Puerto Vallarta with Ale (Part 2)

Monday:
We got up Monday refreshed and relaxed. For me it was nice to know that we were finally at our destination and didn't have to worry about traveling anymore. While being at the beach was certainly a perk, my only real concern was that I was with Ale and that we took care of her back.

For breakfast, Ale prepared a nice fruit concoction of mangos, pineapple, jicama with a little fresh orange juice and lime squeezed into it. It was then topped with fresh cheese and salsa en polvo. I got to peel the pineapple, but for the most part I just watched. It made for a very tasty breakfast and it was nice to sit down at the table with my love and talk while we ate.

We noticed not long after getting to the condo that there were a couple of cats with three kittens hanging out on the grounds under our balcony. It is amazing how many pictures we took of them simply because they were entertaining to watch and a good target every time we were out on the balcony and they were around. The nice thing about a digital camera is that you can take pictures with impunity because there is no film being used and you just have to download them to a computer to keep taking more. The bad part is trying to sort through the hundreds of pictures you have taken after the fact. Heh.

We ventured into Puerto Vallarta again in the afternoon looking to pick up some items. We ended up at the Mega where we picked up some Tequila and most of the ingredients for the enchiladas although we were again too late for the tortillas which we had to get at a later time. Not really being in a hurry, we also ventured into old Puerto Vallarta and drove along the Malecon a little checking out the sites but we really didn't stop to check anything out at the time.

Heading back we stopped by Paradise Village and got properly checked in. The biggest annoyance to the place was that we had to get arm bands to use the facilities. Ale's was loose enough that she could slip it on and off but I was stuck wearing mine all week which was a bit of an annoyance, but hardly anything major.

We also checked out Paradise Plaza while we were there. It is a little mini-mall that was pretty nice in terms of the offerings of restaurants, stores, and a little market. Having, only had the fruit for breakfast and it was getting a little later in the evening we decided to have a late lunch\early dinner there at a place called Angelo's.

Angelo's was a nice little Italian restaurant and the timing was actually very nice for us because we were essentially alone in the restaurant the majority of the time that we were there. With a little bit of cajoling, I talked Ale into trying some calamari for an appetizer. They were very good which I was happy about since it was her first time trying them. One of the bad things about calamari is that if the rings are too old or overcooked it can taste more like breaded rubber bands than anything else. It was a nice enough restaurant that I figured they would know what they were doing and I wasn't disappointed. I am pretty sure Ale enjoyed them as well at least when she wasn't thinking about what she was eating. Heh. We both had the chicken parmigiana which was also quite well done. Being rather full after dinner, we opted to get desserts to go for later since they were a bit to tempting to turn down completely.

Back at the condo, we ended up sitting on the balcony enjoying the ocean sounds and breezes while we drank tequila and had a very nice time chatting and making faces at one another. It was a very nice night filled with laughter and smiles.

Tuesday:
Tuesday was definitely a take it easy kind of day. Ale wasn't feeling 100% and her back was bothering her a bit more. I think we had both been a bit worried about how her back would hold up but luckily Tuesday was the only day that it really seemed to bother her a lot although she was careful the whole time.

For lunch, we made a nice chicken caesar salad (no anchovies though! Yuck!) since it was quick and tasty. Otherwise we really were just bears lounging around our den. Ale fell asleep for a while in the evening, but I couldn't sleep so I took the camera and wandered around the complex taking some pictures. I spent a bit of time stalking the kittens hoping I could get some good pictures of them playing. They were hiding in a bush row when I came around and although they were obviously in a frisky mood their mother had taught them well to stay away from strangers. Even after sitting without moving for nearly 30 minutes they wouldn't come out of the bush line while I was there. Such are the trials and tribulations of kitty stalking.

One of the nice things about the condo complex was all the flowers and landscaping period. The walkways on all the floors had planters and the flowers and vegetation were plentiful. This had the added perk of attracting a lot of birds. There was a particular type of bird that was very abundant. They didn't seem to nest but would sleep most anywhere perched on lights or nooks around the place although it did seem they had their specific hangouts each night. The groundskeepers were probably not as fond of them as I was as I saw them washing floors and walls a few times during the week trying to keep the place clean from the inevitable side effects of the birds. They kind of reminded me of little finches although I am fairly certain that is not what they were.

We did go out again for a little while to run to old Puerto Vallarta where Ale had seen a pharmacy where she could get some meds for her back. We opted to return to the condo pretty quickly though and just order pizza for dinner and continue taking it easy that night.

Wednesday:
Wednesday Ale was feeling much better and her back was a little more rested. After asking around a little about where to go, one of the residents told me about a seafood market (or at least that was the impression I was under) a couple of towns north of us (Bucerias) so we headed out looking for some fresh shrimp. We didn't find the market but we did find a fresh seafood shop and picked up a kilo of some nice probably 25-30 count (if measured in pounds) fresh shrimp.

I am a bit of a shrimp zealot and I had been promising to prepare Ale some grilled shrimp for a while so I was happy to have some good shrimp to cook. The only thing I don't like with shrimp is the time it takes to prepare them since I am kind of particular about how I do it. For the best shrimp they simply need to be deveined. I will eat shrimp that haven't been but my preference is definitely to have the vein out because you will occasionally get grit or a touch of bitterness depending on whether getting caught was sufficient to scare the poop out of them or not. hehe There was a time when I could peel and devein them very quickly (years of restaurant work while in school doing 100 or more kilos of them a day will lend some speed), but over time my hands have forgotten the motions so it took a little while to get them prepared and properly skewered.

Skewering is another thing I am very anal about. One of the biggest mistakes made with shrimp is overcooking them and if you don't skewer them very evenly you inevitably have to overcook some or parts of them to get them completely done. Regardless, with the shrimp nicely skewered and laid out I heated some butter to baste over them and bind the seasonings. The one thing that I forgot from home was my seasoning mix that I had intended to bring. It has been several years since I had made a seasoning blend from scratch since I have found one that I am partial too that is pre-blended. Luckily, the seasoning cabinet in the condo was well stocked and overall I was satisfied with what I came up with and Ale didn't complain so I think it turned out well.

There were some pineapple slices left over from the fruit salad earlier in the week so I took a few of them along with the shrimp down to the grill and left Ale to tend the zucchini and mushroom mix I chopped up to sauté along with the shrimp. After figuring out the rather fancy grill, the smell of grilling shrimp and pineapple filled the air quickly. The nice thing about shrimp in contrast to the time it takes to prepare them is that they cook very quickly. It was definitely nice to sit and eat our lunch when it was finally all done. A kilo was definitely too much for the two of us but they made for another meal and munchies later in the week so it was all good.

We had booked an outing the day before to go to Rhythms of the Night this evening. Just to be safe, Ale decided to have the shot that we picked up for her back at the pharmacy the day before. She prepared the medication, but the actually stabbing fell to me which made me a bit nervous, although not horribly so. Growing up on a farm I have given animals shots before but that is where my experience ended never having given a person a shot before. I am sure Ale was a bit nervous too about me doing it...but doing it herself was a far worse thought I think. She did remind me of the trick that she had told me before to ease the shock of the shot which was to warm the syringe (medication) up a little with her hands before actually getting the injection. I can say with absolute certainty even more so than presents that giving is 100% better than receiving in this regard. It went well though I was happy that I didn't cause any bruising and injected at an ok speed not to cause extra discomfort or take forever either.

Feeling good and ready to go, we headed the short distance to one of the offices of Vallarta Adventures for the Ritmo de la Noche (Rhythms of the Night) outing. We got there at the prescribed time but were obviously amongst the last to arrive as attested by our ticket number. I did get us booked for the Sea Lion encounter the next day which we were looking forward to as well. It turned out that we ended up on the second boat which was smaller and less crowded than the first which I personally was very happy about. It took roughly an hour to get there in the boat partially because we had to stop in Puerto Vallarta to pick up a few more passengers. The ride there was a bit bumpy because we were headed into the tide but the boat was big enough that it really wasn't bad. The crew was entertaining and efficient and honestly seemed to really be enjoying themselves which always makes for a better experience.

It was wonderful being out on the open water of Bahia de Banderas with Ale talking and sharing kisses especially when the lady filming the outing was pointed our way. I even got to drive the boat at one point while the captain was flitting about. Albeit, by driving I mean I got to hold the steering wheel in place, it was still cool in a macho boat captain daydream kind of way. We had a fairly bold sea gull that joined us part of the way too although I don't think the other passengers managed to coax it quite close enough to grab the Doritos they were offering up directly from their fingers, it did make for a couple of nice pictures. The ride was also nice in that they served little hor d'oerve plates and drinks were handed out frequently. The rum punch was especially nice and after a round of margaritas stayed the drink of choice for the night.

Upon arriving at Las Caletas, we were ushered off the boat and directed to an outdoor theater. Along the path, a trio was playing tribal drums to set the ambience. The path was short but gave the feel of being away from the rest of the world in its construction and meandering through the natural flora. The theater was laid out well in my opinion. Set into the side of a hill there was a place for the musicians and a set of stairs that led down to a platform for the show. The seating was rustic benches but from what I could see they all had a good view of the action.

The show itself called Ritmo de la Noche was in essence a dance interpretation of an ancient Mayan wedding ceremony. While I am certainly not an authority on dance or the authenticity of the performance, I did find it entertaining and felt it was well produced\presented. The costumes were elaborate and interesting and I definitely enjoyed the music being performed. The best part of course was being with Ale off on another little adventure. After the show, we exited to head to our tables for dinner.

As an aside, Las Caletas is a very secluded little nook of Bahia de Banderas that is only efficiently reached by boat. It was a private retreat for the director John Houston for a while. Being so remote and inaccessible, there were not typical public utilities (phone, electricity, water, etc.) although since the bathrooms were modern I assume they have devised some way to distribute water either by pump or gravity.

By the time we were heading to dinner, the sun was mostly set and the paths were lit by torchlight which kind of added to the sense of seclusion and being in the "wilds". The tables were laid out kind of sprawling across the beach with nice views and in a way in the light of the torches so that there was a feeling of intimate private dining even while being in the midst of a fair number of people. Dinner was a buffet however there were several of them for each area of seating so it was not badly crowded. Thanks to Ale's sharp eye we were able to get a table kind of in a corner and with a superior view out over the beach and bay. The buffet had a nice variety on it and I piled on a little of most everything so I can't begin to remember what all it was however I can say that everything I tried was delicious. Once again taking in the sites and smells of all around us and chatting was the most memorable and enjoyable part of dinner. The desserts were also very nice.

The only thing that was kind of frustrating that night was trying to take pictures of both the surroundings and us. My hand simply isn't steady enough to take low light pictures and I still don't have any kind of tripod or monopod. Ale was a little better but even she struggled with not getting blurry pictures. However, the memories more than make up for the lack of pictures.

Leaving there was an interesting delay when a torch was apparently tipped over on the deck and a fire ensued which caused a bit of a commotion to get it put out. We were far enough away that we really couldn't see much other than to know why there was a delay. The trip back across the bay was much smoother since we were running with the tide and overall it was a very nice night with the wind in our hair and being together. The girl filming the excursion did talk me into buying a DVD of the excursion (she didn't have to try very hard). Getting that DVD turned into a bit more of a challenge than we had anticipated but in the end it was not a huge problem. Either way, we headed back to the condo after a very enjoyable night and I for one was certainly very content that night.