In an unusual move for us, we have now spent two consecutive Christmases in the same country. Shocking! Last year, we visited San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. This year, we returned to Mexico (albeit to a different region).
Mandarina is a new, Pacific-coast development an hour northwest of Puerto Vallarta, very similar in concept to Mayakoba on the Riviera Maya an hour(ish) south of Cancun.
Coincidentally, we also stayed at the same hotel collection in Mandarina as we did in Mayakoba (and San Miguel). Definitely did not disappoint.
And with us, as always, were the traveling Christmas stockings, which have accompanied us on almost every Christmas trip for the past 25 years, from London, to Latvia, to Laos (they were left behind for our Christmas on safari due to the duffel bag limitation). Lisa made the stockings for our first Christmas on Wolfe Street when we moved there in 2000 and, because we have traveled abroad each Christmas since that time, they’ve become world travelers in their own right. (One year I’ll remember to take pictures of the stockings when they’re full. . .)
During breakfast our first morning, we spotted a pod of gray whales cruising by right off the beach.
W spotted another pod from our terrace later in the same day. Pretty cool, especially considering that we took a whale watching tour out of Bar Harbor last year, and saw none. Now, unexpectedly, they were everywhere.
Sunset stockings.
Santa!
Pretty cool Peruvian / Japanese / Mexican fusion at one of the restaurants, and a rather decent bar, to boot.
Perfect freakin’ weather the entire time, which was welcome.
Oh, and Roy Kent! “He’s here, he’s there, he’s everyfucking where! Roy Kent!”
And, as always, a little wildlife to delight one of the travelers (but only one of us, to be sure).
We spent one afternoon at the nearby polo field for our first polo game.
Just an exhibition match, but it didn’t disappoint. They were pretty good.
Fortuitous cervesa choice.
Pretty short stay of just 5 days, but definitely worth it.
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