Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico: September 2014

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

PUERTO VALLARTA, JALISCO: A Romantic City with So Much to Offer!

POSEIDON SCULPTURE ON MALECON

THE MALECON HAS BEEN REVIVED: Sculptures, Swinging Native Indians, Sand Sculptures, Cozy Seafood Restaurant / Bars

Puerto Vallarta is a city with lots of action, lots of daytime entertainment as well as plenty of nightlife. We prefer to travel to PV (as the locals like to call it) for day trips and then return to our home base north of the city, Bucerias, Sayulita, or San Pancho, before dark. We especially look forward to walking through the Romantic Zone and down the recently renovated Malecón (promenade along the beach), watching the people and the entertainment, and then having lunch at one of our favorite restaurants overlooking the ocean. The rejuvenated Malecón is a work of art in itself, with the beautiful concrete and inlaid stone walkway that stretches for miles, landscaped with healthy palm trees, colorful bougainvillea, and many other tropical plants.

The numerous, finely-crafted bronze statues along the promenade are pieces of art to be admired, and are frequently photographed by tourists and locals alike.

IGUANA SAND SCULPTURE & ARTIST

One stretch of sand between the Malecón and the ocean is a palette for artists to create and display elaborate sand sculptures. It is customary to leave a tip for the artist when photographing their sand-artwork. We enjoyed sand sculptures of Christmas scenes such as a giant Santa in December, and then giant green Iguanas and pyramid sculptures in January. It is an ever-changing art gallery along the Malecón.

Another section of the Malecón is set aside for the twirling Papantla Bird-Men, a Native Indian performance. The Bird-Men are Flying Totonac dancers of Papantla, a small town in northern Veracruz, on the Mexican Gulf of Mexico coast. These men, dressed in bright red and white costume, hung from one leg on individual ropes near the top of a very tall pole. As the music began, the ropes began to slowly descend while the apparatus at the top of the pole twirled and the men swung out and around in a larger and larger circle around the pole. As they reached the

THE FLYING PAPANTLA BIRD-MEN

ground, they detached themselves and hopped off of their rope swing, then invited the people in the crowd to give tips for their performance. According to an article on www.PuertoVallarta.net , “the ritual of the Papantla Bird-Men was created with a very specific purpose: to offer their gratitude to Chi'chini (the Sun God), Xipe Totec (God of Spring & Fertility) & to Tlaloc (Rain God). It is as much a dance as it is a prayer, a ritual expression of love for the Earth, its bounty and its natural forces”. The Flying Bird Men was a show worth watching.

For some of our friends, Puerto Vallarta is the only city in Mexico for them and the place where they plan to retire. For Jon and me, it will always be a place that we visit for a day or two of entertainment and good food. The climate in PV is fairly tropical, somewhat humid, providing the perfect environment for lush, green jungles and tropical flowers. The people who live here are very friendly, both the locals and the gringos who have migrated south. It is a fun place to be, whether for a vacation or a place to call home.

NATIVE MUSICIANS IN COSTUME

CATHEDRAL IN THE ROMANTIC ZONE

LOOKING NORTH ON THE MALECON

JON & I LUNCHING AT LA CHATA

Saturday, September 20, 2014

BUCERIAS, NAYARIT: There's More Happening Here Than We Thought!

LOOKING TOWARD PUERTO VALLARTA

MELLOW BEACHES, FUNDRAISERS, KARAOKE.... AND ZUMBA, OF COURSE!

Bucerias turned out to be a surprisingly pleasant city with a wonderful beach! Once we got off of Highway 200 toward the Pacific Ocean, we realized it was a sweet little community. We enjoyed the clean, mellow beach where the waves were calm most days and great for boogie boarding on other days. We realized that this long stretch of beach was lined with upscale Condominiums to the north, a sprinkling of RV Parks, a row of very good restaurants, and lots of sand for walking and relaxing. There is also a very interesting daily market, also called a Flea Market with people selling all kinds of crafts from leather to pottery to jewelry.

MUSICIANS SET THE MOOD

BEAUTIFUL BUCERIAS SUNSET

BANNER ON THE RV PARK WALL

One of the greatest experiences that we had in Bucerias was to attend the 8^th Annual Hamburger Fundraiser & Karaoke event put on by the Los Mangos RV Park residents. The set-up activities before the event were a fun team building time, with flower gathering and arranging, food preparation, table setting, and propane barbecue preparation. The party was great fun, including a raffle, barbecued hamburgers, “byob” drinking, singing, dancing, and lots of talking lasting late into the evening. The proceeds went to “Manos de Amor por Bahia Casa Hogar”, a local orphanage, as it does each year. This was an exceptional fundraiser, requiring a lot of planning and hard work by the residents of Los Mangos RV Park.

NORMAN, THE ELOQUENT M.C.

JON ENJOYING KARAOKE SINGERS

RV PARK RESIDENTS FLIPPING BURGERS

NINA SELLS RAFFLE TICKETS!

DECOR IN THE PLAZA FOR THE PARTY

LOTS OF COOKS NEEDED FOR THIS CROWD!

WAITING FOR ZUMBA AT BAHIA FITNESS

ZUMBA GOLD CLASS AT BAHIA FITNESS!

I LOVE ZUMBA IN BUCERIAS!

Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico

Look for the 9th Annual Hamburger Fundraiser the FIRST Tuesday in February, 2015. The Los Mangos RV Park residents in Bucerias are already making their plans!

Bucerias is only about 12 miles from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport, an easy taxi ride away. It is an affordable, enjoyable place to vacation or live for the winter!

Read more about Bucerias and Zumba at Bahia Fitness in my coming book "Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico: A Search for Sunshine, Sassy Exercise, Savory Food, and a Simpler Life".

Saturday, September 13, 2014

SAYULITA, NAYARIT: Great Surfing and Boogie Boarding, Great Restaurants, and Great Zumba!

JON KNOWS HOW TO CATCH THE WAVE!

GREAT BOOGIE BOARDING...

GREAT STAND UP PADDLEBOARDING..

STAND UP PADDLEBOARDING IN PUNTA MITA

ONE OF OUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS!

GREAT RESTAURANTS...

GREAT ICE CREAM ....

BEST ICE CREAM WE'VE FOUND IN MEXICO!

GREAT BEACHES....

JON HITS THE BEACH WITH HIS BOOGIE BOARD!

GREAT ZUMBA CLASSES!

GREAT ZUMBA CLASS WITH GENO!

Sayulita was a sleepy Pueblo not too many years ago, but now it is a vacation destination for Mexicans and North Americans alike, packed with as many tourists as the hotels, bungalows, and campgrounds can hold during high season. The area near the south end of the beach is popular with surfers and boogie boarders, and we always look forward to catching some good waves on our boogie boards in Sayulita.

When we need a break from the action, we head to the north end where the beach is for relaxing and the waves are for watching. We grab a healthy lunch at the restaurant in front of the Sayulita Trailer Park and enjoy watching people and pelicans, or just reading a book. We love the healthy food, healthy exercise, and healthy living in Sayulita!