Bruce and Junne's Puerto Vallarta Vacation 2002

Bruce & Junne's Puerto Vallarta trip

05/05/02 - 05/08/02

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

~ These are some of the highlights of our trip ~ Click on thumbnail picture to see larger representation, BACK button to return ~

We arrived into Puerto Vallarta on Sunday evening - We originally had a flight that left around 9:30am but because the airline was overbooked, they had asked anyone if they were willing to give up their seats to go on another flight 3 hours later in exchange for 2 roundtrip airline tickets. Naturally, we agreed. Why not, we got the original tickets for free anyways, and now, we have another set of roundtrip tickets for free too!

We stayed at the Buenaventura Hotel, 20 minutes from the airport and just 5 minutes from the Malecon shopping plaza in town

The weather the whole time we were here ranged from the high 80's to low 90's. The humidity was not that high so it wasn't too uncomfortable.

Some of the best Mexican food can be found here! We ate at so many different places but our favorite was called Pipi's ~ It was about a 10 minute walk towards town and by far, the busiest restaurant we had seen! I think the whole town of Puerto Vallarta was at Pipi's! They prepared fresh Guacamole right at your table and some of the best chips and salsa too. Amazingly, with all the people that crowded the restaurant, our service was excellent, prompt and with a smile.

Sierra Madres Expedition

To see the real Mexico you must leave the town and the traffic far behind. This expedition into the Sierra Madres will show you a Mexico that most tourists, and many Mexicans, never get to see. In the open-air, Mercedes, all-terrain vehicles ( I so renamed it the "Taliban-truck" ) - specially designed to handle difficult roads with surprising comfort. Little bumpy now and then – We drove through clear mountain streams that have, over centuries, cut towering canyons deep into the rugged Sierras. As we drove further into the luxuriant jungle, very knowledgeable, multi-lingual guides showed you the strange life and color that exists beneath the canopy. They say snakes and scorpions thrive here in the jungle but we did not see any.

During this trip, we made several stops to historical places and also to a small tortilla factory. We sampled a piece of freshly made corn tortilla - It was one of the best I have ever tasted!

We also made a stop to a small Tequila factory -

It wasn't really a factory at all but more like a huge gift store that sold Tequila. Every kind you can imagine. Since 90% of all Tequila comes from the state of Jalisco, it is very common to find lots of Tequila around here. Even though I am not a drinker, I sampled some Coffee Tequila, which was pretty smooth. Most of the Tequila's I have ever tasted burned going down - so this was a pleasant surprise.

We then proceeded to the jungle area high in the Sierra Madre mountains and hiked for about 20 minutes, and then headed to Sayulita, which is a coastal town and beach. We ate bbq beef and chicken, potato salad, pasta salad, corn and grilled veggies on the beach. The tour was an all day event and by the time we left the beach, I was exhausted!

Puerto Vallarta City tour

We took a small van city tour around Puerto Vallarta. Probably the best way to see Puerto Vallarta, especially the Old Town area, is to walk its cobble stone streets. All along the downtown oceanfront is a mile-long "boardwalk" known as the "Malecon". Directly across the street facing the ocean, there are several blocks of shops, galleries, gift shops, restaurants and night clubs, and this is "the" place where residents and visitors, shoppers and diners stroll along the oceanfront from morning to night. In the morning, about the time a few joggers are out running along the beach, fishermen set up an open fish market at one end of the "Malecon" near the Hotel Rosita (Puerto Vallarta's first hotel) where they sell their catch-of-the-day to the public.

At the other end, there's an open air theater called "Los Arcos" (The Arches) where different kinds of free performances such as mariachis and puppet shows are given in the evenings, beginning at about 5:30 PM every Sunday and on special holidays.

Local artists who paint scenes of Vallarta, set up to sell their paintings nearby. The Guadalupe Cathedral is at the Center of downtown. Its pretty crown-shaped bell tower is the main distinguishing landmark of Puerto Vallarta, which can be seen from miles around The cathedral was built opening onto "La Plaza" or the town square, where the "Palace Municipal" or Municipal Center is, and which is often the site for art and cultural demonstrations.

Above the cathedral, cobble-stone streets and long, steep stairways climb up into the foothills where red tile-roofed houses, spilling vivid red bougainvillea from balconies, perch on the mountain side. The panoramic view of Old Town from above is spectacular. This is called "El Cerro" (the hill) and is the location of many elegant homes owned by the "Norteamericanos" or "gringos" (Americans, Canadians and others) as well as many long-time local residents.

Downtown Puerto Vallarta is divided down its center by the Rio Cuale (Cuale River). And in the middle of the river is the "Isla Cuale", a narrow sliver of an island with botanical gardens, the Cuale Museum, and a number of shops and cafes on it. At the most inland end of the island, one can still see native Mexican women washing clothes on rocks by the river. Sitting beside the river, a few blocks inland on the road to Mismaloya, is a giant flea market building, with endless stalls of colorful hammocks, silver jewelry, figurines, leather ware, T-shirts, hand crafted clothing, and inexpensive souvenirs and curios. On the south side of the river is . . . "The South Side" where you can find most of the older shops, restaurants and businesses. Here, you will still find much of the true flavor of the original Puerto Vallarta of days gone by. You can buy fresh fish from street vendors, visit open air markets and pick up a bite to eat at one of the taco stands that seem to be on every street corner of the area.

We ended the tour by stopping at a Mexican restaurant that served everything from tacos to grilled fish, lobster, and steaks. This place was far enough away from the busy streets and seemed to only have tour visitors stopping by. It's probably a little too far for most locals to get to but it was good.

Look closely at this picture - This was at the restaurant where we ate at.

Here's an interesting sand sculpture someone made on the beach along the Malecon. It's lit up at night and in my opinion, it looks downright creepy! No other word to describe it..

Finally, these are some of the BIGGEST Iguana's I have ever seen! I'm sure though, that these taste nothing like Chicken!

Well, we hope you enjoyed our vacation as much as we did!

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Last Updated: 05/27/02 11:51:25 AM