Mon, Jan 23: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Views from the ship into and out of the port:

Paul took an interesting tour that explained a lot of Mexican history and culture.  
From the bus on the way:

Stopping at a small town (San Jose) to walk around, 

With a pretty park for the town square.  Every Mexican town has 5 elements around the town square: 

1.  Church

2.  The square

3.  Elementary School.  Students go to school 4 hours, the work.  There are three shifts to accommodate the different grade levels.  Towns with less than 100,000 people do not have a high school.  Which means that many children do not go to high school, since boarding is too expensive.  

4.  Police station

5.  Gazebo - Under the Spanish, the Provincial head would sit in the gazebo, pay the workers on one side, and take the taxes on the other side.    

and church

Four types of people, in order of privilege:

1.  Spanish

2.  Creole - Spanish parents born in Mexico

3.  Mexican - one Spanish and one native parent

4.  Native Americans

Banks are only in big cities.  The average Mexican can not get a bank loan for a house.  The government builds houses and provides loans. Average wage is $10 - $25 a day.

After San Jose, we took a 45 minute “eco” walk showing and explaining the local vegetation – could have been a shorter walk.  The walk was billed as through lush vegetation, but we were not in the mountains, and it was through the dry vegetation.  And it was a horse path, so you had to walk looking down, somewhat defeating the purpose of an “eco” walk.  

Paul found the small town much more interesting than the eco walk.

The group then had lunch

And ended at the beach for drinks.

Mary and her mom took a tour of the city.  

Stopping at the beach,

There is an iguana buried in the leaves...see if you can find it.

a shopping area,

and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

Near Gringo Gulch, they saw from a distance the homes of Elizabeth Taylor and the late Richard Burton. They went through the elegant residential area of Conchas Chinas and past some upscale hotels. At the south end of town, they stopped for photos and a drink at a  restaurant right on the beach.

A lady just made the boat before it sailed - I think the boat waited for a while for her.  

On the way out, we saw whales:

View more photos of the whales.

We don't think Puerto Vallarta is worth a return visit, with the possible exception of the whales.