HEALTHY LIVING AND TRAVELING IN MEXICO Monthly Newsletter has Been Published!!

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Terry L Turrell, Amazon Author

OUR CATAMARAN TRIP TO MARIETAS ISLANDS WITH VALLARTA ADVENTURES

A Wonderful Adventure When Family Come to Visit

     Jon and I splurged on a week of fun tourist activities when my sister, Cindy and her husband, Al came to visit us in Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita this month! Usually, we live pretty much like the locals in Sayulita. But this was a perfect time to take a catamaran trip to the Marietas Islands where we were looking forward to snorkeling. Vallarta Adventures Eco Discovery Tour included even more enjoyable activities than we expected.

Cindy and Al Enjoying the Catamaran Trip to the Islands

     On the catamaran trip to the islands, we were excited to see three whales, one spouting as they breached the surface. The captain motored around the Marietas Islands before anchoring to show the guests how beautiful this protected national park and world heritage site is.

     Once anchored, we got ready to snorkel. On this tour, we swam quite a distance around rocks, coral reefs, and through an archway with a slight current, so we were required to wear life vests. It turns out, the vests allowed us to be more relaxed while we enjoyed viewing the marine life and playing in the ocean. The water temperature was perfectly comfortable, refreshing yet warm. The tour guides made sure we had fun and captured photos of us enjoying the snorkeling portion of our trip.

Jon & I Loved Snorkeling in the Clear Water

Cindy and Al Had a Blast Snorkeling!

Snorkeling with My Sister, Cindy, for the First Time

     Back onboard the catamaran, we were cooled off from our swim but ravenous! Lunch was served—a build-your-own sandwich smorgasbord and drinks from the open bar, alcoholic and nonalcoholic. We climbed back up to the top deck to eat while the boat made another pass around the island, giving us a close-up view of the many birds living there, including blue-footed boobies, pelicans, and magnificent frigatebirds.

Jon and Terry Back Onboard After Snorkeling

     Next stop—Playa Majahuitas, a beautiful tropical beach where we could choose to relax in hammocks or on lounge chairs or play in the water. We did it all! Paddleboarding was our favorite water activity. Many chose to kayak in the bay. The water was amazingly clear, blue, and pleasantly warm. I enjoyed relaxing while I floated on my back in the still, saline sea, peering up at the blue sky that created the hue of the water.

     On the trip back to the Marina Vallarta, the crew members, dressed in costumes and wigs, entertained us with hilarious skits. Our 6 ½-hour adventure was nearing an end. As we disembarked, a large, brilliantly-colored iguana posed near the bay for photos, completing a perfect adventure in Puerto Vallarta. 

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Terry L Turrell, Author

Dia de Los Muertos in Sayulita—AMAZING!

Sayulita Plaza Entrance Decorated for Dia de Los Muertos

Dia de Los Muertos in Sayulita was amazing! So much color in this celebration. So much work done by the town’s people! It is one of the most popular holidays in Mexico and this year Sayulita went all out on their decorations. Everything was beautiful!
          The altars built in the plaza by families are memorials to a loved one who has died but is still remembered publicly. Many of these are built each year using fresh marigolds, candles, personal items of the deceased, and other memorabilia, to be displayed for the two days of Dia de Los Muertos.

An Entire Block of Calle Delfines Was an Altar

Dia de Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead), a beloved festival in Mexico, honors the loved ones who have passed while celebrating the preciousness of life. Unlike Halloween, this holiday is not scary but a time for honoring and family reunion with loved ones on the other side.

La Catrina has become a symbol of Día de Los Muertos. Originally portrayed in a 1910 etching by Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada as a high-society skeleton lady dressed in a fancy floral hat, she is now seen in Mexican handcrafts, art, and costumes. Throughout the festival, children and adults dress in imaginative versions of La Catrina, including elaborate face painting.

A stage was set up in the street across from the plaza with lights and speakers for the dancing and singing performances that would last from 6:00PM until late into the night. The crowds gathered early to get good seats for the shows.

Thousands of handmade “flags”, ribbons, and pom-poms were used to decorate the plaza’s gazebo, the entrance to the Catholic church in the plaza, and hung in streamers overhead in the main streets of the town. Not only did this décor create an incredible swirl of moving color as everything swayed with the ocean breeze, it eliminated the use of plastic flags this year and can be reused in future festivals.

Food vendors' tables lined the streets, ready to sell tacos, hotdogs, pozole, elotes, cake, and other delicious fiesta food. Eating is an important part of the festival and would continue late into the night.

I have never seen so many people in this little Pueblo Mágico, Sayulita, at one time. It was beautiful to see so many people working together to create the fiesta atmosphere and then, for two days, enjoying this solemn yet joyful holiday.

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Terry L Turrell, Author

Bisbee, Arizona to Naco, México—A Pleasant Day Trip

A Wonderful Lunch and Friendly Experience in Naco, MX! 

     Bisbee, Arizona, north of “The Wall” and Naco, Mexicó, nestled against the south side of “The Wall” are worlds apart culturally, yet only ten miles away from each other. When we discovered the Bisbee Bus would pick us up in the Bisbee Historic District and drop us off a block from the pedestrian border crossing into Mexicó, we decided to head to Naco, MX for lunch.

     As we walked toward the Naco pedestrian border crossing, I couldn’t resist snapping two quick photos, one including the ugly, sad “Wall” separating the United States people from the Mexican people. As I was recalling the horrible Berlin Wall, I heard a loud shout and noticed a U.S. Border Patrol guy marching toward us. Busted! I guess I wasn’t supposed to be taking photos of the “The Wall”. I hastily tucked my camera in my purse and we continued casually to the gate. I gave a friendly wave over my shoulder to the U.S. Border Patrol guy who followed us until we entered the Immigration checkpoint. Weird!

Naco, Arizona Pedestrian Border Crossing

"The Wall" Separating Naco, AZ from Naco, MX

           The Mexican Immigration officer at the border greeted us with a friendly smile and then checked our passports, Jon’s backpack, and my purse. Guns are strictly prohibited in Mexicó and I had wisely left my pepper spray at home. He handed our bags back and asked where we were headed. Jon told him we were walking to Mariscos Mirador for lunch.

“Walking?!” the officer exclaimed in English. “You’ll never make it! It’s way down at the other end of town. You’ll need a taxi.”

“I pulled out my Google Maps printout and said, “Goggle says it’s only 1.2 miles down the highway. Are there sidewalks all the way?”

He laughed good-naturedly and said, “Yes, there are sidewalks. Have a good lunch.”

          Walking past the pretty little Naco plaza, we studied this cute heart-shaped container half-filled with plastic bottle caps. What is the purpose of this? Bottle caps aren’t recyclable, are they? Is it to discourage people from tossing their bottle caps on the ground? Simply a form of art? We never figured it out, but it looked clever and nicely maintained.

          We admired a couple of statues on our walk and commented on how quiet the town was. But the best part of our stroll was how friendly the people were to us. At the fire department, a man proudly asked us in English if we needed help finding anything. Mariscos Miramar? He pointed down the road and said, “Keep going and stay to the left.”

As we passed a small house where a man and teenager were hanging laundry to dry, we greeted them in Spanish. The man returned our greeting in English and asked if he could help us. He said Mariscos Miramar was very far down the road and did we need a ride. Jon said, “No, thank you. My phone shows it’s only another half-mile farther. We can walk.” The three of us had a friendly ten-minute conversation in English before we were able to say, “adios” and continue our walk.

Mariscos Miramar in Naco, Mexico

          By the time we reached Mariscos Miramar, we were hungry and our mouths were watering at the thought of Camarones Empanizados and cerveza for lunch. It was a bit before noon, but the restaurant was open and smelled as though they had just finished the morning rush for huevos rancheros. The shrimp were fresh and delicious, the portions very large, and the service friendly.

I was still enjoying my Michelada when I noticed through the window that the rain was coming down in sheets. “Good thing we brought our umbrellas,” I commented. Within minutes, our waitress appeared and asked us if we needed a ride. How thoughtful! Jon said that we would appreciate a ride to the border crossing. He asked her how much and she offered it for 50 pesos (about $2.50US), a very low price for their trouble.

She brought me a giant black trash bag sliced down one side to use for a rain poncho and said her husband would bring the car to the front for us. We thanked her profusely, dashed through the downpour, and happily hopped in the back seat of their SUV. At the border, Jon tipped the friendly man 100 pesos (about $5 US) and thanked him. It seemed clear that our driver was grateful for the money.

We couldn’t have asked for a nicer experience in Naco, Mexicó. We’ll definitely return to Mariscos Miramar next year, maybe for breakfast next time, when we are staying at the QueenMine RV Park in Bisbee, AZ.

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Terry L. Turrell, Author