Natalie & Ryan: Puerto Vallarta

Day 5:

At this point, the constant running was really starting to take a toll on me. I'm used to going on cruises and just taking it easy. Since we were with 8 other people, we didn't really get that chance. Puerto Vallarta was probably the most fast-paced of all the stops, but it was my favorite. Another couple had spent a day in Cabo collecting all of the free jewelry, so we decided that we were going to do it again in Puerto Vallarta. Basically, the cruise line teams up with local jewelers and makes an agreement. The cruisers can go into each store and get a different, limited edition piece of jewelry for free, in exchange, I guess it increases traffic to the store. The ship gave us a bracelet and each jeweler would give us a charm. Each is unique to the port and store.

The other half of our group had other plans. The first thing we saw when we pulled into Puerto Vallarta was the beach-front Walmart. Can you believe we sailed all the way to Mexico to go to Walmart? The pro cruisers of our group actually had a few things that they always got at the Mexican Walmarts because they aren't sold anywhere else. So our first stop off the ship was Walmart. It was very interesting. After that, we all hopped onto a public bus to get to downtown. You can't do anything in Puerto Vallarta unless you take a shuttle, taxi, or bus. Since it only cost 13 pesos a person, we took the bus. It was terrifying! The bus driver was weaving in and out of traffic, pulling up just a fraction of an inch to the car next to us, and rocketing off every bump. Although terrifying, it was quite interesting. It was a nice glimpse into the real life of the locals. We saw mothers with their children as they got out of school, and old men that sat in the back of the bus, singing their hearts out.

Downtown was really beautiful. It was a bustling city right on the edge of the beach. Very tropical! We went in and out of a bunch of stores, collected our charms, and then started the hunt for lunch. We were with two other couples, one of which was the pro cruiser couple. They knew that you had to go a bit off the beaten path to find the best, authentic food. We walked about 30 minutes into the unsafe part of town just for tacos. haha! They were definitely yummy though. And the salsa was intensely hot. After lunch, we wandered through all of the alleyway markets to get back to the main part of town. That's where we found our favorite souvenir. On our honeymoon, we bought a figurine of a man embracing a woman's face. We found the same style figurine of a man, a woman, and a newborn baby. It was the only one there and we never saw it again, so we knew it was meant for us. (Pictures to come)

We also poked our heads into a really pretty church. My dad would have been proud. It was right in the middle of the main city square, so afterward, the pro cruisers treated everyone to some ice cream bars. Apparently they're the best in town, and they insist on getting one every time they visit Puerto Vallarta. They were so good...and cold! I got really lucky at this port. Even though it was probably the most physical of all the ports, with the most walking, it didn't affect me as harshly as the others. All of the sidewalks were shaded, so I was able to take it easy.

That night, instead of our normal evening dinner, we were treated to the on board steakhouse. Ryan's friend treated our entire group. It's about $30 a person, so we were pretty grateful for his generosity. I ordered and devoured a 24 ounce T-Bone. Ha! When I finished it, everyone at the table was like "Whoa!". It was mostly bone, so I don't know why they were shocked. It was really yummy. Dessert is what shocked me. I ordered a slice of cheesecake, but what I got appeared to be the entire cake. It was HUGE! I could only eat a few bites because of how rich it was....and because I had 24 ounces of steak occupying my tummy.