Januart 4, 2008, Mexico

Four little girls and an afternoon and evening in the town of Puerto Vallarta provides a whole years memories and laughter.  First we took the water taxi which is an experience in it's own right.  The last time we took the water taxi all 12 of us went, the water was very rough, the girls almost got sick, but a school of dolphins swam beside us for a long time.  The upshot is that the girls only remember the dolphins and have forgotten the miserable trip.  What they do remember was that Grandma couldn't got out of the boat at the public dock in Puerto Vallarta.

The dock is ancient, looks like an Elizabeth Taylor vintage, the tide was very low, the boat was very small, and the boat was way way below the dock.  As we approached the dock I told Ken that I would never be able to get up to the dock. Of course every one said it would be no problem.  But they were wrong.  Everyone else leaped up to the dock, with the help of the three strong men lifting the six children.  First of all , you had to leap this three feet up, then you had to walk about six feet along a very narrow walkway that was only two feet wide.  I wouldn't do it.  So the men hailed a fisherman  in a small dugout fishing vessel.  He brought his very primitive boat alongside out water taxi where I carefully transferred to the dugout for transport to the shore where they beached me. Like a whale.  Of course all four adults and six children cheering me on.  Ken stayed back with me until I beached.

This taxi ride was uneventful but beautiful.  The waterfront in the town has a wonderful stone boardwalk, which is dotted on it's length of the most wonderful and whimsical bronze statues.  Every 200 yards or so another statue.  The girls loved them,and wanted their pictures taken by every one.  In between the statues are sand castles,one more marvelous than the last, done for a competition at the Christmas season.  So there is a full nativity scene in sand,and a large Santa, and several scenes of tropical animals.  Between the sand sculptures and the real sculptures the children wiled away the afternoon.  Of course a visit to the flea market for gifts followed a most wonderful dinner at the Barcelona Tapas restaurant finished up the lovely day.

Tomorrow we all go to Texas.  I always enjoy a trip to another  spot.