Yes, Happy New Year

About sunset this view of the south portion of the bay... the "Crown" church in view.

Fireworks from afar... the closer ones were too close to photograph!!

Yesterday we all got on a bus in Barra de Navidad and headed to Puerto Vallarta to put Mary (Sandy’s friend) on an airplane to go back to Portland. It was a 5 ½ hour ride and nip-and-tuck to be there by take-off time but we did it. Sandy had arranged for a room at La Siesta Hotel which is above the malecon in PV. This place is a classic old style hotel with all the oddities you might expect if you have ever traveled in Mexico. The great thing about it is that it turned out to be the best view for the night’s events we could have created. No kidding, it is a 7 story building (we were on the 6^th floor just under the restaurant) and it is up the steep hill from the beach… spectacular view of all of Banderas Bay!!

The police close the malecon to vehicular traffic and start towing cars a bit before sunset. Of course they don’t put up any signs or warnings so there were some irate people missing their cars when they came back to empty spaces, that’s Mexico too. Imagine arriving on a cruise ship, renting a car and finding out that you would have to stay around until next Monday to retrieve it? Perhaps the rental company would just have to go get it, I suppose.

Anyway, the view is what we had going on and trying to stay up until midnight, which almost never happens these days, while taking in the people parade and the boats gathering just off shore (including a huge cruise ship). A few margaritas later midnight did arrive and the fireworks took my breath away… completely. They were being fired from every corner of the bay with the largest and longest display right in front of us. The Cruise ship sounded its horn many, many times and there were flares and, yes, fireworks being shot from the boats at anchor and milling about in front of us. I tried to catch a few of the fireworks from the general area of the old Marina Vallarta but gave up on the ones right in front of us so I could just take in the show. It was, hands down, the best I have ever seen in total effect. Even the ones from the area of La Cruz were large and well planned. That’s a good 15 to 20 miles from our hotel.

So hoist your glass and toast the New Year!!! If this is how it start I can only hope for an incredible year.