PVR - Random Bird Thoughts

I am an amateur birdwatcher, a casual birdwatcher.  I enjoy the watching. I like knowing what they are. Although knowing exactly what type of Warbler, Oriole, Grasquit isn't as important as just knowing it is a Warbler, Oriole, or Grasquit.

I travel with a pair of binoculars (Bushnell 8x23), have for as long as I can remember.  I don't typically travel with a birdbook although that is going to change. 

Thank goodness I had those binos on this trip, whales, birds, dolphins, we'd have missed so much,  I do however wish I had taken my other binocs (Bushnell Legacy, 8x42) along.  Next Time!

I had quite a few bird firsts on this trip.  Not really surprising as I was on a different coast with very different bird species available.

Thank goodness again that I came across a folleto/brochure "Quick Guide to the Birds of Banderas Bay', put out by Viva Natura.  I'd be in the dark about several of the confirmed firsts had I not found it.

The Yellow Winged Caciques I had seen last year while in Vallarta, at the Botanic Gardens.
foto from wikipedia

This year however there was a large population that were regulars around the condo. 
They are pretty, noisy, obnoxious, and aggresive.

A few of my firsts -

San Blas Jay, I thought at first it was a Yucatan Jay,
but well it couldn't be, could it!?

foto from Google images



Masked Tityra              foto from wikipedia




Citreoline Trogan           foto from wikipedia




Golden Cheeked Woodpecker    foto from wikipedia




Russet-Crowned MotMot         foto from wikipedia




Orange-Fronted Parakeet         foto from wikipedia



 
we did see lots of other birds as well, sparrows, grackles, ibis, herons, robins, egrets, flycatchers, kiskadees, thrushes, grossbeaks, hummers, avocets, warblers, stilts, anhingas, cormorants, vultures, anis, cowbirds, orioles, kingbirds, saltatersdoves, sandpipers, frigates, pelicans.

It was a good birding opportunity, and all these were seen randomly while doing other things - just imagine if I'd actually been looking for birds!

PVR - Random Thoughts

Tom and I first started going to Puerto Vallarta (PVR) in the mid/late 70's. 

For about 20 years we went yearly.   OMG the changes!

The airport Oh my gosh!  The airport itself is really nice, but trying to depart the area is an obstacle course of vendors.  Do Not make eye contact, walk rapidly through them all until you get outside the airport, then get your cab.  You pay a premium to use the airport taxis.  Tom and I are fairly light packers so we departed the airport and walked out to the road and down a short way and got a regular taxi and paid 120mxp to get from the airport to the Conchas Chinas area where our friends were staying.  If we had opted for an airport cab the rate listed was 260mxp.

We have always stayed South of the Rio Cuale.  We always, well almost always, ate at small cocina economicas or small food stands.  We were budget travellers.  Not anymore, and good thing, because PVR is expensive!! 

We could get week long packages for air and hotel for just a few hundred dollars each.  ONCE, we stayed at an all inclusive in what was then a newly developing area to the North (Blue Bay Getaway)  not even as far as the marina.  And even the all inclusive was only about 500USD each ...   We ate breakfast on the grounds then took off, we tried to utilize their grounds but they were all about loud music, tequila shots, and group pool dances,... eeeeshkkkk!

Puerto Vallarta used to be called exactly that - Pueto Vallarta - Now, due to ever increasing expansion, there is Viejo Vallarta, Marina Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta, WhoKnowsWhatsNext Vallarta - so now it's just called 'Vallarta'.

Vallarta is all about Tourists!  Vendors are thick everywhere you go, and aggressive, and insistent, and annoying, and will make me think twice before going back.

English is widely spoken.

The Beach was PACKED! It was really crowded.

The beach, which I believe is Public Domain, is none the less segmented into private Domains; and you can tell as you move between domains, it is that obvious.  Inside each domain a restaurant/hotel/whatever has set up their umbrellas, seats, tables, kingdom.  That's ok, I do like beach service!  Drinks are expensive, food is expensive, but hey, you're at the beach. 
There are 'Special' Beach Domains set up for 'Gays'.  It's odd to me that there are notices stating that this beach is a 'Gay' beach. There is even a Gay AND Lesbian Domain.  Are Gays not allowed at the other areas? Am I not allowed in the Gay area, or is it a warning?  Although I must admit it must be nice to be able to openly affectionate with your loved one - Something I as a straight person take for granted!  The ability to walk hand in hand,  or with your arms around each other, or to share a kiss.  To ALL my gay friends - I am SO sorry you need to be gaurded with your affections. So sorry!
 
Shopping - I was looking for some little remembrances to bring back for friends - I couldn't find anything there that I can't find at the beach areas here around Merida, and for less Money!  A friend there, who buys beautiful large scale silver and stones jewelry had been looking at pieces in Vallarta, and then on a day trip to Bucerias found same/similar pieces for, in some cases, 100USD less.  I bought a candle at the grocery, and a pullover cotton jacket because I was so cold.
 
The food options - and oh there were/are options.  It's one thing we do miss here in Merida are food options.  Things are changing here in Merida, and more exciting food options are evolving, but at a price.  We did take advantage of the options in Vallarta, we ate alot and often.  Even staying in a condo with a kitchen we almost exclusively ate out.  Now I can be conservative when eating at home, but for whatever reason when I go out, it is no holds barred, I eat, I eat a lot, and I eat it all....
 
Mountains!   Vallarta sits against a mountain, and is built upon and expanding up the mountain.  Oh the vistas, the altitude, the weather changes, it really was lovely.  Although the 10 days we were there the temperatures were quite low!  Only got my feet in the water, and even then, brrrr!
 
Buses, bus transportaion in Vallarta is an 'E' ride.  Tickets within Vallarta are 6.5pesos each, no transfers, each entry requires payment.  Buses to outlying areas are more depending on where you  awe going.  Buses have assigned stops, but will pick you up sometimes in between stops.  They will pick up as many people as are willing to squeeze into the aisle.  If the bus you need is coming in your direction you need to wave, or stick up your hand to let them know you want them to stop, else they keep going.  Do not expect them to let you get seated before they start going again.
 
Taxis are quite reasonable.  You get/agree on a price BEFORE you get going.  The price is for the taxi, not per person.  There are Zones, with fixed rates; unfortunately only the cabbies seem to have access to this info!
 
Just some random observances I wanted to share, of course being with friends makes everything seem ok.

Puerto Vallarta - A whale tale

On my 'Must Do' list for this trip to Puerto Vallarta was/is a whale watching tour. 

In my research I had tentatively selected Ocean Friendly because they have a sound record of ecology and care towards the whales, the bay, and the environment.  They are the most expensive, but based on their history and care for the environment I thought it was worth it. 

Their site is nicely set up, very informative, and fairly easy to navigate.  They accept both charge card and PayPal.  Neither Tom nor I brought a charge card, we did however bring our newly acquired mexican bank debit card, oh, and cash.  I made a few inquiries via email, both of which required a 24 hr turnaround.  I checked availability online as instructed and selected a Wednesday morning tour.  Wednesday, 2 February is the 5 year anniversary of our arrival as residents to Merida.  We had 2 more questions, one regarding the size of the boat, and the max number of people,  we waited, and waited for an email response, unfortunately missed their phone call and thhn got the email response. small boat (30ft) and small group (12 people max)    Now, we really wanted to make payment in person, and in cash...was there anywhere that this could be accomplished?  Speaking with Angelica over the phone was pleasant and she instructed us to a Dive Shop where we could make payment.  Off we went.

During my phone conversation with Angelica she indicated she would contact the dive store so they knew we were on our way and what we wanted.  At the Dive Shop we encountered Nelly, who we would find out later is a long time associate of Oscar the owner/operator of Ocean Friendly.    Nelly was confused about what we wanted, made a few phone calls, started filling out a form and asked us more questions about what trip we wanted.  She filled out the form and gave us a price considerably higher than we expected.   I left the room to call Angelica again.  Angelica was gone, and this is when my conversations with Oscar began.  Oscar explained that the only trip available on Wednesday was a 'Special' Oceanographic Whale tour.  I explained that all we wanted was the 'Regular' whale tour.
I was starting to feel odd about this arrangement, a business that doesn't have an office? that sends you to another business to make your arrangements and payments.  Negotiating with a business I was not familiar with...
At this point we opted to decline the tour and we left.  Oscar did follow up with a phone call apologizing for the confusion.

Earlier in the day, in our efforts to find an actual Office, where a whale tour could be arranged a lovely young brit, Mark, at the PADI Dive Shop 'Banderas Scuba Republic' gave us a recommendation for eco-tours.  Unfortunately none of his attempts to reach them by phone were accomplished.  He did however give us a map and explain where they were located.

So from our unfulfilled attempt to secure a whale watching trip with OceanFriendly we opted to go find eco-tours.  We arrived at the eco-tours office - a lovely shop by the way.  Isabella greeted us, and after my faulty attempt to explain in Spanish what we wanted she indicated in perfect English that she in fact spoke English.  Isabella is stick thin with long black hair and a slightly Amy Winehouse look - very pleasant and friendly.  We explained what we wanted; an early morning trip to observe hump-back whales, small boat, small group, and on Wednesday morning.   WELL - their Wednesday morning trip was full, but we could go on Wednesday afternoon.  No, we really want morning.  We could have Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday morning.

We knew from the local forecast that the temps are expected to drop on Thursday and Friday so we are now paid in full and scheduled for a Sunday morning whale watching experience.  I hate that it is pushed out so close to the end of our trip.  But I will  remain positive and anticipate that Sunday morning will dawn beautifully and the whales will be jumping and playing, and be quite interactive with us, we will get amazing photos, and I will be drawn to tears and the splendor!

photo from NationalGeographic site

Puerto Vallarta - whale watching and other wildlife adventures

January/February 2011

So it is really difficult to plan to do anything that requires leaving the condo before noon to 1pm.

It's Humpback Whale season in the Bahia de Banderas.

Every morning you sit waiting, and you are not disappointed - Whales, dolphin, birds, all abound.

We have seen humpback whales each morning; some displays are spectacular - the other day an adult and a baby were actually playing, rolling a fin slapping, tails up, noses up, it was AMAZING.   This morning a grouping of 6, blowing, breaching, rolling, swimming, again AMAZING. 

We are planning to go on a whale watching tour - Well if I can get ANY word back from the Tour Operators.  They all seem to want to only work over the internet....  I want to go to an office - make contact, talk to someone, make a payment, get a receipt...is that too much to ask?????

We also dolphin with regularity - they are sometimes in small pods and sometimes alone.  Sometimes they are playing and feeding, and sometimes just passing by.

Lots of pelicans, alone and in formation, sometimes passing by sometimes divinf head first into the water after some unseen by us prey!


There are several large African Tulip Trees just across the street and these are favored feeding areas for Caciques.

 

Kiskadees are raising and fledging babies nearby and sit on the palapa roof by the pool to teach and feed,  flocks of 20+ small parrots are frequent passerbys with all their raucus behaviors.   There are quite a few date palms closeby too,  these attract among other things squirrels; we walk past the squirrels as they hang suspended upside down by their back feet stuffing their furry little faces with dates.

It's a wild and crazy world isn't it!

Puerto Vallarta -

Tom and I are in Puerto Vallarta. 

We are visiting friends from Colorado who have been down here for 2+ months already, and won't leave for another month or so.

They have a condo high on a hill with an amazing view of the bay!

Tom and I started visiting Puerto Vallarta back in the 70's and used to come quite often.  Living in Colorado Springs, charters from Denver to PVR were quite reasonable.   Now, well we rarely get here - although we were here just a short while back with some other friends, who coincidentally were staying in a different condo complex on the same hill, also with an amazing (whale-less) view.

Anyway, we're in PVR, so my next few posts will about being here!