January 8 – 14, 2012: Amy, Bob’s sister, arrived on the 8th for a weeklong visit. We took the bus both to and from the airport knowing Amy packs light making it easier for bus travel; besides it is part of the experience. A day was spent catching up on family news before we ventured out.

Our first exploration day took us to Punta Mita, a community west of La Cruz. It used to be a quiet fishing village but now sports condos, resorts and golf courses, but it still has quite a bit of charm. We walked along the beach, indulged in beer and snacks and watched the world go by. The only downside was the constant stream of vendors stopping by to sell their wares. We are talking at least 15-20 people and it was becoming quite annoying.

Wednesday found us in old town Puerto Vallarta for a walk along the malecon. They had closed off the street running next to the malecon which opened up the area for safe walking and easy access to restaurants and stores. It was a very nice improvement to the beautiful water front. The vendors again were in full force – it gets very tiring saying “no” all the time. Later in the evening we enjoyed dinner and a great jazz band playing in La Cruz.

On Thursday, in company with Judy and her son Kevin from Grace went out for a day sail in Banderas Bay. The wind was light in the morning but picked up nicely to about 20 knots in the afternoon. We spotted lots of whales and some dolphins while Kevin got to have some helm time.

Thanks to a new guide service out of LaCruz, on Friday we took a road trip to the old mining community of San Sebastian. Again the folks from Grace joined us for this daylong journey back into the mountains south and east of PV. The drive alone was rather exciting winding along the mountains and thru small villages. The town itself was absolutely immaculate – no garbage, swept streets and tidy homes. There was much hometown pride shown here along with a lovely church, charming eateries and hotels. Our Italian lunch, although expensive, was delicious with freshly baked bread, pizza and fresh crisp salads. It felt like being in Italy within the walls of the restaurant.

We also took a short hike into one of the mines not flooded by water these days. How men worked in these harsh conditions I will never fully understand or appreciate. Another stop was at the old hacienda that processed the ore. Although now it is a bed, breakfast and dinner establishment, you can learn about the method used to refine the ore while walking around the old ruins.
Saturday came when Amy was to fly back home and we used that excuse to sit around the boat and drink coffee. This being a tourist is a lot of work and we were all tired.

Once Amy was safely in the airport, we hopped the bus back to La Cruz with a stop at the Mega store. You learn to maximize your trips to and from the boat when you are carless.