tasty!

We have reflective material pasted on our windows here at the School and there's a woodpecker who likes to pay me a daily visit by battering his bill against the window. He obviously sees himself and is attacking his own image, but since woodpeckers are not known for their intelligence, I wonder if he even knows this? Sometimes he begins his pecking while I'm teaching which of course causes the entire class to break out laughing. I'm thinking of glueing a picture of a nasty-looking cat to the outside of the window to see if that doesn't curb his excitement.

More later...

Bowls, Boobs and Butts

2006-04-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

A pleasant day would begin with a breakfast of eggs Benedict by the sea and yesterday that's exactly the way it started.
Mom decided she wanted a decorative ceramic bowl to take back for her new coffee table and with that mission in mind, we decided to fortify ourselves with a good breakfast before hoofing it to "Mundo de Azulejos" which has expanded its collection of ceramics to include virtually every color, pattern and design under the sun. I have to say we were both impressed if not slightly overwhelmed with the selection and took our time perusing the aisles hunting for just the right bowl. Luckily I lifted up a nice one on a lowe shelf only to discover the nicest bowl underneath and we both knew that was the one! Mission accomplished and at a fairly good price to boot! (Not "almost free today" but at a slight discount.)
Dad decided to stay and read on his balconey and I believe he is wrapping up book #7 and working on his savage tan-- Lookin' good D.A. He announced he has enjoyed the view of the B and B's which translates to Boobs and Butts---Ha! I knew it!

From Sea to Table.

2006-03-31T08:04:00.000-08:00

Continuing with my story about fishing and dinner...

Thank goodness my older brother happens to be a guy who loves to cook, because we all love to eat. He quickly volunteered to prepare a dinner for all of us with the "Toro" as the main dish and to add to the overall enjoyment factor our friends have a lovely and spacious condo overlooking the ocean and they offered their expansive digs as the dining venue.
There was a trip to "Rizo's" for the necessary ingredients and before long, the fresh fillets were bathing in a sauce of garlic, ginger, soya and lime. There were several other dishes prepared and the charcoal was set. The combination of salty sea air, smoky fish, family and good friends, created a fantastic ambience, to be sure. Those are the experiences that create the best memories and I look forward to more. Cheers!

Fishin' for Supper.

2006-03-30T06:53:00.000-08:00

While the brothers, my nephew and our friends were here, I organized a fishing trip that made salty seamen out of a bunch of land-lubbers. What a trip they had!

They left from the pier at Los Muertos beach early one Tuesday morning, four guys and a crew of two. None of the passengers have much (or any) deep sea fishing experience so I gather they were somewhat amazed by what Mother Nature had to offer. As they sped towards the open sea, they rolled slowly across the massive expanse of water, through schools of frantically jumping fish, giant rays and the odd sea turtle. It took them a good while to get to where the rest of the boats were, obviously following a pattern known only to the local fishermen. During this time the bros were fighting sea sickness and wondering if this was such a good idea! They basically kicked back and let the crew set the lines. As anyone knows, fishing is mostly a waiting game. Apparently, they didn't have to wait long when Ziiing! What monster from the deep had taken the bait? The boys were in for a fight! We later learned that while our friend fought the valiant battle to land his fish, the nephew was busy "chumming" for more fish, if you get my drift. It was not as idyllic as they imagined!
Meanwhile, back on the beach, the women had set up a table near the pier where we could watch them come in as they were due to arrive at about 11:30 am. Time ticked slowly by when all of a sudden we looked out to see the gang coming ashore from their fishing boat in a tiny wooden craft left over from days gone by; a total relic of a boat being oared by a sailor of similar vintage. As they reached shore, they stepped out hoisting two giant fish of about 30 lbs each which the locals call "Toro" probably because they fight like a bull on the line! Can you say proud fishermen? It was a site to behold and several moments were spent taking photos of the prize catch. The fish were then handed over to the kitchen staff at "Langostino's" where the largest fish was quickly rendered into an enormous pile of fillets for the BBQ. Dinner Party!

More later.

Aztecs, Bagpipes and a Burro?

2006-03-29T06:55:00.000-08:00

I think I mentioned my family is in town and the folks have a cozy beachfront condo right downtown where all the action is. My Father loves nothing more than sitting out on his balconey with a good book--I think he's on book # 6--and watching the human circus below. He sees the touri taking off in the parachutes from shore, buddy walking out of "Burro's Bar" with a giant "Coco-loco" and a constant stream of vacationers in all manner of clothing or lack thereof. (It's especially advantageous for viewing cleavage, but I know he's too discreet for that. Heh.)

Living smack in the middle of the so called "Romantic Zone" has its perks and I heard about one of their latest adventures recently in which they gathered with some fellow friends and regular Vallarta goers at a hard-core drinkers' bar down by the wharf called "Cuates y Cuetes" to have a drink and watch a performance on the beach. Apparently the Spring Equinox brought out the Aztec dancers who proceeded to perform a series of dances honoring the Sun and its cycle and according to my Mom, they did everything short of sacraficing a virgin (a rare commodity in a beach resort!) Following the ancient ritual there was a serious change of tone and mood when a Canadian rock band took the "stage" complete with a guy on bagpipes, much to my Father's everlasting pleasure. It was reported that Dad was viewed by Mom positively peaking with delight, a Cuba Libre clutched in his fist and grin to beat all vacation grins; livin' the vida loca in spades. So, after swilling a few, they all decided to move on to the main drag and check out the action as they made their way home. Passing in front of the famous bar "Andale's" (which is ALWAYS packed) the old guy with the burro--a "fixture" out front-- attempted to get Mom up on his beast of burden but she managed to escape his clutches only to turn around a few seconds later to see her friend astride "Pancho"! Ole!! Apparently the old guy had just grabbed her by the waist and plopped her aboard. Well, Mom got next to the donkey and posed for that all important souvi photo which will remind them in the future of the great time they had. Viva Mexico!

Thanks to the Family.

2006-03-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the family and some good friends, we have had an opportunity to so some great eating out of late and I just have to rave about a few places and their specialties!

Dacquiri Dick's wins hands down for the best Club sandwich on the Pacific coast. I kid you not! From the bread which is seved crustless, to the whole sliced chicken breast meat, to the crispy fries, the experience is nothing short of food nervana especially when complimented by a spicy Bloody Ceasar.

Archie's Wok continues to impress guests with their perfectly seasoned, beautifully presented and totally delicious delights. More, more, more! I'm still dreaming about the Pad Thai I had there the other day with spicy shrimp mixed in. MMMMMMM!

Ernesto's is still turning out perfectly cooked baby back ribs with that prize winning BBQ sauce and their buttery mashed spuds. Talk about finger licken' good!

More to come...

March is for Family.

2006-03-10T09:07:00.001-08:00

The town is full of visitors from the North and you can include my family in that group. Younger brother pulled in yesterday, older brother gets in this afternoon and the 'rents get in tomorrow so it will be a welcome reunion.
The daughters and I played hooky yesterday in order to spend some quality time at the beach (isn't all time spent at the beach quality time?) and it was a nice way to break up the week. We slept, read, sunned, swam and said: pass the coco butter. Then we savored a few cold "Pacifico's", some fresh coconut seasoned with lime and chile, watched the boys toss a football around and a local man catch a series of tiny fish with a hand line. It was a perfect day for people watching and as usual, the beach vendors were out in full force offering everything from braids (the Bo Derek look has never gone out) to ink tatoos---barbed wire on the bi-cep anyone? It makes for an interesting day, to say the least.
Last night we hit "Ernesto's" for those baby back ribs and since it was Thursday, it's all-you-can-eat ribs which my brother does justice to. The price has gone up to $150 but the taste is just as good, so dig deep.
Many more adventures lie ahead as we play hosts to the family and it's really great to have Vallarta as the playground. Otra cerveza, por favor.

March is for Family.

2006-03-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

The World Was Here.

2006-02-20T07:20:00.000-08:00

There's a cruise ship called "The World" which you may have heard about, and it was here last Wednesday for a quick pit stop before heading to Cabo and destinations unknown. The deal with this ship that's different from others is that rich people buy a condo aboard the ship and come and go as they please while this billionaire's behemoth plies the open seas. I had a friend go aboard for the evening due to a special dinner hosted in part by Thierry Blouet of Cafe des Artistes fame, and she gave me the scoop including the fact that to even gain access to the gang-plank you have to flash a valid passport and plenty of bling.
First of all, just the yearly maintenance fee is $250,000 U.S., so you can imagine the prices of the condos! They are in the multi-millions and for most clients, this is not their only home. There's a "main street" aboard, with a fancy grocery store, a bank, a jewlery store and lots of dining options. You won't find Target or the Golden arches here! A heli-pad makes it convenient for quick departures and there is no end to activities provided while you are aboard (including a casino to gamble away those excess greenbacks. Since most of the passengers are senior citizens, there is also first class medical care and wheel chair access to all corners of the ship.
Well, it's nice to dream for awhile about what it would be like since most of us will never see the inside of a luxury cruiseliner let alone one as opulent as "The World" but we can always hope.

Villa Amor, Surfing and Cheap Beer.

2006-02-13T08:07:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, the hubby and I decided to take a little road trip and check out the new highway to the surfer town of Sayulita. The highway WILL be great when it's done, but unfortunately there was still too much construction on the Punta Mita leg to be enjoyable. We did it anyway and I guess it only took us about 15 minutes to get to Sayulita after taking the turn-off onto the new highway, but unless you're into off-road driving conditions, I would stick to the old highway for the time being.

Once we got to Sayulita we parked and hoofed it along the main beach towards the point and a hidden beach known as "Los Muertos" beach, (probably because you have to walk through a cemetery to get there.) As we were heading South, we passed a really nice little hotel called "Villa Amor" overlooking the water. We decided to check it out because it's so appealing and found out the following: "Boutique resort offering 35 rooms and villas each with a spectacular view." Some villas have private plunge pools and they ALL have a GREAT view! It would be an ideal place to spend some time with the honey or celebrate a special occasion. They have everything from a one bedroom with fridge and coffee maker for $85 a nite to the Honeymoon Villa with full kitchen, sitting area, terrace, pool and 360 view to ocean. That suite is a cool $350 a night. Anyway, I'm sending this info because we were so taken with the place and if you want to see more, they have a web site at: www.villaamor.com You just might want to check it out.

So, what about the cheap beer? Well, once we had walked the whole beach and settled down in the shade to watch the surfers, we found a shop selling $7 peso beer which was icy cold and a true bargain which just goes to show you there's something for every budget in Sayulita.

New in Town.

2006-01-29T12:11:00.000-08:00

Vallarta has a new food court located in the Plaza Caracol next to the new cinema. There are many new eateries slated for the spacious area but currently you can find such fast food faves as Burger King, Church's Chicken, Tower Pizza, Subway and a Chinese food option. An Italian steak house and a sushi place are scheduled to open soon as well and after an evening at the movies it will be nice to have so many noshing options.

We found a store in the lower mall that actually carries Clinique products which is a bit of a discovery. I am happy because I've always enjoyed Clinique's moisturizer and other facial products. The name of the shop escapes me but it carries a selection of shoes and purses as well.

Now you have to pay to park your car at Plaza Caracol. If you can remember to get your parking ticket stamped inside the mall then you only pay $2.oo pesos which is doable. The problem is finding the little stub inside your cluttered purse upon exiting. Sometimes it's just less hassle to pony up the money.

The "Stuff" Guide

2006-01-25T06:43:00.000-08:00

I've been fooling for some time with the idea of writing an insiders guide to "stuff" in Vallarta and the other day I actually sat down at my new laptop (brought to us through the kindness of Canadian friends) and put fingers to keyboard. The idea was born when visiting friends would ask about quality places to eat and specifically that age old question: "where can we get good Mexican food?" There is no short answer since "Mexican food" is as varied as the country itself and since Vallarta is a port town, the best food is seafood prepared in the Mexican style. There are people out there looking for "Taco Bell" style ground beef smothered in sour cream and shredded cheddar but that just ain't real Mexican! So, it was with this in mind that I started my guide. I plan on writing about the likes of "Pescado Sarandeado," "Camarones al Coco," "Ceviche" and many other local specialties followed by an idea of where to get "the best" examples of these savory delights. Although I'm no expert food writer, I do consider myself a "foodie" which just means I think about food and seek out good food as often as possible and since I'm not being paid by any local restaurant, you can count on my advice as coming directly from my taste buds. If you have suggestions for specific topics you'd like info on, feel free to forward them. In the meantime, I'll keep plugging away at my little info guide and see what takes shape. Buen Provecho!

Wednesday Movies and Seafood.

2006-01-19T07:17:00.000-08:00

Another good thing about living here has to do with Tuesdays and the $25 peso movies. Yesterday a group of us got together to see Roman Polanski's version of Dicken's "Oliver Twist." It was playing at the old Cine Bahia which is downtown and out of our way, but since there's a great little seafood joint close by, we all agreed to make the trip and we're glad we did!
The theater was not crowded, the price was an excellent value and the movie enjoyable. Ben Kingsley as Fagin made it all worthwhile not to mention the incredibly mesmerizing scenes of the London depicted in Dicken's novel. It's a darker version than the movie I saw as a child and of course, it's not a musical, but the film is beautifully acted and the characters so vibrant.
The name of the little seafood restaurant is"Polo's" and it's just around the corner from the cinema. Follow your nostrils! Our table faced the open kitchen where the Chef was busily tossing a fragrant array of fresh seafood into burritos, bowls and sauces. We had an order of the crab soup with the obligatory claw perched on the rim of the bowl and it was delicious. The shrimp burritos are a real treat and how can you resist the $14 peso beer or the $23 peso rum and coke? Such a deal! Treat yourself to an enjoyable afternoon that breaks up the week and doesn't break your budget.

Happy 2006!

2006-01-02T08:56:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

For those of you curious about the New Years' celebrations in Puerto Vallarta, read on. If you were there, you might not remember, so here is my version.
I said to a friend it was like Mardi Gras in Rio albeit on a much smaller scale. The Olas Altas area was closed to vehicles and the traffic was mostly human with the exception of one poor donkey relegated to transporting drunken Gringos into the bar "Andales." He certainly earned his alflafa! Anyway, we found a table across from Andales in a bid to kick back and observe the craziness--we weren't disappointed. There were foxy girls and foxier boys, feather boas and tin foil crowns, sober matrons and drunken fishermen, model-types and neophytes, the very buff and the full-of-stuff. Bronzed gods and pale ghosts, sexy nymphs and punkers. I think you get the idea. It was a tide of life and lifestyles and made for some very entertaining viewing!

Just before midnight, we hit the top floor of our friend's condo at Vista del Sol with a pitcher of Cubas and a chest of ice. The fireworks show started and it lasted for 25 minutes!!! The whole Bay was lit up from all points and it was nothing short of spectacular. I was overwhelmed by the sheer variety of light, color and configurations. It was truly a memorable sight.

Vallarta at Christmas--The Pros and Cons

2005-12-28T14:56:00.000-08:00

As in any situation, there are plenty of pros and cons to living here during the Christmas vacay and since we were just "out on the town" last night, a few things come to mind.

No parking! We drove around like teens looking for a place to "park" last night even though we were just trying to ditch the car so we could go up and have a cocktail with our friends that live in the Olas Altas area. Fuhgeddaboudit. Definitely a CON.

The sunset from our friend's balconey was nothing less than spectracular and I mean that! It was brillant shades of pink and blue and just got better as the sun dropped below the horizon. A PRO!!

Huge crashers towering toward the shore. Surfers pro.

Out walking last night on our way to the restaurant we almost tripped, stumbled or busted an ankle thanks to those crazy "sidewalks" all buckled from ancient tree trunks or dark construction zones where the sidewalk is non existant but maybe some rebar lies in its stead. Or worse yet, the dreaded open manhole! No lights to see by, so just cross the street and hope for better conditions. Dangerous Con!

Having arrived at our final destination there was a waiting list! Con. Hey, chairs and beverages on the sidewalk while you wait for a table, Pro! Food? Pro. Service? semi-con.

Friends visiting for the holiday? Pro!

Time off? Huge Pro!

Line-ups at the super? Giant Con.

Weather? Giant Pro! We were actually cold last night! That's just novel. Gimme that comforter!

Having a good book or two to read? Pro!

Screaming ninos in the pool? Con.

Traffic? CON!!!!

By for now...

'Tis the Season to be Hunting for Crabs?

2005-12-26T08:43:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to you!

Just rode the cruiser to the mall to exchange some pesos into dollars Americanos for daughter Steffi who is off to L.A. this evening to visit a friend in Mission Viejo. Trust everyone had a prosperous Christmas and got all you ordered from the man in the sleigh. So far it's been an interesting vacation which involved a crab dubbed Princess Penelope.

We were at Plaza Caracole the other day getting some last minute items and the girls introduced me to the new pet store called ¨Mascotas¨which is really something! They had quite the assortment of creatures including black scorpions (we had plenty of those during our years at the Rancho!) all manner of parrots, ferrets, a chinchilla and of course lots of puppies. If you pay $25 pesos they'll put you in a room where you can play with the little guys. I was tempted when I saw little ¨Scottie¨who is too cute for words! Anyway, Jacqui thought it would be fun to by her current squeeze a pet crab since they are very economical and easy to care for. A few crabby pellets and some water and voila! Easy, right? Apparently not. Once we got home we set ¨Princess Penelope¨in a large tupper dish with the pellets and the water and put a cookie rack on top to keep her in her temporary ¨hotel.¨ All seemed well and good until the next morning (Christmas morning) when I discovered our little guest had escaped! For the next half hour the entire family scoured the pad looking for the little nipper, but to no avail. Not a very illustrious beginning to the day and we have no idea how she got out of the apt. or if in fact she IS out. At any moment we could come across her unexpectedly, but in the meantime we have given up. Oh well, it's the thought that counts.

Going Organic.

2005-12-21T06:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I received my first delicious sampler from a new organization called "Organic Select." A large paper bag arrived overflowing with the freshest of produce from local farmers and organic producers from as far away as the valley of Tomatlan and delivered right to my work place! How great is that? Upon closer inspection I found the following: tiny, perfect cherry tomatoes, fresh cheese wrapped in a banana leaf, a mini loaf of flaxseed bread, a jar of guayaba cream (sort of like applesauce), eggplant, baby squash and some perfect zucchinis. There was still more! A large bag of baby greens, a bag of arugula, two free range hen's eggs, a small bag of coffee, two oranges and two limas rounded out the selection and I can say that having used some of these ingredients to prepare a late lunch yesterday, there was approval from all involved.

According to the info tucked inside the bag, a group of six women, (five Mexicans and an American) have spent the last two months locating growers and putting together the business. "This is a relationship between farmers combined with cottage industries which grow organic fruits and vegetables and local members of the public who want to support their efforts and enjoy the benefits of eating the freshest, most wholesome farm produce avaialable." Personally, I'm all for it and will do my best to support them and their efforts since having fresh produce brought to your door is a great thing! The other exciting thing is that depending on the growing season, the selection will vary and they even mentioned eventually introducing free range roasting hens, turkeys, lamb, beef and ostrich. I say, bring it on.

The Smoldering Burrito.

2005-12-20T06:46:00.000-08:00

MIL DISCULPAS to those of you that tune in from time to time for the protracted absence from this BLOG. A friend from Toronto wrote me this morning with a justified "What Up?" and put me back on track. Thanks Jeff!

This is our last full day of work here at the old Colegio before heading out for the holidays. (Can we say Christmas anymore??) Tomorrow will be a short day in which we wrap up a few morning classes and then gather in the courtyard to give out gift baskets to all the maintenance staff who do such such a good job keeping this busy place orderly and functioning. The tradition is that students from each class bring in cookies, pasta, flour, oil, cereal, oatmeal and many more items which are collected into giant baskets and gifted out. It's just a way to say "thanks!"

The teachers already had their Christmas Posada one evening last week and it was a great success. We enjoyed piñatas and ponche, tamales and pozole, fragrant mandarinas and plenty of cachuates--oh, and an open bar. The D.J. (aka "Chuy") whose day job is to man the door and do a bit of gardening blew us all away with his ability to spin the rockin' tunes and get people up and shakin'. Who'da thunk it? Anyway, there was also a table full of gifts to be raffled off and even though I was eye-ballin' the nice new color TV, I ended up winning an electric screw driver. Hmmmm. I guess it beats a rubber biscuit.

I promise to be back on soon, so stay tuned for further news from this burning (smoldering?) burrito.

There's a Boa in my air-conditioner!

2005-11-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

This afternoon, a group of local "Bomberos" arrived to assist the school secretary with a rather unusual emergency. Her air-conditioner wasn't working and upon closer inspection she discovered a rather large boa constrictor wrapped tightly around the fan! I happened to have a free moment at exactly the time when the snake extraction was scheduled to take place and much to my amazement, the fireman pulled forth a hefty, hissing snake of approximately two meters! It's girth was as thick as my calf! Yowser! By the time he had the snake subdued and stretched it out for all to admire, quite a crowd had gathered and one of the more retiring teachers stepped forward with an obvious intention of getting ahold of this reptilian rascal. Sure enough, there was Lorena, posing as demurely as ever but with an angry boa! Who would have thunk it? The stow-away was then placed in a large garbage bag, a couple of holes were punched through and off went the trusty team of snake catchers supposedly to set the snake free somewhere else. Snake-skin boots anybody?

Cruisin' in the Hood.

2005-11-10T11:58:00.000-08:00

I recently purchased a bike and not just any old bike, but a "Cruiser" with a difference. I found this baby hanging from the bike rack at the new Coppel on a trip a few weeks ago to the Soriana Plaza. On a hunch, I went into the store to check out the selection with no great expectations and much to my delight, there it was! I knew as soon as I allowed my eyes to rove over the custom pink and black paint job with the hibiscus flower details on the seat that it was destiny. I bought it immediately and my skeptical hubby helped me wrestle it into the back of our small car questioning my decision repeatedly. How can you expect a man to understand this type of impromptu shopping?
This is my second week of riding the bike to school and back and it's the highlight of my day. I have mastered the speed bumps, agressive drivers and even purchased a gold "coronet" honker to warn pedestrians of my impending approach. The hubby drives, the kids are walking and I am riding my cruiser into a heightened state of staisfaction. I would say the investment has already paid off and as long as the weather cooperates, I'll be found cruisin' the hood.

Paris in Vallarta.

2005-10-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not talking about a new French restaurant, I'm talking about that socialite who is famous for being famous, non other than Paris Hilton and entourage. According to one of my students, Paris blew into town with her new Greek squeeze of the billionaire shipping family fame, and assorted hangers on and "rocked" the town or tripped the light fantastic or just tripped.
This is what I heard: She flew in on a private jet, ensconced herself in luxury at a private home out in Punta de Mita, took over "Nicky Beach" at the Westin, traveled to "The Zoo" in a Mercedes, was partying like it was 1999, drank straight out of a bottle of Don Julio and generally caused a commotion at the appropriately named "Zoo" even dancing in a cage in a state of epic inebriation for an admiring or at least curious crowd of onlookers before departing at around 4:00 am in the Mercedes. Fun? Wow!

Another Tasty Option.

2005-10-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

You know me and food, so it will come as no surprise that I'm writing about another tasty option that has the added bonus of air-conditioning and good service! I'm talking about "La Terazza" in the Marina. We ended up there for lunch yesterday and I have to say, it was comfortable, inexpensive and delicious. I'd give it two thumbs up in a genuine food review but since this is just Ruesga's blog, it's gets the panza llena, corazon contento award.
We had originally been heading to "Cafe Tacuba" also known as "Tony's Please" which is supposed to be "Tony's Place" but discovered it won't be open until Monday so someone suggested "La Terazza." Everyone ordered something different which is always a good test of a menu, and the seven of us were all very satisfied with our choices. They even served a fresh "pizza bread" to start with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Main courses included pizza, (thin crust) pasta in pesto (is your pesto besto?) linguini with seafood (get rid of the peas) ravioli in a fresh tomato sauce and fettucine among others. It was all good, we weren't suffering from the heat, the service was attentive and capable and the bill didn't gouge our wallets. So, what's not to like?

Plaza Santa Fe Shopping Excursion.

2005-10-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

What happens when you turn thirty-seven adolescents loose with pockets full of cash and credit cards in a huge shopping mall? A spending spree of Herculean proportions! That was the case at Plaza Santa Fe which was our last stop before heading back to Puerto Vallarta from the College Fair. The Plaza Santa Fe is an upscale complex with every product imaginable and beautifully displayed. We visited Sears, Zara, Levi's, Radio Shack, Sony, Bershka, Hello Kitty, Adidas, Foot Locker, art and design stores, tons of shoe stores and the list goes on. There was even a high tec car on display for touring with the family complete with bullet proof windows and reinforced armor exterior! A must have for the upwardly mobile. After several hours, the girls came back with more bags than the boys but everyone seemed to find something to take home from the trip. I was happy to finally find the pedometer I'd been looking for, a classic martini shaker, some Indonesian napkin holders and a few treats for the kids. I could have shopped longer but my weary "dogs" refused another step. I plunked myself down and surrendered to half an Italian sub from Subway. Ahhhhhh. Trying to collect up the troops was a challenge since it seemed there were always a few kids in the bathroom, so we must have counted heads a dozen times before we could head out like a conquering army through the corridors, down the stairs, out through the Liverpool store (amid stares from the security people) out onto the sidewalk, through the parking lot, past the driving range and onto the bus. Victorious! Now we just had a thirteen hour trip home left to deal with and for the most part it was uneventful. The bus did take a wrong turn down a one way street that happened to lead us to the front doorway of a cop station and we were pulled over temporarily, but the driver got it all worked out pretty quickly and we were back on the highway. I'm happy to say we all made it back without injury or drama and the worst affliction was sleep deprivation in conjunction with sore muscles from "sleeping" in cramped positions. Hey, it was a small price to pay for such a great trip and I hope I'm asked to go again next year.

The College Fair in Mexico City. 2005

2005-10-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Our school has been attending the college fair in Mexico City for a number of years and anyone interested in their child's future should do the same. Here's why: The college fair is held every year near the end of September or early October at The American School of Mexico City. There are representatives from colleges and universities from as far away as Australia and Scotland to reps. from school right here in Mexico. I saw several top Canadian universities, many American colleges including a couple at the Ivy League level and a scattering of schools from Europe. Everything is clearly laid out in one of the large gymnasiums at the school and the kids are free to speak with any or all of the reps., collect brochures, and generally accumulate information concerning their future. Our students went in with some preparation concerning what questions to ask and of course one of the most important is which schools offer scholarships and what's the elegibility factor. We were pleased to learn many schools do offer financial assistance and some kids came away with higher hopes and new ambitions. There is also a large food court with a variety of international offerings including everything from sushi to Crispy Cream donuts. ( I actually had my first bite of a Crispy Cream donut ever out in the food court. Yummy! ) Anyway, there is no way to underestimate the importance of this fair for our students since there is nothing as convincing as first-hand information. All of our students benefitted from this visit in one way or another and almost all of them got on the bus with large bags loaded with information to take back to their families.

Nest stop: Plaza Santa Fe and Shpping 'til ye be dropping!

Mexico City Part 3

2005-10-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

The approach to the pyramids is incredibly beautiful because they are surrounded by hectares of sunflowers and cacti. One begins to sense the power of the past as glimpses of imposing structures appear on the horizon. I'm not going to offer up a history of the pryamids in this blog since it's easy enough to encounter a much more professional background at the click of the mouse, but I will say that a visit to these temples is a must see if you are planning a trip to Mexico City.
We entered at gate #1 where the pyramid of the Serpents is situated with the intension of walking the main avenue towards the pyramid of the Sun and the museum containing a model of the entire City of Teotihuacan. There is also a very nice gift shop containing quality souvenirs and then there's also a number of vendors along the way if you are searching for that perfect fake artifact.
I'd been at the pyramids many years ago and had already climbed the Sun and the Moon with the energy and enthusiasm of my youth, but this time it was just the pryamid of the Serpents I attempted. This is because the steps up all the pryamids are very steep and it's actually coming down that becomes a challenge as the sense of vertigo can be dibilitating. I've seen weeping tourists on their hands and knees shaking as they descend, so it's really no joke. Of course our students were like little mechanical climbing machines zipping up to the top without so much as a pause! That's the seventeen-year-old "no fear, I'm immortal" mentality at work not to mention the physical condition of athletes. Anyway, the view from the top of any of the pyramids is spectacular and worth the effort plus there's the added bonus of getting some great pictures from a birds' eye perspective.
We strolled the main avenue at a leisurely pace admiring the china blue sky, the deep sense of the past, and marvelled at man's ingenuity. This is a place of wonderment and it's difficult to describe the overall experience except to say it's a rush.

Following our visit to the pyramids, we visited the restaurant "Mirador Piramides" which is a short drive away. The food is cheap but the view is worth a million! We sat by an open window overlooking a huge field of corn with the pyramids in the distance and relished our meal of hearty chicken soup and queso fundido which tasted really good after a full morning of exercise. It's a day I won't soon forget.

Mexico City College trip continued.

2005-10-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

Day 2 began after a NOISY night at the "Posada Sol y Luna" in the one donkey town of "Teotihuacan" near the pyramids. We had the whole hotel for our group and the kids were clearly full of energy even though it was almost 11:00 pm when we got to our rooms. We managed to get the front desk to order in some pizza and soft drinks for the "starving" masses and it was amusing to see four motos from "Benedetti's" pull up to the front door and off-load stacks of pepperoni pizzas and gallons of sugary pop. (Not the best thing for inducing sleep!) Small towns mean limited selection and there really was no other option. It was past 3 am before the noise started to die down and probably closer to 4, but amazingly enough, everyone was up, dressed and ready to go by 8:30 when we loaded up bound for the Mercado and some locally prepared delacasies.
I have to say the breakfast at the Teotihuacan market was the best meal of the trip! A kindly Señora and her husband tended to about half our group at their puesto and although the service was slow, the food made our taste buds sing! They started by blending up a fresh salsa verde which was served in a plastic tub labelled "Pig's Brains" and then they plunked a piece of paper down in front of me in order to write our choices. I struggled to keep up with the demands: Quesadillas with tinga, champiñones or savory chicharrone. The tortillas were being hand patted behind us as the food started to arrive and each taco seemed better than the last. In front of us at a neighboring puesto, another Señora was busy blending up delicious licuados and jugos for a few pesos. We order the popular Carrot/orange juice mix and weren't disappointed by the freshness of the flavors. We were so "into" our food there was only "oohs" and "ahhhs" and "una mas" to be heard over the table and maybe "pass the salsa." When it was all done, we tallied and left the money behind knowing we had savored both good food and good value which is always a good way to start the day!
Next: The Pyramids in all their glory and some serious exercise!

Mexico City College Trip 2005 Day 1

2005-10-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

This is later than I had planned, but due to a number of unforseeable factors, I was unable to file earlier.
The trip was a huge success. We travelled all night and rolled into Vallarta at about 8:30 this morning a little bleary eyed, and the worse for wear and tear but VERY happy to be back and certainly better for the experience.
There were 37 grade 11 and 12 students, 3 teachers and two bus drivers in tow when we hauled out of Vallarta last Thursday at dawn. We stopped at about 9:00 in Compostella for the first of many bathroom/snack stops and all the kids loaded up on more sugar and starch. I was happy to discover one of the snack options was a display of hardboiled eggs for $2 pesos a pop. Quite an economical little treat. We settled in for the stretch with Tom Hanks in "The Terminal." By 9:40 we encountered our first gruesome wrack and stared out the bus windows at a tractor-trailor lying like a wounded animal on its side surrounded by a billion cans of Coke. The driver was being tended to by a crowd and it was fairly apparent the accident had just happened. Judging by the ruined guard rail, the truck had attempted to make a turn, was going too fast and flipped over probably more than once proving things don't always go better with Coke.
Somewhere in Gunajuato we came upon a huge eatery called "Buffet Manolete" which is a comida corrida style place catering to large crowds. We certainly qualified and the kids were told to pile in, load up and chow down which were simple enough instructions to a group of hungry adolescents. They made short work of the offerings and I witnessed great plates of steaming rice, carne in salsa verde, chicken in mole and beans disappear in record time. There was even a man dispensing strawberry ice-cream for dessert. Imagine feeding forty-two people for the price of $190 U.S. Such a deal! We made a mental note to remeber the location of our new friend "Manolete" although I'm sure the other fifty or so clients would like to forget us!

More to come...