Puerto Vallarta

The first port was Puerto Vallarta and we eagerly found our way off the ship into a cab. I was happy to pull the Spanish out of the cobwebs in my mind and converse with the taxi driver in his native tongue.  We like Puerto Vallarta.  Last year when we were there, it was a stormy rainy day.  This year bright sun beckoned us to the Malecon, the main beachfront shopping and restaurant zone.
We headed for our favorite watering hole, the Cheeky Monkey, and were delighted to see that they still had $1.00 margaritas and Mexican beers on offer. 
We ordered chips and salsa and enjoyed the view. Sand sculptures dot the beachfront, while pelicans dive bomb the ocean waters looking for food.  We strolled along the beach, plunked down for a nap in the sand and took in the general feeling of tourism in this Mexican paradise. 

I like it here.  I like Mexico.  I like trying to speak Spanish.  I like the food and the drink and the people.  At the end of the day, safely back on board, we sat on deck and watched a golden sun sink behind the horizon into the Pacific.  These are the memories of my childhood growing up on the west coast...sitting on the beach watching the sun fall into the ocean. 
It's still one my favorite views.
Maybe one day we'll come back for a longer holiday and venture into the mountains of the Sierra Madre that lurk behind the coast.