Things That Make You Go Huh

As many of you know, when in Puerto Vallarta I stay at Playa del Sol.

Playa del Sol


I have what is called a fractional ownership. This means that I have "own" four weeks, always the same four weeks and always in the same unit, each year. My friends Bruce and Donna "own" the four weeks preceding mine so together we "own" eight weeks in the same unit every year.

I put the word "own" in quotation marks because what we really have is a fifty year trust that is held by a bank. Within fifty miles of the ocean and borders you are not permitted to actually own property unless you are a Mexican citizen.

Now Playa del Sol certainly does not discriminate based upon your sexual preferences, it is primarily older heterosexual couples that own here. Two doors down from us is the Blue Chairs which advertises itself as "The largest Gay and Lesbian beachfront resort in the world!" I guess the owner of Playa del Sol has decided to try to capitalize on this and is now advertising Playa del Sol as Blue Seas, a gay and lesbian resort. Needless to say this is quite a surprise to those of us staying here.

You can check out this new promotion at:

Blue Seas

I suspect that anyone who actually booked here through that site expecting to find something similar to the Blue Chairs would be in for a bit of a shock.

Breakfast At Juan Place Or Another

We decided to take a bus out to Mismaloya today for breakfast, visit the nearby zoo, and then head to Boca Tomatlan for drinks and snacks afterwards. It is always a fun trip and getting there on the bus is half the fun.

We picked up the bus just outside of Steve's Sports Bar and in about twenty minutes or so disembarked at Mismaloya. You head down a dirt road behind the big hotel towards the beach to get to our favorite little restaurant.

Heading Down The Road


Before you get to the beach, which is always overcrowded, you come to a little bridge across the Rio Mismaloya.

The Little Bridge


In years past you had to kind of know where the bridge was or you would walk right by it. The restaurant has gone all out this year though and now has new signage.

Can't Miss The Place


Although the sign was new the restaurant, fortunately, hadn't changed. At least in appearance.

Same Old Place


There is always some confusion as to the name of the restaurant. The new sign says Crows Nest, but it is also referred to as Juan's Place and Ramada Miramar. Probably an integral part of the entire Ramada Inn empire.





We found out that new people had rented the restaurant but that Juan, the cook, was still there. Unfortunately he wasn't going to be in until noon on this day so the new people had to handle the kitchen. I think they needed a bit of practice.

Sitting Down For Breakfast


I am sure you recognize the crowd by now, Sharon, Paul, Sandy, Rico, Mysterious Chinese Woman, Bar Man.

I saw the octopus with garlic on the menu but was told that the octopus wasn't ready yet. That was disappointing. I figured if I ordered scrambled eggs with octopus they could just drop the octopus into the eggs and he could scramble them himself while he and the eggs were being cooked.

Rico decided to be a bit of a contrarian and while the rest of us ordered eggs and coffee and orange juice or fruit for breakfast he opted for a hamburger and a beer.

Breakfast Of Champions


In terms of how quickly you got your meal, Rico was the winner by far. In second place came Sandy who had a fruit platter. Even the orange juice came out in stages. It took forever for the eggs to be served and then they only came out two orders at a time until my order which came out last. You would think if you have a sign advertising breakfast specials you would be able to pop them out pretty quickly. We weren't in any big hurry, but 45 minutes to get scrambled eggs seemed a bit much. They really need to wake up Juan a bit earlier.

One nice thing though, we told them we were going to the zoo and they wrote us a note that knocked 100 pesos off of the 1000 peso admission. I will be posting more about the rest of our trip over the next few days so stay tuned.

Fish On A Stick

Not too far down the beach from where we stay in Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican stand where they grill fish and shrimp to sell on the beach. It is also a popular place for the vendors to stop and have lunch. It is largely a family affair and has been in the same family for at least two generations that I know of. The woman running it now took over after her mother died a few years back.

If you ask a couple of days in advance they will buy whole red snappers and cook them over the coals for you. This used to be much more common in the past, but you don't see it too much anymore. We ordered two of them on Sunday and said we would like to have them at 1:00 P.M. on Monday for lunch. "No Problemo" she said.

Well late Monday morning she hadn't begun to set up yet and everyone was wondering if she had the day off, was partying too late the night before, did she forget, or what? Oh we of little faith. About 11:00 A.M. she started to set up shop. A bit later than usual, perhaps, but hey, it is Mexico and she is her own boss.

Getting The Coals Going


After setting up a bunch of the fish filets and shrimp on sticks to sell on the beach she broke out the snappers.

Red Snappers In The Sunshine


She then scaled and cleaned them and added whatever spice mixture she uses.

Preparing The Snappers


And before long they were on the sticks and over the coals.

Snapper On A Stick (Sounds Like Fair Food)


A short while latter they were done and delivered to our little table on the beach, complete with fresh limons to squeeze over them and a bottle of hot sauce for those who wished to spice them up a bit.

The Finished Product


Needless to say they were delicious, and fresher fish you just cannot get. Easily as good as any of the restaurant fare and at a little less than $9 each a real bargain. Sandy and Rico ate their's to the bone in no time flat.

Good To The Bone


I settled in to enjoy mine as well.

Bar Man Tucking In


And the Mysterious Chinese Woman wasn't far behind.

Member Of The Clean Plate Club


All and all it was another memorable meal.

What is a bit sad and somewhat indicative of the mindset of a lot of vacationers here is that many of them actually wanted this stand to be removed from the beach because it detracted from their version of paradise. I mean, Who wants a little stand run by Mexicans where the vendors can gather and have lunch located so close to your beach chairs and unbrellas? Ironic, because these are the same people who complain if the city makes any changes that are deemed to be changing Puerto Vallarta from the simple little fishing village it once was but benefit the residents who live here all year round. Go figure. I guess they would be happier if only the tourists could drive cars and ride in tour buses but the locals all had to use donkies.

Senor Sweeny's

After our little episode at El Pirata (it was all Alison's fault) some of us headed out to Senor Sweeny's for dinner.

Senor Sweeny's


Senor Sweeny's is an upstairs place, not very large, that you get through by entering a narrow doorway and going up an equally narrow staircase.

About To Head Up


Sweeny is from my neck of the woods, or what used to be my neck of the woods. He has a bar in St. Paul, twin city to Minneapolis where I grew up. This is one of my favorite places here in Puerto Vallarta. During the day it is a nice spot for a cold beer. You can sit on the balcony and overlook the main drag of the town on this side of the Rio Cuale. In the evening you can get a very good meal for a very reasonable price. The Porter House of Pork is the best pork chop in town. People line up for the Spaghetti Special on, I believe, Friday's. They have a Cheap Charlie's Shrimp Cocktail that people rave about.

The Crowd Gathers For Dinner


As you probably know by now, that is Rico, Yours Truly, the Mysterious Chinese Woman, and Sandy sitting around the table.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman had the Mahi Mahi in Veracruz sauce, generous portion and quite tasty.

Mahi Mahi Veracruz Style


Rico opted for the Yankee Pot Roast which was the daily special.

Just Like Mom Made


Sandy and I each got Spicy Chicken Wings, quite delicioso.

Just Winging It


There is always a decent crowd in here in the evenings, but sometimes you will see a few dogs at the bar.

A Bowl Of Beer, Please


But, at the end of the night and after a few drinks, everyone looks good to someone.

Your Place Or Mine?


They will probably both end up in the doghouse tomorrow.

All Alison's Fault

We spent a nice leisurely day at the beach so I thought I would include this gratuitous picture just to get your attention.

Completely Gratuitous Picture


I am sure you would have all preferred to see Sandy and the Mysterious Chinese Woman in their bathing suits, but I guess you will just have to wait. They were being much too modest.

Anyway, we were simply soaking up the sun and having a few beers when our good friend Alison appeared with a pitcher of one of her specialty drinks, Chunkie Monkies. This was not good because they are not only delicious, they are deadly. Sadly I didn't get any pictures of this little treat, but no matter, there was more to come.

After polishing off the Chunkie Monkies and already feeling no pain we decided to head upstairs and, perhaps, take a bit of a nap before heading out for dinner. Alas, standing between us and our destination was the El Pirata Bar.

El Pirata Bar


Unfortunately for us, this guy wasn't the only one waiting for us.

Welcome, Friends


Inside dear friend Alison was awaiting us with shots of tequila. As you can see, we were in no position to turn her down.

Drink Or Die


Then, Alison being a well trained and highly professional bartender, the lovely bartender Mara was given instructions on how to make something called a Sinful Cindy or something like that. You can see her reaction as the list of ingredients began piling up.

And Then You Add What?


Of course you know this concoction would have a fair amount of booze in it.

Mara Adding The Finishing Touch


And when it was over we all partook.

Sharing The Communal Cup


Of course after a few of these there was nothing left to do but my world famous dwarf impersonation.

Performing All This Week


We even got one of the waiters, Raphael, to join in the fun.

Rico, Raphael, And Allison


After way to many Sinful Cindys or whatever they were we decided to head to Sweeny's for dinner. Last time I was there I bought one of his 2008 St. Patrick's Day shirts so I decided to wear that before sneaking out of my leprechaun lair.

Too Many Sinful Cindys Makes You Foolish


Stay tuned because I will be posting more on our night at Sweeny's shortly.

New Arrivals And Old Friends

Actually, the new arrivals are old friends, back from my Minneapolis days when I was just a young Bar Man. We do stay in touch though and manage to see each other a few times a year. Lately at least one of those times has been here in Puerto Vallarta. I greeted them with their welcoming drinks and Rico good naturedly drank his virgin margarita out of his sippy cup.

Sandy And Rico Having Their First Margarita


After they settled in Rico told me that he had a second opinion on his gall bladder and pancreas and was informed that he can indeed drink alcohol. Now what am I going to do with the case of non-alcoholic beer that I bought (and that cost me twice as much as regular beer)? I guess I can give it out to the kids on the beach.

We went to El Dorado for lunch and who should pass by but The Muffin Man. Tears of joy flooded both his and Sandy's eyes as they embraced.

Sandy And The Muffin Man


We spent the afternoon on the beach and then I took them to Canto del Mar so they could have a sunset cocktail and listen to Johnny. Charmer that he is, Johnny soon had Sandy enthralled.

Sandy And Johnny


It still gets a bit nippy in the evening, which is actually quite nice after a day in the sun, so shortly after sundown Rico and Sandy put on their jackets and shared a romantic embrace.

Ah, Still In Love After All These Years


Afterwards we went to Sweeny's for dinner but I was too occupied with my Porterhouse of Pork to take any pictures. Rico and Sandy had the spagetti special and the Mysterious Chinese Lady had chicken wings. I bought Sweeny's new 2008 St. Patrick's Day shirt and I promise I will take pictures next time we visit there. And we will visit again.

A few days before Rico and Sandy showed up I went to Canto del Mar with Sharon and Paul. We really do like that place. Again, Johnny was at his charming best.

Sharon And Johnny






Sharon's husband, Paul, wasn't too sure if he liked all of the attention being lavished on his wife.

Paul Keeping A Watchful Eye


Of course the Mysterious Chinese Woman was, as always, enthralled.

Heart Fluttering


This night we decided to eat here and they have very decent beach bar grub at a reasonable price. We shared three orders of fajitas; shrimp, chicken, and steak. Quite satisfying.

Fajitas For All


Today we are spending quality time on the beach and then heading out to the marina to hook up with a group for cocktails and dinner. I should have pictures to post tomorrow so be sure to stay tuned.

We Could Hardly Wok

Ah, I can start my blog with a little history lesson. As many of you may know, it was the movie Night Of The Iguana that first put the sleepy little fishing village of Puerto Vallarta on the map. The movie starred, of course, Richard Burton, but NOT Elizabeth Taylor. Ava Gardner was the female lead along with Sue Lyon and Grayson Hall, who received an Academy Award nomination for her role as a latent lesbian. Hey, it was a based on a play by Tennesee Williams, so what would you expect.

Although Elizabeth Taylor was not in the film she showed up in Puerto Vallarta because she and Richard Burton were having a steamy adulterous affair at the time. Elizabeth was married to, of all people, Eddie Fisher, at the time. At least I think so. She was married eight times, twice to Richard Burton. Interestingly her first marriage was to Nicky Hilton of Hilton Hotel fame (shades of Paris) and her last was to Larry Fortensky, a truck driver. Even plastic surgery only goes so far.

But, I digress. John Huston directed the film and his personal chef was, drum roll please, Archie. He started the restaurant and after he died his wife, Cindy, took over. I don't know if she is still alive or not.

Just A Short Walk To Archie's Wok


There were eight of us so we had about a forty-five minute wait. No reservations accepted. We didn't care though. We had already had our sunset cocktails and Archie's does provide sidewalk service.

Brown Paper Bags Not Required


The participants in our night on the town were:

Sharon And Paul


Allison And Steve


Don And Donna


And, of course,

The Mysterious Chinese Woman And Bar Man


The food was great. We all had a delicious soup and then ordered a variety of dishes that we shared. This is a must-go-to restaurant if you are ever in Puerto Vallarta.

Ready To Tuck In


After having a rolicking good time at Archies we all headed to the infamous Kit Kat for after dinner drinks.

Kit Kat


I could tell you stories about Kit Kat but some of them involve blood and a friend being prohibited by his wife from ever setting foot inside again. But what the hell, it wasn't my blood and I can still drink there any time I want.

Nicely Appointed Bar


Nightcaps For All


And, just because I know you can never see enough pictures of me and the Mysterious Chinese Woman, one last shot to sear itself into your mind.

Bar Man And Mysterious Chinese Woman


My friends Rico and Sandy are showing up today so I have to make welcoming drinks for them. Poor Rico can't have anything alcoholic to drink because he is having problems with his gall bladder. Sympathetic friend that I am, I am going to make him a non-alchoholic version of my blended margarita. But, what are friends for if you can't kick a man while he is down. Here is how it will be served to him.

Tea, But No Sympathy


Hey, what are friends for.