If La Cruz is the epicenter of cruising here in Mexico, then Nuevo Vallarta is the epicenter of tourism. Nuevo Vallarta is built on the end of a peninsula and is home to some of the most beautiful resorts I've ever seen....including the Mayan Palace, which is where Sharon's family will be staying. Yes, the stray dogs of real Mexico have been replaced by rooming packs of Timeshare people here in Nuevo Vallarta. Sharon and I have decided that we prefer the stray dogs over the Timeshare guys....for the most part the dogs pretty much leave you alone, and they're a lot cuter. There are a few other difference here in touristville, the other night we found ourselves grumbling about having to pay 28 pasos ($2.00) for a Pacifico...then it dawned on me that I use to brag about finding a happy hour in San Diego that sold Pacifico for $2.50.
The other day we walked over to the Mayan Place and snuck past the security guards so we could get a lay of the land before "the fam" arrives. I'm sure that we fooled security with our cruiser garb on... you know a three day beard, worn backpack, crocs and a t-shirt with more than one grease stain. Anyway, after walking around the lush grounds and around the city block sized pool (right on the beach), we decided that maybe tourist Mexico wasn't all that bad after all. I think we may be spending a little more time at the Mayan Palace over the next week.