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JK Patrick

The taxis are air-conditioned vans that pile you in at $3.00 per person and drop you off at, you guessed it, their pre-arranged expensive jewelry store downtown. That's fine. Pile in with your fellow cruisers and when you get downtown, just walk away to do your own shopping if you want. Check out the old church (Iglesia de la Virgen de Guadalupe, they ask that you please don't wander around inside wearing shorts unless you stay near the door, this is a holy place). The main plaza is here, and worth taking some gorgeous pictures of the unique sculptures along the waterfront with the ocean in the background. There are three Sergio Bustamante galleries here, and if you are looking for a nice gift for someone special back home (or yourself), he is still The premier jewelry artist in Mexico. He's surprisingly affordable for the quality of his work which he signs (pendants can be about $80.00 upwards). He has three galleries in P.V., and the biggest is on the third street up perpendicular to the water, to the east of the main plaza. His jewelry is quite distinctive, and when you see it, you'll see why so many other artists appear to be "copying" his work, having come from the same school of art. If you buy silver here, make sure they include their distinctive polishing cloth. They will always include a Certificate of Authenticity, naming the piece you buy. It's great fun, even if you don't buy a thing.

We grabbed a taxi (always take the Nissan taxis with the yellow doors) to the Marina Zone where the fancy hotels are. This cost about 40 pesos. The Westin and the Marriott are beautiful resorts. The Westin had delicious shrimp quesadillas and a very trendy beach restaurant/bar called Nikki Beach, with white-clad servers, next to these large, round beach lounges that have puffy pillows piled up in the middle, fanning out in the shape of a star for sunbathers. Reminded us of the trendy Sand Bar atop W Hotels.