Mexico 2016

Curses to you Chicago winter, we goin' to Mehicho! Puerto Vallarta to be precise. Our annual multi-family fun trip was much anticipated. This year our all inclusive resort of collective choice was Garza Blanca. It was first on our list because we enjoy the charming downtown of Puerto Vallarta, the vigorous ocean on the western side of the country and being on the water with great food. This place really delivered!

Thomas...check! Peppa Pig....check! Perplexus ball....check! We are cleared for liftoff!

Our welcome view from the lobby. Hallelujah!

View from room.

 Curses curses curses. So the beach was rocky. And the vigorous waves we said we loved? Well, they were too vigorous. The beach area was closed for swimming because of rough tide and rocks rolling on shore with each pass of wave. I was a bit broken hearted as sand and waves are primary in my vacation fantasy. A few mojitos seemed to fix the despair. I will say the ferocious froth did give us a wonderful sound track for sleeping crashing outside our balcony.

Brock, of course, didn't mind. He made the best of it with one of his favorite activities: sculpture stacking!

 Oh man it was difficult to get anywhere on the resort because Brock was so enamored of frolicking and hiding in the "enchanted garden" that laced all the walkways. 

Nothing is more welcoming to Mexico than a giant hot dog.

 First stop- pool. 

 They had two awesome pools at our end of the resort, the infinity pool looked out over the ocean.

Many games were had. Brock did wear his floaties once, but preferred free style. His swim lessons had paid off and he had a blast going underwater and holding his breath and practicing kicking and pulling.

 We alternate nights out with for girls and guys. Both sets took a turn at the roof lounge at their sister resort, Mussea up the mountain. It was awesome, but creepily deserted on a Saturday night at 10pm. 

 Proof that we were there ... or somewhere with dark background.

 No Mexico trip is complete without a lizard picture.

 View from the steak house at the mountain side towers of the resort.

 The fancy resturant was adults only. We made a deal with the other couples to switch off watching the kids so we could all go. We did not do the math and somehow ended up with Phuc and Sherry for our night out, which meant that there would be six adults watching ten kids for our night out, but only us four watching ten kids when the other couples went out. Here is Brock fitting in before we left to got to the fancy restaurant.

Before dinner we journeyed back to the rooftop to watch the sunset. 

 Sushi! The place was great and had an amazing view.

Phuc and Sherry are the perfect compliment to the meal.

 Sunset view from where we are sitting.

aaaaand then it was our turn to watch the kids the next night. Here they are piled on the couch watching some Despicable Me. Anti-social Brock is not too be seen. He was the most difficult one for the night!! Maybe jealous of the attention we are giving the other kids.

 

 Next night we head out to dinner in town. Cheatan did some research and found this awesome taco place called something, famed for their Tacos Al Pastor, a favorite of Matt's.

 Matt orders the signature cocktail. I'm sure it gets the American boys every time.

 oh ho ho! Let's all take pictures of the big ol' drink.

Brock had another run in with habanero salsa. After a quick departure from the awesome taco place to air his steaming mouth, Brock tells Matt that he will be better... in two weeks. Well, the doctor apple prescription is baloney, we all know what the ultimate cure to pretty much anything... ICE CREAM.

The city on the sea at sunset. Also, you can't tell from this romantic photo, but someone here, I won't name names, has so completely pooped himself. We duck into a  pay-to-pee bathroom (with no changing table) and bring him out with only a diaper on and throw his shorts in the trash. and shirt. and socks. there is a lot of poop. Luckily there is are souvenir shops everywhere and Brock looks good in anything.

  

Notice the costume change. GO MEXICO!!

We stop to watch a magician.

Too bad we don't understand him, even when he does mime. But it is festive.

The next day we take on the Puerto Vallarta Zoo. A little strange, a little sad, a lot of fun. The magic of this place is that the animals are right up in your biz and you get a bag of goodies to feed them. We pretend that they do get fed other food too, but we are maybe not positive about that. 

This ostrich would eat from your hand. We never let a kid try, but a few parents fed the ostrich with no bites. It was scary though

 Brock really liked feeding bunnies

And this deer thing.

We got to throw carrots and peanuts in the hippo's mouth! OMG that is worst breath I have ever experienced.

Here's a video of Daddy throwing a peanut to the hippo. It took him 4 or 5 peanuts, but Brock was also successful at hippo feeding.

He's in it for the carrot on my shoulder... they always are.

So here is a sample of the "sad" part of the zoo. This tower of algae when up fifteen feet. Brock The turtles didn't seem to mind and Brock was loving them. We didn't indulge but for $80 bucks you can hold and play with the baby tiger, leopard and lion. We watched a couple that went for it and it was pretty cute. Thank goodness none of the other families went for it.

Here's a pic of some guys that went for it.

Boys took a 2 hour adventure hike with a guide to the river.

to jump in!

I was jealous. So we went with Brock on a shorter path to get to the river to go swimming. Super fun. Brock loved swimming in river and watching daddy jump.  I did jump as well, but man this one psyched me out a little because the rock outcropped so you had to jump over it. It was easy, but an optical fear. Jen saved my ego by cutting right to my jump and skipping my 5 minutes of hemming and hawing.

 
Thank you Mexico! We needed you!!