Nomadic Retirement Day one, or is it two? Puerto Vallarta

Everyone asks, “do you feel unburdened, free, not a care in the world?”  Not really.  Don’t get me wrong, we don’t have any regrets, it is an adventure we have looked forward to and still do.  But to reference Tolkien “it is a dangerous business stepping out your door”.  I know it will take time, but the biggest difference is that I did not go into the office today.  I am still concerned about money, and who wouldn’t be if they have money in the stock market right now, and we still have too much stuff stored in boxes at various friends and relatives.

We arrived here in Puerto Vallarta with a checked suitcase each, I carried on a daypack with electronics and Kelly carried a shoulder bag full of art supplies.  We both agreed it was too much, our daughter Caprial, aka Cap, was traveling with us and looking a little smug with her 35 pound carry on.  We need to reduce it to a manageable weight if we are really going to haul it around the world.  But how do you decide?  Between shirts and shoes and a good kitchen knife, it is all useful, it would be nice to have, but everything weighs something, and it all adds up.  And what you leave behind needs to be stored or given away and its hard to give away perfectly good clothes, shoes, …. martini glasses.  These are the things we worry about now, not worry free, just worry different.

Dark and Rainy Seattle December

Unburdening yourself of everything is hard, not for the faint of heart and nearly impossible, at least for a middle aged American.

So, ….. PV first impressions.  We like it, a mix of old world and beach scene.  I will have more to say next week after we explore a little, check out the Saturday markets and search out the best street tacos.  Our Airbnb is great in many respects and good enough in others.  The space and view are fantastic, both the living room and master bedroom have eight-foot wide doors opening onto a large deck overlooking the ocean.  The unit is typical worldly mid-range accommodations.  Functional, generally comfortable, and a little tattered.  As we find all over the world most people are not as obsessed with updating as much as Americans.

Puerto Vallarta

The 30 year old tile counters work just fine, no need for granite and stainless steel.  The kitchen is stocked with a mix of pans, glasses, and plates reminiscent of a family beach cabin, a miss matched collection acquired over the years.  But we are capable and adaptive creatures, wine will fit into a water glass just fine.  We are located south of town, just a little over a mile from the tourist zone. Quiet and beautiful but the nearest market, bar or restaurant is just over a mile.  Which sounds close, but we are on a hill, a steep hill.  For those of you who know our old house, picture the incline of Frontenac with a half mile of twisting turning cobblestone.

A view worth waking up to

Costs in PV vary greatly.  Our Airbnb tucked out of town on a hill, costs $2500 a month, which includes utilities, cable, weekly maid service and all the bowl games with play by play in Spanish.  You could spend much more or much less.

Our first night we opted for fine dining on the beach, at El Dorado.

You pay extra for the white table cloth, and lovely surroundings

The food was good, but we were not impressed at $160 US for dinner and drinks for the three of us.  While $7 cocktails on the beach sounds cheap by Seattle or Maui standards it was not what I was expecting for PV.  The next day we wandered a little farther down the same beach to Burros.

You can’t see them but our feet are in the sand, honest.

Resin tables and chairs in the sand, great guacamole and chips, margaritas or beers for $2 each.  Our next stop was a little farther down the beach to the Cheeky Monkey, margaritas and beers were $1 US.  So, in the space of a quarter mile on the same beach, all with great views, you could get basically the same drink for $7 or $1.

Beer is cheap and the view is free

Regardless, as we sat at Burros with our feet in the sand, we were immediately paraphrasing Zac Brown, “my toes in the sand, not a care in the world, a cold beer in my hand, life is good today”. Okay, we still have a care in the world, but you get the picture.

Adios  G&K