#10 Revisit The Wedding and Hacienda Falmingos and the Grand Finale

 

Yah I know. I'm a day late with the blog but let me explain. Yesterday we spent over an hour driving around Puerto Vallarta looking for equipales. Now, someone reading this may not know what that is so let me explain. They are the traditional pig skin furniture usually with a round table and four chairs. Since I've done a Mexican kitchen at home, I decided I needed one of these sets on Deer Lake Road. First, we couldn't find any for sale which also meant we couldn't find a place willing to ship them to Canada. Our taxi driver who didn't speak a word of English was probably as disappointed as we were. All is not lost as Ray found a place in Arizona who sells them and says they ship internationally so I'm working on that. 

The posts above are part of the SB revitalization project. A few resemble the one on the left and in some places like outside of the popular Wala Wala Restaurant, they are totally missing now. 

This massive structure built down by the library alludes logic in this little fishing village. It was designed by the same young female architect who designed the changes to the main square. A woman who has never spent one day in SB!!! It looks like an inverted arc. I don't get it. But then again.....This is Mexico. 

As we approached the "Arc" we had to walk between these two heavily armed soldiers. I asked in Spanish for permission to pass which seemed like a better idea than getting shot in the back.....

Here we have a taxi driver pushing his cab up to the front of the line. They all do this to save on gas.

I found this interesting piece of jewelry at the shop below. LOL!!! How can you find anything there you may ask? Good question!!! It is the only piece of jewelry I have ever seen there in all of the years we have passed by.

Here is the one legged schizophrenic man having his lunch. When we returned from our stay at Casa Manana he started singing, "Welcome to the Hotel California" as we were getting out of the cab. It was so funny. He is quite the guy.

They have made amazing progress on the school construction since we arrived two months ago. 

This is a very historic picture as it is the last time we will be cooking breakfast camping style at Martha's. We have decided we are too old to continue doing this. Growing up!!!!

Off to Aticama with Sandra to have lunch and oh Ray, what have you ordered. When they brought his lunch and three plates, we should have known this was not an ordinary lunch for one. Very yummy!!!

Blogger decided to load these pics backwards so here we are at the wedding reception. People paid to come up and dance with the bride and groom.

We were seated very close to the head table with Jose's Mom. She was chatting away with me and I was doing the smile and not routine right back. Who knows what I was agreeing to!!!

Live music, lovely Casino as it is called and lots of lovely guests. 

This was the tortilla maker and filler. She gave me permission to take her picture, smiled and then turned away. Shy....

Lots of beautiful fresh fish to fill tortias with and all the other fixings. The Mexican food you see in the grocery stores is such a joke at home. I've never seen those hard tacos you buy in the box here. 

I thought the priest was grumpy. When he was coming down the isle I smiled at him and my smile was not returned. When it came time for communion I was going to receive it but thought maybe not as he seemed to know that I'm not Catholic. I didn't want to be denied!!!

Exchanging vows. I so wished I had of had a Mexican Wedding Guide with me as there were things I couldn't understand and had to remember to get explained later. The service last one and a half hours. Longest wedding I've ever been to!!! There was one part where the sister-in-law who may have been the maid of honour, poured these gold things into his hand and then he poured them into Erica's hand and then she poured them back into the sister-in-laws hand. It represents that my wealth is your wealth. Not sure about the maid of honour as there was another woman dressed up like one who came in about 30 minutes after the wedding started and gave the bride a huge bouquet and took the little one she had had away. Interesting. 

The wedding was to start at 1 and at ten to we walked over and we were the only ones there except for Jose and his Mother. Then over the next twenty minutes people started gathering at the back of the church. Laughing, joking, taking pictures, getting blessed with holy water. 

I was actually surprised by how bright the church is inside. Quite gorgeous.

And here we are at Hacienda Flamingos for the last 8 nights in San Blas. I had stayed here a number of times but it was Ray's first stay. When he was getting upset with SB, I kept trying to help him hang on until we got to Flamingos and it actually worked!!! He will now come back and stay here for a month. Compromise. What makes marriage work.

A large pool which is good for doing laps.

This is the view when you walk through the front doors. They only allow guests to enter. One year 4 Americans, I could tell by the accents, snuck in and actually walked into my room. I was sitting outside of it reading. "Excuse me. This is my room." OMG!!!!!!

This was our living room kitchen comb and where Ray used his computer.

Bedroom and my computer desk. Two bathrooms and daily maid service to wash the dishes, make the beds and wash the floors. Very clean hotel. I think I would like a maid at home. 

We had a great porch for eating and playing cards. It lead onto a narrow hall way where no one ever went. It didn't go anywhere. Don't ask. This is Mexico.

And our final destination here in Mexico The Westin Resort and Spa in the Marina district of Puerto Vallarta. Quite the ritz. I thought the pools were amazing until this creature appeared. I know they bite and have dangerous tails. A guy came along with a big net and I thought great here goes the iguana but instead he was only picking leaves out of the pool. This is Mexico.

Not the greatest beach. Not enough chairs and palapas. 

Great view of Puerto Vallarta. When we drove around yesterday I was so glad we weren't staying downtown. It has changed so much in the last 50 years. Condos, hotels, tourists everywhere. The hotel on the right is Regina. We stayed there many years ago with Tasha and we had Jacuzzis on the porch on each of our rooms. That was fun!!!

And I have to wonder how many of the folks in the water here read this sign??? There are so many white people laying in the sun getting red. Really? This is your vacation? This is fun?

Photo credit to Ray.

And this brings Winter 2023 to a close. It has been quite the journey. We have had some amazing experiences. We have made some life changing decisions. It has been good. Muchas Gracias Mexico!!!

Flying home tomorrow at about 2. TO at 8:30ish. Over night at 4 Points Sheridan and then airport taxi home on Thursday. 

Thank you for joining the journey. If you live in our hood, please come for dinner soon. We are going to be way more social from now on. One of the lessons learnt this trip. One of many. God/Goddess Bless and see you soon!!!!!