After our time in Chacala it was on to the Banderas Bay area. First stop was La Cruz. We were here last year and like the cruiser’s scene vibe here very much. There is a good anchorage, a nice marina, service facilities and funky bars and restaurants, many offering live music at night and the always popular Sunday farmers market. As well the marina offers sailing seminars, cruiser’s swap meet, and a movie night at the amphitheatre. It is like summer camp for cruisers.
La Cruz is right next to Bucerias, another popular tourist destination. It’s a short cab ride away and has a popular flea market that is fun to walk around.
Our daughter, son in law and 10-month-old grandson flew into Puerto Vallarta and met us in La Cruz to stay with us for ten days. We spent four days in La Cruz visiting the sites. Their favourite spot was Tacos on the Street, the best tacos around.
After La Cruz we sailed over to Nuevo Vallarta and the Paradise Village Resort and Marina. Hanging by the pool can become addictive if you are not careful. We did manage to get them out to the Puerto Vallarta Malecon and had a fun evening with the restaurants, shops and street vendors to check out. We also got to check out a baby turtle release on the beach.
We then had two couples, friends from back home, come down and stay at the resort. It was awesome to see these folks and a great excuse to go back down to the Malecon again. They also convinced us we needed to join them in an off-road excursion on side by side ATV’s (Polaris RZR 1000’s for those that know these machines). So, we went booking through the mountains and along the highway to Sayulita for a half day adventure and obligatory tequila tasting. Its ok, the tequila is after we are done off roading.
“Blessing of the fishing fleet” was happening in Bucerias this week. This is a weeklong event that culminates with a parade of decorated pangas and a big party in the town square. Try and picture the town square (about a city block square) with 6 bands (varying in size from 5 to 15 guys) all playing different songs at the same time. Add to that street vendors with all kinds of foods and beverages, dancing horses, 1000’s of people and a firework display. It was a little crazy and a lot of fun.
Barb’s sister and our brother in law came down to surprise us as well. They received an invite to stay with friends at their condo in Nuevo Vallarta and it was dumping snow in Vancouver at the time, so they jumped at the chance for some sun and the opportunity to drop in and surprise us. We had a great dinner with them and hung out with their friends one evening.
All of that in the first 3 weeks of the new year. They have all headed back home now and its time for us to get headed to Zihuatanjo for SailFest which starts Feb 3. More on that next time.
Wow, you have been busy. Living life to its fullest.