Monday, November 09, 2009
NOV 9, 2009, Monday: INCREDIBLE PUERTO VALLARTA.....do we have to come home in 48 hours??? UGH!
Monday, Nov. 9, 2009:
OMG…..I have not had the time or I was too tired to get anything written since Friday evening. I only hope that I can reconstruct the past two days, plus today’s activities to fill you in on the wonderful time we are having here in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Saturday…..was the Wedding Day for Eric Needy(the son of my life-long friend from the USAF)…..and his bride Sujeeta Bhatt. We just hung out here at the Riu Vallarta….the huge, beautiful tropical hotel on the beach. Breakfast is always at the Restaurante Don Rafael…..an incredible buffet with soooo many food islands and cooking stations spread around one end of the very, very large restaurante, which spreads out to the piazza of the hotel, but this breakfast area is under a very long roofed area. It is always soooo great to be able to dine outside during these tropical mornings with the soft breezes blowing over this area, the fountains running, and the many birds attempting to steal the sugar packets from each table. You certainly do not want to leave your plate with food there alone….as these very large and VERY loud blackbirds/crackles will surely take your place at the table!!
I believe it was Saturday when I posted the last time, but it could have been Friday night….just not certain. And, as I am sitting here in our room with the sliding doors wide open to the balmy breezes coming in over our balcony…..I cannot get on the internet to check it out. When I posted the one and only time, I begged to use the modem at the front desk….the costs of the internet connection at the Sports Bar just off of the Lobby area are prohibitive for any amount of time that is necessary to get this posted and a few pics uploaded…….and so, a lovely senorita let me borrow an Ethernet cable to hook up to their modem….since the entire wifi system within the hotel has malfunctioned. This IS Latin America….and everything DOES run on Latino Time…….very slowly!!!! Sooooo, who knows when it will be fixed???!!!!!
The wedding was on the beach at 5pm……and we all faced the sun….a wee bit bright at that time of day and shining directly into our sunglassed eyes. But…..the wedding was beautiful, very non-religious….as this was a marriage of two cultures(Christian/Hindu) both of who are not strongly religious in their respective beliefs……and the setting under an arch was lovely. Everyone wore flip-flops even with their wedding outfits and their slacks and sundresses(spectators). …..a very nice touch for a beach wedding.
Finishing around 5:35pm, or so…….the dinner did not begin until 6:45pm in the Flamingo Restarante……an outside restaurant which overlooked the beach and the beautiful large bay with the mountains dropping right down into the water. As we arrived, each guest found their name and table number written on a tiny maraca…..a nice touch since we are in Mexico!!! The meal was very good……choice of the dinner menu from the restaurant…….and accompanied by choice of wines. Following the dinner were the traditional toasts, the cutting of the cake, and the first dance of the new couple.
As you can see……the bride and groom had changed into the wedding clothing of India….and they both were gorgeous in these colorful clothes!!!!! Sujeeta, a beautiful young lady, was just beautiful…as she is all of the time!!! She has her Ph.D in Neurology Science and teaches at Georgetown University in Washington DC. , as well as a consultant for the US Government.
The dance was super……..with soooo many people attending from around the world, it was like a party of the United Nations. What a delight to see soooo many nationalities and races and ethnicities and religions partying and dancing together as one!!!!!! What an amazing example this was, of what the world should really be like……WOW!!!! Why can’t it be like this???????!!!!
Now…..the sad thing for the 1st Lady and myself is that: About 4AM on Saturday morning, she became REALLY, REALLY ill…..the dreaded Montezuma’s Revenge which attacks soooo many here in the Latin countries, as well as like Tut’s Tummy which I experienced two years ago in Egypt. This lasted for about 24 hours, plus she felt really bad most of the day on Sunday. Soooo, needless to say, she was not able to attend the festivities of the day and evening! I was soooo upset FOR her…..as she had really looked forward to this for such a long time. I continued to return to the room to check on her, but by Saturday evening she was just resting and sleeping from these painful bouts of stomach cramps, etc., etc.(which I won’t discuss). She is OK as of this writing…..Monday afternoon.
Here at the Riu Vallarta Hotel, there are sooooo many places to get drinks, which are all FREE at this all-inclusive hotel….and sooooo many places to dance and party. You cannot sit down anywhere on the huge hotel grounds, or inside in the lobby or wherever without being approached by a server asking what you would like to drink. And….out on the plaza at night, it is party time until the wee hours!!!!! It is all tiles on the floor and with various musical groups and styles of music going on until very late……such incredible fun!!!! And…..I was out there following the wedding activities/festivities until very, very late.
SUNDAY, NOV 8, 2009:
Yesterday at breakfast it was a time to bid farewell to many of our friends who had come down for the wedding. My good friends, Bill and Ellen, departed about noon for the airport, as well as many of the wedding guests that we had met, dined with, and had many wonderful conversations over drinks, discussing the affairs of the world from citizens of many nations whom we had met. Love hearing the opinions of the peoples of the world!!!!
About 3pm, we joined another couple, Ray and Barb, and took a cab into Puerto Vallarta, about a 20 minute ride. Getting out at the Malecon…..the shopping district which lines the “boardwalk” along the beach/bay….and spent the remainder of the afternoon strolling through the shops/boutiques/stalls along that lengthy strip. About time for the sun to set over the bay, we stopped at a wonderful little restaurant, Daiquiri Dick’s……and had a few drinks, some oh-soo-good Tortilla Soup and Bruschetta with Mexican topping….and listened to this Mexican guitar player/singer as the sun dropped into the bay……what….WHAT a beautiful experience sitting out on the patio overlooking the beach and seeing that gorgeous, beautiful, incredible sunset!!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!! Sooooo hard to top that one! I later talked with the singer…and he told me he was from Mexico City and had been performing for 24 years……it certainly added to the wonderful ambience of the evening.
We then caught a cab back out to the hotel. Do not believe I mentioned that our hotel, as well as many others, are located on the north side of a river, which is actually in another state. Puerto Vallarta is in the state of Jalisco, and our hotel as well as many other huge resorts nearby are located in the state of Nayarit. The cab ride was $18 each way……for one person or as many as they can get into the cab……not bad at all!
We then went to the plaza here at the rear of the hotel, overlooking the very large two pools and fountains, and listened to the music, watched the very, very smooth Latino dancing couples, and sipped a few more drinks to end a wonderful evening!!!
MONDAY, NOV. 9, 2009:
Today….another gorgeous tropical day, we had another delicious breakfast outside, talking with Ray and Barb, two other people whom have met here, and then were joined by Eric and Sujeeta. All of them were flying back to the states this afternoon…..so, once again a morning of farewells, hugs, and kisses as we parted ways.
The 1st Lady and I then took a rather long walk along the beach to the north, past many, many hotel resorts, condos, smaller hotels, and about an hour later we arrived at Buscerias…..a great little town north of the hotel area, but still along the bay. Lots of wonderful art shops/galleries which we visited, as well as the market stalls where a person is always encouraged to “come in” to buy by the owners of these little stalls. Each one always has the same items….haha!!! And……we are always told that everything is “almost Free!!!”. THIS is the place to barter…..but, we were surprised that the prices were not really as low as we had been informed they would be by friends who have visited this great little town!!! Many Americans are here, living in their condos, small homes, etc…..and we did meet several artisans who have taken up residency here in this lovely place. Hmmmmm………lots of thoughts ran through our minds……. I did inquire with the owners of one small art glass shop, Americans, who used to own an RV park down in the south parts of Mexico, but due to political problems/issues had left there. We discussed the problems that we might incur by driving our 39’ 5th wheel down here. IF we stopped north of here, there are several rv parks that we could fit into…..sooo, we are thinking about this…..seriously…….during a winter rather than go to Texas. It is four lane expressway from just south of Nogales, AZ/MX most of the way down…….more research to do!!!
We decided to take a cab back to the Riu Vallarta Hotel…..and the cost was on $7.00.…a much better way to return as the sun was bearing down with no mercy on the beach walkers. We were soon sipping cold drinks as we sat in the breezy, open lobby watching the many people leaving on their tour buses for sights unknown.
Tonight we dined, with reservations made yesterday, at the Nirvana Restaurante, an Asian fusion cuisine being served there. Both of us had heard wonderful remarks about this place, but we felt a bit let down as we continued to sample the various Asian dishes. This, too, was a buffet….another disappointment. The Sushi was just average at best, the Peking duck was a bit below average, and the idea of having to get up to refill our plates…..well, it just destroyed the meal. I suppose we had been spoiled by the wonderful service at Sir George’s Restaurante…….as well as the very good food there.
Following our dinner this evening, we had another drink on the plaza…and then got good seats for the live show in the La Boheme open theater. Shows are given each evening….a different one and style each night of the week. Tonight’s show???? A tribute to Michael Jackson……and, as far as this aging old music teacher goes…..this one was THE best one I have seen since we arrived last Wednesday afternoon!!!!!! Well done, outstanding dancers……just really, really good. Music was very good, and the timing of the show was excellent!!! A great one hour performance!!!
And soooo, another day, or should I perhaps say…..another several days have gone by……and with the fabulous time we are experiencing here in Mexico(a Mexico which we have not seen before)……what more can be said, but……
LIFE IS JUST REALLY INCREDIBLY GREAT!!!!!!!……And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!!!
OMG…..I have not had the time or I was too tired to get anything written since Friday evening. I only hope that I can reconstruct the past two days, plus today’s activities to fill you in on the wonderful time we are having here in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Saturday…..was the Wedding Day for Eric Needy(the son of my life-long friend from the USAF)…..and his bride Sujeeta Bhatt. We just hung out here at the Riu Vallarta….the huge, beautiful tropical hotel on the beach. Breakfast is always at the Restaurante Don Rafael…..an incredible buffet with soooo many food islands and cooking stations spread around one end of the very, very large restaurante, which spreads out to the piazza of the hotel, but this breakfast area is under a very long roofed area. It is always soooo great to be able to dine outside during these tropical mornings with the soft breezes blowing over this area, the fountains running, and the many birds attempting to steal the sugar packets from each table. You certainly do not want to leave your plate with food there alone….as these very large and VERY loud blackbirds/crackles will surely take your place at the table!!
I believe it was Saturday when I posted the last time, but it could have been Friday night….just not certain. And, as I am sitting here in our room with the sliding doors wide open to the balmy breezes coming in over our balcony…..I cannot get on the internet to check it out. When I posted the one and only time, I begged to use the modem at the front desk….the costs of the internet connection at the Sports Bar just off of the Lobby area are prohibitive for any amount of time that is necessary to get this posted and a few pics uploaded…….and so, a lovely senorita let me borrow an Ethernet cable to hook up to their modem….since the entire wifi system within the hotel has malfunctioned. This IS Latin America….and everything DOES run on Latino Time…….very slowly!!!! Sooooo, who knows when it will be fixed???!!!!!
The wedding was on the beach at 5pm……and we all faced the sun….a wee bit bright at that time of day and shining directly into our sunglassed eyes. But…..the wedding was beautiful, very non-religious….as this was a marriage of two cultures(Christian/Hindu) both of who are not strongly religious in their respective beliefs……and the setting under an arch was lovely. Everyone wore flip-flops even with their wedding outfits and their slacks and sundresses(spectators). …..a very nice touch for a beach wedding.
Finishing around 5:35pm, or so…….the dinner did not begin until 6:45pm in the Flamingo Restarante……an outside restaurant which overlooked the beach and the beautiful large bay with the mountains dropping right down into the water. As we arrived, each guest found their name and table number written on a tiny maraca…..a nice touch since we are in Mexico!!! The meal was very good……choice of the dinner menu from the restaurant…….and accompanied by choice of wines. Following the dinner were the traditional toasts, the cutting of the cake, and the first dance of the new couple.
As you can see……the bride and groom had changed into the wedding clothing of India….and they both were gorgeous in these colorful clothes!!!!! Sujeeta, a beautiful young lady, was just beautiful…as she is all of the time!!! She has her Ph.D in Neurology Science and teaches at Georgetown University in Washington DC. , as well as a consultant for the US Government.
The dance was super……..with soooo many people attending from around the world, it was like a party of the United Nations. What a delight to see soooo many nationalities and races and ethnicities and religions partying and dancing together as one!!!!!! What an amazing example this was, of what the world should really be like……WOW!!!! Why can’t it be like this???????!!!!
Now…..the sad thing for the 1st Lady and myself is that: About 4AM on Saturday morning, she became REALLY, REALLY ill…..the dreaded Montezuma’s Revenge which attacks soooo many here in the Latin countries, as well as like Tut’s Tummy which I experienced two years ago in Egypt. This lasted for about 24 hours, plus she felt really bad most of the day on Sunday. Soooo, needless to say, she was not able to attend the festivities of the day and evening! I was soooo upset FOR her…..as she had really looked forward to this for such a long time. I continued to return to the room to check on her, but by Saturday evening she was just resting and sleeping from these painful bouts of stomach cramps, etc., etc.(which I won’t discuss). She is OK as of this writing…..Monday afternoon.
Here at the Riu Vallarta Hotel, there are sooooo many places to get drinks, which are all FREE at this all-inclusive hotel….and sooooo many places to dance and party. You cannot sit down anywhere on the huge hotel grounds, or inside in the lobby or wherever without being approached by a server asking what you would like to drink. And….out on the plaza at night, it is party time until the wee hours!!!!! It is all tiles on the floor and with various musical groups and styles of music going on until very late……such incredible fun!!!! And…..I was out there following the wedding activities/festivities until very, very late.
SUNDAY, NOV 8, 2009:
Yesterday at breakfast it was a time to bid farewell to many of our friends who had come down for the wedding. My good friends, Bill and Ellen, departed about noon for the airport, as well as many of the wedding guests that we had met, dined with, and had many wonderful conversations over drinks, discussing the affairs of the world from citizens of many nations whom we had met. Love hearing the opinions of the peoples of the world!!!!
About 3pm, we joined another couple, Ray and Barb, and took a cab into Puerto Vallarta, about a 20 minute ride. Getting out at the Malecon…..the shopping district which lines the “boardwalk” along the beach/bay….and spent the remainder of the afternoon strolling through the shops/boutiques/stalls along that lengthy strip. About time for the sun to set over the bay, we stopped at a wonderful little restaurant, Daiquiri Dick’s……and had a few drinks, some oh-soo-good Tortilla Soup and Bruschetta with Mexican topping….and listened to this Mexican guitar player/singer as the sun dropped into the bay……what….WHAT a beautiful experience sitting out on the patio overlooking the beach and seeing that gorgeous, beautiful, incredible sunset!!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!! Sooooo hard to top that one! I later talked with the singer…and he told me he was from Mexico City and had been performing for 24 years……it certainly added to the wonderful ambience of the evening.
We then caught a cab back out to the hotel. Do not believe I mentioned that our hotel, as well as many others, are located on the north side of a river, which is actually in another state. Puerto Vallarta is in the state of Jalisco, and our hotel as well as many other huge resorts nearby are located in the state of Nayarit. The cab ride was $18 each way……for one person or as many as they can get into the cab……not bad at all!
We then went to the plaza here at the rear of the hotel, overlooking the very large two pools and fountains, and listened to the music, watched the very, very smooth Latino dancing couples, and sipped a few more drinks to end a wonderful evening!!!
MONDAY, NOV. 9, 2009:
Today….another gorgeous tropical day, we had another delicious breakfast outside, talking with Ray and Barb, two other people whom have met here, and then were joined by Eric and Sujeeta. All of them were flying back to the states this afternoon…..so, once again a morning of farewells, hugs, and kisses as we parted ways.
The 1st Lady and I then took a rather long walk along the beach to the north, past many, many hotel resorts, condos, smaller hotels, and about an hour later we arrived at Buscerias…..a great little town north of the hotel area, but still along the bay. Lots of wonderful art shops/galleries which we visited, as well as the market stalls where a person is always encouraged to “come in” to buy by the owners of these little stalls. Each one always has the same items….haha!!! And……we are always told that everything is “almost Free!!!”. THIS is the place to barter…..but, we were surprised that the prices were not really as low as we had been informed they would be by friends who have visited this great little town!!! Many Americans are here, living in their condos, small homes, etc…..and we did meet several artisans who have taken up residency here in this lovely place. Hmmmmm………lots of thoughts ran through our minds……. I did inquire with the owners of one small art glass shop, Americans, who used to own an RV park down in the south parts of Mexico, but due to political problems/issues had left there. We discussed the problems that we might incur by driving our 39’ 5th wheel down here. IF we stopped north of here, there are several rv parks that we could fit into…..sooo, we are thinking about this…..seriously…….during a winter rather than go to Texas. It is four lane expressway from just south of Nogales, AZ/MX most of the way down…….more research to do!!!
We decided to take a cab back to the Riu Vallarta Hotel…..and the cost was on $7.00.…a much better way to return as the sun was bearing down with no mercy on the beach walkers. We were soon sipping cold drinks as we sat in the breezy, open lobby watching the many people leaving on their tour buses for sights unknown.
Tonight we dined, with reservations made yesterday, at the Nirvana Restaurante, an Asian fusion cuisine being served there. Both of us had heard wonderful remarks about this place, but we felt a bit let down as we continued to sample the various Asian dishes. This, too, was a buffet….another disappointment. The Sushi was just average at best, the Peking duck was a bit below average, and the idea of having to get up to refill our plates…..well, it just destroyed the meal. I suppose we had been spoiled by the wonderful service at Sir George’s Restaurante…….as well as the very good food there.
Following our dinner this evening, we had another drink on the plaza…and then got good seats for the live show in the La Boheme open theater. Shows are given each evening….a different one and style each night of the week. Tonight’s show???? A tribute to Michael Jackson……and, as far as this aging old music teacher goes…..this one was THE best one I have seen since we arrived last Wednesday afternoon!!!!!! Well done, outstanding dancers……just really, really good. Music was very good, and the timing of the show was excellent!!! A great one hour performance!!!
And soooo, another day, or should I perhaps say…..another several days have gone by……and with the fabulous time we are experiencing here in Mexico(a Mexico which we have not seen before)……what more can be said, but……
LIFE IS JUST REALLY INCREDIBLY GREAT!!!!!!!……And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!!!
Saturday, November 07, 2009
No internet service, but finally BEGGED to get on at the front desk of the hotel.....
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009:
Oh how I love to get up at 2:45AM…..NOT!!! But, that was the time I managed to crawl out of bed, completed the morning rituals, and then by 4AM, we were moving towards the airport in STL. Arriving at the long term parking about 5:35.….caught the airport shuttle to the airport……got checked in, boarding passes for the second time(I already had them from yesterday, but still had to go through this process again), checked bags turned in…..and then through Security…..really easy and quick this morning.
Coffee and pastries at Starbucks….and by 7AM, they were loading the plane for Phoenix. Flying on US Airways…..years since I have been on their planes, we found ourselves in a really new plane, the A319. Quiet, clean, and soon we were headed west, leaving the gate at 7:30..on time. Then……we stopped out on the tarmac and sat there for 10-15 minutes as the plane “re-adjusted the weights)…..shifting the fuels or bags in the hold around, I guess. I had never heard of this before, but……
We arrived in Phoenix about 30 minutes earlier than scheduled on the smoothest flt I have had in YEARS!!!! Beautiful, clear skies with lovely views from above……and when we landed, we had to wait in the “holding area” where there were a few other “early birds”…planes….that, like us, could not get into their assigned gates to unload. Sooo, we sat for 30 minutes……with everyone getting a bit frustrated at not being able to get off. However, we were in the gate on time….had plenty of time to walk a down a few gates, check in with our passports since were leaving the country, and then get some soft tacos for a quick bite of lunch.
Then……we boarded…..still US Airways…..and it was crammed with people all going to Puerto Vallarta. Then…..we sat again while the plane adjusted the weights factors….and soon, we were airborne. Clouds were all around us by that time and it was a bit rough for about 25 minutes. Then…..it became smoother and we were surprised to see the huge mts……all the way down to Puerto Vallarta. Had not idea that western Mexico had sooooo many tall mts!!!!
Arriving on time, we got off the plane…..after having filled out customs and immigration papers for Mexico, and then the hassles began with getting in lines with our proper documentation, passports, etc…..then, we picked up our bags….and got into ONE line to go through customs. After putting ALL of our bags through the security X-ray machine, we then had to press a button….and if it turned green, we were free to go….but, if it turned red…then they would search our bags….THOROUGHLY!!!!! Watching that occur to someone, I am sooooo damn glad it didn’t happen to me or the 1st Lady.
Ahhhh…the hassle began as we left the customs area, went through some double doors….and soon it was like being back in Egypt…..only the language difficulties were not as bad. This was the infamous “time-share” area where reps from various time share companies tried to get us to talk with them, offered us transportation, etc., etc. and then we moved into a different area, same type of pushiness, but not so obvious that it was for time shares. Sooo, we talked to one guy, thinking it was not a time-share guy……WRONG!!!!! I soon realized that it was not the company we were to meet there….and so, I grabbed the 1st Lady, and off we went through ANOTHER set of doubles doors….and there were several guys with little signs looking for their company’s clients and people like us looking for our already paid transportation to the hotel. We quickly saw the correct sign…..and as we stepped over to this gentleman, he asked if we were Mr/Mrs. Howser……..AHHHH, we had survived the gauntlet of time-share people and now…..it was off to our car and driver. Twenty minutes later, we pulled up in front of this massive cream colored hotel surrounded by palm trees, lush vegetation, flowers, and lots of very friendly hotel personnel.
Unloading from the car……on this trip EVERYHING is paid for…..no tips necessary, nothing needed from us in the way of cash/credit cards for anything….NADA!!!! To the desk we were ushered, and very quickly, we each had a glass of Sangria in our hand….as we registered, receiving our keys, instructions, and a few minutes later we were up on the 5th floor and inside our lovely room. The balcony, while not directly facing the bay, has incredible view of the resort’s pools, courtyards, outdoor cafes, and the bay!!!!! GORGEOUS!!!!!
Inside the room, however, it smelled a bit mildewy….a rather ominous aroma(?)…..and not the best for the 1st Lady who is soooo allergic to those types of things. Sooo, I went back downstairs, talked the reception area….and after checking and looking into several more rooms, we found one that was pretty odor free….and then moved out belongings to it. We cleaned up……and went back out for a walk/tour around the facilities. Bars everywhere….drinks being offered at each one, restaurants all around……and soon we ran into Eric and Sujeeta….the bride and groom. It was soooo good to see the both of them……such a great young couple with such a future they have!!!
We decided to return to the room, and clean up for dinner. There are four main restaurants here, one being the evening supper buffet, an Asian restaurant, Steakhouse, and a Gourmet restaurant. The latter three each require reservations, although they are all part of our all inclusive costs for these 8 days. Reservations must be made each morning by 10am…and, of course, we were still in the airplane flying to Phoenix at that time this morning. Soooo, we knew in advance that we would do the buffet this evening. We were about ready to come down from our room when the phone rang and it was Bill and Ellen……Eric’s dad and step-mom……and my good, good friend from our days together in the USAF back in the late 60’s……of the last century! There said they were waiting for us to eat with them…..
And we were soon reunited in the lobby….hugs and back slaps all around. Sooooo damn good to see them again. We talked and ate…..there were soooooooo many choices….no use to even begin to talk about them…..just serving stations loaded with wonderful food and we made many trips to the various stations to refill, and/or try something new and different. WOW!!!!
After that…..we found ourselves checking on the wifi…..and no luck. Seems that the wifi in the lobby is not working…..and it costs $12 hour to get online, so…I will keep trying to locate a place.
The four of use wandered outside, had more drinks…..you can hardly walk 20 feet until you are asked if what kind of drink you would like to have!! All part of the inclusive costs….and they were/are REALLY good drinks!!!! WOW!!!
The 1st Lady decided to return to the room, exhausted from the early, early morning(wee hours of the morning), and then the hassle of just getting here and getting into a room that she could enjoy. Bill, Ellen, and I then decided to watch the Vegas Style show in the La Boheme room….and it was pretty good. Some good dancing guys….better than the girls. More drinks….oh yeah…..can’t turn them down, can we????
After that….we returned to the inside of this HUGE hotel and went our separate ways to our own rooms. I tried once more to get online in the Lobby, but….NOPE….nothing worked. And sooooo, it was midnight when I turned off the lights….almost a 24 hour day dressed and on my feet!
THURSDAY, NOV. 5 - DAY 2:
Breakfast was in the Don Rafael Restaurante….another buffet style with tons and tons of wonderful choices for breakfast. Soooo many fresh fruits, cheeses, cold cuts, eggs fixed for you personally the way you like them, pastries, all kinds of meats,…..you name it, it was there OR they would get it for you! The coffee was never ending…..and quite good, to my surprise!!! We sat and chatted and talked and ate and enjoyed just being together once again with good friends from the past!!! Bill’s first wife, Barb…the mother of the groom, dropped by and I had not seen her for 24 years or more…..can’t really come up with a good, valid date when we were together.
Back to the room we went…..and by 10am, we were out on the beach, enjoying the shade of the very tall palm trees, laying in the lounge chairs….sipping drinks….they began serving at 10am, watching the deep blue of the ocean waves with the white crest as the approached the shore!!!!! WHAT A LIFE!!!!! More of the wedding party and Sujeeta’s family arrived on the beach….and soon we were all chatting and enjoying this great morning….WOW!!!! The 1st Lady and I enjoyed the water….very warm….and quite strong as the waves rolled in….and oftentimes, OVER the two of us!
We remained on the beach until early afternoon….when we decided to return to the room and prepare for our evening activity…….a trip by boat to the opposite end of the HUGE bay…..for dinner by candle light at the former home of film director, John Huston…..his private Garden of Eden! Accessible only by the sea….this cove is eons of time away from today. The catamaran boat was filled to capacity by the time we made a stop in Puerto Vallarta proper, picking up some more people going to the evening’s dinner and performance. By the time we arrived, it was dark, thousands of torches and candles were lit…and we slowly walked up the paths to the dining area under the palm trees, lit only by candles. Did I say that all the way by boat….almost two hours….we were drowned by wonderful tequila drinks onboard!!!!! WOW…..these people here in Mexico really, REALLY know how to get everyone to enjoy themselves to the max!!!! During the walk up from the marina…..there was live music of all kinds of wonderful drums, wooden flutes, and conch shells being blown! Sure did set the proper mood here on Las Caletas.
The dinner was quite good….an interesting buffet of various meats, veggies, salads, breads, all prepared in different ways with lots of spices and sauces. Ohhhh….did I mention ALL kinds of wine and drinks were there for everyone. Desserts were then set out….and a coffee with spices and liquor in it to accompany these desserts.
After that we were invited to wander up and around the many little paths through the trees and bamboo….HUGE bamboo…been a long time since I have seen it this BIG!!! Eventually, we found our way to the performance area where we were seated on benches. Again, the wonderful music by the performers….and dancing by various performers all depicting the Aztec style of Life.
This entire evening was called the Rhythms of the Night…..and oh, how true…..it was a special “tour“/evening that we booked with one of the local tour companies who have people there in the lobby of the Riu Vallarta Hotel. We were with Barb and her husband, Ray…..and had a marvelous time during the entire evening. We left the pier in Nuevo Vallarta at 6:30pm…..and returned to the same pier about 12:15AM!!!! What an incredible evening……WOW…WOW!!!!
Exhausted, to say the least…..after more drinks on the return 2 hour trip by boat…..we took a tax to the hotel and soon were dead in bed. I had made arrangements for the hotel to wake us on Friday morning….just a few hours after we laid down…..UGH!!!!….for an exciting morning…………
FRIDAY, NOV 6th, Day 3.…….
Up at 6am…..did I actually even go to bed?…..we were down at the Don Rafael before 7am, the time they open for breakfast. We quickly…..VERY QUICKLY….grabbed some coffee/tea…….a few pastries and bacon….and in a few short minutes consumer them rapidly. Into the hotel lobby we went to meet our guide and tour bus for the morning I had been waiting for for a couple of weeks!!! Did I mention that this lobby is open to the outside in the front and back…….so the breezes blow through it 24/7.….a tropical way of having a hotel, as I have been in many like this in many other countries, from northern Australia to Southeast Asia. Always a treat to experience this warm, soft air circulating through the lobby!!!!
OK…where were we going this morning?????? Up into the mountains that are sooooo lush with vegetation to take a canopy tour ABOVE the trees and streams by ZIP LINE!!!!!!!! Another special tour we booked…..and we had formed a party of 27 people from the wedding guests/party for this trip. It took about two hours to get through Puerto Vallarta and up into the mts where we each received a locker to story our valuables so they wouldn’t drop from our pockets. Mosquito repellents were everywhere and before very long in our preparation and instructions, we were all dripping with sweat from the REALLY high humidity in this dense and lush vegetation!!!!!!
We sat for about 15 minutes while were schooled about how to hook up to the zip lines with our harnesses, belts, gloves, hooks, etc.,etc. Examples were shown and we were calmed by the guys who were working the lines at each platform….saying that they would be there to assist us at any time. We learned how to brake ourselves so we would not go slamming into the platform or other bodies that might be there. Helmets were issued, we were assisted in getting ourselves properly into the harnesses and lines…..and then we went out….and, UP…into the jungle, climbing stairs into the trees…to prepare for the first line we would “zip” down!!! A photographer was there and she told us how to look at the camera as we started down……and then…..WOW, we were one of the first of the group to get started on this trip down and across the jungle trees.
Of course, everyone was a bit nervous, but the worst part of the entire morning was the climbing up the stairs in the horrendous humidity/heat of the mountain jungle. Soon, though……we were zipping down the lines, one at a time unless it was a long line and then someone would begin before the other person was all the way down. The longest line we were on was OVER a quarter of a mile long……and would drop a few hundred feet!!!! WOW….WOW…..WOW…WOW!!!!! This was one of the most exciting things I have done in years and years and years!!!!!! WE LOVED IT!!!!!!
The 1st Lady, who is deathly afraid of heights…..was in her element!!! She had such a blast, even hanging upside down before the morning was finished. We were on at least 15 zip lines……going from one to another at the end instead of “hiking” up to the next take-off point. The last ones we never returned to the ground until the very last one where we down a swift mt. stream, high above it, and stopped at the place were we had had our schooling this morning.
OMG….what an experience!!!!!!! When we had all returned, we placed orders for a DVD of our morning…..one that had been filmed by one of the friendly guys who had assisted us, although he had his hands full with the filming of our morning!!! Then…..it was time to do some tasting of Tequila that they had there….and OMG, it was sooooo good. Those shots of Tequila….various kinds enhanced with vanilla and others with chocolate….went down sooooooooo easy!!!! We then hung out there….not literally hanging…..while a few of the group went swimming in the rushing stream….reminding me of Johnson’s Shut-ins in SE Misery!!!! After the DVD’s were edited…..we finally loaded up, returned through Puerto Vallarta by the bus, taking two hours again….and were at the hotel by about 2pm!! A very full morning, since we had left at 7:15 this morning!!!!
This trip…..YOU MUST TAKE…if you are ever in Puerto Vallarta!!!!!!! We got a special price of $64 per person with a group of over 25 adults and children. Yep…children can go down those lines, also!!!! WHAT an INCREDIBLE morning!!!!! I will probably never have that opportunity to do that again……there are no many zip line places in the entire world, less than a dozen we have been told…….and it was such an amazing experience!!!!!! The speed of going down that line as you watch the platform coming at you, watching the trees flash by both under and above you, feeling the euphoria of a safe landing on the platforms, and the rush as you hook up to go on to the next platform on another tree or stand!!!! One of the highlights of my Life, to say the least.
Returning to the Riu Vallarta Hotel in Nuevo Vallarta, the 1st Lady decided to hit the beach….and I….well, I decided to just lay around in the room, snooze a bit if it happened, get my shower and the sweat removed from the heat/humidity in the jungle and get ready for our dinner reservations. Soooo, by the time I had cleaned up and decided what to wear, she was back in the room, and headed for the shower.
We went down to one of the bars in the Lobby, got a drink, and waited for our reservation time…6:30. Bill and Ellen joined us for a drink…and we all four went downstairs for dinner. They managed to be seated next to us…..and then the choices were presented to us for our salad/appetizer, main entrée, and dessert. We had a wonderful waiter in this lovely room……and so I ordered a bottle of red wine…..a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, and the 1st Lady ordered a chilled Chardonnay, also from Chile.
I ordered Rockefeller Mussels……mussels with spinach and cream cheese in the shell, broiled and hot. For the entrée I had a filet of beef with fresh potatoes, and for dessert I had four small cream puffs with ice cream inside and warm, dark chocolate on the plate with the cream puffs resting gently in it. WONDERFUL!!!!!!!! An excellent meal….just great.
And….after the dessert, two waiter went around and fixed Spanish coffee for us…..absolutely delicious!!!! Brandy, heated with coffee liquor, the rim of the wine glass was dipped in lime and sugar, then heated over the open fire on the table to crystalize the sugar, and then coffee was added to the other two ingredients, lit with a flame, and then poured back and forth from a height of four feet above the table with the flame pouring down into the other container….beautifully done, very artistic, and with an incredible flavor!!!! We all had glass….and then after the meal was finished we left for the outside patio(s) to listen to the live music, watch the dancing, and enjoy the evening!!! I did forget to mention that during our meal, a Mariachi Band entered the little room of the St. George Restaurant and performed a couple of wonderful Mexican tunes for us!! And….you know what was the topping on the evening……all of this was enjoyed even more because it was all part of our all-inclusive price for these 8 days here!!!! If ordered in STL, all of the wine, Spanish coffee, and the entire meal would easily have been over $125.00.…..probably more than this!!!
And sooo, hopefully tomorrow, I can locate some free internet somewhere….????!!!! But, as always……and even more so after an amazing day like today and this evening……
LIFE IS JUST REALLY INCREDIBLY GREAT!!!!!……And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!
Oh how I love to get up at 2:45AM…..NOT!!! But, that was the time I managed to crawl out of bed, completed the morning rituals, and then by 4AM, we were moving towards the airport in STL. Arriving at the long term parking about 5:35.….caught the airport shuttle to the airport……got checked in, boarding passes for the second time(I already had them from yesterday, but still had to go through this process again), checked bags turned in…..and then through Security…..really easy and quick this morning.
Coffee and pastries at Starbucks….and by 7AM, they were loading the plane for Phoenix. Flying on US Airways…..years since I have been on their planes, we found ourselves in a really new plane, the A319. Quiet, clean, and soon we were headed west, leaving the gate at 7:30..on time. Then……we stopped out on the tarmac and sat there for 10-15 minutes as the plane “re-adjusted the weights)…..shifting the fuels or bags in the hold around, I guess. I had never heard of this before, but……
We arrived in Phoenix about 30 minutes earlier than scheduled on the smoothest flt I have had in YEARS!!!! Beautiful, clear skies with lovely views from above……and when we landed, we had to wait in the “holding area” where there were a few other “early birds”…planes….that, like us, could not get into their assigned gates to unload. Sooo, we sat for 30 minutes……with everyone getting a bit frustrated at not being able to get off. However, we were in the gate on time….had plenty of time to walk a down a few gates, check in with our passports since were leaving the country, and then get some soft tacos for a quick bite of lunch.
Then……we boarded…..still US Airways…..and it was crammed with people all going to Puerto Vallarta. Then…..we sat again while the plane adjusted the weights factors….and soon, we were airborne. Clouds were all around us by that time and it was a bit rough for about 25 minutes. Then…..it became smoother and we were surprised to see the huge mts……all the way down to Puerto Vallarta. Had not idea that western Mexico had sooooo many tall mts!!!!
Arriving on time, we got off the plane…..after having filled out customs and immigration papers for Mexico, and then the hassles began with getting in lines with our proper documentation, passports, etc…..then, we picked up our bags….and got into ONE line to go through customs. After putting ALL of our bags through the security X-ray machine, we then had to press a button….and if it turned green, we were free to go….but, if it turned red…then they would search our bags….THOROUGHLY!!!!! Watching that occur to someone, I am sooooo damn glad it didn’t happen to me or the 1st Lady.
Ahhhh…the hassle began as we left the customs area, went through some double doors….and soon it was like being back in Egypt…..only the language difficulties were not as bad. This was the infamous “time-share” area where reps from various time share companies tried to get us to talk with them, offered us transportation, etc., etc. and then we moved into a different area, same type of pushiness, but not so obvious that it was for time shares. Sooo, we talked to one guy, thinking it was not a time-share guy……WRONG!!!!! I soon realized that it was not the company we were to meet there….and so, I grabbed the 1st Lady, and off we went through ANOTHER set of doubles doors….and there were several guys with little signs looking for their company’s clients and people like us looking for our already paid transportation to the hotel. We quickly saw the correct sign…..and as we stepped over to this gentleman, he asked if we were Mr/Mrs. Howser……..AHHHH, we had survived the gauntlet of time-share people and now…..it was off to our car and driver. Twenty minutes later, we pulled up in front of this massive cream colored hotel surrounded by palm trees, lush vegetation, flowers, and lots of very friendly hotel personnel.
Unloading from the car……on this trip EVERYHING is paid for…..no tips necessary, nothing needed from us in the way of cash/credit cards for anything….NADA!!!! To the desk we were ushered, and very quickly, we each had a glass of Sangria in our hand….as we registered, receiving our keys, instructions, and a few minutes later we were up on the 5th floor and inside our lovely room. The balcony, while not directly facing the bay, has incredible view of the resort’s pools, courtyards, outdoor cafes, and the bay!!!!! GORGEOUS!!!!!
Inside the room, however, it smelled a bit mildewy….a rather ominous aroma(?)…..and not the best for the 1st Lady who is soooo allergic to those types of things. Sooo, I went back downstairs, talked the reception area….and after checking and looking into several more rooms, we found one that was pretty odor free….and then moved out belongings to it. We cleaned up……and went back out for a walk/tour around the facilities. Bars everywhere….drinks being offered at each one, restaurants all around……and soon we ran into Eric and Sujeeta….the bride and groom. It was soooo good to see the both of them……such a great young couple with such a future they have!!!
We decided to return to the room, and clean up for dinner. There are four main restaurants here, one being the evening supper buffet, an Asian restaurant, Steakhouse, and a Gourmet restaurant. The latter three each require reservations, although they are all part of our all inclusive costs for these 8 days. Reservations must be made each morning by 10am…and, of course, we were still in the airplane flying to Phoenix at that time this morning. Soooo, we knew in advance that we would do the buffet this evening. We were about ready to come down from our room when the phone rang and it was Bill and Ellen……Eric’s dad and step-mom……and my good, good friend from our days together in the USAF back in the late 60’s……of the last century! There said they were waiting for us to eat with them…..
And we were soon reunited in the lobby….hugs and back slaps all around. Sooooo damn good to see them again. We talked and ate…..there were soooooooo many choices….no use to even begin to talk about them…..just serving stations loaded with wonderful food and we made many trips to the various stations to refill, and/or try something new and different. WOW!!!!
After that…..we found ourselves checking on the wifi…..and no luck. Seems that the wifi in the lobby is not working…..and it costs $12 hour to get online, so…I will keep trying to locate a place.
The four of use wandered outside, had more drinks…..you can hardly walk 20 feet until you are asked if what kind of drink you would like to have!! All part of the inclusive costs….and they were/are REALLY good drinks!!!! WOW!!!
The 1st Lady decided to return to the room, exhausted from the early, early morning(wee hours of the morning), and then the hassle of just getting here and getting into a room that she could enjoy. Bill, Ellen, and I then decided to watch the Vegas Style show in the La Boheme room….and it was pretty good. Some good dancing guys….better than the girls. More drinks….oh yeah…..can’t turn them down, can we????
After that….we returned to the inside of this HUGE hotel and went our separate ways to our own rooms. I tried once more to get online in the Lobby, but….NOPE….nothing worked. And sooooo, it was midnight when I turned off the lights….almost a 24 hour day dressed and on my feet!
THURSDAY, NOV. 5 - DAY 2:
Breakfast was in the Don Rafael Restaurante….another buffet style with tons and tons of wonderful choices for breakfast. Soooo many fresh fruits, cheeses, cold cuts, eggs fixed for you personally the way you like them, pastries, all kinds of meats,…..you name it, it was there OR they would get it for you! The coffee was never ending…..and quite good, to my surprise!!! We sat and chatted and talked and ate and enjoyed just being together once again with good friends from the past!!! Bill’s first wife, Barb…the mother of the groom, dropped by and I had not seen her for 24 years or more…..can’t really come up with a good, valid date when we were together.
Back to the room we went…..and by 10am, we were out on the beach, enjoying the shade of the very tall palm trees, laying in the lounge chairs….sipping drinks….they began serving at 10am, watching the deep blue of the ocean waves with the white crest as the approached the shore!!!!! WHAT A LIFE!!!!! More of the wedding party and Sujeeta’s family arrived on the beach….and soon we were all chatting and enjoying this great morning….WOW!!!! The 1st Lady and I enjoyed the water….very warm….and quite strong as the waves rolled in….and oftentimes, OVER the two of us!
We remained on the beach until early afternoon….when we decided to return to the room and prepare for our evening activity…….a trip by boat to the opposite end of the HUGE bay…..for dinner by candle light at the former home of film director, John Huston…..his private Garden of Eden! Accessible only by the sea….this cove is eons of time away from today. The catamaran boat was filled to capacity by the time we made a stop in Puerto Vallarta proper, picking up some more people going to the evening’s dinner and performance. By the time we arrived, it was dark, thousands of torches and candles were lit…and we slowly walked up the paths to the dining area under the palm trees, lit only by candles. Did I say that all the way by boat….almost two hours….we were drowned by wonderful tequila drinks onboard!!!!! WOW…..these people here in Mexico really, REALLY know how to get everyone to enjoy themselves to the max!!!! During the walk up from the marina…..there was live music of all kinds of wonderful drums, wooden flutes, and conch shells being blown! Sure did set the proper mood here on Las Caletas.
The dinner was quite good….an interesting buffet of various meats, veggies, salads, breads, all prepared in different ways with lots of spices and sauces. Ohhhh….did I mention ALL kinds of wine and drinks were there for everyone. Desserts were then set out….and a coffee with spices and liquor in it to accompany these desserts.
After that we were invited to wander up and around the many little paths through the trees and bamboo….HUGE bamboo…been a long time since I have seen it this BIG!!! Eventually, we found our way to the performance area where we were seated on benches. Again, the wonderful music by the performers….and dancing by various performers all depicting the Aztec style of Life.
This entire evening was called the Rhythms of the Night…..and oh, how true…..it was a special “tour“/evening that we booked with one of the local tour companies who have people there in the lobby of the Riu Vallarta Hotel. We were with Barb and her husband, Ray…..and had a marvelous time during the entire evening. We left the pier in Nuevo Vallarta at 6:30pm…..and returned to the same pier about 12:15AM!!!! What an incredible evening……WOW…WOW!!!!
Exhausted, to say the least…..after more drinks on the return 2 hour trip by boat…..we took a tax to the hotel and soon were dead in bed. I had made arrangements for the hotel to wake us on Friday morning….just a few hours after we laid down…..UGH!!!!….for an exciting morning…………
FRIDAY, NOV 6th, Day 3.…….
Up at 6am…..did I actually even go to bed?…..we were down at the Don Rafael before 7am, the time they open for breakfast. We quickly…..VERY QUICKLY….grabbed some coffee/tea…….a few pastries and bacon….and in a few short minutes consumer them rapidly. Into the hotel lobby we went to meet our guide and tour bus for the morning I had been waiting for for a couple of weeks!!! Did I mention that this lobby is open to the outside in the front and back…….so the breezes blow through it 24/7.….a tropical way of having a hotel, as I have been in many like this in many other countries, from northern Australia to Southeast Asia. Always a treat to experience this warm, soft air circulating through the lobby!!!!
OK…where were we going this morning?????? Up into the mountains that are sooooo lush with vegetation to take a canopy tour ABOVE the trees and streams by ZIP LINE!!!!!!!! Another special tour we booked…..and we had formed a party of 27 people from the wedding guests/party for this trip. It took about two hours to get through Puerto Vallarta and up into the mts where we each received a locker to story our valuables so they wouldn’t drop from our pockets. Mosquito repellents were everywhere and before very long in our preparation and instructions, we were all dripping with sweat from the REALLY high humidity in this dense and lush vegetation!!!!!!
We sat for about 15 minutes while were schooled about how to hook up to the zip lines with our harnesses, belts, gloves, hooks, etc.,etc. Examples were shown and we were calmed by the guys who were working the lines at each platform….saying that they would be there to assist us at any time. We learned how to brake ourselves so we would not go slamming into the platform or other bodies that might be there. Helmets were issued, we were assisted in getting ourselves properly into the harnesses and lines…..and then we went out….and, UP…into the jungle, climbing stairs into the trees…to prepare for the first line we would “zip” down!!! A photographer was there and she told us how to look at the camera as we started down……and then…..WOW, we were one of the first of the group to get started on this trip down and across the jungle trees.
Of course, everyone was a bit nervous, but the worst part of the entire morning was the climbing up the stairs in the horrendous humidity/heat of the mountain jungle. Soon, though……we were zipping down the lines, one at a time unless it was a long line and then someone would begin before the other person was all the way down. The longest line we were on was OVER a quarter of a mile long……and would drop a few hundred feet!!!! WOW….WOW…..WOW…WOW!!!!! This was one of the most exciting things I have done in years and years and years!!!!!! WE LOVED IT!!!!!!
The 1st Lady, who is deathly afraid of heights…..was in her element!!! She had such a blast, even hanging upside down before the morning was finished. We were on at least 15 zip lines……going from one to another at the end instead of “hiking” up to the next take-off point. The last ones we never returned to the ground until the very last one where we down a swift mt. stream, high above it, and stopped at the place were we had had our schooling this morning.
OMG….what an experience!!!!!!! When we had all returned, we placed orders for a DVD of our morning…..one that had been filmed by one of the friendly guys who had assisted us, although he had his hands full with the filming of our morning!!! Then…..it was time to do some tasting of Tequila that they had there….and OMG, it was sooooo good. Those shots of Tequila….various kinds enhanced with vanilla and others with chocolate….went down sooooooooo easy!!!! We then hung out there….not literally hanging…..while a few of the group went swimming in the rushing stream….reminding me of Johnson’s Shut-ins in SE Misery!!!! After the DVD’s were edited…..we finally loaded up, returned through Puerto Vallarta by the bus, taking two hours again….and were at the hotel by about 2pm!! A very full morning, since we had left at 7:15 this morning!!!!
This trip…..YOU MUST TAKE…if you are ever in Puerto Vallarta!!!!!!! We got a special price of $64 per person with a group of over 25 adults and children. Yep…children can go down those lines, also!!!! WHAT an INCREDIBLE morning!!!!! I will probably never have that opportunity to do that again……there are no many zip line places in the entire world, less than a dozen we have been told…….and it was such an amazing experience!!!!!! The speed of going down that line as you watch the platform coming at you, watching the trees flash by both under and above you, feeling the euphoria of a safe landing on the platforms, and the rush as you hook up to go on to the next platform on another tree or stand!!!! One of the highlights of my Life, to say the least.
Returning to the Riu Vallarta Hotel in Nuevo Vallarta, the 1st Lady decided to hit the beach….and I….well, I decided to just lay around in the room, snooze a bit if it happened, get my shower and the sweat removed from the heat/humidity in the jungle and get ready for our dinner reservations. Soooo, by the time I had cleaned up and decided what to wear, she was back in the room, and headed for the shower.
We went down to one of the bars in the Lobby, got a drink, and waited for our reservation time…6:30. Bill and Ellen joined us for a drink…and we all four went downstairs for dinner. They managed to be seated next to us…..and then the choices were presented to us for our salad/appetizer, main entrée, and dessert. We had a wonderful waiter in this lovely room……and so I ordered a bottle of red wine…..a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, and the 1st Lady ordered a chilled Chardonnay, also from Chile.
I ordered Rockefeller Mussels……mussels with spinach and cream cheese in the shell, broiled and hot. For the entrée I had a filet of beef with fresh potatoes, and for dessert I had four small cream puffs with ice cream inside and warm, dark chocolate on the plate with the cream puffs resting gently in it. WONDERFUL!!!!!!!! An excellent meal….just great.
And….after the dessert, two waiter went around and fixed Spanish coffee for us…..absolutely delicious!!!! Brandy, heated with coffee liquor, the rim of the wine glass was dipped in lime and sugar, then heated over the open fire on the table to crystalize the sugar, and then coffee was added to the other two ingredients, lit with a flame, and then poured back and forth from a height of four feet above the table with the flame pouring down into the other container….beautifully done, very artistic, and with an incredible flavor!!!! We all had glass….and then after the meal was finished we left for the outside patio(s) to listen to the live music, watch the dancing, and enjoy the evening!!! I did forget to mention that during our meal, a Mariachi Band entered the little room of the St. George Restaurant and performed a couple of wonderful Mexican tunes for us!! And….you know what was the topping on the evening……all of this was enjoyed even more because it was all part of our all-inclusive price for these 8 days here!!!! If ordered in STL, all of the wine, Spanish coffee, and the entire meal would easily have been over $125.00.…..probably more than this!!!
And sooo, hopefully tomorrow, I can locate some free internet somewhere….????!!!! But, as always……and even more so after an amazing day like today and this evening……
LIFE IS JUST REALLY INCREDIBLY GREAT!!!!!……And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Tues., Nov 3, 2009: Ready to leave.....almost!
Quickly....the day was spent in preparing everything for our trip. Included in this list was our alarm system and notifying the local police that we were leaving for a few days.
Other than that.....we had dinner in the city center at Olympic Steakhouse with Dave and Sue......a good hour of conversation and food. She was between classes....as she teaches part time at Mineral Area Community College....and had to be back in class by 6:30.
We will leave here in the middle of the night....needing to check in by 6AM at the STL airport. From the time we leave the garage until we arrive at our hotel.......it will be nothing but hurry here, hurry there....and then wait in lines expecting to be presented with various difficulties.......the difficulties of traveling by plane in this day and age. Shoved, stuffedmergednto already big lines of humans, trying to board with carry-on luggage, stuffing it overhead into bins that are way toooo small and wayyy to full, people becoming angry because they want to get to their seats while you are blocking the aisle as you continue to push and shove your carry-on into that tiny compartment above your seat......and then the wait begins again as you sit there on the tarmac....and then sit there on the taxi-way.....and then once in the air and at the normal altitude, the wait to get to the 2-3 restrooms, the aisle being blocked by the steward trying to serve soft drinks and nasty peanuts, and then about the time you get to the restroom, the little dinger dings and it is a warning of turbulence ahead....and you argue with yourself...can you get your task completed before it gets too rough, or do you go back to your seat and then sit there in misery as the plane bounces around...as your mind thinks about the task uncompleted in the tiny room at the end of the aisle. And then...you land...and everything begins again, only in reverse, as you attempt to get your carry-on out of the compartment with people shoving and getting irritated once again as you struggle with these bags. A quick...if possible....departure out the door, up the jet-ramp...and then a brief stop to check the gate number for the next flt.....running down the concourse to try to make your next plane....and, then....GUESS what??? This whole damn scene starts again as you wait to board, etc., etc., etc.
Are we having fun on this trip yet????????????? When WILL the fun begin??????
Sooo, in 6 hours...we are off to the airport. The next post will be in Puerto Vallarta as I do not have the time to sit and relax in Phoenix......a tight connection between our flts(with carry-on bags to stuff and shove).
And, as always.....
LIFE IS REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!.....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!
Other than that.....we had dinner in the city center at Olympic Steakhouse with Dave and Sue......a good hour of conversation and food. She was between classes....as she teaches part time at Mineral Area Community College....and had to be back in class by 6:30.
We will leave here in the middle of the night....needing to check in by 6AM at the STL airport. From the time we leave the garage until we arrive at our hotel.......it will be nothing but hurry here, hurry there....and then wait in lines expecting to be presented with various difficulties.......the difficulties of traveling by plane in this day and age. Shoved, stuffedmergednto already big lines of humans, trying to board with carry-on luggage, stuffing it overhead into bins that are way toooo small and wayyy to full, people becoming angry because they want to get to their seats while you are blocking the aisle as you continue to push and shove your carry-on into that tiny compartment above your seat......and then the wait begins again as you sit there on the tarmac....and then sit there on the taxi-way.....and then once in the air and at the normal altitude, the wait to get to the 2-3 restrooms, the aisle being blocked by the steward trying to serve soft drinks and nasty peanuts, and then about the time you get to the restroom, the little dinger dings and it is a warning of turbulence ahead....and you argue with yourself...can you get your task completed before it gets too rough, or do you go back to your seat and then sit there in misery as the plane bounces around...as your mind thinks about the task uncompleted in the tiny room at the end of the aisle. And then...you land...and everything begins again, only in reverse, as you attempt to get your carry-on out of the compartment with people shoving and getting irritated once again as you struggle with these bags. A quick...if possible....departure out the door, up the jet-ramp...and then a brief stop to check the gate number for the next flt.....running down the concourse to try to make your next plane....and, then....GUESS what??? This whole damn scene starts again as you wait to board, etc., etc., etc.
Are we having fun on this trip yet????????????? When WILL the fun begin??????
Sooo, in 6 hours...we are off to the airport. The next post will be in Puerto Vallarta as I do not have the time to sit and relax in Phoenix......a tight connection between our flts(with carry-on bags to stuff and shove).
And, as always.....
LIFE IS REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!.....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!
Monday, November 02, 2009
Monday, Nov 2, 2009: Internet problems resolved.......
The morning after Halloween....yesterday, the grandchildren were still enjoying the afterglow of the trick/treat evening. They came home with tons of candy, fruit, nuts, etc., etc. much more than they need!! However,....that is what being a little one is all about, isn't it?
We just sort of hung out around the home of Dr. Jeni and Darrel......enjoying the beauty of their little estate in the wooded area. During the afternoon, they took Meghan and Rachel into town to roller skate....and think they had a great time...with no broken bones nor sprains!!!
The 1st Lady and I left with Rachel about 4:30, or so....and met Becky in Festus where she gathered up Rachel's bags and candy....and they went on down to the Cape, while we went back to the stick and brick. Arriving home, we unloaded the car, and then just kicked back and watched some programs on the tv......and, of course....The Amazing Race!!
Yesterday morning....about 8am, I had a phone call....and for God's sake, it was the service man for AT&T.....saying he was on his way to our stick and brick to repair the internet service!!!!!! ON SUNDAY MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Egads!! I told him that no one was there as the AT&T service office had set up the repair call for Monday morning. Well....he stuttered and paused...and then said, "Yep....it is supposed to be Monday morning". Now what the hell was he doing working on Sunday morning????
Anyway....he said he would check the outside lines. Soooo, about an hour later, I received another call......and it was him telling me that he had "fixed the problem" from the outside. I asked him how he was so sure when no one could check out his work inside. Well, he then proceeded to let me know that he could tell from the outside with his little tech equipment. OK....I told him NOT to close this case until I could get home and check it out....as I sure as hell didn't want to have to go through AT&T to set up ANOTHER appt. if it didn't work. He informed me that I needed to call him on Monday morning at 7:30 if it wasn't working.
Soooo, after getting the bags inside, I quickly set up the laptop and....guess what!!!??? NO, it wasn't working!!!! HAHA!!! Pissed I was, but I did set the alarm for an early hour this morning.
TODAY............
Up early, I did call him at 7:30 and told him that it was not working. Soooo, he came over a bit after 8am....and with working around with some ethernet cords, checking the modem, and some more outside, it finally was working, even though we had to completely download the wifi setup onto each computer....the software had been wiped off mysteriously on Thursday night......Halloween?????? Hmmmm....ghosts in cyberspace??????
However, as you can tell, it is going great now.....whew!!!! I also had to call Llano Grande RV Resort to get our two month reservation for the winter, a month shorter than usual since we do have a wedding on March 6th in Mobile, Alabama to participate in.....Jeremy's wedding.
Later this morning, the 1st Lady and I went up to Farmington to get our beautiful hair trimmed.....and after counting, I believe I am now down to 67 hairs....think I must have lost one over all of this internet shit for the past few days!!!!!! Then we had lunch......checked out a furniture store for a replacement sofa in the RV, but nothing would work, color nor size.
Returning home.....OH YEAH....I forgot to mention that some wonderful person had egged the front of our RV....TheHowserHouse....over Halloween!!!!!!!!! Egg shells laying on the driveway, and dried/almost fried eggs on the front of it........OMG, was I cursing up a storm.....and still pissed I am. Five damn years....and not one single incident with the RV sitting in our driveway.......and then....WHAM DAMN......dried eggs this morning all over it!!!
So, this afternoon after returning from Farmington, I had to get out the ladder, hose, and scrub the front end as best I could. UGH...sure didn't want to have to wash it today, but at least the temps were good in the low 70's, so I didn't freeze my sagging ass off while doing it.
Tomorrow.....we have to finish up our packing, checking the house alarms...again....and then stopping the mail delivery, and other tasks that need to be done before darkeness sets in tomorrow AFTERNOON. Our flt leaves for Puerto Vallarta at 7:30AM on Wednesday.....with a change of planes in Phoenix. Another early trip to the the STL airport, just as we did three weeks ago when we flew up to Hartford, CT and NYC for the week.
And, as I said above "AFTERNOON" when darkness sets in......OMG, but do I ever dislike this time change. I would MUCH rather have the sunlight in the late afternoon/early evening during the winter than in the mornings....which I don't normally see anyway! But....I am just a little old sagging ass peon with no pull to get these types of things changed!!! Oh well.....guess I am used to that!!
Sooooo, 35 hours from now we will be winging our way westward/southwestward to the beautiful coastal town in SW Mexico....Puerto Vallarta. Can't wait.......can almost taste those Margaritas.....and the great Mexican cuisine......as well as all of the people watching that I so like to do!!!! I will be taking this laptop, and hopefully can post from down there while in the hotel. Not taking my iPhone as the charges can add up WAAAYYYY TOOOOO fast down there for data delivery to the phone....and I can just wait on that.
And now....it is time for another cup of hot tea, a chocolate kiss, and my latest copy of The Atlantic....a great magazine that I soooo enjoy reading.
As always.......
LIFE IS JUST REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!!......And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!
We just sort of hung out around the home of Dr. Jeni and Darrel......enjoying the beauty of their little estate in the wooded area. During the afternoon, they took Meghan and Rachel into town to roller skate....and think they had a great time...with no broken bones nor sprains!!!
The 1st Lady and I left with Rachel about 4:30, or so....and met Becky in Festus where she gathered up Rachel's bags and candy....and they went on down to the Cape, while we went back to the stick and brick. Arriving home, we unloaded the car, and then just kicked back and watched some programs on the tv......and, of course....The Amazing Race!!
Yesterday morning....about 8am, I had a phone call....and for God's sake, it was the service man for AT&T.....saying he was on his way to our stick and brick to repair the internet service!!!!!! ON SUNDAY MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Egads!! I told him that no one was there as the AT&T service office had set up the repair call for Monday morning. Well....he stuttered and paused...and then said, "Yep....it is supposed to be Monday morning". Now what the hell was he doing working on Sunday morning????
Anyway....he said he would check the outside lines. Soooo, about an hour later, I received another call......and it was him telling me that he had "fixed the problem" from the outside. I asked him how he was so sure when no one could check out his work inside. Well, he then proceeded to let me know that he could tell from the outside with his little tech equipment. OK....I told him NOT to close this case until I could get home and check it out....as I sure as hell didn't want to have to go through AT&T to set up ANOTHER appt. if it didn't work. He informed me that I needed to call him on Monday morning at 7:30 if it wasn't working.
Soooo, after getting the bags inside, I quickly set up the laptop and....guess what!!!??? NO, it wasn't working!!!! HAHA!!! Pissed I was, but I did set the alarm for an early hour this morning.
TODAY............
Up early, I did call him at 7:30 and told him that it was not working. Soooo, he came over a bit after 8am....and with working around with some ethernet cords, checking the modem, and some more outside, it finally was working, even though we had to completely download the wifi setup onto each computer....the software had been wiped off mysteriously on Thursday night......Halloween?????? Hmmmm....ghosts in cyberspace??????
However, as you can tell, it is going great now.....whew!!!! I also had to call Llano Grande RV Resort to get our two month reservation for the winter, a month shorter than usual since we do have a wedding on March 6th in Mobile, Alabama to participate in.....Jeremy's wedding.
Later this morning, the 1st Lady and I went up to Farmington to get our beautiful hair trimmed.....and after counting, I believe I am now down to 67 hairs....think I must have lost one over all of this internet shit for the past few days!!!!!! Then we had lunch......checked out a furniture store for a replacement sofa in the RV, but nothing would work, color nor size.
Returning home.....OH YEAH....I forgot to mention that some wonderful person had egged the front of our RV....TheHowserHouse....over Halloween!!!!!!!!! Egg shells laying on the driveway, and dried/almost fried eggs on the front of it........OMG, was I cursing up a storm.....and still pissed I am. Five damn years....and not one single incident with the RV sitting in our driveway.......and then....WHAM DAMN......dried eggs this morning all over it!!!
So, this afternoon after returning from Farmington, I had to get out the ladder, hose, and scrub the front end as best I could. UGH...sure didn't want to have to wash it today, but at least the temps were good in the low 70's, so I didn't freeze my sagging ass off while doing it.
Tomorrow.....we have to finish up our packing, checking the house alarms...again....and then stopping the mail delivery, and other tasks that need to be done before darkeness sets in tomorrow AFTERNOON. Our flt leaves for Puerto Vallarta at 7:30AM on Wednesday.....with a change of planes in Phoenix. Another early trip to the the STL airport, just as we did three weeks ago when we flew up to Hartford, CT and NYC for the week.
And, as I said above "AFTERNOON" when darkness sets in......OMG, but do I ever dislike this time change. I would MUCH rather have the sunlight in the late afternoon/early evening during the winter than in the mornings....which I don't normally see anyway! But....I am just a little old sagging ass peon with no pull to get these types of things changed!!! Oh well.....guess I am used to that!!
Sooooo, 35 hours from now we will be winging our way westward/southwestward to the beautiful coastal town in SW Mexico....Puerto Vallarta. Can't wait.......can almost taste those Margaritas.....and the great Mexican cuisine......as well as all of the people watching that I so like to do!!!! I will be taking this laptop, and hopefully can post from down there while in the hotel. Not taking my iPhone as the charges can add up WAAAYYYY TOOOOO fast down there for data delivery to the phone....and I can just wait on that.
And now....it is time for another cup of hot tea, a chocolate kiss, and my latest copy of The Atlantic....a great magazine that I soooo enjoy reading.
As always.......
LIFE IS JUST REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!!......And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
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