Getting There Is Half The...

Well, normally they say that getting there is half the fun, but when you go by bus in Puerto Vallarta is is more like getting there is half the terror.

Our Bus To Boca


Of course no bus ride here in Mexico would be complete without some kind of entertainment, and this one was no exception.

Think Mexican Radio


I tried to get the bus driver to turn around when I took this picture, but I think the screams of my fellow passengers dissuaded him.

Say Cheese


I was lucky, I got the one reclining seat in the bus.

No Upright Position, Though


We had quite a group heading to Boca for our little beach party.

Marie And The Mysterious Chinese Woman


Bill And Marcie


Bella And Tom


Sharon And Paul


Marge And Wayne


Somehow I missed getting a picture of Pete and I am sure I will here about it. He always pouts if he is left out. But Pete, you got more than your fair share in my post about Pipi.

And then our bone-jarring ride came to end and we got off the bus while others were getting on for the ride back to Boca.

You're Either On The Bus Or Off The Bus


They have installed a lot of speed bumps on this stretch of road so the trip takes a wee bit longer but is much more, well, bumpy. None of these buses have anything approaching a shock absorber.

And then we all headed down to the beach and to our favorite little restaurant, Boca del Mar.

Heading On Down


I will finish up posting about our day at Boca and my night at La Cruz tomorrow, but be sure to check it out.

Just A Teaser To Get You To Return


We have such a bashful group.

And Back To Pipi

Well, not back as in I went back to Pipi, just back to posting about it.

As always, Pipi is kind of one of those fun touristy kinds of places that even the locals love.  The food is decent, the drinks are big and actually contain significant amounts of alcohol, and everyone, including the staff, seems to have a great time.

Now I know the Mysterious Chinese Woman always claims that I manipulate the photos of her to make it appear that her drinks are larger than they actually are.

You Be The Judge


They have a lot on the menu, but their fajitas are always a popular choice, and they flame them up right at your table.

Flaming Fajitos, A Good Name For A Band


The chicken and steak fajitos are probably the most common, but Bella prefers the fish fajitos.

Fish Fajitos, Another Great Name For A Band


The Mysterious Chinese Woman ordered a "small" vegetable burrito to go with her "small" Margarita.

It Just Looks Big


To be fair, though, almost everyone had big drinks and big meals.

Big And Colorful




And, again, let's keep it clean. It is the drinks that are big and colorful.

Because it was Peter's birthday, he once again (we did this last year) has to endure the humiliation of being fed a cake and somehow having the waiter miss his mouth but hit his nose. And all while being serenaded by a Mariachi band.

Usually we shoo the Mariachi players away, but in Pipi it just feels right to have them serenade you.  Especially if they can sing love songs to Peter.

Beso Mi Beso Amore


He was somehow consoled, though, because he said his birthday shots were stronger this year.

A Just Reward


And no, I don't know what "beso mi beso amore" means, but it sounds romantic.

And, too soon it was over and we packed up our leftovers and headed home.  You may have been wondering about those pink plastic bags on the table.

Plenty For Tomorrow


And Marcie found a special prize.

Ohh, Shiny


Rich Beyond Her Wildest Dreams


Well, it was a five centavo coin, almost a nickel.

Another great time and we some a few interesting sights on our walk there as well.

The Sand Man


That guy reminded me of the spooky rock men in those old Flash Gordon movies, the ones that came out of the cave walls at you.

And we saw a whale frolicking in the bay.

A Super-Sized Flipper


Of course the whale is being encroached upon by a private yacht and a party-boat, neither of which should be anywhere near this guy.  There are laws here against this, but I have never seen any attempt to stop it.  Only licensed whale watch boats are allowed to approach the whales, and even they are not supposed to get this close.  Next time I read Moby Dick I am definitely rooting for the whale.

More On Pipi

Sheesh, too many pictures at Pipi to cram into just one post so you will have to suffer through a two parter.  I will concentrate on what ended up being a hot sauce eating contest between Bella and me.

Pipi usually has some pretty good guacamole that they make right at your table.  Who cares if it looks vaguely like pelican poop.

Whipping Up A Batch


Now even though we asked for it to be made spicy, it turned out to be pretty bland, so Bella decided to soup it up a bit by mixing in some hots sauce and a bowl of salsa.  It really did make it much better.  Of course Bella didn't think the hot sauce we were given was picante enough.  I made the mistake of saying it I thought it was pretty hot.  At this point Bella starting flapping her arms and making chicken noises in my general direction.  Of course I couldn't just take this abuse so we had to have a hot sauce eating contest

Piling It On


And Here We Go


Hmm, Just Yummy


And The Stare Down


Now, I didn't think there was any clear winner because, quite frankly, the hot sauce really wasn't that hot.  But you be the judge, who seems to be suffering the most?

Press I For Bella


Press 2 For Bar Man


And please, no lewd comments about how you would much rather press two for Bella.

Next year I will bring down a bottle of my own home-made habanero-garlic sauce.  And maybe a bottle of Dave's Insanity Sauce.  I have personally witnessed Dave's Insanity Sauce put grown men down for the count.

A bunch of us are heading out to Boca de Tomatlan today for a beach lunch at one of my favorite little restaurants, Boca del Mar.  Always a good time.  But before I post about that I promise to finish up my Pipi posting.

Drinks Well With Others

The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I went over to our friends Wayne and Marge's place yesterday for some cocktails and snacks before heading out to have dinner at Fusion Gourmet.  Wayne and Marge had a surprise, a cap that they had customized just for me.

I Will Never Take It Off


And what made the cap so special?  Well, Marge was a teacher and do you remember when you were little and one of the categories on your report card was "Plays Well With Others"?  You know, that whole share the toy dump truck when you were playing in the sandbox thing.  Marge decided that I needed an update.

So Glad I Got Out Of That Sandbox


At least I didn't get a dreaded "N" for needs improvement.  Nothing worse than getting held back in kindergarten.  I have seen what a lifetime of the sandbox can do to a man's (girls never get held back in kindergarten) lungs.  Of course that chalk dust from clapping erasers is something that nobody ever talks about.  The dreaded white-lung disease.

Anyway, for the second time I never got around to taking any pictures at Fusion Gourmet.  And it is a shame because it is a really lovely place that serves delicious food and has very attentative service.  I think we all just got to talking and having a good old time and the whole picture thing was forgotten.  I promise, though, I will go back again and I will wear the bloody camera around my neck to remind me.  I had a wonderful flank steak and will probably order it again it was so good.  And the Mysterious Chinese Woman said her shirmp was delicious.

And I haven't forgotten Pipi, but once again, that will have to wait for another post.

Still Having A Good Time


Okay, I didn't take any pictures while I was at Fusion Gourmet, but when I broke out the leftovers to make an omelette this morning I took a couple.

The Leftover Flank Steak And Trimmings


And The Resultant Omelette


As Alton Brown would say, "Good Eats."