cruise post #3

Tuesday, 4-15-14 -- Port in Puerto Vallarta

Our first port!! After two full days at sea, we were ready to disembark the ship and see some Mexico! We decided that we didn't want to sign up for any excursions...our plan was to just walk around and see what we could see. So, we determined we would sleep in a little bit, have some breakfast, and then get off the ship, allowing those who were signed up for the excursions the chance to get off the ship first.

Sleeping in was wonderful! And so rare for my hubby! Then we dined at the buffet for breakfast and got ready for our day. We went up to the top level so that we could take photos of the city from afar. It was so beautiful! Then we made our way off the boat.

A rare photo opp -- Mr. Baber sleeping in while the sunshine comes through the window :)

Puerto Vallarta city scape

Yes, you are seeing correctly! This is me, quite giddy, holding a baby donkey!

So, as soon as we stepped off the ship, we saw a little hut set up. Underneath the awning there was a little bench with a Mexican blanket, and a little baby donkey!!!! For $1.00, I was able to sit down on the bench, and the man placed the donkey on my lap. I can not even tell you how excited I was!!!! Chris later commented that he had never seen me happier a day in my life! I snuggled that little baby up! Her name was Chiquita. Definitely a HUGE highlight of my entire trip!!!

Snuggling with Chiquita

Sand art

Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Once we moved along from Chiquita, we were met up by people wanting to sell us things. We passed by a few and then decided to stop for one man. He asked what our plan was, and we told him we just wanted to walk around and take in the sites. He explained that there was nothing much to see around the area where the boat docked. That we would need to take a taxi to see anything; he recommended that we make that our plan the next day, when we stopped at Cabo. He was exactly correct. He told us that he could be our driver for the day, and could take us to El Malecon (the boardwalk), to a tequila factory, to a waterfall, and to do some shopping. We could do it all, or we could tell him to take us back to the ship at any time. So, we decided to go for it...and it was the best decision! We had the most amazing day in Puerto Vallarta!

The ornate inside of the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe -- each morning, this church serves breakfast to all of the homeless people in Puerto Vallarta -- all 60 of them. Incredible to think, eh? To "pay" for their breakfast, they then have to help out around the church, cleaning pews, etc.

The arches on the boardwalk

Our first stop was the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe...we looked around inside and took a few photos. Not being Catholic, it was a bit over the top for us but it was interesting to see how the culture worships. Afterwards, we walked along El Melacon to see the sites, take some photos, and listen to our guides stories. He was full of information!

View of Puerto Vallarta from the boardwalk

El Malecon

The Babers on the boardwalk

Our fabulous guide Juan Antonio Miranda

Six shots of tequila for each of us...oh the burn :)

Our next stop was to Rancho Venaro, where we learned a bit about the tequila making process and then proceeded to test 6 different flavors in shot form. There were three straight tequilas and three flavored -- almond, orange, and chocolate coffee. They all went down easy, and none of them made me snotty (a standard side effect of tequila I've had in the U.S.) We decided to put 5 bottles of the Dona Chanita tequila, because it was so yummy! That bottle of chocolate coffee tequila is alllll mine! The bottles also have the most beautiful silver labels.

From there, we stopped along the road at a viewpoint, and were met by a man with lizards! One HUGE lizard and one little lizard. They were promptly placed in Chris' arms and on top of his head!!! Ha! We also took a few scenic photos here.

He was a good sport!

So beautiful!

After that, we went to the waterfalls (which was really more of a river, where we were -- possibly there were waterfalls in another area)...it was very pretty here as well, but super windy! We then hopped back in the car and made the journey back toward the boat. Our last stop was lunch! We told Juan that we wanted some authentic food that the locals eat. So, he took us to a restaurant that he takes him family to. It was very authentic, and off the tourist path. We were the only two white people in the whole place! Chris got three tacos and I got two...and I must say, they were obscenely delicious. The homemade tortillas and the carne guisada was incredible. We were quite pleased. We offered to pay for Juan's lunch, and for 8 tacos and 3 drinks, it was $11. Can't beat that!!!

From there, we were taken back to the ship...what a fantastic, full day! Amid all of that fun, we also stopped at a silver shop and a huge market area where we could browse a bit. So fun!

Once back on the ship, we freshened up and headed to dinner...and then to the nightly show -- Motor City, a singing and dancing production. Then you guessed it -- martinis at Crooners! And then we ended up our evening watching the movie Gravity on the big outdoor screen -- perfect day!