Good Times, Great Vacation in Mexico

Marlin Fishing in Mexico.

We had a great time in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The beaches were beautiful, the weather was fantastic and the food was superb. The best part was getting to know Paul and Beth Rodriguez and my dear friend Linda Sweet and her Husband Steve. We had a lot of laughs together.

Jenny caught a 20 pound Dorado that was the nicest fish we caught all day. Someday I will get a Marlin. I think the next time we go to Mexico we'll probably go to Cabo because I heard big game fishing is much better there.

I love the Mexican culture, and the people. They work hard, they play hard, and they have a pride and a dignity that some Mexican-Americans in the States just don't have nor can appreciate. I was impressed with their manners, demeanor and patience with us the whole time we were there. It was a great lesson in humility for me.

I have to say that I drank more beer in PV than I have total in the last 10 years of my life. It was very hot and humid so the beers went in the body and out the pores as soon as you drank one. I thought when I got on the plane to fly back to Oregon I was going to have to make a pit stop at a Rehab center before I went home.

The other cool thing that happened there was after putting it off for years and years I finally got some long overdue dental work done. The first Monday I was there I spent 8 hours in a dentist chair. I had a 4 tooth bridge made for my uppers, a 3 tooth partial for my lowers, a root canal and a crown made plus 6 cavities fixed. I also had my teeth whiten. Altogether I spent nearly 16 hours over a 3 day period getting my teeth fixed.

It was a grueling experience to say the least but the cost savings was unbelievable. The estimate I received from a Denist here in Astoria minus the teeth whitening was nearly $12,000. All the work I just mentioned came in under $2500 and that included the whitening. Not a bad savings is it? And both the bridge and the partial fit perfectly by the way. It seemed unreal to me that they could get both pieces made in the less than 3 days by a lab. It would have taken at least 2 to 3 weeks minimum in the States to get done what I got done in 3 days in Mexico.

So all in all Jenny and I had a great time and now it's back to the real world. When we landed in Portland Sunday night it was raining cats and dogs. When I looked at the forecast on the way home it called for rain for the next 7 days. The sunny days in Mexico may be gone but we'll have memories of it forever. Thanks Linda for giving us a gift of a lifetime.