Sunday, October 31

We rose well rested to hazy skies in the East, clearing to bold blue by 9:30am and time for a refreshing dip and soak in the rooftop pool with the lousy 360-degree view. Such a life, but, hey, somebody's gotta do it! Meet more visitors from San Francisco...is that town empty? The newlyweds were immersed in this part of town after leaving the northern reaches of Quinta Real, shopping, swimming, hiking, dining, having an all-around super time which will never be forgotten. Donning my Ray Ban sunglasses and casual garb in hopes of thwarting the paparazzi once this trip, we headed around town looking, stopping here and there, and watching any certain local activity new to our eyes. Some scary costumes and creepy masks are appearing already and those where the tourists who had too happy a night prior! Pickup trucks are laden with young kids screaming down the cobblestones. Church mass is over, the bells silenced and the newly found American fiesta begins. Once more over to newly refurbished and named Mama Dolores Diner, this time for a good lunch. What we like about this spot is that it has outdoor cafe seating above the street but is removed one block from the major bustle and noise of the area. [Olas Altas 534B near Pulpito OT/SS. 228-4061 mamadolores4@hotmail.com
8am-10pm Closed Monday.

Part inside, part elevated sidewalk street café since 1996 now owned by Grant Hunermund and Kieran Justason from Toronto, Canada features simple Mexican and American fare as 1/3 lb. burger with French fries 50p, BLT 45p, turkey club 53p, chef salad 55p, taco salad with choice of meat 53p, meat loaf 80p, fried chicken 75p, mac and cheese 75p, green salad with soup and bread 38p, ½ baby back pork ribs 80p, full 99p, fajitas 90p, mahi mahi 88p, whole fish 94p. Breakfast hot cakes or French toast 55p, eggs Benedict 58p, meat lover's omelet with chorizo, bacon and ham 60p, chicken fried steak with fried eggs 53p. Oct.-March: Sunday turkey dinner with all the trimmings 5pm-10pm 110p. Adult Soda Fountain Cocktails [Floats, Sodas, Shakes], Mama D´s Margarita Club - Buy 9, 10th is free. Saturday night meet Mama D. No CC.] We both were in thee mood for a breakfast item and since the am chef was still on duty, we were offered that menu also. Check out the steak and eggs or Benny with...note...Canadian bacon, what else?!

Sunday, October 31, cont'd...

A great afternoon to walk off the meal and breathe in the ambiance and spirit of OldTown. Waves splash in, boats sway in the sleepy surf, banana boats and parasail motorboats await eager customers. Children are everywhere. It seems so much of PV comes out for a family Sunday of togetherness. Hawkers wish to persuade you to part with pesos for homemade pies, muffins, jewelry, rugs, shirts, ornaments, temporary tattoos, green palm frond hats turning to brown in the sun, tours to Yelapa or Mismaloya, fishing adventures, assorted nuts, helados, churras, ceramics and fish on the stick. Close your eyes and drift off to wherever you wish, snap them open and there is the playa, the bahia, the locals and the peacefulness. After a log relaxing time in and around the rooftop pool, chatting with people from various parts of the globe.

Halloween in Vallarta….was not all that long ago that it was not celebrated here but Americanization has struck, esp. when it comes to ninos. Two of our Internet superstars appeared in outlandish regalia, toting overflowing bags of American candy. Now I know I must at least bring a bag for every Halloween from now on. As the sun set in the West and our CyC crowd got larger and livelier, the kids slowly appeared with a parent or two, many in the most endearing costumes of orange, black and scary gruesome masks. Some of our own partiers were pretty wild looking but after second look, I realized that is the way they always look. Oooooops…! Present company included. One proud papa was esp. touching as he carried his most beautiful daughter from person to person and she planted a kiss on each, even without a small candy gift. It was a blast and many of us wished it would go on and on.

A couple of us headed to Brasil, no not the country. This spot is an all-you-can-possibly-eat churrascaria with top quality meats accompanied by a slew of salads. Great for carnivores. Venustiano Carranza 210 OT/SS. 222-2909 www.brasilpirey.com pirey@prodigy.net.mx 2pm-12am. Churrascaria featuring all-you-can-eat meats [~12] served by skewer-wielding meseros dressed a la Brazil with soccer jerseys, though the meats are local including very tasty rib eye, sirloin, turkey and chorizo. Includes assorted salads, rice balls and fried bananas. Huge Mango tree grows right in the center! Come very hungry and ask them to go slowly [good luck!]. A/C for nonsmoking comfort plus smokers have their own open-air room. Men 150p, women 120p! Delicious but fulfills a beef desire for quite a number of days.

Monday, November 1

Pre-election jitters hit this sleepy town of Puerto Vallarta, not a local one but in the USA. CNN blasts from corner bars and cyber cafes, eyes glued to every word emitting from the boob tube. One of the top reasons I left for Mexico, to be free of the constant political barrage. Sharply at 11am, we were whisked off to several condo properties for my roommate to inspect as a possible purchase. First time buyer is not a great position but he asked many pertinent questions and took it all in. One place stuck in his mind, especially for the price although the 100+ steps were a large deterrent to me. We rested at the fine local ¡Chile's! for lunch of hamburger and other sandwiches with super limonada, back in the cool jungle patio. Pulpito 122 OT/SS. 223-0373. 11am-6pm, Closed Sunday and all summer. Since 1995, Hank Muffett and Conrad Kostelecky from Portland, OR. have found their pleasant niche one block up from Playa Los Muertos serving lunch and early dinner. Spit-BBQ chicken 59p [ready around 11:30am] over potato chunks is wonderful as are the plump hamburgers 53p [best in Vallarta?] and potato salad. Side orders small 12p, large 24p, French dip 57p, chicken or chef's salad 57p. Fresh iced tea, lemonade, sodas 12p, beer 18p. All food can be take-out, but whole chickens must be ordered before noon for 5pm pick-up. Jungle atmosphere in a courtyard of an old casa. Airy rear seating among plants. Lovely. Large local clientele. Warm, sunny and tempered by soft yet refreshing Bay breezes, we still needed time in the rather cool waters of our pool and conversed with an experienced property developer who must have made quite a fortune as now he and his wife split time here in their condo and the rest on a catamaran sailing the oceans and seas of the world. Unpretentious but filled with stories of remarkable travels, connecting with people of widely diverse backgrounds and cultures. Utterly fascinating to me. Needing a long session in front of a computer connecting myself with a myriad of people from so many places worldwide, I sailed in my chair through countless emails and responded to the ones linked to this sojourn in Paradise. Using this method, I did not subject myself to high winds and seas nor suffer from seasickness!

Off with Diana of Diana's Tours...she has been booking her Thursday Rainbow Cruise very well...it departs from Los Muertos Pier. I hear fabulous reports back. Check with her upon your arrival 222-1510, Lesbetravelling@hotmail.com

She also offers airport pickups and virgin tours, private tours and concierge special services. A wonderful person to support and she will answer your questions from a local standpoint! Checked out some local property to see if worthy of renting and took a bunch of pix. It was very productive and met several courteous owners. Some places had spectacular views, my fave being a rooftop pool which went right to the western edge so you felt like you were swimming into the horizon! I told the owners that is where I would spend the majority of my time. Roomie needed his taco/quesadilla/parilla fix at our new fave place Takos Panchos, not a stand but an indoor/outdoor with hot grill and cheap great food. Too hot tonight to eat there, we ordered a variety of items for take-out and arranged platters on the balcony with the view of the SouthSide and the Bahia, with soft crashing waves and city noise. Each morsel invoked an Aaaaahhhh. He went out and I stayed at my laptop to work on offline bits, cutting down on the pesos spent at cyber cafes.