Final Thoughts on All Inclusive Vacation

Our goal of this holiday was an inexpensive holiday where we could relax.  In the end those two goals were met.

Even though our original hotel was not a right fit, upgrading to the Riu Pacific Palace was the right decision.  It ended up costing us a bit more. In total the vacation cost us $4,000 in the end including spending money.  Since the resort was all inclusive the added cost of food and drinks was kept down.  

Like I have mentioned in previous blogs we use to travel to Mexico to all inclusive every year for two weeks before we really started cruising.  We had vacationed three times to Puerto Vallarta, two times to Huatulco, once to Manzanillo, Loretto, and Mazatlan.  So we knew the product. 

Since those holidays we have cruised extensively on over 60 cruises.  We really knew that product but found because of higher cruise prices and the low Canadian dollar and also because in May our cruise destinations were limited we chose to head back to Mexico.

I am going to break this overview into sections comparing the pros and cons and who does it better, cruises or all inclusives. This is based totally on our views and this last holiday, based on the 5th star Riu Pacific Palace

Room

• Hotel room is huge compare to ship.  But we really are not in the room much.  Love the large bathroom where both of us could easily get ready.  The deep soaker tub was a nice treat too.  
• We did find the hotel room to not be as clean as we would experience on ships.  

• Noticed spots of mold because of high humidity.  
• Room was normally quieter than on ships.  Here we did not hear the neighbors TV or loud conversations.  However because of noisy kids in the hallways (why parents think it is okay to let their child scream is beyond me) which carries onto the entire floor was a bit annoying.
• Overall the pluses on the hotel side outweigh the negatives of a small cabin. 
• Rooms on ships are very clean, functional and cleaned twice a day.  
• TV on ships has more options as this resort had no channels in English.
• Here we had free wifi throughout resort including our room which saved us at night.

• Each room here had complimentary mini bar, with sodas, water, beer and four hard alcohol bottles (which we did not partake in).  We had to get our own ice but that was just down the hall. 

view from balcony

• And of course every room had a balcony.  On a ship you have to pay more for that.  
• Note a room in this hotel that faced the courtyard would experience a lot more noise.

For me the rooms end up a tie in my eyes.  Ones positives negates the other's negatives. 

Food

• The food choices here were quite good but after a week it got quite repetitive.  With only one option for breakfast or lunch we found after a week we were bored.  
• Heading into town for a meal helped but added to the costs.
• Quality and presentation was quite impressive.  However we did find many cold items that should of been hot.  But that is not unique to resorts I have seen this on ships too.

• This resort had four a la carte restaurants and getting reservations was easy but limiting to only two times early or late seating.  I was very impressed with the meals here and especially the service. Also these meals were included in the vacation, unlike ships where it is an added cost.

• This resort did have a limited room service menu, even more limiting than on Princess.  We did partake and found it to be basic and cold. 
• Evening dinners often had themes and we're presented with an added flare. 
• For this category ships win hands down.  With ships having numerous places to get food and higher quality it wins out.  However you won't go hungry here.

Daytime Activities

• If you are a beach/pool person then you suit a resort vacation.  
• Daytime Activities revolve around the beach and pool.  Beach volleyball, pool volleyball, soccer, pool games, target practice, horseshoes, zumba, water aerobics happened even day.  Entertainment staff were very welcoming and enthusiastic and approachable. 
• Pool was always crowded and hard to get a lounge chair, yes chair hogs are found everywhere.

• The beach here was very large with lots of chairs and palm trees for shade.  Umbrellas also could be had for a nominal fee. 
• Of course there were excursions you could partake in with Vallarta Adventures being the sole provider.  We did not take any excursions but did venture out on our down quite easily by either walking, taxis, or bus.
• If you are not a pool/beach person this may not be a holiday for you as there isn't much else to do.  Plus the heat here is oppressive and you need to cool off.
• Activities are posted on a big board daily.  You are handed a calendar with evening activities but it does vary a bit week to week but most shows were repeated each week.
• This hands down goes to cruise travel where your options for activities is 200% more and includes sitting around pool and tanning if you wish.  But options for daytime activities on a ship can be but are not limited to: trivias, lectures, casino, shopping, bingo, martini demos, games, exercise classes, galley tours, and much much more.

Evening activities

• After spending a day at the beach we always retired to the room to shower and rest.  We dress for dinner and then what.  Often we would walk around the resort then end up at a bar.

• Evening shows were basic and quite amateur but I appreciate their effort.
• The shows are repeated each week so we got the same show the next week.  So even less to do.
• Once the show is done there is a disco but not much else.  The lobby bar did have a piano player at times and that was enjoyable.
• Of course it does depend where your resort is.  This one was a distance from any bars/restaurants in the city, but that would always be an option if you were closer.

Hands down ships win in this category.  Evening activities are 300% more than on land.  Activities on ships include but are not limited to:  Casino, entertainment act in Atrium, trivias, game shows, production show in main theater, comedians, dance/party band in a lounge, another live band in another venue, wine tastings, Movies Under the Stars, Disco and so much more.

Bar/Drinks

• Resort included all drinks.  Trust me you could really drink all the time if you wish.  
• Variety was not bad but much much less than on a ship.
• This was a higher end resort so the selection was bigger and better than the 3 star Jalisco.  
• Three were three types of wine!
• Many known brands of liquor were not available.
• Martinis here were like desserts and not in a good way. For example a Cosmo is not suppose to taste like you are drinking syrup.  And forget about getting a bramble - they just don't have the ingredients.

• I love a liqueur made in Mexico called Damiana but this resort didn't have it - had to go to a bar in town to get it.
• Overall I found the drinks to be fair but not great.  They did the trick but at my age I drink more for the pleasure of the taste not the alcohol. Oh to be young again.

Hands down ships win here. With so many different bars featuring so many different drinks - here is the martini menu - here is the wine menu - here is the bar menus.  Yes on the ship you have to pay for your drinks but I would rather pay for a good drink then have a poor drink included.

Cost

• We did get an amazing deal for this all inclusive vacation. So for the price at this time of year this was a better value.
• However during more prime time (like when we travel to the Caribbean in January) resort vacations are much more expensive. I can often get a 20 day cruise for what I would pay for a two week AI resort.  
• We did tip waiters, maids, bartenders and servers but in the end that came in less than the normal cruise daily tips.  Plus we usually tip more on the ship.
• This is very subjective and there are a lot of variables.  
• Overall I still feel cruising is a better value. But you can get some great deals for all inclusives too.

Resort/Ship

• The resort was beautiful. Right on the beach with stunning views. Very ornate, and a little like I was in Venice or something. Not really my taste but for a holiday it was fine.

• Lots of space with beautiful manicured gardens.  
• Large pools, with swim up bar, lounges in the pool, tons of lounge chairs.

• Spa, large buffet, four a la carte restaurants, large theater/bar, lobby bar and huge lobby.  
• The dreaded sand flies/noseeums loved us and bit us often.  Sure on a cruise when you visit a port you can get bitten but once on board it is rare.
• Thankfully this resort did not have timeshare sellers. But a short walk down the beach, or the sidewalk had someone approaching you constantly with timeshare (or what they now call Vacation Clubs). If you could keep walking that was great, but if you were waiting for something (like the bus) they would not let up. 

Even though the hotel is lovely cruises win out because they have so much more but it is not a fair comparison as if a hotel had as many guests as a ship it would be much bigger too. So both are great.

Demographics

• At this resort in May there were mainly couples of varying ages. Lots of families. Many kids, more than what I see on Princess ships when we travel during off season.  
• Many British come here thru a charter agency. Quite a few Canadians and Americans too.
• We felt comfortable here with regards to demographics and it was nice to meet others.
• Because guest arrive and depart all the time it was hard to connect with guest like you do on a ship where everyone arrives/leaves at the same time. You just have longer to make deeper connections.  
• On weekends lots of families from all over Mexico would arrive for a mini break.  But there were a lot more families/kids at the Riu Jalisco/Riu Vallarta (especially from US/Canada).

Over all I would give this to Cruise ships. I like the demographics on ships. The line I pick is Princess which fits our needs age wise. We tend to travel in off peak times so we don't encounter many children. We love kids, but don't really want to travel with a lot of them.  

I missed the camaraderie you get from connecting with fellow cruise passengers over a coffee/meal/or even sitting beside them at a show. This just didn't really happy at the resort, and if you did connect with someone they were leaving the next day.

Staff

• Jobs at these resorts are coveted and their employees are very loyal and work extremely hard. Most do not make that much in wages. A tip is what they strive for and augments their paychecks. They work extremely hard for a tip.  Certainly more than the average Canadian waiter does (my opinion of course). Waiters here would see you and ask you to sit in their section and then would have your drink of preference ready for you when you came back with your food.  
• They work long hours too and I know for at least this resort they were given one day off a week, which doesn't always happen.
• Most that served the guests spoke very good English, I was impressed.

Of course cruise staff are similar and work very hard too. Have to say the resort staff category is a tie.  

Dress

• I was happy to be going to a resort and get to live in sandals and t shirts for two weeks. Including dining in whatever I wanted. Note you couldn't wear tank tops or bathing suits into dining area at night and it was enforced (unlike ships' dress code).  
• But after a few days of being casual, I did miss dressing for dinner and making it an event. Now I am not saying formal dress, but just nice pants and a blouse and heading out for a nice evening. Although there were many who did dress for dinner (usually the ladies) but most did not.
• Most days we were in bathing suits/shorts/t-shirt which was okay for the first few days but found I got tired of it after that.
• Really missed having self serve laundry service (that you do have on Princess ships). And of course we are elite so we get free laundry. The resort did have laundry service but it was expensive so we made a visit to the laundromat after one week, which cost us 220 pesos. 

So overall for two weeks I would say I prefer cruises for dress. But for a week's vacation I would be okay at a resort and the casual atmosphere.

So who is the winner.  Well for each person it will be different. Both are great holidays.  It really comes down to what you like.

Based on our preferences we certainly prefer cruising for many of the above reasons.  

Ultimately the all inclusive vacation was just a bit too boring for us.  Spending every day at the beach, and nights wandering around with nothing to do just wasn't a fit for us.

We missed the quality in food, drink, and the demographics of cruises.

Will we do another all inclusive, well I will never say never. But I know we LOVE Mexico and we will be back but I think if we do head back we would just book an apartment and air and do our own things for meals/drinks/entertainment.

Sorry this was so long.  Thanks for following.  And of course this is just our experience and our preference.  

Second to Last Day

We are slow to get moving today.  After coffee and some breakfast and posting to my blog we hit the beach to our usual spot.

We have not sat around the pool at all for a few reasons.  First chair hogs are not only on ships.  Somehow even first thing there are towels laying over chairs with nothing else.  Second it is just way too hot around the pool.  There are a scattering of umbrellas but not enough and the wind is much stronger by the water which helps keep us cool.  Lastly the pool by mid day does not look good.  A visible film of yuck is noticeable and that is only what we see!

Love our PacSafe portable safe.  It comes in handy at the beach when we go for lunch.  We put items it and lock it up and attach to lounge chair knowing it is safe.

When we come back to the room our room is partially cleaned but the bathroom has not been cleaned.  We have bath towels but no face clothes no extra bar of soap, and counter and floor are dirty.  No towel animal today in fact only part of the old one is laying on it's side.  Looks like they started then someone else came and completed but missed a bunch.

Normally I could accept but our room did not get cleaned at all yesterday.  Around 10 am housekeeping did knock but we said give us ten minutes.  We spent six hours at the beach then and came back to a room not touched at all.  Of course now is not the time to clean it so we just call down for more towels and let it slide.  But today we are annoyed.  We had been tipping everyday too.  So that doesn't work.

We both say we miss the great service we get from cabin stewards on ships who clean our room twice.  But worried that could change.  Have you heard that Carnival Ships you are asked by your steward whether you want your room cleaned in the morning or evening.   Yes only once a day.

We shower and relax in the room.  We watch Michael Moore's latest movie - loved it. You can watch it for free on YouTube.

Originally we had discussed going into Bucerias for dinner but Bernie insists we head back to the Happy Lobster for dinner.

A cab there is 230 pesos and takes about a half hour.  Heavy traffic and a very talkative driver passes the time.

Once at the restaurant Bernie gets a Bernie and I get a mango Margarita.  HUGE.

Bernie gets the catfish again and I order coconut shrimp and garlic shrimp, they agree  to do half and half.  I am stuffed!

It was a great meal and wonderful experience.  Definitely glad we found this place.

We opt to walk back to the main street.  Sun is just setting and I need to walk a bit.

Sidewalks here are more like obstacle courses and with it getting darker we need to pay attention.  Oh Bernie adds the drinks and the effects of them may also be an issue.

We come across a baseball game and decide to sit and watch for about a half hour.

We walk along the main street to the Malecon and the area is busy.  We stop to watch the Papantla or flying bird men.  To learn more Here is a link.

We wander around and agree around 10 that we have had enough.  We get a cab back, but thus ride had me grabbing Benrie's hand.  Crazy driver... felt like I was back in Fort Lauderdale in a taxi.  They are crazy too.

Back at the hotel we walk around to see what is happening.  Not much except the Mexican Folklore show.  So back to the room and we crash shortly thereafter.

Lobby bar

Tomorrow is our last day.  We have mixed emotions.  We are ready to go back, we will miss Mexico.  Don't really want to go back to the day to day grind, but miss our bed.

Thanks for following.

Two Beach Days and Walk Into Bucerias

Blogging about our time here is very different than on a cruise.  Not much to report from here that is really interesting.  On a cruise there are new things daily and different port stops to report on.

Both Monday and Tuesday we woke up and hit the beach around 10 am.  We get two lounge chairs near the water, get an umbrella for the necessary shade (100 pesos to rent) and spend the day.

On Monday a beautiful wedding happened on the beach around 4 pm. The couple is from Britain and they have about 20 family and friends with them.  I took pictures and will share here when I get home.  I think a wedding like this would be a great option, but kind of odd that people are watching your wedding in their bathing suits.
Lots of new faces appear each day as guests come and go from the resort.  Seems everyone goes crazy with the sun and fries and is beet red the next day.  It is very strong the sun and I can't stress enough how important it is to wear sunscreen and keep reapplying it.  We probably do four coats in a day of 30 SPF.  So far we have been lucky no bad burns.

Every day around the pool they set up a barbecue and you can get a variety of foods there that you can enjoy by the pool or beach.  Not much selection so we usually end up at the buffet.  Note you are not suppose to take food from the buffet to the beach.

Wind is strong and helps with the heat.  Around the pool there is not much of a wind.
The waves are fun, lots of people enjoyed using Boogie boards or body surfing in the waves, including us.

We have both are on our third books and are totally relaxed.

The evenings are still rather dull.

Monday night we walked into Bucerias along the beach.  Was interesting to see some of the sea life that has washed up along the shore.  Puffer fish, some kind of sea snake thing, crabs, and half eaten fish.  Of course I too, pictures but they are on my camera so will out up later.

The walk took about 45 minutes and was nice but difficult to walk in the sand and then there is the issue of your feet full of sand when we arrive at the main square.

We are approached by a man who introduces himself as Miguel and he has a restaurant in the square called Miguel Angel.  Funny we were approached by the same man last week when we were here to check out his restaurant.  He offers us a tap to rinse off our feet.  We take him up on his offer.

We also take a seat in his restaurant and order drinks.  There is live music and we enjoy an hour or so here.

We do notice that the change given back to us from when we pay is not correct.  We comment and the waiters says "tip".  Silly guy, it was only a difference of 40 pesos or so that he short changed us.  But we would of tipped a lot more if he would not of played the game with us.

This does happen on occasion all over the world.  As a traveler you can encounter this anywhere.  Sadly I don't think Miguel the owner who worked so hard to get us to his restaurant knows this is happening.  Because we had thought of coming back for dinner some time but now won't.

We stop and get fresh Churro from the street vendor.  Yummy and only 6 pesos.

A quick cab ride back cause walking on the beach would be hard after a few drinks.

Each morning we order room service and we enjoy it in the balcony with this amazing view.  But it is warm out there.

Tuesday night we dined at the hotel and then decided to walk to the Riu Vallarta. Being at the Palace we have privledges at all three Riu resorts.

There are three Riu hotels here, all relatively close to each other.  The lowest end is the Riu Jallisco where we were at.  Had a giggle as we walked past it as it says on its sign it is a five star.  No it is definitely not, maybe a 2 or low 3.  Good if you expect that but not if you expect five stars.

The Riu Vallarta is a bit further and isome a bit nicer (I know it was more expensive thand the Riu Jallisco but not a whole much more expensive).  The hotel layouts for every Riu is basically the same.  A large U shape building with the activities going on in the inner courtyard.

We walk around and then take a seat in the lobby bar and order drinks.  This is also a nice hotel.  The demographics seem to be a lot more families.

As we sit we discuss all our Mexican holidays and was it always like this?  You see way before we started cruising all we did was two weeks at all inclusive all over Mexico.  Now we feel this is no longer for us.  I think maybe renting a condo may be better suited to us.

One thing we have found is the drinks are so sweet.  Seems to be at each hotel too. Not sure why.  Maybe one of you know why.  They don't skimp on the alcohol but boy are they extra sweet.  I know they are inclused in the package but I think my vote goes to buying a drink and getting a better product.

We walk back and watch TV on the tablet.

We have two more days and we are happy and sad to go home.  We have even started discussing our next cruise if the dollar gets better.

Sunday Evening in Nuevo Vallarta

After a bit of a rest we shower and dress for diner. Tonight dinner is in the Japanese restaurant.  There is a dress code but it is basic and I would think should be standard but somehow I think if it was not in place people would wear almost anything.  You can't wear shorts or tank tops.

We arrive for our 2045 reservation.  As previously mentioned all the specialty restaurants have two seatings.  First is around 1915 the second usually around 2045 or 2100.  So if you are use to eating very early this could be an issue.

We wander around until our reservation.  Neither of us feels like drinking so we just walk around the pools.  The staff are scrubbing down the pool deck.  Every night they scrub the tiles around the pool.  It is always very clean.  The pools close at 1900 and they treat/clean the pool then.  It is a huge pool and I am afraid to think of what happens in it.  I do notice by mid day there is film of guck floating on the top but I am pretty sure that is sunscreen but it doesn't look good.  I don't know much about pools and what can be done here, maybe one of you knows.

We arrive at the restaurant and we are sat at a table for two.  We are presented small glasses of sake, which was quite good.  We like sake and this one was presented perfectly.  My Japanese friends say sake should not be served hot.  People heat it up to mask the poor quality.  Don't know if this is true but this one was room temperature.

First course is shared sushi, which was presented beautifully.

The next course you pick from the menu.  I chose the spring rolls and for my entrée the tempura fish and vegetables.

The room is lovely.  Only sits 44 and it is not full.  There are two young children here (at two different tables) one is constantly banging their spoon on their plate the other right beside us is being entertained with a video with the sound up so we all get to enjoy - NOT.  Not sure why someone would bring a child to this type of restaurant they are obviously bored and there are better suited places.  But it takes away from the atmosphere.

However after finishing the sushi Bernie is suffering.  It isn't the food here that is bothering him but since we returned to the hotel today he has had wicked heart burn.  He rarely gets this, but I am guessing the three beers, salsa, chips and enchiladas at lunch had something to do with it.

He doesn't want to eat but says he will stay for me to eat.  Well I don't want that so we decide to leave.  We go to the main buffet where I grab some salad and we take it back to the room.  Bernie takes something for his heartburn and it settles down.

So it was a quiet night. We put on our pj's and watch episodes of the Big Bang Theory.

Sunday Stroll on the Malecon

Oh what a day.  You know those days when you wake up and feel like you should just stay in bed.  That was our day.

We had a good sleep. Woke feeling rested.

And I was even hungry!  So we went down for breakfast around 9 am.  It was very pleasant, not too busy.  We took a seat outside and enjoyed our meal.

Now is where I start to feel myself getting bitten.  Now if something bites then I know it will bite me! In humid conditions little sand flies, or midges, or noseeums. .. they go by various names often attack me.  Happens in the Caribbean, Florida, Panama.  But usually I am limited with exposure there.

But early morning or around dusk they come out!  So back in the room I take a look and I have five bites around my ankles.  Oh don't scratch!  I drop an antihistamine and that helps but we need to get some bug spray.

Not sure what to do today.  We have had two full days on the beach and I feel like we need a day off.  So we agree to head into Puerto Vallarta for a lovely Sunday afternoon.

We walk out to the main road, about 20 minute walk, instead of waiting for the bus. Bernie makes me laugh as he says usually the bus comes around the top of the hour. Really I say, there is no schedule here!

As soon as we get to the main highway a bus is approaching.  He beeps the horn, I raise my hand and it stops.  Sure glad our system is not like that at home we would never get anywhere.  The bus system here is sort of private.  The government takes a percentage and issues paper tickets for proof of payment.  But the driver runs his own bus and runs only on bus routes where they can make money.  So you get a ton of buses on the busy areas but if you are on the outskirts forget it.  And needless to say buses fight for passengers.  Speeding to pass the bus in front so they can get more fares.

We pay 13 pesos each to ride to the Sheraton where we get off and then walk towards to the Malecon.  It is busy here, lots of people out for the day with the family.  It is lovely to see so many families here who are out together.

Oh forgot to mention as we rode in there was a fire in the field off the highway.  It was quite large.  Not sure how it started but with the dry weater, high temperature I am sure it could turn ugly quick.  Firefighters were there dealing with.

Back to the Malecon and picture taking.  We stroll for a few hours.  We are melting!

We stop for a bite to eat and a cold beverage or two.

Have to say as a woman I have been approached a few times by men whenever Bernie is away (like using the washroom) and I am waiting for him.  I handle it but really don't like it.  Feel like an object and heck this guy that was hitting on me could be my son!  Yuck.  Don't think I would felt comfortable visiting here on my own as a woman.

Then we walk around a bit more and around 430 we are ready to head back.  We decide to take a taxi back.  We go to a stand and always ask the price before getting in.  We know the price should be around 230 to 250 pesos.  Guy says $25 US, we say what in pesos and he says 500!  Wow and we walk away.  Then another guy says 250 and we say okay and get in.

It is frustrating, and Mexico is not unique to this either we have this happen in the Caribbean too.  But you always feel like you need to know the fare and you have a hard time trusting people.  Just wish they had the fares posted and that is it!

Back at the hotel we try and nap but there is too much noise coming from around us with people coming and going.

Tonight we dine at the Asian restaurant and I am looking forward to it.

Hard to believe we have only a few days left, but honestly I am ready to go home.  I miss home.  But I know once I get there I will miss Mexico.

Beach and Two Specialty Restaurants

It has been two days since I have written a blog post.  Main reason for not writing is not much exciting has happened.  This whole trip was about relaxing and enjoying the beach and sun.

This is exactly what we have done.

Every day we wake and put on our swimsuits, lather on the sunscreen, grab some beach towels and head to the beach where we either situate ourselves under a palm tree or get an umbrella.

We have lunch at the buffet and then back to the beach.

A few drinks.  And playing in the water.

Back to the room for a shower and usually a short nap.  A day lounging at the beach is tiring.

Dress for dinner and eat, wander around the resort, sometimeso watch the show.  But the shows are the same each week so we have seen them all.

Usually back to the he room by 11, even by 10 and watch some TV or movie from our tablet and then sleep.

The food here is higher quality and selection than the last resort.  The servers also have smaller sections so they are on top of things when it comes to beverages and clearing plates.

We dined the last two nights in the specialty restaurants.  First it was Krystal which is a fusion restaurant.

You can't wear shorts here and everyone looks nice here in their dresses and nice shirts.

The restaurant is not large and not every table is filled.  We are given a glasses of sparkling wine as soon as we enter.

Then when we sit we are offered wine, or beer.

A trio of appetizers comes out and it is just the right size.

For my starter I get a mushroom ragout served over a potato mash and a poached egg.  Very good and filing.

My entrée is a lobster risotto.  Beautiful dish, but the dish was way too salty and could only manage a few bites.  Actually I have found many items here to be overly salty.  It is a personal taste so others may find it fine.

Dessert was a chocolate cake with a cream sauce poured on it.  It was just okay, rather dry, the sauce helped but not enough.  Left half of it.

Last night we ate at the steakhouse.  If you remember we dined at the steakhouse at the Riu Jallisco and we ended up leaving early.

Tonight we again are offered a drink upon arriving.  Sat at a table for two and service is very good.  There are two servers, two assistants and the hostess helping out.

No waits for drinks or clearing plates.  These meals do feel special here.

Theyou serve a lovely Caesar salad with warm rolls.  Then comes a trio of ceviche of varying spices.  One octopus, one scallops, and one shrimp.

I get the sirloin steak and it is cooked perfectlyrics and very flavourful.  It is served with stacked vegetables, potato wedges and three side sauces.

For dessert a plate comes out with pastries to share.  A fudge brownie, tartlet, a chocolate truffle and a glass of hazelnut liqueur.

We really enjoyed the meal.  I can't get over how different the specialty meals are here compared to the Riu Jallisco.  There it was packed, noisy and service felt rushed and disjointed.

After dinner both nights we tend to wander around hand in hand for a short stroll. The resort isn't large so we can't go very far.  This is where I wish the resort was closer to some action so we could walk there.  Just to get out and stroll, see others and other scenery.

Both nights we are back in the room early.  We watch a movie - The Danish Girl that I put on  my tablet earlier.  We also watch the news from home and YouTube videos. We can also watch some of our favorite TV shows thru our cable providers app and TV on demand.

This has been our saving grace in the evening and thankfully this resort has free wifi so we can do this.

The resort is busier as it is the weekend but even when full it doesn't feel crazy. There are a few families here and it is lovely to see the kids.  Times sure have changed.  My parents never could afford to take us to a place like this.

It is Sunday morning when I am writing this.  We have just come back from breakfast.

One thing that is driving ,experience crazy are these small bugs.  I believe they are called midges or no seums that bite early in the day or at night.  They love me!  I must have 20 bites throughout my body.  I have antihistamines so I have been taking them to help with the itch and swelling, plus it is helping where I got stung by the bee.  Gee this trip is the trio of Vickie being eaten alive.

We are very relaxed and not sure what we will do today.  Not sure if we are back to the beach or not.  Maybe we should head out today and explore.  Stay tuned.

Relaxation at it's Best

I have to catch up here.  Have not blogged for two days!

Our Wednesday was spent at the beach.  At first we went around the pool but a smoker sat beside us so we thought let's head back to the beach where there is a good breeze and good shade.

Really smokers have not been a big issue here.  You can not smoke in the hotel or outdoor venues like dining areas or theater.  You can smoke at the pool, beach and outside garden.  So most smokers congregate at the stairs and smoke there.  They have been very courteous and have followed the rules.

We get two lounge chairs ato beach and get an umbrella (100 pesos) to give us full shade when needed.  I should add we have gone thru 2 and a half containers of sunscreen already.  The sun is strong and I don't want to ruin my holiday with a burn.  Trust me there are a few lobsters walking around.

We really did not do much except read (we are both almost finished our second book), swim, drink, and chat with others.

We met a few couples from Britain.  We immediately thought of Roy and Sandra Bennett and how much they would like this place.  Thompson comes here from England.

For our evening we decided to stay here as it is Mexican Night and they have Mexican themed entertainment.

It starts with a tequilla station set up in the lobby.  Pick a flavoured Margarita or a shot of flavoured tequilla.  I try the pear tequilla, Bernie gets strawberry.  Wow strong, I can not drink it all.  Remember  I am not 25 anymore.

We have a great dinner.  The buffet here is very nice.  A little higher end than the Riu Jallisco with more expensive offerings.  The biggest difference is it is not crazy packed where you have to watch everywhere so you don't bump into others.

Also the wait staff have smaller sections and can tend to all your needs quickly.  There is no wait for drinks or clearing plates.

Tonight's show is the Mariachi band for one hour and then the Mexican Folklore.  It is lovely cause it is shown in their theater and it is enclosed and air conditioned and it is like a bar.  Nice tables and chairs and great bar service.

We both get martinis but boy are they sweet here, more like a desser.  They don't skimp on the booze either.  But I prefer the bars on ships where I can get a full array of drinks that are better made.  But here they are included in the price.

Oh I should add they often have a featured drink at the buffet too.  In the mornings it is Bloody Mary's tonight it is Mexican Coffee and they have a pretty station with the fixing and a bottle of booze!

It was a great day and wonderful night.

Thursday was a day away from the beach.  We need to do a few errands.  First thing is wash.  We brought only clothes for one week and with the high heat we are going thru clothes fast.  The hotel has cleaning service and it is reasonable for a few items but we have a big load or two small ones.  At the hotel they charge 20 pesos for a pair of underwear.  Well we have 10 so that alone wold be 200 pesos.

After breakfast we gather our clothes and head to the laundry mat at Paradise Village Mall that is about 8 miles away.  We hop a cab there for 100 pesos as the bus does not go in that direction, but we can take it back.

We drop off the laundry at Rositta's laundry.  For 110 pesos per load she will do it for us.  So for 220 total it is done in 2.5 hours.  Now that is a deal.

We do wander around the area of Nuevo Vallarta at Paradise Village but you really can't go far except along the road.  You can't walk along the Marina, or hotels as it is all private.  A lot of North Americas are here and they cater to them.  But I don't really care for it.

Plus there are a lot of time share people.  Funny they say oh we are not time share we are vacation clubs.  Really!  Same thing and we don't want anything to do with them, they are not for us.  And they just don't give up and you can't seem to walk 100 feet without someone approaching you.

Once we have our laundry we go out to the bus stop and wait for the Riu bus heading to Flamingos area.  It costs 8 pesos each to ride.  But after a few minutes a taxi shows up and says he will take us for 50 pesos.  I think he dropped a fare off here and doesn't want to go back emptyard as taxis have their designated areas that they must work.  Technically he should not be picking up fares here.  We take him up on the offer.

Back at the resort we put away our clothes and head down for lunch but just as we are about to sit down I feel a shining on the inside of my arm.  I flicked away something and see there is a stinger in my arm.  It must of been a bee.  Ouch! I have only been stung twice now in my life and both times while on vacation.

The waiters gets me some ice to put on it. I see it swelled and redness spreads.  I do have a reaction to it but not life threatening.  In the end it grows the length of my arm, aches like a bruise but thankfully I have antihistamines and that helps a lot.

After lunch we head out to catch the bus to the port area across from the shopping mall.  We have a few things we need to pick up.

The bus stop is to the left of the hotel.  But while we wait a guy comes up and starts talking he is from the resort beside us.  At first it is friendly chit chat then the real purpose comes out.  Time share oh sorry vacation club.... come check out our resort, we will give you a free excursion, want to see Rhythms of the Night? We will give it to you for free.  Check our place out.  We are polite and say no thanks, not interested. But they don't give up.

I am losing patience and finally just cross the street to the meridian to stand I. The shade.  After a few minutes his buddy comes over and tries too.  He says "OH miss why are you mad at us?"  Bernie can tell I am at my watts end.  He steps in and says "we said no thank you many times, what part of no do you not understand".  Thankfully the bus arrives.  But I find timeshare sales people to be the worst in Mexico and one of the downsides of coming here.  Usually we just say no and walk away but this guy had a captive audience.  Next time we will catch the bus away from that resort.

We get off the bus near the cruise port and head into Sorianas for sunscreen, my favorite Mexican soap to bring home and we are looking for a new cheap watch for Bernie to wear at the beach aso he dropped his Citizen on the tile floor and broke the crystal watch face.

We end up going to the mall too and still no watch.  Hard to find a cheap watch all we find are nice higher education do watches.

We catch the bus to the Mega store on the main highway and check there and find a watch!

We walk in from the highway to the resort.  It is only a 20-25 min walk and it was faster than catching the Nuevo Vallarta bus which goes the slow route.

Back at the hotel we head to the sports bar, which is really nice here.  Place is getting busy with people watching the soccer  matches.  We sit and enjoy two cold drinks. We earned them we logged over 20,000 steps today.  I look at my feet in my sandals and wonder is that dirt or a tan?  Ended up being more dirt than tan.

Back in the room we both are exhausted and crash for an hour.

We shower and head down for dinner around 830. I meet up with Bernie in the sports bar where he is watching hockey.  The place is packed!  Lots of games on. Numerous TV show show various sports.

Dinner was great again.  But we both find we haven't been eating that much here as we fill up after just a few bites.

The show tonight is Vegas themed show but we are not really interested so instead we walk around the pool and sit in a lounge chair and enjoy the views.

We do get bitten by mosquitoes argh... something we don't get when walking the open decks on ships while at sea.

Back in the room we watch some youtube  --- so nice to have free wifi.

Tuesday Evening - Dinner Celebration

After a short nap we shower and dress and head out.  Have to say I am enjoying the break from dressing up for dinner on this vacation.  It is a nice change.

We head down to the lobby and get a cab (85 pesos) to Bucerias the town just North of here.

See how ornate the lobby is.  Even the check in desk is fancy.

We walk around a bit.  I love this town.  Nothing fancy, you won't find a Senor Frogs here, Hard Rock.  This is more authentic.  People here are hard working locals. Friendly and approachable and eager for your business.

Tonight  we head back to Meson on the Bay.  If you are enjoying in Bucerias head over the foot bridge and the restaurant is on your right.  You have to walk in to it as it is right on the water.  This is the signew you should see at the road, you can't miss it.  We were here a few years ago with friends from the Star Princess.  Read about it here http://vickieandbernietravel.blogspot.mx/2014/11/sunday-puerto-vallarta.html

We get a table right at the water and the sun is coming down - stunning.  Tonight we are celebrating Bernie'slept God Daughter's birthday.  Happy Birthday Erin!

I get a cucumber Margarita 

The meal is amazing.  We start with an appetizer and share an entrée.

We are stuffed, but still have room for after dinner drink.  Bernie gets a Spanish Coffee, I get a Damiana over ice.

We head back to the resort and head to the theater.  Even this theater is better at this hotel, more club like.  We watch the Rock show.  It was cute, nothing fancy but I give the dancers credit better than I could do.

What a perfect night.  So glad we changed hotels.