Oh, Mexico.
You are golden.
Some sort of magic, you are.
I will never fully be able to describe my lust for you. Simply because enough words don't exist to truly depict how my heart and soul feel.
You bring me the upmost peace.
Take a peek at our Mexico adventures this year.
(There were not many because hubs decided it would be fun to get a sunburn our first full day, dismantling a few things we had planned.)
Not bitter about it.
Really, i'm not. Even if it sounds like it.
Everything happens for a reason.
& i'm grateful for all the R&R we were gifted because of it.
Here we go.
(If you're interested in where we go/stay and the precautions and extra steps you have to take during this time, it will be at the end.)
Here we go.
Masks on planes, suck. But we experienced first class for the first time on this trip. So that was groovy!
Also, these masks made it a bit easier. They are linen. Very easy to breathe in. & the straps don't suck. Here is the link if you are interested. https://www.aritzia.com/us/en/product/sculpted-cotton-face-mask/81656.html?dwvar_81656_color=1275
We have arrived! Lunch at the beach bar. & look at my handsome date. I WIN!
It was soooo windy the day we arrived. Just for like an hour. We threw our stuff in the room, donned some swimwear and headed to sit under those palapas for a two hour beach nap. Don't @ me. We got up at 3AM.
We actually got super lucky this trip and ended up with a two bedroom, two bathroom ocean view room. & at the end of the hotel where it's quiet. Just like we like it! :)
Home for the week!
We spent the first day doing absolutely nothing but laying on the beach. I didn't even read! We just shut off and listened to the ocean and the breeze. & Keith got fried. I'm going to save you the photos so I don't get in trouble. Just imagine a lobster, shedding skin and swollen ankles & feet to the point where he couldn't get his shoes on. Okay, one photo. This is all you get.
Cool towels, aloe, Advil and magnesium for the win. I AM SUCH A GOOD WIFE.
Meanwhile, my POV was incredible!
Day two rolled around and we had the opportunity to go see some of the kiddos that we met at the school we helped at in Mezcales last year. Unfortunately because of COVID, they have been out of school since the pandemic started and unsure of when they will be going back. Most public schools have been closed through it all. A sad situation, but it was so nice to see one of the families and gift them some things and help them financially.
My heart was full after seeing and hugging them. Already miss them.
That evening we made our first trip to Bucerias (our favorite costal town). We just ate at the street taco stand on the square and only managed to get one photo.
Morning vibes are always better in the palms. Loved having this massive wrap around porch.
I got Keith out on the bikes the next morning to get some of the fluid moving in his legs. & to hit the other side of the marina for the juice shop. This girl needed some celery juice. If you know, you know.
Love him. <3
We also took a ride through the golf course area to see if we could rob some mangoes that had fallen from the trees, but they were already picked up.
Lunch on the beach was always a Beach Club for Keith and I rotated between sushi, tuna salad and fruit.
We hit up the new Sunset Sky Bar one of the evenings and I had a passionfruit mojito. Yum. Keith had his usual. Pacifico + Lime.
Back in Bucerias for another night of fun.
We ate at MarySol which has been a favorite for many years.
I had my usual, veggie fajitas. They are hands down the best ever. The variety of veggies they give you is top notch.
Keith had his favorite, Red Snapper.
Our waiter was impressed with his dedication to getting every last bite.
The dinner view was just awful. Jokes. Major jokes.
Of course we tooled around the town after. It was Sunday night so the town was popping.
Hotel sunsets.
& views!
Sometimes you just have to eat oats for dinner.
A little "Moon Over Mexico". :)
& finally our last night and for some reason, our best night.
Probably because it was spent in Bucerias again.
This town just always makes us feel good.
Of course we had to sit at the pier for awhile and watch the town 'live'.
The town got themselves a rad new sign so I had to get a photo with it.
Street tacos were a must for dinner followed by churros.
Dude, we need to talk. If you are afraid to eat at the street vendors in Mexico you really need to change your mind. Pro tip. Eat where the locals eat. Don't find yourself at Hard Rock or Bubba Gumps. You're gonna get sick there. Support the street vendors.
We could literally sit in the town square for hours just watching life go by. But also, sunsets. The sunsets in Bucerias are insane!
& lastly we were up early to catch the sunrise on our last day and get the bowels moving before getting on a plane. Look at this serene scene.
Until next time, Mexico.
Thanks for a great week.
WHERE WE GO AND STAY
We have a timeshare with Paradise Village Beach Resort and Spa in Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit. We love it. It is conveniently located in a central area. & every room comes with a full kitchen. They have their own Plaza filled with restaurants and a grocery store. Although we tend to hit up the smaller surrounding towns for dinner, they are great too. Close to a Walmart and Mega and only about 10 -15 minutes form the airport.
TRAVELING TO MEXICO DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC
We did not have to get tested before leaving the states or once we arrived in Vallarta. We did have to fill out a health questionnaire upon arrival via the internet. That is the only extra step we had to take. Also, you fill out one form for you and your whole family. It gives you a QR code to show them. They do nothing with it. They don't scan it or anything. I'm sure it gets saved on a database, but as far as it stopping you from being able to enter. Not so much.
While there, face masks were recommended in the lobby area. Not many people were wearing them unless they were at check in or out. They were not required anywhere else at the hotel.
If visiting Walmart or Mega, you have to mask up, have your temp taken, step on a rubber mat with sanitizer and use hand sanitizer before entering. They were pretty strict on rules in those places. At restaurants where Americans tend to congregate, it is asked that you wear a mask until being seated. Other places not so much. Pretty much everywhere in Bucerias was mask free (the employees in some of the bigger restaurants wore them). As far as taxis go, the ones employed by our hotel wore them. They don't require the passenger to wear them. All other taxis we rode in did not have requirements for the drivers or passengers.
48 hours before departure we had to have a covid test. We were fortunate enough to have it done at our hotel. It was $45 USD or $800 pesos per person. They email you with the results within a few hours and then will print your test off for you at the front desk to take to the airport. None of this makes any sense to me. It's not like we hid in our room for 48 hours after taking the test to avoid people. Such an uncessesary step in my eyes. But, I digress before I get myself in trouble saying something I "shouldn't".
You will need the negative test once you get to the airport and you will also have to fill out the health questionnaire again. Other than that, everything else is the same as always.