Sunday, May 14, 2023

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Welcome to Puerto Vallarta! 

My breakfast view. Almost there!

I really had only one task today and it wouldn’t need to happen right away so I hung out on the Promenade Deck watching all the happenings. I listened to the Mariachi band play and waved to the painters at they used the boom to touch up the ship. I saw the food dog sniffing - and catching - people who were trying to take fruit off the ship  (Big no-no.) I saw the paramedics come onboard and take a gentleman off on a stretcher. He was propped up, so hopefully it wasn’t too too serious. Crew members wheeled the ill passenger’s four suitcases and five boxes behind them, making me think they may have been part of the world cruise. Bad way to end their travels. I saw about a dozen new crew members boarding. Four new passengers boarding tells me they probably had flight issues in Los Angeles. 

After all the throngs of tour groups headed off, so did I. I was on a reconnaissance mission today. Ed and I will be spending the winter on the Discovery Princess as she goes up and down the Mexican Riviera. Puerto Vallarta will be a stop again and again so I was tasked with finding a go-to lunch spot. I had planned on taking a taxi down to the Malecon but the more I watched the taxi cars and vans, the less sure I was of the plan. My scooter complicates things and so does Ed’s mobility. Anything low (like a car) is out, and anything too high (like a van) is out. 

But I found something super simple. Super close with no taxi required. We never go to the flea market so we’ve missed it in all our visits to Puerto Vallarta. Before you even go into the terminal building you can see the flea market building to the right.
restaurant by flea market in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Bingo!
Taken from my table. You betcha it’s close. 
Strawberry margarita before 10:30 AM? Yup.

The restaurant is called El Bucanero. They do have more drinks besides what’s on the menu. Prices are in pesos but they do take US dollars.
 

I went with the beef tacos. Tasty, albeit a little gristly but I won’t hold it against them because I’ll definitely be back to try them again.

Puerto Vallarta cruise ship flea market in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Inside the flea market.
After I ate I went into the new terminal building. They’ve added colorful umbrellas since the last time we were here in February.
colorful umbrellas inside Puerto Vallarta cruise ship terminal
I also picked up my first piece of bling for the scooter today. Can you guess what he’s making for me?

Back to the ship by early afternoon and with temperatures in the 80s there was only one place for me to be.


We have another sea day tomorrow as we make our way to Huatulco, Mexico. I may just not move from this spot.
Tonight’s sunset