Puetro Vallatra & Manzanillo 12.19.2018

Monday we were in Puerto Vallarta, a port city we have visited several times before.  We took a cab to town and walked the Malecon, the main drag.  It is now a pedestrian only road for the main section.  There is a large ‘May pole’ looking device on the beach where five local men put on a show multiple times daily.  The men are called the Puerto Vallarta Papantia Flyers.  Another team member passes a hat for viewers to contribute.  The pole is possibly 40’ high and one man sits on a platform at the top and plays a drum and a flute-like instrument.  The other four are attached to ropes.  The May pole then spins and the flyers twirl around upside down as the rope slowly lowers them to the ground.  We will try to post a picture of the event.

In the afternoon, after lunch, we decided to walk across the road to Walmart.   We were looking for a can or jar of peanuts or mixed nuts.  We looked all over the food department and couldn’t find any.  We finally asked, and were told that they don’t carry canned or jars of nuts!  Planters really has a missed opportunity here at Walmart, Mexico!

Tuesday we were in Manzanillo, a new port for us.  We took a tour of the city and surrounding areas.  It is the largest port on the west coast of Mexico, with huge cranes and stacks of containers. Fifty percent of the residents work for the port in some way.  Tourism is the second largest industry with agriculture third.  The cost of living is much less than our last port of Puerto Vallarta.  Gasoline though, is about $3.80 per gallon when converted from pesos per liter.  It is government controlled pricing and is expected to fall when a new refinery comes online in a few years.  We stopped at a craft fair where we found two new Christmas tree ornaments.  Neither of them was marketed as ornaments, but will be nice additions to our tree every year.

Manzanillo has two brand new attractions.  A “Big Wheel” type Ferris wheel opened Monday at the same pier we were docked.   They also have recently opened, year round, an ice skating rink in the same location.

Houses up on the hills around town do not have a driveable road to them.  Ambulances can’t get to the people in an emergency.  We watched a refrigerator being delivered. But only at sea level at the end of the road.  We didn’t stay around to see how they got it up the hill.

In Manzanillo on Tuesday, all aboard was at 3:30, with a 4:00 sailing.  At 3:30 an announcement was made requesting four individuals to call passenger services department IMMEDIATELY.  Apparently they were not back on the ship, and it was time to leave.  One couple came running down the dock, and it looks like we sailed without the second couple.  The ship does not wait for stragglers; it has a schedule to stick to.  The ship is charged by the minute for the extra time in a port.  The charges are also for long shore persons as well as security, pilot boats and coast guard coverage.  The couple that was left behind will have to make their way to Mazatlan on own by tomorrow if they want to rejoin the ship there.  They probably won’t miss a departure ever again.  Airplanes and trains don’t wait, neither do ships.

Colleen & John