Emerald
Princess-Puerta Vallarta
80F, really!
As I am writing
this, Puerta Vallarta, Mexico is fading away. It is a beautiful, clean
port with the Sierra Madre in the background. White and black pelicans
soar overhead, and we glide smoothly back into the Pacific Ocean. Small
pleasure boats and a gorgeous beach seem to pass us by. Skydivers with their
colorful chutes float gracefully to land. The tall buildings glisten in the
sun.
Puerta Vallarta from our balcony
Puerta Vallarta-Sam's and Walmart!
The beauty of
the port reminded me of Acapulco ten years ago. Sadly not very many cruise
ships stop in Acapulco these days, its reputation tarnished by crime. Today TK
asked our taxi driver about Acapulco and he said no one could pay him to go
there.
We had a good
day in Puerta Vallarta, grabbed a taxi and got downtown for $5/pp. Donna and I went
in and out of shops along the boardwalk looking for earrings. Always have a
goal in mind! We were walking along
cobblestone streets (which truly slowed traffic) and the Pacific was always in
view. Despite the heat, it did not seem humid.
Cobblestone Street
The vendors were
not pushy, and everyone was very friendly. Lots of sculptures were along the
way, and people gathered around them for photos.
Neptune and Mermaid
Dancers!
Dolphins at play
Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The church tower is topped with a wrought iron crown hoisted by angels
Puerta Vallarta’s
population is about 256,000. We saw Walmart and Sam’s Club from the ship, and
Outback Steakhouse, McDonalds, KFC, and Chili’s along the way, too. English is
widely spoken. The Night of the Iguana was filmed nearby. Fire opals are mined
about 100 miles from Puerta Vallarta, as well as silver. I found something for
my dear brother at the shop, The Opal Mine. The opals were beautiful.
Janie by the beach
We continued walking
on, and found a shop associated with a silver mine in the area. Both Donna and
I bought silver hoop earrings there, Sol y Luna (Sun and Moon). After those
purchases, we decided to find a restaurant and we stopped at Cesare’s for
late lunch, truly authentic Mexican cuisine. I had cheese enchilada with fried
beans, TK had steak fajita, Donna coconut shrimp, and Lawrence a burger. The
cheese in the enchilada tasted like a cross between parmesan and cheddar, and
the green sauce was tasty. I will find out later how much it cost-we were
charged in pesos.
Lawrence, Donna, and TK at Cesare's
Janie by the Emerald Princess
We dined later, and three of us had Chateau Briand, which was very good. Lawrence enjoyed calamari steak so much that he had two. Black Forest cake and creme brulee were our dessert choices.
TK's Takes: He thought the weather was very hot, finally.
TK's Takes: He thought the weather was very hot, finally.
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