The city was just waking up when we left the condo at 6:45 this morning. Right now, this is pretty much the only time of day when walking outside could reasonably be described as “pleasant”.
We started by heading south on the Malecón (boardwalk) to circle the pier before turning around and heading north toward our grocery stops. This little detour adds about a mile to our walk, which seems very virtuous until you know we have gone zero days without a margarita, or two.
This section of the Malecón hasn’t been completely cleaned up from the recent storms yet, so the first part of our walk included a little bonus resistance training through the sand.
The square on the left is where the Olas Altas Market is held on Saturdays once high season starts in November. We’ll definitely be back for that.
We circled the pier once and then turned around and headed north.
Back past our condo building, then across the bridge.
The river is incredibly silty right now from all the rain coming down from the jungle. And yes, above the Tequila Tasting sign, that is a warning sign for crocodiles.
Once you cross the bridge and reach the main part of the Malecón, you can really see how much work has gone into cleaning up after the storms. Over the last few days, so many people have been working hard clearing rocks, debris, sand and sandbags from the walkway.
There are still a few sections blocked off with caution tape and barriers because the waves are continuing to come up onto the walking path. The ocean apparently has not received the memo about staying on its side.
There is art all along the Malecón, but this sculpture was one I wanted to learn more about because the woman who owns our condo has several pieces by the same artist.
It’s Searching for Reason by Mexican artist Sergio Bustamante. The sculpture is centered around the idea of freedom and represents human curiosity and our desire to reach beyond normal boundaries in search of answers.
And in the distance behind it, we spotted a familiar sight: Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady, the ship we took through the Panama Canal, making her way into port.
Yesterday there were three cruise ships in port at the same time: Disney, MSC and Carnival. Thankfully, our neighborhood is quite a ways from the cruise terminal, so we get to admire the ships on their way in and out of port without having to participate in the sudden arrival of several thousand new friends.
As you leave the Malecón and continue north, the scenery shifts into more local neighborhoods.
We love how incredibly green everything is here. The combination of ocean and jungle is hard to beat, especially after spending so much time surrounded by the desert at home.
And finally, we made it to our destination!
All in, it was about a four-mile walk and took us roughly an hour and a half. I didn’t take photos of the cobblestone streets we had to cross because I was trying not to roll an ankle, but they are no joke. In general, walking anywhere here requires your full attention.
La Comer is the fancy grocery store here, and walking slowly up and down every aisle in glorious air conditioning is heavenly.
Prices are a little higher than at the local grocery stores near our neighborhood, but the selection is the draw. The produce department alone is impressive, and there’s also a large home section with kitchenware, linens and just about anything else you might suddenly decide you need during an extended stay.
Among other things on our list was a bathroom scale, not because we’re skipping the tacos, but because six weeks of travel is all about finding the balance between enjoying every bite and still feeling good.
Puerto Vallarta, however, is not making moderation particularly easy.
The swim-up bar at our condo has two-for-one margaritas every afternoon during happy hour.
So sometimes balance means a taco in one hand and a margarita in the other.
Speaking of things that make moderation difficult…
The bakery in a Mexican grocery store is really something to behold.
Día de los Muertos decorations were already on display alongside all the other seasonal décor. We’re really excited to be here for the celebration this year, and especially to see the giant Catrina on the Malecón.
This is the Catrina from a previous year. Subtle, she is not.
If you happen to be throwing a party while you’re here, La Comer also has a very impressive wine and liquor department, and the prices are surprisingly reasonable. This was the cheapest we found Patrón Silver tequila, at about $27 USD.
The meat and seafood department is excellent, too. Everything looked incredibly fresh, and despite the enormous seafood selection, there was no fishy smell at all, which is always a reassuring sign when you’re standing next to that much fish.
Of course no Mexican grocery store is complete without a tortilla making operation. They come hot off the press, wrapped in little bundles, and kept warm under a blanket.
After we left La Comer, we walked next door to Costco for our second stop. My physical U.S. Costco credit card got me in with no problem. Shawn’s digital Costco card did not work, so if you’re visiting from the U.S., bring a physical membership card just in case.
Inside, it looks pretty much like any Costco back home. There are many of the same products you’ll find in the U.S., along with quite a few Mexican products.
Prices on imported items tend to be about the same or slightly higher. For example, my Premier Protein shakes were about $10 USD more per case than they are in Arizona. Pineapples, on the other hand, were only $1.95 USD, which is slightly less than at our Costco back home.
Prices on Mexican products were very good.
The walk-in refrigerated produce section is enormous, much bigger than ours at home.
I am sad to report, however, that the Costco food court offered no exciting Mexican surprises. The menu was basically the same as ours, although they did have a selection of frozen drinks for about $2.50 USD.
I was hoping for Costco churros, tacos, something.
One fun difference was in the bakery, where they had this mesmerizing little mini-doughnut-making machine.
Tiny doughnuts automatically dropping into hot oil may not qualify as cultural enrichment, but it was entertaining to watch.
One helpful note about grocery shopping here: at La Comer and some of the other larger grocery stores, retirees bag your groceries and work only for tips. Keep a few pesos handy for them when you check out.
At Costco, there are also men who will load your purchases from your cart into your Uber and then return the cart for you. Same idea, have a few pesos ready.
After four miles of walking, and two grocery stores, we were ready to head home.
Our Uber Black back to Zona Romántica was about $10 USD, which, most importantly, gets you a car that is pretty much guaranteed to have air conditioning.
I would have paid extra for refrigerated seats.
And speaking of refrigeration…
We got home, ready to unload all our groceries, only to discover that sometime during our four-mile adventure, the condo’s refrigerator had decided to retire too. It was now a balmy 79°F inside.
“F” indeed.
The property manager is working on getting someone here to repair it, but we are in Mexico, where “someone is coming” can be more of a general concept than an actual appointment time.
So now we have a Costco-sized haul of groceries, a refrigerator with all the cooling power of a kitchen cabinet, and absolutely nothing we can do about it.
Welp.
Seems like as good a time as any for that first margarita.
Viva México!
Oh no! Hopefully they fix the refrigerator soon. Beautiful photos. Thanks for taking us shopping.