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Banderas Bay II - Puerto Vallarta (February 4-11, 2020)

Arriving at Puerto Vallarta

The trip to Puerto Vallarta (PV) from Punta de Mita had us motoring under a dull gray sky, a little sleep deprived thanks to large waves throughout the night. We were pleased to spot several whales along the way. Less pleasing was the large dark cloud approaching us but it gave us a chance to make use of that new radar. We tracked the squall's movement and its distance from us, learning that it covered about 3 miles every 10 minutes (definitely faster than we travel). The idea of docking just when a squall hit was unappealing. Fortunately, this one passed behind us.

We'd been slowing down as we neared PV to dodge the flotsam near the mouth of the estuary and in hopes that the marina would finally answer our hails. We gave up, opting for the seeking-forgiveness approach. A staff person magically materialized as we headed for an unoccupied spot, redirecting us into a slip right at the entrance to the dock. Aside from the scramble to switch fenders and lines to the other side of the boat, we found we had lucked into a very convenient location for reaching the one small bathroom for the entire marina!

Trying to be dutiful guests in a foreign country, we took a brisk half-hour walk in the peak afternoon heat (gringo hour as our friend Rick says) to see the Port Captain. Humph, they had closed at 1430h. At least we were near a store - woo hoo - steak for supper!

We did not entirely escape the squalls - the deluge began after sunset. Lightning flashes and thunder claps provided background dinner music, while Bjarne expressed relief at being surrounded by buildings and masts all much taller than us. Throughout the evening I too was continually struck, not by lightning, but by how incredibly still the boat was. What a treat! Clearly, we had been at one too many bouncy anchorages lately.

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Raining crocs and dogs on our first night in PV.

Marina Life

Our life at the dock had a fishbowl feeling to it which led to some entertaining and delightful encounters. In addition to being front and centre on the waterfront, our boat stood out as smaller than many. Naturally, we think Hoku Pa'a is lovely so of course people will look, and the Canadian flag seemed to garner its own attention (despite being rather faded). Upon returning from our unsuccessful trip to the Port Captain we heard "Hey Canada!" Looking up, we spied two folks lounging on a top floor balcony, clearly enjoying a great view of the harbour. A loud conversation ensued as we compared notes regarding the homeland. A bit later, someone from another balcony called to us and started gesticulating, making enthusiastic motions of washing her face and other body parts. The offer of a shower was followed by drinking motions and a come-hither wave. I called out that she was our new best friend! We had, however, already poured our happy hour drinks so signalled for her to join us. Roz soon appeared with John in tow and a bottle of wine. Over the course of our conversation, Roz also volunteered the use of their washing machine! As you might guess, these Ottawans have a sailboat. We believe their cleansing offers were based on a sailor's understanding of life on a boat, not because they could smell us from their balcony! Over the week several people on the waterfront called out hellos and asked questions about us, the boat, or our travels.

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Hoku Pa'a in Marina Puerto Vallarta.

Marina Puerto Vallarta is located in a rather swanky district, away from downtown. The many vessels (some huge!) are encircled by condos, and businesses catering to a wide range of tourist interests. These establishments front a wide walkway following the water's edge. To get to groceries, the marine store, or to catch the bus downtown one runs the gauntlet of offers of great deals on whale watching, botanical tours, tequila, art, cosmetic enhancements, jewelery, drinks, and many tempting meals. Rocks line the short steep shoreline and provide a popular place for iguanas, egrets and even crocodiles to sun themselves. It was very exciting for us to have crocs only a stone's throw away. Signs prohibit swimming and feeding of crocodiles (we suppose swimming could be doubly bad since it might also violate the no-feeding rule!). One could estimate how long a person had been in PV based on whether they gawked at the reptiles or simply walked by.

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Some of the condos lining the waterway.

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"Let's go south where we won't freeze our snorkels off", we said. We suppose frozen off is better than bitten off.

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The crocodiles here seemed content to lie still for hours while people went about their business just a few meters above the toothy creatures, but we did wonder how steep of a grade they are willing to climb up.

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Once the sun hit the rocks, iguanas of all sorts came out to soak up the heat. This one is a green iguana.

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The black iguanas don't have the dewlap (dangly thing under the neck), nor the round tympanic membrane (picks up airborne vibrations) that the green ones do.

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Sunbathing iguanas don't seem inclined to move much, making them cooperative photo targets. You can see some lunch in this one's mouth (they are vegetarians).

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Many waterfowl, like this green heron, also appreciate the shoreline.

One day as I wandered around the marina taking pictures, I got myself into a small pickle (would that be a gherkin?) when I followed someone down a dock to look at large motor yacht with a (probably) ABBA-loving owner. It turns out that our electronic gate keys worked only for our own dock so I could not leave. Hmmm. I ended up having an interesting chat with Peter on Peter Pan (who let me out without the need for pixie dust), but in hindsight, why didn't I take advantage of the excuse to knock on Mamma Mia's hull?

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Moody weather over the marina.

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Judging by the many lively bar patrons in the evenings, we thought this service was probably popular.

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The fancy yacht that lured me down the wrong dock.

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A market treasure and a new friend for Bjarne.

Every Thursday a large market appears all along the waterfront. Vendors' tents, placed cheek to cheek, have a hugely diverse range of artisan products. There was some very beautiful and skilled work, and of course things that were less impressive but it was all interesting. Bjarne acquired a hand-crafted skull-shaped bottle covered in lambskin. The artist soaks the leather in acid to soften it. Interestingly, he says it looks different every time so he can't do custom-ordered colours. The market was a good excuse for dinner out, trying a few vendors' wares. Beef jerky and artisan cheese (containing embedded pieces of delicious salami) provided more treats for the next day. The wallet was lighter after this excursion but we did have a few hours of entertainment from it.

Our social calendar was quite stuffed during our stay in PV and we had many experiences of kindness. Roz and John, in the process of letting us wash our clothes, also fed us a couple of times. I managed to talk them into playing euchre one evening (which we had to teach them). Little did we realize how brutally competitive they are with each other. Other than fearing for our well-being if we got between them, it was a very enjoyable evening. We were also invited to swim in the condo pool - a lovely crocodile-free treat on a hot afternoon. Later, another couple asked if we were relatives of John and Roz. These folks had been at the pool and recognized Bjarne's colourful swim trunks drying on the lifeline. It turns out that Marty and John are sailors (racers) from Toledo; they came aboard for a short visit then invited us (along with our mutual friends) for cocktails the next day. Between 6 sailors, there were many tales to be told, and when we left that evening, Marty gave us a delicious zucchini loaf to go. Another kind person, Bob, helped us out with lots of information about PV and by letting us use his water purifier - a neat little portable system that treats water with UV. As if our social card was not full enough, friends from the Bluewater Cruising Association, Don and Heather on Buenaventura, arrived, necessitating celebratory you-made-it-here drinks in our cockpit. There was more social interaction in one week than we'd had in the previous two months!

Sometime during that week we also explored parts of Puerto Vallarta and even got a few chores done.

Downtown

By luck, or lack thereof depending on which of us you ask, we happened to visit downtown PV on the day of their weekly market. Bjarne parked himself on a bench and listened to a musician while I wended through the crowds for a quick tour of the vendors. Many of the booths and goods were similar to or the same as those we'd seen at the marina market, with lots of high quality handicrafts and art. I enjoyed the vibrancy of the area and, since it was after 11 in the morning, was amused by the long line-ups at the places selling anything remotely like breakfast food. Bjarne and I were well past the first meal of the day and moving onto midmorning snack by then. The area is a high party zone, as well as (or because of?) being the Zona Romantica, a popular spot for gay tourists. Between the clusters of people, one could see a lot of very attractive colourful mosaic work.

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High quality musicians were playing at the nicely decorated amphitheatre in the plaza. One performance (by Brandon and James) had an unusual mix of rock and opera.

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Some of the many acts you could catch if taking advantage of the PV nightlife.

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Bjarne had low tolerance for the market, right up until he came across the bread stand.

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More pretty mosaic work. Nearby is a line-up for that excellent bread.

We escaped the performers and vendors with only a purchase of fresh bread and headed for the beach. The money extraction system here was more along the lines of restaurants, buskers, snack stands, and souvenirs. We paid our dues later at a seaside restaurant and to a vendor selling bracelets. The first part of the beach was crowded with sunbathers and palapas. Farther away from the Zona Romantica, things started to spread out and the beach became more stoney.

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We enjoyed the bright colours and humour of many of these t-shirts. My favourite: "Shut up liver, you're fine!"

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A view of just part of the lengthy PV beach. It also spans off in the other direction.

The malecón which followed part of the beach had numerous statues, some lovely and some delightfully whimsical. There was much to look at, both up and down, as even where your feet trod had attractive swirly patterns.

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A not so shrimpy shrimp.

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These dancers almost look alive.

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Lots of colourful beach action in this tiled artwork.

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Wait for me!

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Eh? Speak up!

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Great details! The backside of this statue was, well, a backside, with strange eyeballs alongside and two feet that don't match.

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This statue was of a less permanent composition but impressive nonetheless.

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A magnificent frigate perched on the dove of peace.

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Bjarne enhancing the Puerto Vallarta sign. Note also the artwork embedded in the walkway.

On the way home, our pleasant and interesting day took a darker turn. We came across a man being beaten up by 3 men. It was horrible to see them punch and kick the fellow while everyone, including us, stood by watching. Traffic was blocked and horns started to sound so the beaters, considerate of the drivers, picked the victim up and dragged him to the side of the road. They seemed to be berating or scolding him and we wondered if he had stolen something but really, we had no idea what was going on. We considered calling the police but had several concerns: one, we doubted we could explain in Spanish what was happening; two, although we knew how to get to our boat from there we couldn't describe where we were; and three, in a cowardly or sensible manner, we wondered what repercussions there might be for us depending on who all was involved. All in all, quite awful. Fortunately, we had dinner plans that night with Buenaventura which helped remove the bad taste from our mouths.

Estuary

A nature preserve borders part of the nearby estuary (Estero el Salado). There were lots of informative signs and, along with other things, we learned there are many types of mangrove plants (black, red, and white to name some), each filling its own niche in the ecosystem. We were happy to find some excellent posters identifying various birds and reptiles (helping us to provide the high quality educational material you have all come to expect!). In addition to plants, the park had creatures both alive and formerly alive.

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Come a little closer, you can trust me...

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This baby crocodile was less than a foot long.

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!

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Some kind of raptor that did not appear on those oh-so-helpful posters.

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Mariposa is Spanish for butterfly. We admired how this one looked like a leaf.

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Someone tried to turn this mariposa into lunch.

On a different day, we attempted to take our dinghy up the estuary, but before we got very far there was a sign forbidding such adventures. However, even the small section before the prohibited area had a plethora of iguanas and herons scattered through the trees.

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Green iguana resting its head on a twig.

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Yellow crowned night heron, male

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Also a yellow crowned night heron, female

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We liked the green mottling on this iguana.

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Sorry, we can't say what kind of heron this is.

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Yet two more green iguanas.

Off to La Cruz

It was time to leave before the celebrity lifestyle wore thin. On the morning of our departure, Marty popped down from her condo bearing a gift of ice! Very sweet. John and Roz joined us for the sail to our next destination; there is regular bus service between PV and La Cruz so they could get back to their swimming pool and washing machine. On the way, we all enjoyed Marty's zucchini bread and cold drinks. The whales hid for much of our trip but finally gave us a bit of a show before we headed into the anchorage. John and Roz decided it was too late for a swim so took their leave of us. And so ended our whirlwind week in Puerto Vallarta.

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John and Roz enjoying a sunny sail. Perhaps we need to work our crew a little harder...?