Mexico

Hi, Welcome to Mexico

The daytime activities were very good. There was aerobics for the fitness addicts, cycling, archery, kayaking, body boards and fitness gym. Or if you just wanted to take things easy, you could either lie on one of the many sunbeds around the pool or on the sandy beach.

The Bay of Flags (Bahia de Banderas)

The Bay measures 25 miles from east to west and 20 miles from north to south. It is one of the largest and deepest in the Pacific Ocean.  There are hundreds of miles edging the bay. Directly behind the town and beaches rise the Sierra Madre Mountains, which reach heights of 8,000ft. They seem to guard and protect the bay from the tropical storms. There are two states in the bay - Jalisco to the south and east and Nayarit to the north. Vallarta  still despite the commercialism which is taking place still keeps the essential charm which we associate with Mexico.

Nuevo Vallarta

This lies just eight kilimetres north of the airport. At the time we were there they were serious traffic congestion due to a new road which is being built. Once you arrive in Nuevo Vallarta you have tranquility. The beach is long and sandy, the ocean is warm and very inviting and the hotels that edge the beach are first class. This is the destination if you want relaxation.

Puerto Vallarta

It stretches from the sparkling modern  Marina in the north to the grand villas of the "rich and famous" perched high in the hills of Conchas Chinas to the south.  Puerto Vallarta still retains some of the old charms like the old cobbled streets and the traditional white stucco and red tile architecture. Of course you have the tourist spots like Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood but you also have the flea market which houses the mexican charm. Puerto Vallarta was once a sleepy fishing village. This started to change in 1963 when Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were romantically involved there during the filming of John Huston’s "The Night of the Iguana." The publicity started the flow of tourists and changed the focus of Puerto Vallarta’s economy from fishing to tourism. Many visitors still make the pilgrimage to Casa Kimberley, the home once owned by Elizabeth Taylor. Richard Burton bought a house opposite hers and they built a bridge across the top to join the two houses.

We did an excursion around the town of Puerto Vallarta, our guide was called Angel and he was very informitive.

This was a wonderful trip, which we did through our Rep. At our hotel. We took a 15 minute flight in a modern 14 seater Cessna Caravan Turbo Prop. We flew in luxury as this is a special plane which allows its passengers to have maximum visibility. We flew into the heart of the Sierra Mountains to a village called San Sebation. They say to land in San Sebastion is to step back in time, which in a way it was. You land on a gravel strip and are then transported by an open air truck to a sleepy style village.

Afterwards we were transported back to Puerto Vallarta and enjoyed a glass of champagne in the V.I.P.lounge.

This was one trip that we were having doubts about when we booked, but thankfully everything turned out just fine.

If you are planning to do this excursion, wear jeans and use plenty of mosquito repellent.

We saddled up "John Wayne style" for a horseback trek through the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains. We were given a brief talk about how to handle our horses and then it was off into the sunset. The scenery on route is breathtaking and the horses seem to know the route so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the trek.

Before we set back, we were given the chance to bathe in a river, as inviting as it was we decided to lie back and soak up the sun. Although a few people did jump in and relax in the cool water.

This was a really good excursion, and we have all taken back some very good memories.

Some Useful Phrases in Mexican