Hola – que tal? Hello – how are you?
I’m 2/3 the way through my trip to Mexico, I get back to Canada March 30. I have been busy working, swimming, biking, enjoying my neighbors, friends and family and hanging out trying to learn some Spanish. My daughter is staying up the road from me and in a couple of days her and her friend will move in with me here in Mezcalitos. I will leave here March 7 to stay in Puerto Vallarta (just 15 minutes away) for two days and then onto Cabo San Lucas for the final three weeks.
Many people have contacted me through social media or via email asking about how I am finding the places I stay, how it is ‘living’ here for an extended stay, how expensive it is. It seems a lot of folks are interested in living or vacationing in this area. Bucerias, for example, is exploding with construction right now. I talked to a business owner who told me the building he is in with a charming restaurant next door and the small pharmacy on the other side is being bulldozed for condos by May. In fact he told me the street he is on (Lazaro Cardenas) has 14 condo developments going up. That is just one street! Can the infrastructure handle it? maybe, but the small town charm will probably never be the same. All over the Bahia de Banderas it is the same, it is easy to get a flight here so many people want to come. Inflation is everywhere and this place is no exception. Things are reasonable but not cheap. I’m not complaining, in fact I worry about how the locals do it as the price is driven up by tourists like me! The point is you will spend more than you think when you come here. And it will be worth every penny. 🙂
I really love it here but I will probably find another destination next time – although I completely understand the urge to come to the same place every year – whether it is Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Nayarit , Bucerias or La Cruz. You know where stuff is and you can make friends with other tourists who do the same thing. I am personally pretty adventurous and I enjoy the challenge and novelty of a new spot every time but that is tough if you have limited time. It is all in how you like to travel! My daughter and her boyfriend loved the four days they spent at an all inclusive in Punta Mita but were ready to see more after that. I can also recommended the comfortable Refugio Del Mar as well – it is right in the heart of Bucerias. I usually use airbnb to find my accommodations, but you should book well in advance- the best spots tend to get snapped up fast. I booked my spot last year in March and already it is full for January 2023. There are also lots of condos to be rented of course and more coming online.
I am staying in a real Mexican neighborhood that is adjacent to the tourist spot of Nuevo Vallarta (now being re-branded as Nuevo Nayarit). It is not glamorous on my street but the people are super fun and friendly. Just the other night I sat on my porch and listened to the singing from the across the street -see my story highlights on instagram here. The kids playing outside during the day and dogs barking and roosters crowing is something I enjoy more than predictability and sanitized environments. I have no pool so I use the public pool (50 pesos) at the beach with the locals. I ride a bike to get around since the beach is a longish walk. I am often uncomfortable as I struggle through not knowing enough Spanish but I’m trying! I like to push myself out of my comfort zone a little. Learning a language is hard but it makes the experience so much richer. Not everyone has time for that so I’m lucky.
Now I’m off to have dinner with mi hija , I will do part two in next month’s newsletter. I will talk more about my excursions and outings (hiking, boating, whale watching, excellent drag shows and good food) If you have any questions for me – put them in the comments and I will try to answer in the next blog post!
Hasta Luego!