At first, six weeks seemed like a long time to spend in this dusty town.
We came here with no particular plan. Yes, I would write every day, but that was just a continuation of my schedule at home. Other than that, we had no agenda. We would just wander through the days and see what unfolded.
Then, we found out there was a huge market in La Peñita every Thursday.
A cousin I hadn’t met in years came up with his wife and we had a lovely visit as we shopped in the market and then went for lunch.
On Tuesdays, the nearby cinema in Guayabitos shows movies in English with Spanish subtitles. It takes 40 minutes to walk there, 40 minutes back. The show is at 1:20. We need to have lunch first. The shrimp tacos at the restaurant across the street are delicious. And just like that, it takes an entire day to go to the movie.
We found out about Spanish lessons at the Cultural Centre: Mondays and Wednesdays at 4 pm. We signed up. One hour with a couple of other students (French Canadians) and Julie, our instructor. 30 pesos/hour.
Julie gave us homework. So, we decided to step up the program by working with the DuoLingo app that gives us new phrases and words to work on each day. We downloaded a couple of Spanish/English dictionary apps to help with our homework.
Wednesday nights there is live jazz played at the wonderful open air restaurant of Xaltemba. We barely have time to walk home after class, get cleaned up and walk back for dinner.
The jazz guitarist talked to us after the show and mentioned he lived in Lo de Marcos.
We spent all day yesterday checking out his cool little town.
One day we went for a coffee and started talking to a couple from Calgary. They invited us on a hike. We met them a few days later in the cool of the morning in the little village Los Ayalas. They were there with another couple from Winnipeg. We hiked up the beach, through jungles and fields and overlooking valleys. Ten kilometres later, we arrived in Monteón for a fabulous brunch of chilaquiles with tortillas cooked over the wood fire.
I wanted Kevin to see where I’d stayed two years ago, so we’ve rented a car to go up to Chapala next week.
Other good friends wrote to say they were coming to Puerto Vallarta during the same time that we had a car. So we immediately made arrangements to see them there and for them to visit us here.
In between we’ve both read piles of books, drank too many margaritas, hung out with the other fine people in our rental casita complex, taken taxis and colectivos and spent afternoons swinging in rooftop hammocks.
And now we know.
Six weeks is not long enough.
My husband and I just spent some time at Chacala Beach up the road from you. He’s there again now. Sweet little beach.
Maybe you are in a “Mexicoma.” Enjoy.
Akaisha. That’s it! We’re definitely in a Mexicoma.
And yes, Chacala is a gorgeous beach. We’ve been there three times. Love the tacos de camarones at Chac Mool. They wrap them in a thin slice of jicama instead of a tortilla. Delicious.
Oh! That sounds delicious! I’ll tell my husband… or maybe I’ll just make them myself. I love jicama. So sweet and juicy.
If you go back to Chacala, you might try the new craft brewery called La Onda. They use native ingredients like tortillas, lime, sea salt, raisins, chocolate, etc. to make their beers. Only open on Fridays and Saturdays. Worth a visit. I’d give you a link, but this is your site… 😉
Thank you for filling these dark and dreary days of winter here with the gorgeous colours of your Mexican holiday. ????
You are most welcome Sophie. There is so much colour and life here. It’s sometimes hard to take it all in.
I love this post. It sounds like a wonderful 6 weeks! I just spent a month in Puerto Vallarta and it is amazing how the time flies by.
Donna, then you know the struggle! The time is somehow absorbed into the sunshine.
I think most of Canada is here in Mexico. You can’t walk two feet without finding someone from Edmonton, Kelowna or Winnipeg.