Bus to Vallarta

Took a Coordinados bus from Melaque because it was the next to leave and little did I know it was going to become a milk run.  We made 16+ plus stops along the way.  Last time I took one that was headed south at 11:30 PM and only one stop.

I'm grateful US passports are issued for 10 years so I don't have t do it soon or maybe never again. The last renewal was in Vallarta in 2007. Last time I drove but I hardly recognize the town anymore and highway 200 is a mess with the construction.

I never got a hotel recommendation of a hotel near the bus station but Hotel Terminal is less than 2 blocks away. Nice and inexpensive. Try to get away from the street as it's a busy street.

Up in the morning and grabbed a taxi from the bus station for only 140 pesos. I was early so had time to have some pictures taken. The consulate suggests you download the application and have it filled out but they will give you the form at the window and you can fill it out there. Worked well for me

Boy have I been lazy with this blog

Mexican government headache

I am the default caretaker of Canadians construction site.They emailed me and said a friend had seen a notice on their house. I walked up with Juan and we both found nothing. Hugo went up later and found the notice crumpled up on the ground.

The first was from Obras Publicos in Cihua saying there was no construction permission. They also said the water and property tax had not been paid which only the Ejido has jurisdiction over. The next day we found a notice from Seguro giving the only contact info was in Vallarta. 

Time to visit Many, a realtor and kind of lawyer that takes care of their Seguro for the workers. He assured us that the IMSS clinic in Aguacate could take care of the Seguro. He was also going to Cihua the next day and would straighten out Obras Publicos. What a relief to have nothing more to do except check with Manny on Monday for the results.

Multiple departments not communicating is all I can figure.

Hurricane Hunter making the rounds

May 15th is the start of the Pacific season

They are in Cabo right now and should be in Vallarta next week. Shortly after that they'll be at the Manzanillo airport (ZLO). They have an open house in each city they visit .... but we went a few years ago and the line was a mile long and mostly in the sun. 

That plane flew through the heart of Hurricane Patricia last year and recorded it as the most powerful on record. Just over a month for the Pacific season to start and Atlantic starts the 1st of June.

Sparks over Vallarta

Sparks over Vallarta by Vallartagal on TomZap

Mascota and Highway 70

I went up to Vallarta a few weeks ago to get my renewed passport with the plans of making a loop thru Mascota and beyond and returning to Melaque via highway 80. I stayed one night in Bucieras before picking up the passport and another night in Autlan on the way back.

Highway 70 leaves Vallarta just south of the Nayarit border, north of the airport and next to the new Vallarta Home Depot. It's about 40 kilometers of small towns and farmland before you start into the mountains. The road is actually very good except they have cut thru some impossible hillsides making yearly roadwork a necessity. Right now (November 2007) they are working on about five major sections both east and west of Mascota. Most of the work is on the west side.

After crossing the bridge below it mostly flat land until you drop back down into Mascota. Mascota is very Colonial in a non-fancy way with one church in ruins looking as if it was a religious center for the area many years ago. Lots of classic construction and cobble stone streets.

Mascota from above


Mascota church




Mascota plaza


Highway 70 bridge

Mascota trip webpage with more fotos