Puerto Vallarta: Hike to Las Animas, Part One

 From December 2021

We started our day by catching a bus in Zona Romantica at the corner of Calle Constitucion and Basilio Badillo in front of the OXXO convenience store.  The fare was ten pesos (about fifty cents), and the bus took us directly to the small town of Boca de Tomatlan about 30 minutes south of Puerto Vallarta.  There is no worrying about which stop to get off, because it's the last stop on the line. 

 

While this is a popular hike, hiking isn't as popular an activity in Mexico.  There were no signs or information booths at the start.  From our research, we knew to head downhill until we reached the town's small marina.

 

Boca has several restaurants and hotels and is a very laid back alternative to Puerto Vallarta. Many small water taxis leave from the marina for tours and transportation.

We continued following the bay until we were in the jungle and found a small footbridge.  No other hikers were in the area, and we weren't certain of the trail.  I knew we were on a footpath, but was it the right footpath to our destination?

View after our bridge crossing

We became less certain of the trail at this point, passing closely in front of people's small homes and stairwells.  Once we made it to the other side of the bay, the trail became more obvious, and there were a couple of gringo signs to keep us on the right path and away from private property.

Around this point, we ran into three other hikers, moving slowly but steadily.  One was a retired expat who was guiding two visiting friends. He hikes this trail weekly and told us to stay to the right and continue following the waterline, and we would be fine.  It was good advice. Vegetation was thick but also beautiful.

The trail goes by a number of secluded and not-so-secluded beaches.  After an hour of hiking, we made it to our first secluded beach.  But we weren't the only ones there for long.  There were many other beaches ahead.  So we kept going after a short stop.

Water taxi arriving with a small group

 

 To be continued.

Puerto Vallarta: The Park, Espresso, and the Rio Cuale

From December 2021

The park was right below our rental unit. 

 

It was a beautiful place to hang out at all times of the day and people watch.  On Saturday morning, there was a big farmer's market. 

 

My favorite coffee shop, A Page in the Sun, was conveniently located across from the park also.  Coffee here is made as an Americano or espresso; no drip available.

 

An Americano is made by extracting espresso and then adding hot water to dilute. Espresso is undiluted. It's very difficult to find places that make good espresso:  fresh beans, fresh grind, 25 to 35 second extraction for 2 ounces of coffee nectar.  Even if an espresso isn't perfectly made, adding hot water often makes an acceptable coffee drink. 

The Rio Cuale was another green space within a few blocks walking distance.  We took several long walks up the river.  

 

Motorcycle crossing the pedestrian suspension bridge

Most of the other areas that I've visited in Mexico have been desert climates; Puerto Vallarta is a tropical climate.  On the next post, I'll write about our hike through the coastal jungle..  

Getting his steps in

Puerto Vallarta: Mirador

 From December 2021

Most of the "walking around" in Puerto Vallarta is flat, especially on the Malecon which is the paved walkway next to the beach. As a person walks away from the beach and towards the foothills, that quickly changes.  One of my favorite hikes, which I did most mornings, was to the top of Mirador el Cerro de la Cruz or more simply, Mirador or Lookout.

The final modern staircase to the top is easily seen from all around the city.  This is the view from the religious shrine, El Cerro de la Cruz (Cross on the Hill) which is slightly higher and behind the lookout.

 

 

The path to get there is a little more tricky and involves winding up steep, narrow streets and stairs in working class neighborhoods, which included a sprinkle of gringos who found the more economic tourist stays.

 

The last stretch is the real workout.  It's short but very, very steep.  If I ever move to this city, I would hike that ascent every single day that I could to stay in shape.  It's a heart-pounder.  

After a couple of days, Julia got bored/tired of climbing the Mirador.  I loved it.  If the hike didn't take my breath away, the view did.  

I tried to get all of my steps and hiking in during the mornings.  Julia and I always met back up for happy hour at the condo pool during the late afternoon.

A cold beer in the shade

Living Large in Rapids

After a second straight day of rain, Julia and I needed to get out of the Scamp.  We were feeling a little claustrophobic.

A new brewpub opened up in Wisconsin Rapids, a short drive away, and we knew nothing about it.  It was called 2 Doors Down Brewing.  Their beer was served at B's Taphouse.  We had hoped for food too, but the offerings were limited to pizza.  

I had a Scharzbier, a black lager with good crispness and malt.  Julia had a brown ale.  They had other dark beers available, but quite high-octane in the imperial realm.  Our bartender was a young woman who was very beer-knowledgeable and offered multiple tastes of different beers until we found what we liked.  

We then wandered up the street to Jennings and Company, a self-described brewpub  with food.  Actually, it would be better identified as a restaurant or craft beer bar.  I couldn't find any beers that were made in-house. The chosen taps from other breweries were good, and the food was Wisconsin fare.  To start, we had deep fried cheese curds that were both delicious and full of fat.  I had one bite that literally squirted a small puddle of grease on my hand.  Definitely not something to have too often, but oh so tasty.  

As if we didn't have enough fat, the delicious cheeseburgers came with homemade potato chips and thick dip.  Over 60% of Wisconsin residents are either overweight or obese.  Some of us are eating meals like this too often.

With the water still rising, it was time to head home on the next morning.

North Wood County Park

On a rainy Wednesday morning, we drove an hour or so west to our next campground:  North Wood County Park, about fifteen minutes south of Marshfield, Wisconsin.  We had reservations for a nice waterfront campsite in a mostly empty campground mid-week.

I had my happy face on while setting up camp in the drizzle while Julia waited patiently in the truck.

On Wednesday and Thursday, we spent most of the day reading inside the Scamp.  We did venture out on Wednesday afternoon to the Blue Heron Brew Pub in Marshfield for lupper and a couple of beers.  

They ran out of the in-house stout but offered Shutdown Stout, a guest brew from nearby Mosinee Brewing Company.  Julia had Friar Frisch, a Belgium Dubbel.  

The beer was excellent, and the food was well above-average also.  The forecast was for more rain.  I took a growler of stout to-go.

North Wood County Park did have a pair of blue herons fishing on the water during our stay, but they refused to pose for a good picture.  

Ice Age Trail: Plover River Segment

We parked at the Hwy 52 trailhead for the Plover River segment of the Ice Age Trail. Neither of us had ever hiked this 11.36 mile in/out trail. 

By parking in the middle, we effectively cut the trail in half. we started with the north half first.

Most of this trail was dry and through heavy forest. The trail rose up along ridge lines. Hundreds of wildflowers were sprinkled along both sides of the trail.

The southern half was wet at best and deep mud at its worst. We made slow time, jumping from rock to board to root.

We encountered few people and only leashed dogs. It was our first successful longer hike together in many years. 

The elevation wasn’t 15,000 feet, as Peru will be, but that elevation doesn’t exist in Wisconsin.

Dells of Eau Claire County Park

 

Julia took a trip back in time at this 28 site campground along the Eau Claire River near Aniwa, Wisconsin. On a Monday night, we were one of four rigs present. An Ice Age trail thru hiker came in late on Tuesday night and was breaking camp in the rain early Wednesday morning. 

Sites are $21/night plus the $7 required  Reserve America tithe. All sites were electric. No generators permitted. A water spigot is available at the firewood station. No dump station. 

Julia’s family tent camped here several times when she was a child. She remembers bullhead fishing, and her Grandpa doing a big fish fry.

We were here to start training for longer hikes in preparation for the Inca Trail trip later this year. The Ice Age trail has a segment in the park and another segment only a few miles away. That hike will be the topic of the next post.

The Dells of Eau Claire are a set of rocks and rock walls through which the river runs. The rock formations were beautiful. The water quality appeared  less than ideal with soapy scum piling up in places.

Gone camping

 

No internet service. Camped along the Eau Claire River and hiking the Plover River Segment of Ice Age Trail

Puerto Vallarta: A State of Mind

From November 2021

I'm an early riser, so I was up before dawn on our first morning and sat out on the dark balcony watching the city start to wake up.  Puerto Vallarta is smaller than Madison, Wisconsin, but has the feeling of a much bigger city.  

Tourism is the biggest industry, and Americans/Canadians outnumbered Mexicans on many of the streets close to the beach.  English is widely spoken.  I rarely needed to use my Duolingo Spanish, although it was helpful at times.  Our condo was in the Zona Romantica, a/k/a Viejovallarta (Old Town).  This neighborhood is known for tourism and open arms for the LGBT community. There's something here for everyone:  restaurants, art galleries, beach sports, and shopping.

 

Puerto Vallarta has a Malecon (paved walkway) along the beach that is about a mile long.  There's always something going on there: live music, street performers, paragliding, food/drink carts, etc.   

Beyond the Malecon to the south are beautiful rocky beaches with tidepools.  

View to the South

 

Sea Urchin

By the end of our first day, we felt completely comfortable and relaxed.  Did I mention that I really like Puerto Vallarta?

Neighbors

Every year, around mid-May, we get new neighbors.  The hardest working farmer, Davey, brings some of his calves out of the barn and moves them to the pasture next to our front yard.  Like human neighbors, they sometimes overstep their bounds.  As I walked back from town today, they ran along the fence hoping that I was going to feed them.  Steers aren't terribly smart, but they can figure out when the electric fence isn't working.  That's when we have cattle in our garden and fruit trees.

Davey is a small-time farmer with only 40 acres.  Part of his operation is to raise steers.  He supplements the grass with silage from the corn he grows.  It's quite a contrast to some of the big farms out west with limited water.  Davey's problem is too much water.  Sometimes, he can't plant the corn until June.  I saw him with a stuck tractor in the mud earlier this week. 

We have new human neighbors too.  A nice young couple with a toddler. They commute to Madison and are quiet (so far) when at home. The former occupants ran a business out of the house with lots of truck and van traffic.  

Some may remember we had another neighbor further up the hill who spent some time in jail related to multiple OWI's.  His underage kids threw parties when dad was in jail.  All of that went away when Covid foreclosure rules expired. The bank took back the house and started fixing it up. 

Puerto Vallarta: Flight and Arrival

From November 2021

We hadn't flown in nearly a year.   I have to admit that flying was a strange feeling.  Masks were required; Julia and I were double masked. Every time someone coughed, I cringed inside.

The flight itself was smooth.  Immigration and Customs were easy.  After that, there's a bit of a gauntlet to the sidewalk with timeshare and excursion salesman.  Once on the street, the cheapest option to get to Old Town ( Zona Romantica) is the bus, and it's less than a buck.  

Julia preferred a taxi with our big suitcases, so I guided her away from the official taxi line, up some stairs,  across a nearby pedestrian bridge, and down some stairs to cheaper taxis with no wait.  Twenty minutes later we arrived at our condo building on Lazaro Cardenas across from the park. 

The front desk staff was waiting for us and provided the key to our room.  It was pretty sweet and met all of my expectations.

Balcony

Living Room

The views on the roof were pretty good too.

But we didn't come to Puerto Vallarta to hang out in the room.

Pretty Good First Day