Sunday 3/6 -- Breakfast out

Veronica, Hilda, Emilio, Martha, Carolyn, Gayel, Chelsea, Linda, Claudette

Up and out early today:  9:30 reservations at Mama Rosa's.  The five of us, Veronica & Adrian and  Erika and the three kids (Chelsea, Hilda & Gayel) made for a grand table.  This is a buffet restaurant, and there was plenty to sample.  A pleasant change was the presence of lots of vegetables -- mushrooms, zucchini, cactus, green beans.  Such a treat!  Fresh quesadillas came to the table, along with strong coffee and as much juice as anyone wanted to drink.

A nice fruit display helped round out the vitamin quotient, and an interesting variety of desserts rounded out the offerings.  As the adult conversations rippled up and down the table, the kids amused themselves with each other.  The grade-schoolers enjoyed tic-tac-toe, hangman, and boxes ... a real trip down memory lane.

Hot Peppers

Yaca

Avocados

Bananas

After a more-than-filling meal, we headed back towards home, with a short stop for Emilio to pick up a few things at Walmart.  We dropped him off at home and proceeded a few blocks away to "the orchard."











This is a 2 bedroom home that Emilio owns, where one of his brothers and his wife live.









 

The large back yard has many fruiting trees -- mangos, papaya, avocado, yaca -- and a vegetable garden.








 


We were treated to a fabulous fruit smoothie of yaca, strawberry, and pineapple.

Mangos

It was cold and delicious, even though we weren't hungry at all.








  

Back home again, everyone crashed for a short nap.  Now we're moving into "going home tomorrow" mode ... Martha's clearing out the trunk of her car to make room for luggage, Linda's packing, I'm catching up on the blogging.  Next thing I know we'll be back home again, hoping there's no snow!

Saturday 3/5 - Downtown!

We had considered taking the "City Tour" yesterday, but of course events overtook us.  So today we ambled downtown and did a little sightseeing and cultural immersion.  This started early, as there was a HUGE parade of kindergartners

in various floats -- some cars or trucks, some horse-drawn carriages; the kids all dressed up like kings & queens.  Oh my goodness, what a show!



There are no obvious parking places downtown, but Martha knew an apparent alley to turn into and we found a space with some shade, a rare treat.  We were just a block from the main square, which was well-populated with families and couples enjoying a beautiful day.  Carlos Santana's "Smooth" was drifting over the breeze ... very nice!

We had hoped to find a craft display that was remembered from prior visits, but it wasn't obvious as we walked around the square.  We made some inquiries, but no one was familiar with the venue we described.

We moved on to one of two museums, which documented the culture and celebrations of the Native peoples in the area.  The mannequins were decked out in costumes of astonishing detail.  The exhibition space was small, but admission was free -- what's not to like?

We got into a longer conversation with the lady who monitored access to the exhibits, discussing points of interest in the general area.  A key focus was las Islas Marietas de Vallarta, a beautiful island-cum-nature-preserve nearby to Puerto Vallarta ... maybe next year?

Strolling further down the street, we encountered a more archaeological presentation, complete with English sub-panels, that reminded us strongly of the museum we'd enjoyed in Mazatlan.  This venue required a small admission fee and provided wooden lockers to hold purses and such during one's visit.  The first exhibit was a large plexiglass case mostly filled with shells ... a memory of piles left by ancient peoples as they foraged for seafood.  Many of these have been destroyed over time, and scientists are working to protect those remaining, as they provide information about these societies.









There were numerous other galleries, with extensive displays of pottery and various decorative objects.  There was a life-sized depiction of a "shaft tomb" ... a hand-crafted cave in which the deceased was laid out with a variety of objects to assist him or her in the afterlife.

The perimeter of the cave was delineated by cutouts in the plexiglass panes, which were lit so the edges were illuminated.  It was amazing to think of the effort involved both in the excavation and then in placing the body and the funereal objects in that confined place.








This museum had a nice gift shop, entered from a door around the corner.  There were beautiful pictures made from tiny seed beads, precisely placed to create imaginative and geometric designs.  Also hand-weaving, many smaller beaded items, a nice assortment.







Working our way back toward the car, we were passing the main cathedral and decided to go in to appreciate this old structure.  The soaring ceiling and beautiful decorations were impressive indeed, considering the building is hundreds of years old.  Very peaceful.






By now, we're ready to head for home in the heat of the afternoon.  We still had to get Martha's cable bill paid (no direct-debit here, SIGH), and found parking in a small strip mall next door.  Linda, Claudette and I repaired to Cafe Luna and enjoyed a cold chai or lemonade, and shortly Martha joined us as well.  The cafe was breezy and comfortable, a nice place to kick back after our walk around downtown.

We had passed a restaurant known for its Tortas Ahogadas -- grilled meat in a sauce-soaked bolillo, a favorite of Tom's.  El Parian has a menu less inventive than our friends' at El Arrayan, but the tortas were very good.  Additional sauces and salsas were available and welcome, as was our first beer of the afternoon.  Martha was pleased to discover that both beef and pork were available, and we borrowed a menu for Emilio to peruse as the place is very close to their home.


Eventually we did get home, and a good thing -- we were heading out to a birthday party at 7P!  It was not a dressy affair, a friend was celebrating her 50th with a gathering at her home.  Several round tables were set up at one end of a tiled patio, and a pair of grill stations supported cooking fresh tortillas (made right there and then!) and carne asada and chorizo, plus small round onions on the grill.  There was a small band; when they took a break, it was time to tuck into dinner.  The spanking-fresh tortillas could be filled with the beef or sausage, and if you asked for an onion, the chef picked one out with tongs, arranged it carefully on a well-worn cutting board, and dramatically halved it with a huge cleaver.  A condiment station provided the finishing touches to a fine meal.

As the party wore on, various goofy items appeared to enhance the mood ... glittery masks, giant "bow ties," bowler hats, Mardi-Gras-style beads, flashing jelly rings.  Small signs with bad puns in Spanish were distributed to folks deemed appropriate to the message.  Lots of folks got up to dance.  The cake finally was lit -- including a small Roman candle in the middle! -- and served up, and we did manage to get home the same day.  A very pleasant introduction to a nice Mexican tradition!

Friday 3/4 - Interruption

Emilio and Martha got some sad news last night, the death of an elderly member of the extended family.  In Mexican tradition, the service and interment were scheduled for today; folks scrambled to get here from the States.

Of course that took precedence over our casual plans, but we three were well-situated for a lazy day at home in any event.  Lots of reading, a few naps, and some milestones on the needlework.

Right after school, we heard a lot of rattling at the front gate.  Though Claudette and I were in the living room (I did mention NAPS, yes?), we didn't have a view of the gate.  Just as we were getting up to investigate, in come Veronica, Chelsea and Hilda.  What a nice surprise!

They were heading over to the funeral, but had stopped to ensure that we had everything we needed.  We certainly appreciated the concern, but knew there was plenty to eat in the 'frig.  We had thought it likely that Emilio and Martha would not get back between the visitation and the mass, and Veronica confirmed that.

Having ensured the comfort and safety of the houseguests they departed for the church.  We enjoyed leftovers from our cooking spasm, and welcomed our host and hostess home later in the evening.  A quick run out for our bus tickets back to Puerto Vallarta (passing a drive-through BAR ... yikes!), and then everyone gets some much-needed sleep.

Thursday 3/3 -- The Lure of Marisco

Another leisurely start, as Martha had some early errands to tend to.  Upon her return, though we were ready to rumble -- setting off for Chacala, a town well south of yesterday's destination.  It's sugar cane season, the roads are lined with tall thickets of cane ready for harvest.



 





All along the roadside there are trucks and tents with foods and handcrafts to sell

This road was the same one we had ridden earlier in the week, so we were happy to revisit some beautiful views of the surrounding hills...

...and the sweep of agricultural lands in the valleys.  Pretty heady stuff for us flatlanders!

We reached our destination and picked out a nice, shady table under a palm roof.  Even though we were facing westward, the sun was not going to encroach on this retreat!

Naturally, we started our LUNCH with chips, guacamole and a cold beer.  But the best was yet to come...

Martha ordered a beautiful shrimp plate ...

Carolyn tucked into a sauteed chicken breast with tasty mushroom gravy and crisp vegetables...

Linda reprised the Coconut Shrimp (Marisco) she'd been dwelling on for some six years now...

and Claudette knew to order a whole red snapper even though it wasn't on the menu.



Fresh and wonderful, every one!

We were looking out at a sheltered cove, with a number of private vessels moored well out in the water.  Several came and went; various watercraft were deployed and some intrepid souls were demonstrating their crawl in the deep water.



 

 Closer-in, there were lots of kids and parents frolicking in the surf.

Further down the tide line, things got more tranquil.

Linda (the photographer) and Claudette enjoyed a stroll along the beach ...

and agreed that this would be an idyllic camping spot!

Meanwhile, Carolyn got some stitching done while Martha blissed out ... and EVERYONE enjoyed the sea breeze.

Somehow, there always comes a time to go home.  We had some interesting plants to observe, including this palm tree...

...this yaca (if you look REALLY close you can see the large, bulbous green fruit hanging from the right-hand side of the middle tree)...

...and bananas!

We often saw white-painted tree trunks:  it's to deter the red ants, the paint is too slippery for them to climb up.  Who knew??

and cows (both photos).  These at least were within their fence ... on our way in from PV, we'd seen a big white steer just ambling up the road like he owned it.  Glad we didn't meet up with him closely!

We were on the lookout for sugar cane, and it wasn't hard to find ...

...including recently-harvested fields right up to the roadside.

Harvested sugar cane is piled into trucks, which are heavy and S...L...O...W.  On these 2-lane, twisty roads it's inevitable that you'll wind up inching along behind one of these guys for at least a little while.  It's hard to find a stretch of straightaway where you can pass safely.

But finally we were back in town, where the trucks take the local lanes and we enjoy express.








A few errands later, we were back home just at dusk ... with a restored wine inventory and bus tickets for Monday morning in hand.  A little wine to settle our jangled nerves ... and then pretend we're going to get some sleep with the music from the nearby fair pumping the airwaves.  Well, sleep we did, though just about everyone could testify to the fact that the party was still going strong at 3AM.  Oh, to be young and wild, eh?

Wednesday 3/2 -- Ocean-bound

Linda and Claudette have a tightly-packed schedule for this week, many favorite places to re-visit plus the local fair will be in full swing.  Today we are to head out to Casa Manana for LUNCH.

Claudette and Martha had come across elephant ears while shopping yesterday, so we enjoyed that treat for breakfast.  Some contractors were still running around in the house completing various details of the many upgrades which -- while planned for a long time -- had been precipitated by our visit.  (The shower surrounds, for instance, were installed yesterday!)

Having gotten the house in order and cross-checked with Emilio, the four of us hopped into Martha's car and set out for the sea.  Again, roads varied from cobblestone streets on some blocks in town, to a smooth & modern tollway, to tiny mountain roads.  We first stopped at San Blas, a town with the oldest fort on the Pacific coast, but so many changes had occurred since Martha's last visit that we gave up the search and continued on.



Many small villages lay along the way, each having installed two or more serious speed humps.  One good reason for this is simple pedestrian safety, as many locals simply walk or bike from place to place.  We suspect, however, that the reduction in speed also allows travelers to get a good look at the produce, foodstuffs and handcrafts on offer in small booths along the roadside.



Our mission, however, was clear ... make it to Casa Manana today!  As the landscape flattened out, the orchards changed from mango to yaca (the tree, not the fleshy yucca plant) we found the place.  It's both a hotel and restaurant; the restaurant parking involved threading our way through a palm tree forest ... but blessedly there was shade for the car.








While there was plenty of indoor seating, with a shaded deck right on the beach, why stay inside?  We found a big round table where we could all sit looking out at the ocean rolling in, and settled in for the afternoon.  Chips (oven-baked, light and tasty!), salsa and guacamole started us off ... oh, yeah, and a beer too.  After a while we ordered LUNCH:  shrimp burgers for Martha, Claudette and Linda, and beef tenders in a creamy ancho sauce for me.  The shrimp were judged to be as good as ever, with lots of effort to identify the seasonings that make this particular sandwich such a standout vs. its peers in other venues.
 
The beef was very good, tender in the flavorful  sauce.  A stack of shredded zucchini and a spoonful of mashed potatoes rounded out the plate.  Everyone got a taste of the meat, which was pronounced a fine addition to the menu.


(Oh ... and a beer to wash everything down.)





 

By mid-afternoon, many more people were arriving at the more-traditional LUNCH time.  It was time for us to bid the sea farewell for now and head back into town.  We found just a couple of slow trucks and managed to pass them in the end.  We arrived back in Tepic at the height of rush hour ... and discovered that there were streets blocked off because the FAIR was just opening.  Lots of folks walking to the festivities.



Despite the impediments, we got home but had no heart for dinner.  Instead, we chatted well into the evening and, ultimately, went off to bed.

Tuesday 3/1 -- Competent Cookery

After a leisurely breakfast, we set out to acquire the necessary ingredients for our planned LUNCH ... to be served at 4P.  We'll start with a jicama/orange/cucumber salad, followed by an appetizer of angelhair pasta in a gently-spiced tomato sauce with Parmesan and Mexican zucchini.  The main meal will be poached chicken in a green mole, similar to the sauce we made and enjoyed at El Arrayan.

The critical component was the angelhair, which we hoped to find rolled into the traditional little "nests."  This is not a standard inventory item, but Linda found it in the first store she tried.  A good omen, we felt.

Off to the local supermarket, which we have also patronized in PV.  We were able to complete almost all of our list, including two whole chickens, and decided to get Linda and me back to the kitchen while Martha and Claudette went out again for the remaining few items and to complete some other errands.

We had a number of adventures cooking in a new kitchen (both new to us AND recently remodeled!), the direst of which was a dearth of pans large enough to hold the double-recipe quantities we were making.  In the end it all worked out; we had the salad plated on the table when the additional guests arrived, and served up the pasta next.  The chicken came out last, flanked by the black beans we'd made in PV (well-laced with onion, garlic, and some adobo sauce from the last of the chiles-en-adobo can) and startlingly fresh tortillas.  The cooks basked in the utter silence around the table as everyone tucked into a pretty good meal (if we DO say so ourselves!).

With all that on the menu, we had not made dessert.  But Linda presented an assortment of chocolate bars from her travel stash, and they were well-received ... ESPECIALLY by 2-year-old Hilda, who needed some major clean-up after her success in melting several chunks in her hands.

Veronica had contributed majorly to our efforts by keeping up with dishwashing as the evening progressed, so we all were able to enjoy a calm finale as the family returned home and we all repaired to our beds.  A lovely time!

Monday, 2/29 ... Run For The Hills!

The morning went very smoothly and as planned.  Luggage was loaded into another secured, canvas-covered cart and we went off to the poolside restaurant to cash in our remaining breakfast coupons.  This buffet was of a more reasonable size than the one at the main restaurant, but featured all of our favorites.  An unexpected addition was an entire roast haunch of pork, juicy and delicious.  A proper dose of fruit, enough "elephant ear" pastries to see us through to next year, and it was already time to trek over to the rendezvous location.

A good stroll and a trolley ride later, we found that despite our best efforts, Oscar was being held at the entry gate.  We were able to untangle that and shortly he arrived.  He and the luggage handler managed to fit it all into the back of Emilio's SUV (on loan for this purpose), so we strapped in and set off for Tepic.

The roadways varied dramatically from place to place, though all WERE paved.  We went from 4-6 lane divided highways to 2-lane twisty mountain roads, and through some very beautiful terrain.  We had very good luck and encountered just a couple of slow-moving trucks on our side of the road; on the flip trip, every few miles there were vehicles slogging along behind a fully-loaded semi or a sugar cane transport ... hoping for a short stretch of straight road where they could pass safely.

A solid couple of hours later we arrived in Tepic, and found a parking space right in front of Martha & Emilio's.  They enjoy a spacious home right downtown, a narrow sidewalk between their walls and the street.  We piled out of the car and got unloaded; each of us enjoys a generous guest room with private bath.  Luxury!

After getting everything sorted out, we were introduced to a Mexican concept:  LUNCH.  LUNCH is the main meal of the day, and is taken some time between 1 and 4 in the afternoon.  We, of course, were thinking of something more like a snack than a meal, but having gotten our education, were happy to tuck into good tacos and a sweet pumpkin-with-milk dessert at a small restaurant right across the street.  In keeping with their clientele, they're only open until 5!

Martha's daughter Veronica and granddaughters Chelsea and Hilda arrived and we chatted well into the evening.  We had always intended to do some cooking for Martha & Emilio, and now this expanded to include them and Adrian, Veronica's partner.  Time to get to bed so there's energy for grocery shopping tomorrow!

Sunday 2/28 -- Ready...Set...

Today was devoted to tidying up our affairs, as our estimable chauffeur will arrive at 9A in the morning.




Get some "outside" time in, a farewell to Puerto Vallartan sunshine. Enjoy another glide along the Lazy River, and snag a good shot of the beautiful fan palms that anchor the landscaping.











Rummage through the 'frig, figure out what can be ingested today, what can go up to Tepic, what just needs to be tossed.   Pack up!  Check the peso inventory vs. the list of opportunities to tip!

Travel can be SO complex!



We wrapped up our stay with a nice bottle of cava and some lovely desserts from the on-site bakery ... looking forward to next year!

Saturday 2/27 -- laundry & guacamole day

We debated whether to do our final laundry here today or tomorrow, but decided earlier was better.  The concierge desk issues a chip card coded for the washers & driers, and there are a limited number available (both cards and equipment).  If we were going to run into capacity issues, better today than tomorrow.

First laundry had been one load easily (the machines have a 15# capacity), so I assumed the same for this round.  One mustn't be caught managing one's own luggage, and we use a suitcase as a laundry bag, so I head down to the concierge desk first, then up to the room, then down to the lavanderia.  To discover that we were DEFINITELY two full loads this round!

No worries, Load #1 went into the one available washer and I trotted back to the desk to add value to the card.  Turns out they couldn't exactly do THAT, they had to issue a SECOND card, all with lots of hand-printing on 3-part NCR paper forms.  Kind of unbelievable at this point in history!

The laundry room works very smoothly, no one really wants to be in it longer than needed so folks are pretty prompt in getting their stuff out when the cycle's done.  I've been taking up residence in the lobby adjoining the area, which generates some pleasant conversation as some folks take an interest in the needlework.  A couple I'd spoken with before tucked into a pair of chairs and were absorbed in their e-readers, and my needlework was pretty spread out on a couch-like place, when a group came into the area discussing the need for a chair.  I tucked things into a more reasonable chunk of space and offered up most of this seating ... which was good, but what they REALLY wanted was a wheelchair as one of their number had done something to her knee which made it at best unwise, and maybe not POSSIBLE, for her to walk at this time.  A security guy came by and radioed for the chair, but to my amazement accepted her decline of any medical attention.  We were certainly not in the lawsuit-happy USA, where I have no doubt she'd have been in an ambulance bound for the ER even if they had to strap her down!

That was enough excitement for the morning, and (thanks to the timer on my Kindle) I was due to take the second load out of the dryer now.  A Spanish-speaking lady and her (apparent) daughter arrived and were a bit overwhelmed by the instruction placards on the wall, even though one set was in Spanish.  They had almost 20# of laundry, but were committed to a single load, so they got it all stuffed in somehow.  I was able to help them figure out the sequence to pay for and start the load, hope it all worked out OK.

With our wardrobe all folded and sorted out by owner, I rolled the suitcase back upstairs and scooted down to the desk to turn in the chip cards (and get my deposits refunded).  PHEW!

While downtown on Thursday, Linda and Claudette had picked up a couple of grocery items so we could enjoy another augmented guacamole, and a bottle of cava for a farewell toast to our enjoyable stay.  I busied myself pan-toasting the poblanos, tomatoes and garlic to make the mixture that would complement the avocados.  But WAIT!  We are down to ONE LIME, and we have beers AND guacamole to enhance!

Can't have THAT problem, so I set off to the little market in the center of the development.  I also hoped they would have a small can of salsa verde so I could make another batch of the good sauce we enjoyed on the skirt steak ... to present to Oscar as a little thank-you.  Happily I won on both counts ... and then the dessert counter reached out and grabbed me.  Having no business bringing any form of additional food into the room, I nonetheless bought three beautiful and interesting little cakes which we'll split and enjoy with the bubbly.

Now that we had limes in hand, the guacamole came together in a wink.  Linda and Claudette had wisely split the remaining two prawns from Thursday dinner earlier, and I'd snacked on some chips.  By the time the guacamole was done ... so were we!  Party girls that we are, we snuggled into our respective e-readers for an hour and went to bed.

Friday 2/26 -- Our final recipe

A more relaxed day today ... reading time at the pool or in the room, beginning to plan out how to use up our various savory leftovers.  We have enough sourdough for breakfasts and plenty of food for lunches and dinners.  Time to soak up as much sun as possible!

I took a dip in the soaking pool on our balcony, after all SOMEONE had to experience it!  It wakes up every morning around 9:30 with an impressive series of burps and gulps, and clearly it's been lonely to date.  The temperature was quite pleasant, and it was deep enough to float in if I'd been inclined.  My major problem is that I'm just not wired to sit still and do nothing ... so I had brought along a magazine to read.  The design of this small pool has the water flowing gently over the sides to be recirculated.  So one puts a hand down for stable descent into the water ... and suddenly a magazine isn't such a bright idea.  Ah, well, I can say I tried.

AND I can say that I got my bathing suit wet!  We've enjoyed our lazy mornings, but I'm no sun worshiper and have avoided the many reflections in the pool area.  So now I've participated, at least in a minor way.  PHEW!

Nibbling and noshing our way through lunch, we did leave room for a one-pot Mexican dinner with rice, corn and chorizo.  More reading (including, naturally, email and Facebook...) and another good night's sleep.

Thursday, 2/25 -- Return to fine dining

We had a Day With A Schedule for a change of pace:  Claudette returned to the dentist for her new crown, kindly ferried by the loyal Oscar.  Linda tagged along to get another taste of the town proper.

After the appointment was complete, the two rambled downtown and fried themselves to a nice turn on a long walk along the Malacon, the concrete seawall that runs the length of the downtown area.  It's a pretty walk, to be sure, but at some point the sun and concrete needed to be offset with some shady beers.  Smart ladies!





They also took the opportunity to revisit the main cathedral, to which we'd been introduced on our first visit.  These old structures are a testament to the devotion of the builders; most have been built one room or wall at a time, over many years, as materials/time/money became available from the congregation.









Meanwhile, I was a stitching fool, completing the waterline and a chunk of the sailing vessel.  Progress, indeed!  No need to cook today, as our plan is to cash our remaining dinner coupons at the Italian-themed bistro-cum-steak-house tonight.


We had really enjoyed our stop here on the restaurant crawl, and were not disappointed tonight.  Before we began to enjoy what we ordered, the chef provided an amuse-bouche of zucchini and prosciutto in an Asian soup spoon.  Just the nice little surprise we needed!



Our coupon provided a proper starter, entree, AND dessert.  It turned out we had no overlap in interests, so there were plenty of tasting opportunities as desired.  Linda ordered up calamari, served in appropriately squiggly dish.  Claudette reprised the carpaccio from the restaurant crawl, now augmented with sauteed mushrooms and a Parmesan fringe.  I enjoyed a chopped salad with artichokes in a lovely off-center bowl.

While those generous portions might well have SERVED as dinner, entrees were enroute.  Each came with a side of pasta or risotta and the evening's vegetable offering -- a cunning little packet of haricots verte wrapped in crisped prosciutto.  Linda led with the braised short ribs (which came out in their own well-seasoned LeCrueset dutch oven!); Claudette opted for prosciutto-wrapped prawns; I enjoyed a lemon-sauced chicken dish.  Sides of risotto were perfect!

 Knowing dessert was still to come, the larger entrees of beef and shrimp were partially boxed up for future lunches.  And a good thing THAT was, as the desserts were both beautiful and delicious.  Profiteroles with hot fudge sauce, caramel ice cream with tuille and strawberries, chocolate lava cake.  Yum!

 With all that luscious dining tucked properly in boxes or (ahem) tummies, we meandered back to our room for a good night's sleep.