Throughout all of our planning, Nikk and I had decided we wanted to spend two days in Puerto Vallarta to relax a bit. What better way to relax than at the beach?! So with a full day to ourselves and no driving planned, we promptly set up under a big umbrella for a full day of beaching. Bosco had never been to a beach before this trip, so we weren’t sure what he would think or how he would react to our lounging, but I think he got the hang of it right away!
While in PV, we enjoyed another bevy of incredible meals. Our first night’s dinner was at the hotel restaurant where we enjoyed ceviche, a seafood pasta, a sautéed seafood dish, and a tiramisu that is in the running for the best of my life!
The second night in PV we wanted to go into the downtown area to a restaurant that a good friend (shout-out Kari!) recommended for the most amazing sunset views. We decided to leave the driving to someone else and grabbed an Uber. Boy are we glad we did! Downtown PV is all cobblestone roads and the street leading to the restaurant was… hairy… think San Francisco hilly streets that are at a 45-degree angle, increase the angle to about a 60-degrees and then line it with slippery cobblestone. I was holding my breath the whole way up. But then we arrived and (since we were waaaaay early for sunset) were seated at the best table in the house. My breath was taken away again, but this time it was because of the unimaginable views of the entire city and the endless ocean beyond it. Words definitely don’t do it justice and even these pictures don’t accurately capture the stunningly jaw-dropping view.
Since we were so early for the sunset, we decided we’d take our time and have a leisurely meal. With a couple of beers in hand we ordered an appetizer of shrimp-stuffed avocado. The avocado was perfectly ripe, the shrimps were gigantic and well-seasoned, and all of it was mixed with a spicy pico of tomatoes, fresh peppers and cilantro. I could have eaten four of these dishes by myself!
We sat for a while after our appetizer, enjoying the drinks, the view, and the company. As sunset drew closer, a few more tables trickled in and we ordered our main course. Since this was the “vacation” part of our trip, we decided to splurge. We ordered the langosta y camarones para dos – lobster and shrimp for two. Again… my jaw hit the floor! Just look at this presentation of deliciousness!!!! The plate was so big they brought out its own mini-table that they sat it on next to our table!
Full and happy, we took an Uber back to our hotel. The driver put his e-break on as we descended the crazy hill… smart guy. We turned in early that night, knowing we were back on the road the next day.
After reluctantly saying goodbye to the Westin, we hit the road for Manzanillo, which was an uneventful but lovely drive. Along the way we saw gigantic farms of palm trees, banana trees, and what we later learned were mango trees. In Manzanillo we checked into a quaint Air BnB and because we hadn’t eaten all day, quickly headed toward a restaurant with a beach-front view (it has kind of become our dinner tradition!). For dinner that evening we enjoyed our new favorite appetizer – curricanes – this time with the added bonus of sliced jalapeños on top! Nikk had fish tacos and I had a shrimp sandwich with Gouda and grilled pineapple. All of it was fresh and flavorful!
Before we headed back to the Air BnB, we stopped at a bodega (small grocery store) to pick up aloe vera – yes, us silly gringos got sunburned already 🙁 – bottled water, and some snacks for the car. Since RJ’s favorite zoo animal is penguins and his sweet tooth is nearly as big as mine, I just had to send him a pic of these fun Mexican snack cakes!
Another couple of days in Mexico were in the books!
