If you don't see some of the local sights when you travel, then what, pray-tell, are you doing? I think you're missing out. We had a chance on the last night to find a new restaurant and see the local sights. So, let's get dinner up in the hills that look out over the marina and then head down to PV's boardwalk on a bustling Sunday night for some people watching, shall we?
The resort concierge hit the nail on the head with the recommendation of Vista Grill for a place with excellent food and a beautiful view.
The best part was probably sharing four items off a special "guest chef" menu that this business was participating in all week, along with many other PV restaurants.
We started with a wonderful, simple poached pear salad. Pear, greens, goat cheese, peanuts, vinaigrette. Chomp!
Then a velvety creamed corn soup with truffle foam, niblets, and a little, what I'll call, crab croquette. Slurp!
Even on a hot PV eve, it was delicious. Then, on to an amazingly fresh, look-so-good-someone-that-doesn't-eat-fish-will-try-it tuna tartare. Gulp!
I believe it was torched on the top-side, raw on the other, with an excellent balance of avacado, onion, tomatoes, and a touch of vinegar. We tore through that in anticipation of our main course, a melt in your mouth steak, a smash of huitlacoche, seasonal veggies, on a bed of corn purée.
Hard to get a great pic without a washout flash, but easily one of the best steaks we'd had in a long time. Double Chomp!
And though we didn't order dessert, they gave us a complimentary dessert amuse buche in the form of two small spoons of black sesame gelato. It was very thick and so unique...a good unique.
Muchas gracias, Vista Grill y MartÃn.
Once dinner was complete and we'd had enough time staring out over the city, we decided to walk all the way back down the high hill to the marina and boardwalk below, maybe ~2 miles. It was a lovely night with a great person to walk with. A person who helps me see the city at a slower pace, pointing out things I might not have noticed otherwise. Gracias mucho.
Like this little street decorated with its own "streamers"...
And this mural right over old pay phones...
And once we found the boardwalk, I think we also found half of PV's populace spending a nice Sunday night on the boardwalk. It was bustling!
They were busy strolling, listening to music, getting a bite to eat, and, it seemed, just enjoying the night.
Once past the throngs listening to live music, we found a more calm stretch of the boardwalk, well-lit and with more interesting things to see...
More detail...
Also more detail, all made of sand...
And finally, as we walked along, we couldn't help but notice a strange "pan flute" playing in the distance. As we got closer, we noticed something in motion high above the boardwalk. We investigated further and found men dangling from ropes high up in the air, and arrived just to see them touch down. We then sat down on the boardwalk and realize they would do it again, but when? We had to wait to find out. And lucky we did because it was very interesting to watch them set up and to perform the stunt. I'll try to show it below.
As we walked up:
Just a guy waaaay up at the top.
And their ropes still hanging low. The ladder is easily a twelve-footer. Then they all climb up a pole, must be 60' in the air at the top.
Setting up:
One person on top, one more coming up to help "wind" the ropes...
Now adding 3 and 4...
The Action:
All four on top, ropes wound around their waists and the center pole, waiting to drop over the edge and let gravity float them down...
They begin...
And the continue to wind all the rope out back to the ground, playing the pan flute and a simple drum the whole way, upside down...
They made it safely back. It was a unique display of talent that I for one was happy to witness.
After the boardwalk, we walked a bit further but finally broke down and got in a cab to head back. I'd estimate we walked about halfway back the the hotel. For me, it was a great final night in Puerto Vallarta. Me gusta mucho.