grinchychick

Getting Ready for LA and Vegas

2010-05-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

California and Los Angeles is a vacation trip now. Getting ready to go. Dawn is graduating this week!

Fly tomorrow, Tuesday go to beach touch the pacific. Wednesday is Graduation. Thursday and Friday are the Venetian in Vegas! Drive back to LA on Saturday, leave on Sunday.

All rooms at the Venetian are suites. Haven't been to vegas in about 8 years. A little excited. Photos look amazing. Rooftop pool, gondolas.....heard 4 good restaurants.

Dawn yelled at me to bring something cute to wear..she doesn't trust me ;-) She said her favorite club was at this hotel.
http://www.venetian.com/

Goodbye Puerto Vallarta

2009-11-12T06:16:00.000-08:00

Heading to the gym, treadmill with an ocean view. The boat just pulled in ..it's another boat day. Will cleanup, check out and a final tequila y cervesa at the airport.

It was fun traveling alone. It was freeing, will speak better Spanish next time, practice for a couple weeks before I come. Food was good, weather amazing, sights fabulous.

Things I didn't get to do that I wanted to...hmmm what a good reason to come again.

Bus headed South to Boca de Tomatlan W/ Water Taxi back
Zooligica de Puerto Vallarta
Dinner at the River Cafe

It's another beautiful day, even to leave. Good bye Puerto Vallarta

Last trip to town

2009-11-11T14:19:00.001-08:00

It was a very hot day today by the pool ...and the ocean. Beautiful. I'm sitting by the bar drinking my favorite Be Light grapefruit water,...sin calorias. Writing a bit before headed downtown.

Swimming in the ocean was wonderful. I'm going to try in the morning before I leave.

I'm not sure that I have an objective...going to town. Not wanting to buy anything.....dinner later on the malecon.

The Hotel Review

2009-11-11T08:16:00.000-08:00

The people at this hotel come for weeks at a time. The food service is tasty, the waitstaff pretty good, the hotel staff ok. Average age probably 45, few kids..mostly grandparents with kids.

Good family place or get away. The beach is small, but perfect for swimming and floating..not the best for all day relaxing...the pool area is nice, wi fi in the pool area for 120 pesos a day ($10).

VIEW
VIEW
VIEW
Amazing...sitting here with the ocean ...listening to music...riding the bus.... I could have stayed for 3 or 4 weeks too.

Gardens (very little) are well kept and pretty. The hotel is built like all hotels in this area....into he mountain...the windy beach road is right above the hotel....but the ocean is very strong and pleasant so you don't notice the road..and the mountains are amazing..lush and green.

My cute 1 bedroom apartment is fun. The guests for the most part have been here many times and love Vallarta, which makes it very nice.

Last Day

2009-11-11T07:51:00.000-08:00

It's my last day and night.

Yesterday...I spent about 3 hours sitting on the beach in front of the hotel..swam in the ocean. People brought floaties, and I thought of a floaty..just a little tube is nice. Had ceviche for lunch..yum..very good ceviche in Vallarta. I'm never let down. The salsa Mexicana was very good too. The tomatoes and cilantro and sweetness of the onion here is amazing...squirt of lime and a chile.

I had a 50 min massage 2 days ago . $37 @ the Playa de los Arcos spa. This hotel is right on the beach barely north of the boat pier. They always have expedia 5 day deals there for $500 w/ air.

The massage was great. May go back today, haven't decided.

Had shrimp and fish on the beach. Met mi amiga's from the playa. Adelpha and the fish vendor lady, didn't get a photo of her husband. Raul the waiter as always at Langostinas.

I finished they day on the beach with a bag full of pecans and almosts in freshly made brittle. .....see photo..from a street vendor. Then walked down the malecon and had a cup of corn con mayonaisa, y chile, y limon, y queso. It was a good day.

AKs

2009-11-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

Always the police with thier AK's...and this time all their faces were covered with masks..yes like the burgler type...Mexico is always exciting.

Starbucks en el Centro

2009-11-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

So I spend about an hour in Starbucks en el Centro late morning, early afternoon. Starbucks is just like home. There is free internet, code on your receipt. It's cruise ship day, so lots more americans, but plenty of local people on line. There is another coffee shop, El Pago en el Sol, A page in the sun in el zona romantica...good people watching.

Some other beautiful things ...Statue at sunset last night.

Bus and Breakfast

2009-11-09T09:16:00.000-08:00

Took the bus in this morning, ...there's a little wooden tray with coins stacked by the driver. The bus driver is quite talented as he navigates the windy beach roads, slotting, counting, shifting, starting, stopping....

Chilaquiles at Quierencia, best view for the am, the beautiful sirena y triton sculture outside the window on the Malecon.

They serve mexican coffee, sweetened with brown sugar and cinnamin.

I walked by the church, took this photo, took the other photo last night..walking along the malecon.

It's boat day, I see a carnival ship..maybe there's 2. Lots of gringos on the street.

Costs so far...

2009-11-08T15:46:00.000-08:00

Ok..so to summarize spend so far...

$30 taxi from airport
$41 groceries
$75 Food/driniks
$1 Bus fare
$20 Additional Taxi
$5 Starbucks

Ceviche & The Bus...

2009-11-08T15:34:00.001-08:00

Ceviche at the River Cafe is amazing...2 for 1 cocktails..mmmm, and yum. Fotografia of me with los arcos in the background.

I've taken the bus twice...$.5o ...way too cool...and get off somewhere when they get to town. Can't figure out how the bus driver shifts, does change, on the winding calles de puerta vllarta

Danielle @ El Rio Cuale

2009-11-08T15:28:00.001-08:00

I took this

shot before the bridge at rio cuale..look behind me at marino vallarta buildings in the distance of the bay

The second shot is me from the H20 at the timshare. The building, 5th floor middle is my 1 bedroom.

2009-11-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

I took a walk and took-in the art...here's just a sample of what i walked by.

Food

2009-11-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

mid day snack last night was a chile relleno at copa de oro. and a beer..and chips.mmmm

ham sandwich for dinner after grocery shopping

toast for breakfast and coffee in the condo....quesidillas.....thick delicious tortillas, frijoles and guacamole..mmmmmm

I'm having a starbucks right now, free wifi

I've spent about $40 in groceries, $40 in food/drinkk since I' ve been here.

2 kinds of chile rellenos in the world...my neighbor Evelyn..fabulous chile's...fire roasted, peeled, dipped in eqq whites, fried, then gently covered in a chicken broth with bell beppers stewed in it....mmm favorito

then there's the red sauce and cheese kind..this was the red sauce and cheese kind but it was good.

The hotel

2009-11-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

The hotel is beautiful, very traditional with a bit of a gringo twist. The people at the hotel appear to come back every year...same people from different parts of the country including canada.

Last night there were divers in the tidepool ..thier flashlights increasing and decreasing in size under the water like lite sabers.

The hotel looks over the beautiful city lights of puerto vallarta ..views of old town, marina and nuevo...

Arrival

2009-11-07T11:59:00.000-08:00

I made it! The hotel is very nice..but can't see my room until2:30, a little free internet room by the gym that I'm checking out!

I had a charming conversation in spanglish with the cab driver. I did ok. Going to have a beer by the pool until I can get in my room at 2:30.

THERE ARE WHALES! No camera out of my bag..so no photos.. yet!

all my bags are packed, I'm ready to go

2009-11-06T20:29:00.000-08:00

leaving on a jet plane...don't know if.......

Luggage

2009-11-02T19:05:00.000-08:00

I've done it...I have my luggage....mmmm how do I get all this stuff in a carry on? And really, who made up this 30z limit?

I'm justifying my luggage costs with the assumption that I'll save money on the long term by not having to check baggage in....so again, depends on me being able to smartly reduce my crap down to carry on size.

No one has subscribed to my blog...I guess luggage is pretty boring.

This whole blogging concept is incredibly narcissistic

2009-11-01T07:51:00.000-08:00

The Resort and The Plan

2009-11-01T07:26:00.000-08:00

I'm going to TAKE the bus into town 5 pesos per trip ($.50)...

I'm going to get groceries for breakfast and snacks!

I'm going to NOT buy a bunch of junk!

I'm going to CARRY on Luggage and not check in!

The suitcase search....

2009-11-01T07:12:00.000-08:00

I'm determined to carry on..no baggage check. Went to find a suitcase, looked at how much I can fit in....oh no....I'm determined to carry on...NO baggage check

How do I get so much sunscreen in 3oz containers?

Anticipation

2009-11-01T06:56:00.000-08:00

Danielle's preparing for her trip to Puerto Vallarta!