MEXICO

November 10, 2016 - March 29, 2017

This was our first time to fly to Mexico - all the other years we have driven with our camper.

We landed at the Puerto Vallarta airport in the evening and we stayed in a airport hotel. In the morning we were picked up by a pre-arranged taxi and drove to La Penita which is a town about 50 km north of Puerto Vallarta and is a "working town" as apposed to a tourist town. 

If you click on the pictures they will be much later and sharper

La Penita from the top of the hill

Our apartment was located at the top of the hill so we always walked downtown but if we had groceries we would take a taxi back. The cost was only 30 pesos or about $2.50. We enjoyed many walks around the back area and the hills - which gave us a work-out.

The other side of the hill - this was agricultural area

We stayed at this location for 2 1/2 months. Our apartment was in a small compound with only one other rental casita and the owners home. In the beginning it was quite hot but cooled off in a couple of weeks and we were saying we should have come the end of November instead of the 10th.

The entrance driveway and Chris' art on the left

Our casita is on the far right

Orchids blooming  by our casita

This river separates La Penita from Rincon de Guayabitos

Thursday Market

We renewed our friendship with friends and also met new ones - so the time was most pleasant. There were a number of Manitobans visiting the area.

Irene met friends from Vancouver Island whom she had not seen for years.  Chris met them for the first time

The streets in the hills of the town were unbelievable - huge washouts that have not been fixed and the taxis took different routes to by pass the holes.

We made a trip to San Blas for 2 days and met our friend from Ottawa and La Laguna Santa Maria del Oro and we did the birding boat ride down the river and saw many species - thanks to our guide, Francisco.

Snail Kite

Sunset at San Blas

Revolution Day is November 20th and is a celebration with parades in the villages and La Penita was no exception.

We were out for one of our walks when we saw the neighborhood homeless dog that had been very pregnant a few days before.  We heard the little ones in a overgrown lot and found 7 little puppies.  We went to tell Sarah, who lived down the street and was involved with dog clinic in the area, she and a friend came and we carried the puppies and the mother followed to her place where she unselfishly looked after the family.   She had them all neutered and spaded, organized their shots and gave them loving care.  All the dogs have now been adopted to various families.

The mother and her puppies we well hidden in the high bushes behind the gate

Sarah and her dogs

We spent time in Lo de Marcos and had lunch with friends from Manitoba.

February 1 we moved to a suburb of Puerto Vallarta called Pitillal and stayed to the end of March. This is a very Mexican village with all the little shops for fruits and vegetables, fish, hardware etc. The main plaza by the old church was quite busy especially during a festival. 

Our apartment was in a complex and we seemed to be the only non-Mexicans in the area. Our neigbours were very friendly and some spoke some English. We chose this village instead of the tourist area by the beach and in the main city. We took the bus downtown when ever we chose to see other areas or to the Botanical Gardens which is out of town. 

We were very close to a well developed walking and biking path that ended at the ocean.  

Parote Tree

The cattle were crossing the walking path from the river to a field

Again, we met new friends and renewed acquaintances with friends we met when we first started travelling to Mexico - many years ago.  We took the local bus into the tourist centre to have lunch and walk the Malecon.

The two months in the city flew by. We had a very good direct flight back to Winnipeg on Westjet