Here in the lovely Puerto Vallarta, Mexico soaking up the sun and the margaritas. This place is a good getaway for a long weekend. The Sheraton Bunganvillas Resort is nothing to write home about, and the water here pales much in comparison to the blue Carribbean Sea, but the breezy wind and the beautiful sunshine that greet me here make this visit worthwhile.
Puerto Vallarta has an old town that is both charming and touristy. Like Cancun, you will find an abundance of American restaurant chains here. Fortunately, there are local restaurants that are much better than the boring American crap. For an avant garde Mexican cuisine experience, I highly recommend Los Xitomates (www.losxitomates.com). The Mexican chef/owner had worked in several North American and European cities before deciding to return to his home country and be his own boss. The food here is muy delicioso. Another upscale restaurant that I like is called El Andariego (www.elandariego.com.mx). It serves traditional Mexican cuisine with a live Mariachi band. If you are in the mood for a tourist trap that serves good Mexican food (and margaritas the size of a birthday cake) , try Pipis (http://www.pipis.com.mx/). It has the tacky decors and at least eight pinatas hanging from the ceiling. Make sure to hit one on your way out. Just don’t hit one of the servers. They wear colorful outfits and some are on the rounder side.
One relaxing massage (legit nevertheless), two great novels (one about a guy who used to be a circus vet while the other about a woman who likes to eat and travel ), three fantastic meals, countless margaritas and sun-bathing sessions later, I feel like I have had a truly amazing weekend here. When advising me of the weather forecast upon my arrival at the hotel, the butler on my floor (another reason why my weekend here was fantastic) said “Senor Lim, it will be sunny all weekend. There will be so much sun here that even your toes will enjoy the sunshine!”. Fidel was indeed right. My toes are now burned and wrinkly like raisins. By the way, his name was Fidel Castro. Fidel’s parents must have hated him when he was born. Nitwit also told me that he named his son the same name, as if the beatings in the playground while growing up didn’t teach him enough lesson. But wait, Mexicans don’t have the same anti feelings towards the former Cuban leader as the Americans do. Both Fidel Sr. and Fidel Jr. should be fine.
