Monday, January 9, 2012

TRAVEL: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (April 2011)

What's not to like about a free vacation?  I spend 7 days 7 nights at the beautiful Dreams Villa Magna in Nuevo Vallarta last April 2011.  Although I'm not usually the type for the "all-inclusive" scene, I made the most of it.  I spent most of my time by the ocean, boogie-boarding and sipping drinks.  I also took two trips to downtown Puerto Vallarta... but quickly learned that to see the actual Puerto Vallarta we would have to leave the two-block radius from the ocean.
My group and I headed up the hill to find a local restaurant to eat at.  Our mission was to find a restaurant that didn't have a sign written in English.  Not in English meant it was a place for the locals, with the real food of Mexico.  We found a small taco/ burrito shop where the workers were watching a game of soccer on the television.  We ordered up some burritos, and needless to say, the food was quite amazing.  During our time at the restaurant we never ran into any tourists, which makes me question: what off-the-boardwalk touristy restaurant did they eat at?  Actually, now that I think of it, I didn't see any non-locals away from the two-block radius from the ocean.  Quite a shame.
We also shopped in some markets:
Another highlight of the trip was getting to cross off some items from my bucket list: boating on the ocean, and zip-lining in the jungle.  We traveled my boat, aka a motorized raft, to the spot I would soon declare as one of the most beautiful spots in the world.  As we boated into a small cove, we set our eyes on La Boca de Tomatlán for the first time.  I fell in love.
(click to enlarge... trust me, its better enlarged!)
Endorphins. 

Zip-lining through the jungle, something every adventure-seeker has on their bucket list.  Mine has finally been accomplished, and you know what?  I WANNA GO AGAIN AND AGAIN!  This was no ordinary zip-lining experience from one stand to another: we zipped, we rappelled, we crashed into a pool of water!  Okay, the last one I can safely suggest not doing.  Of course when they ask the prove-she-can-do-anything girl (who happened to be the first in line) "the fast way or the slow way", she chooses "fast".  Well, ahem, for this you tuck your knees up as close to your stomach it will go... landing you in a... well... lets just say that was my first ever enema.  Despite this, it was still an amazing experience.
Someone from our group about to get the zip-lining enema:
One the way back to the boat we stopped at a local convenient store for some cervezas.  This was the first time in Mexico that I was actually tested on my Spanish-speaking abilities.  Not knowing the words for "bottle opener" in Spanish I mumbled "botella abierto?" with the universal hand symbols of popping the cap off a beer.  She nodded and pointed at the wall. 

 
Oh yeah and I got a free shower on the boat ride home... score!

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