While we ate our tacos at our favorite taco stand – El Carboncito, we were serenaded by a saxaphone player.
Street musicians are common throughout Puerto Vallarta, but this is the first time I have seen someone playing the saxaphone.
Tacos and the saxaphone were actually a really good combination. Everyone else seemed to think so too.
We tipped him for his music and for allowing me to take his picture. I hope he is there the next time we go.
Anna from Davannayoga invites everyone to a yogic arts session with Duncan Wong this Wednesday from 7:00pm to 9:30pm. The cost is a very reasonable $250 pesos. If you have never been the the Davannayoga studio you should make the effort. The view from the roof terrace is amazing.
Here is a copy of the invitation that she sent me.
Dear Friends,
Imagine yourself dancing, practicing yoga and kicking your feet up a bit with a Yoga Master and a 360 degree view of the bay and the mountains soaring above the tile roofs of the historic downtown Puerto Vallarta.Master Wong will be here December 3rd on davannayoga’s rooftop yoga space. Don’t miss your chance to practice his uplifting yoga style. Stop by today or contact Anna to reserve your spot! Anna@davannayoga.com
Davannayoga is located downtown in Gringo Gulch. It’s an easy walk to the studio from the main plaza.
Davannayoga Contact Information
542 Calle Matamoros, Centro
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Local Phone: 223-0530
Cell phone: 044-322-147-7008
Read More about Puerto Vallarta Yoga
A good friend of mine Joel, who is my source for great taco stands, is putting together a specialty tour company to take people to see the real Puerto Vallarta.
One of the tours he is working on right now is a taco stand tour to visit some of the great taco stands around town that a visitor wouldn’t normally have the chance to try. Tacos are the heart and soul of Mexican cuisine.
To get feedback on the new tour, he is offering afree tour to two groups of VallartaBlog readers. On the tour, you will visit 4 different taco stands to try a variety of tacos. The tour lasts about 2 ½ hours.
To get an idea of the types of places you will visit, take a look at some previous posts: Tacos El Carboncito, Tacos Willie, Tacos El Grano de Oro. These aren’t necessarily the places you will visit but it gives you an idea about what to expect.
Joel is offering the free tours until February 21 to the first two groups of people who reply. Tell us when you are available and if you have any special preferences. Transportation is provided from your hotel or condo. The group limit is 4 people per tour and participants will pay for their own tacos and sodas. Everything else is included. Just to give you an idea of cost, tacos and sodas typically cost less than one dollar apiece.
The taco tour is a really cool way to see another side of Puerto Vallarta. Buen provecho!
I love making salsa and one of my favorites is a charred tomatillo salsa that is really simple to make. It’s a perfect match for chips and beer on a hot humid Puerto Vallarta afternoon.
The recipe requires few ingredients and it should take you about 20 minutes from start to finish.
Salsa Ingredients:
The measurements are not really set in stone. You can add more chiles or onions to taste. Some extra lime juice will give the salsa a brighter sharper taste.
To make the salsa:
Place the tomatillos, chopped onions, chile strips in a preheated oiled pan to char the vegetables. Keep the heat medium high and turn the vegetables continually until they are blackened all over. Charring the vegetables really adds to the flavor.
After you have charred the vegetables, add them to the blender with the cilantro, lime juice, and salt to taste.
Blend the salsa coarsely. The salsa should have some body. You want to be able to see flecks of cilantro and bits of onion.
The finished salsa. Great stuff. I usually just make the salsa to eat with a big bowl of chips. When I am feeling more ambitious I put the salsa over a sauteed fish filet.
Chicken Breasts With Tomatillo Salsa Recipe Provided by Mexican Foodie
Photo by Jeffrey
I have compiled a list of webcams that broadcast images from around Puerto Vallarta so that you can get your Puerto Vallarta fix when you can’t be here. We have recently added a webcam in Nuevo Vallarta and a webcam in Sayulita.
I’ve listed all the web cams that I could find. If there are others please let me know. I’m looking for webcams in San Pancho and Rincon de Guayabitos. I’ll be happy to add them if you can find them.
Puerto Vallarta Webcams at Puerto Vallarta Scene
The Puerto Vallarta Scene webcam page is a god place to start. They have five different webcam feeds listed.
OIC Puerto Vallarta Beach Webcam
The OIC webcam has a cool “Day at a Glance” feature which allows you to view all of the imgages taken by the camera during the day.
The webcam at the Hotel Rosita in Puerto Vallarta shows the downtown boardwalk (Malecon) from the North looking South.
The webcam at the Hotel El Pescador shows downtown Puerto Vallarta.
Cafe Roma has a great Puerto Vallarta Weather Station.
Cuates y Cuetes Restaurant & Bar Webcam
The Marina Association in Nuevo Vallarta has a webcam. I had trouble loading the page but it might work better for you.
Sayulita now has a webcam. It’s located at the Sayulita Fish Taco restaurant. The camera is a little slow to load. Just give it a chance.
This post is in response to a reader’s question asking where to buy phone cable near the Marina. We have always used Electrico Leon (224-5080) for any electrical and lighting supplies we need. It is located two blocks in from the bull ring located on Francisco Medina Ascencio. If you are not sure where the bull ring is, it’s one block north of the new Galerias Vallarta – Liverpool mall.
The owner’s name is Rodolfo and he speaks good English which is a real help when trying to buy an oddball electrical item to complete a project. We have used Electrico Leon to completely wire our house and do all of the many repairs in our business.
I always like to promote local businesses when I can. Home depot has opened recently in town and I’m sure it’s tough competition for them. Electrico Leon is the closest electrical supply shop to the Marina and they offer home delivery.
While we were in the shop, we ran into our electrician/plumber Gustavo and his assistant. I asked him if I could post his picture and give out his phone number for anybody that might need work done. Here is his celular 044-322-205-2299. Gustavo does good work and is reliable. There are only a few people in town who I will recommend and Gustavo is one of them. Anyone who has ever tried to get something done Puerto Vallarta knows how difficult it can be to find somebody to do it.
People often ask why I live in Mexico. I always feel put on the spot when they do because I don’t really have a satisfactory answer. I can’t say, “I live in Mexico because I do.” That doesn’t really explain it well.
After giving it some thought, I would say I like living in Mexico because of unique, random, and serendipitous occurrences. More simply stated, sh*t happens. Oftentimes, when “it” happens it turns out to be something very cool. Then again, sometimes it’s not.
I have listed some of my experiences while I have lived in Mexico. I could probably list another 500 interesting things. These just happened to be the ones that first came to mind. Most of the experiences I consider to be positive and they are not listed in any particular order.
If your reaction is “cool” after you have finished reading the list you just might be cut out to live in Mexico. If your reaction is “huh” or “why” then you might not be.
What experiences have you had while in Mexico?
If you are interested in Living in Mexico, you might be interested in this guide,The Trick is Living Here, a practical detailed guide to living or working in Mexico. You might be surprised how different things can be.
Puerto Vallarta has an infinite variety of critters and creepy-crawlies. This baby armadillo is one of them.
The other day we heard a strange, insistent scratching noise on the sliding glass door in the living room. When we went to investigate we found the little guy trapped between the glass and the screen struggling to get out.
We snapped a few quick photos and then he went on his way.
Baby Armadillo in Puerto Vallarta
Armadillos aren’t the only animals you will run across in Puerto Vallarta. Iguanas are Everywhere.
One of my favorite sculptures on the boardwalk (Malecon) is the “Vallarta Dancers” sculpture created by Jim Demetro. Banderas News has a great article which explains the story behind the “Vallarta Dancers” sculpture and how it was produced.
The sculpture is located near the Starbucks on the main plaza. From the main plaza walk towards the beach and make left on the boardwalk and walk about 50 yards and you will see it.
The plaque reads:
The inspiration for the sculpture is the youthful energy, flowing movement, colorful costumes of the talented Xiutla dancers and their instructor and choreographer Prof. Enrique Barrios Limon
One of the best cultural resources in Puerto Vallarta is the Biblioteca Los Mangos(Los Mangos Library) located on Francisco Villa Avenue not far from the new Costco.
The library is open to the public and has a large selection of books in Spanish and in English. If you are in Puerto Vallarta for a longer stay you can get a library card to check out books. You just need to fill out a form, show your passport and a receipt such as the phone bill or electric bill to verify your address.
The library offers an extensive list of courses including ballet, piano, and painting at very reasonable prices. The best way to find out what is being offered is to visit the library. At the main entrance is a bulletin board with postings for all of the courses and activities. Also, many of the library’s events, classes, and cultural activities are listed on the library’s informational blog.
Other things that the library offers are Internet access at no cost and the Cinema Club which is very popular and shows little known art movies as well as more mainstream features. On Saturday mornings the Puerto Vallarta SPCA offers dogs and cats for adoption.
The library really offers something for everyone and is worth a visit.
If you bring books with you on your visit to Puerto Vallarta and you don’t want to take them back with you, consider donating them to the library. They accept books in English and Spanish.
Library hours are:
Monday – Friday 9:00am to 9:00pm
Saturdays 10:00am to 6:00pm
The library address is:
Ave. Francisco Villa #1001
Telephone:
322-224-9966
email:
blm@prodigy.net.mx
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My Favorite Bookstore in Puerto Vallarta
The Book Store at Plaza Caracol
