Lisbon’s lovely Tagus River beckoned, so of course Bob hopped
on a boat! He was a little underwhelmed.
It was a fine tour, nothing spectacular. Bob enjoyed a relaxing
couple of hours seeing Lisbon's main monuments, such as the 25th of April
Bridge, Praça do Comércio, and the Tower of Belém, among many others. The one-and-a-half-hour
round-trip tour cost 26 euros, or about $28 US. You can also choose to go just
one way for less.
We don’t recommend it if your time in Lisbon is short.
Want to feel like you’re rich and famous? Come with us on
Part 3 of our tour of a Mexican mega-resort, the luxurious Vidanta Nayarit on
the west coast of Mexico.
We’ll tour more of enormous Vidanta, including La Cantina, Gong, and
other restaurants; the Grand Bliss; the Mayan Palace; walking on the boardwalk pathways
that connect the resort; the Plaza marketplace that carries everything you need
(groceries, bakery, froyo, flip flops, sunglasses), and everything you don't (
gourmet chocolate, jewelry); the Sanctuario entertainment hub; and many other
parts of this breathtaking resort.
Want to see what you missed? Part 1 took
us from arrival at Puerto Vallarta Airport, through transit to the resort, and
the check-in experience.
In Part 2, we took an early morning tour of Vidanta’s Grand
Mayan Hotel and beyond, including breakfast, restaurants, beach, pools, fitness
center, a lazy river, and the sky dream gondola. Soak up the lifestyle of the
rich and famous!
Thanks for joining us on this three-part
tour of this Mexican mega-resort!
When we bought a fractional ownership at Vidanta Resort in
Mexico, we had no idea the world of luxury we would soon encounter. We’re a middle-class family, not accustomed to the perks of the super-rich that we find at Vidanta. If you’re like
us, you’ll enjoy taking me take a three-part tour of this Mexican
mega-resort, and spend a few minutes feeling like one of the rich and famous.
In this Part 2 of our Mexican
Mega-Resort Experience series on the Messy Suitcase travel channel, we’ll take an early
morning tour of Vidanta’s Grand Mayan Hotel and beyond, including breakfast,
restaurants, beach, pools, fitness center, a lazy river, and the sky dream
gondola. Soak up the lifestyle of the rich and famous!
Part 1 took us from arrival at Puerto
Vallarta Airport, through transit to the resort, and the check-in experience.
Part 3 – coming soon! – will feature a tour of more of the enormous Vidanta,
including La Cantina, Gong, and other restaurants; the Grand Bliss; the Mayan
Palace; walking on the boardwalk pathways that connect the resort; the Plaza
marketplace that carries everything you need (groceries, bakery, froyo, flip
flops, sunglasses), and everything you don't ( gourmet chocolate, jewelry); the
Sanctuario entertainment hub; and many other parts of this breathtaking resort.
It’s Messy Suitcase’s first visit to Portugal, and Bob is
traveling alone! He plans to spend a few days in Lisbon courtesy of a layover
opportunity through TAP Air Portugal.
Because his flight landed at 530 AM, Bob stowed his luggage
in Lisbon through an app called Bounce so he could explore the city before he
checked into his Airbnb. He discovered amazing tilework in the cobblestones, plazas,
parks, the Marques de Pombal statue, Avenida Libertad, and a lot of truly
brilliant architecture.
Of course, he hopped onto the Hop On Hop Off Bus and gave us
his impressions from the top of the HOHO. He got on the first one of the day,
and found it to be a great way to get oriented to the city despite jetlag.
A Mexican Mega-Resort Experience, Part 1: Arrival at Vidanta
When we bought a fractional ownership at Vidanta Resort, we
had no idea about the world of luxury we would soon find ourselves wrapped in.
Two ordinary, middle-class people who allowed ourselves to get sucked into the timeshare
game, we are not accustomed to valets transporting our luggage to our room, or
giant soaking bathtubs in our bathrooms, or massive
fitness centers, or luxury spas, incredible swimming pools, a lazy river
outside the door, or countless other perks of the super-rich that we find at
Vidanta.
Come take a three-part tour of a Mexican
mega-resort, and spend a few minutes feeling like one of the rich and famous.
Part 1 takes us from arrival at Puerto
Vallarta Airport, through transit to the resort, and the check-in experience.
Part 2 takes us on an early morning tour of the Grand Mayan
and beyond, including breakfast, restaurants, beach, pools, fitness center, a
lazy river, and the sky dream gondola
Part 3 takes us on a tour of more parts of enormous Vidanta,
including La Cantina, Gong, and other restaurants: the Grand Bliss, the Mayan
Palace, walking on the pathways, the Plaza marketplace that carries everything
you need (groceries, bakery, froyo, flip flops, sunglasses),and everything you
don't ( gourmet chocolate, jewelry), the Sanctuario entertainment hub, and many
other parts of the resort.
The remarkable hike to and from
Charco El Pilón in Puerto Rico’s Maricao State Forest is a challenging rocky,
muddy 2 ½-mile scramble along -- and often through -- the "El Chorote” branch
that arrives at the El Pilón stream. The forest is lush and shady, and the terrain
is hilly and challenging. The payoff is a spectacular waterfall and swimming
hole.
You’ll find the trailhead at the end of Route 362, high in
the mountains in San Germán, Cabo Rojo, on the southwestern corner of the island. You can park in front of road barriers or alongside the road. The well-maintained trail immediately, just to the left of a
little house, takes you down and then up a steep hill, and it’s game on!
Charco El Pilón is a 30-foot-high
waterfall with a deep, clear pool beneath, perfect for swimming in (we kept our
shoes on).
Here are a few tips to enhance your
experience:
·Start early to
avoid the crowds and get a good parking spot. We encountered a guided group of
at least 50 people on our way back.
·Bring lots of
water.
·Wear a swimsuit!
·Wear shoes with
a good grip that you can get wet! I wore Hoka trail running shoes that
drained easily and could be washed afterward. Bob wore hiking boots, which were
more of a challenge to get clean.
Many have told us about the outstanding quality of the Ponce
Art Museum (Museo de Arte), but two large earthquakes in January 2020 changed
all that, when the main building was badly damaged and closed. They finally
reopened a section of the museum this year, and we decided to check it out!
After the earthquakes, the Museum displayed items at its gallery
in San Juan, and took to the streets with workshops to shelters and schools.
When COVID hit, it expanded its digital platform. Now it’s gradually opening
again while raising funds to repair the earthquake damage.
The museum still has very limited offerings, though we
really enjoyed what we saw. It costs just $6 to get in, half price for seniors.
Free guided tours are conducted at 10 AM (Spanish) and 1 PM (English).
