I am quite certain that I can't capture the last week in words. I'll try and I'm certain that
photos, once collected and sorted through, really will be worth a 1000 words. And more photos
here and
here and
here and....
Since December we've been talking about a trip to Puerto Vallarta. In fact it was the day the picture above was taken that the idea began to germinate. By the end of March, or maybe it was April, seven of us were the proud owners of roundtrip tickets Denver to Vallarta, June 24 - July 1. It seemed an eternity away.
For me it marked the beginning of what was meant to be five weeks off. I'm still taking that time off, but somewhere in the middle of May my life took an unexpected turn. June 14 I started school. Yep. Masters in School Counseling. My intent when I went in to meet with the professor was to talk about taking a class in the fall, easing into school since it's been an awfully long time. But fate suggested that I should start this summer, so I have. So that meant I had two weeks of school and then I was taking a week off. It's been a whirlwind and some days I wonder if I rushed into this decision. I have moments in class where I'm confident I can do this and then I have a lot of moments in the course of my daily life where I wonder if I can. One day a time.
June 23 class ended at 9:50 pm. By 11:30 pm I had finished and submitted my first reflection paper. Midnight and I was in bed. I can't remember the last time I got 3 hours sleep. But that's what plane rides and Mexican vacations are for. By 4:30 am on June 14 the girls arrived at my house and we headed to DIA. And by 8:30 we were on a plane bound for Puerto Vallarta.
Vamos en Avion a Vallarta y despues de llegar - MARGARITAS!: Kathy and David pick the seven of us up at the airport and take the scenic route home, along the ocean and then up the hill. Crazy cobble stoned streets and steep, sharp curves. I cannot capture in words the streets - I marveled
every time we drove up that we actually made it up!
Part 1: Kathy and Dani mix up some margaritas. Fresh squeezed lime juice, cointreau and tequila. A little ice. That's it. Eventually, some guacamole and chips appeared and a bit later, Dani and Kathy grilled up some mango and brie quesadillas. Maybe we should have done that in reverse order. Because by 4:30 pm we were all sacked out.
Part 2: Two hours later we gathered to head out on the town. It was time for sunset and a drink at CC's on the beach. A bite of dinner at Coco's kitchen and then we all collapsed.
Vamos a Buscar Viejo Vallarta: Eight of us piled into Kathy's Jeep Cherokee and headed into town. This day would hold some of our best memories and some of the best laughter. Eight white women in Vallarta in the off season. We stood out just a tad bit. Beach vendors were desperate to lure us into look at their wares. They tried every line in the book. "Almost Free, " "Come buy junk you don't need," and our personal favorite, "I single." We had lunch at Burros Bar on the Beach and meandered a bit around town.
Vamos a la playa de Mayto: We took off for Mayto. Two hours down a windy paved road, followed by a windy dirt road that descends to the ocean. 8 women in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. It wasn't the most comfortable trip, but it was well worth the discomfort. Notable moments on the drive included the first cattle drive we would see during our adventures and the first few of Mayto - or quite possibly - Heaven on Earth. Picture a Corona commercial. We pull up to two white-washed buildings, a spot of well-manicured grass, a stunningly blue pool, palm trees - one of which had a horse tied up beneath it, palapas breaking the grass from the sand and then the Pacific Ocean. Look up the beach - nothing but beach. Look down the beach, nothing but beach. Wow! This called for Pina Coladas after a quick change into swimsuits and sundresses for most of us. Then it was off to Tehua, in the Jeep, about 10 minutes down the road.
Tehua is home to Cande's - platters of yummy shrimp and fish. We watched as some of the employees brought in oysters from the ocean. Can't get any fresher than that! We lounged over lunch, margaritas and a beer or two. And shots of Raicilla. Takes like gasoline, we all decided. Why did we try it (3 shots for 8 of us, by the way) - because it's a local product made out of a plant similar to the Agave (from whence comes Tequila). No need to try that again. EVER. Blech.
The eight of us watched the sunset a cove a short walk from our hotel. Not another soul on that beach but the eight of us.
Mayto un dia mas: Sunday morning saw walks and runs on Mayto beach, followed by some lounging by the pool before we made the trek back to Vallarta. The evening took us to a local place for some not so great synthesizer reggae music. More good laughs and exhaustion, falling into bed.
Vamos a correr y vamos de compras: Monday was my first
run in Vallarta. If you could call it a run. Ugh. Sticky, thick air to run through. Dani took Jillian, Jane and I along the Malecon and back and then found the Vallarta version of the incline - 200 steps up from the beach. Repeat 4 times. Then run back up the hill to Kathy's place. It took me two hours, a dip in the pool and a cold shower to cool down! We ventured into town on foot, without Kathy for the day - to do some shopping. I found a bracelet that I will wear for a lifetime and other's also found some jewelry, too. We bought margarita glasses to match what Kathy's has at the house so we can toast here at home. We lunched at Cafe de Olla - YUMMY rellenos and watched a little World Cup Soccer before heading to the grocery store. We ran into Kathy's friend Marilyn - we felt a little like locals, actually meeting people in the street that we knew! We were a sight once again - 7 gringa women walking up the hill with grocery bags and Jane with a 24-pack of Modelo on her head. Taxi? Who needs one! We ate in this night, played some banana-grams and Maddy taught some dance moves!
Aventura: We went separate ways. Maddy, Jillian and I headed to
Los Veranos Canopy Tours for little adrenaline rush. 14 zip lines, the longest of which was 400 m long. There wasn't ever time to be nervous because our self-dubbed "Super Mexicans" were so good at getting you on the cable and off your feet! We all flew upside down over the river and through the trees. Was an awesome experience and most certainly was on my list of "40 firsts" for this year! The rest of the gang headed to the Botanical Gardens for a more mellow, but no less fun day. We reconvened at home for another night in including homemade guacamole and some fresh fruit - pineapple, mango and papaya to go along with our Margs and Modelo.
Vamos a las montanas para cafe and milagros: Wednesday was another road trip. 7 of us piled in the jeep; Jillian opting for a chill day in Vallarta by the pool. 30 minutes across Vallarta and we began to climb into the mountains. The change in scenery was dramatic and wonderful. We found ourselves, as planned, in San Sebastian del Oeste, a charming little mountain town. Cobbled streets and peacefulness that was so appealing. We had breakfast and coffee and then walked a bit around town before heading to Cafe de Altura to take home some of the famed coffee that Dani and Kathy raved about. The proprietress of the store was charming and patient. She even complimented me on my broken Spanish.
From San Sebastian we headed to Mascota - a rural, Mexican ranching town. It is home to the ruins of an unfinished cathedral that would have been stunning had it been completed. Along the winding, twisting road to Mascota we encountered our second cattle drive - this one preceded by a woman on horseback with her arm outstretched holding a red caution flag. We puzzled for a minute til we rounded the bend and it all made sense. For the second time, Dani was behind the wheel. She's the master at driving through cattle herds!
Past Mascota we headed up once again to the village of Talpa. This was our final destination to see the
Virgen de Talpa. She is known to have performed many a miracle and many are depicted in hand drawns pictures of gratitude in the museum adjacent to the church. She's much tinier than we anticipated and it was after much searching that we realized that she was on the main alter. Duh! But she was so small and there were so many other adornments, including stunning floral arrangements that it seems easy to have nearly missed her! It was a magical day, which ended with Pina Colada's that Jillian made (after her own trip into Vallarta, her own rendezvous with Marilyn and a day to reenergize) and a rich, laughter-filled dinner a a local place - Tony's Please.
Por ultimo: Thursday morning brought one last run with Dani, Jillian and Jane and 3 more trips up and down the staircase. We breakfasted on the terrace one last time and left for the airport under a light mist. This was the first day that we felt rain during the day. The entire rest of our stay it rained only at night.
I cannot find the words to describe what this trip truly means to me. The group of women that I traveled with are remarkable, strong, individuals. I am blessed to have each of them in my life and so thankful that we: Dani, Jillian, Maddy, Megan, Staci, Jane and I could spend this amazing week with Dani's sister Kathy, for whom I have so much admiration. I love you all and I thank you all for your presence in my life.
