Month: April 2024

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Tasting Tacos and Tequilas in Puerto Vallarta

Vallarta Food Tours’ “Experience Mexology” Food and Drink tour was one of the absolute best tours we have ever taken in all of our travels.  Over the course of 4 hours, we wandered around Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone with an incredibly knowledgeable, English-fluent guide named Luis Alba, experiencing 6 handcrafted cocktails and enjoying 6 scrumptious food tastings.

We met Luis in Lazaro Cardenas Park, also known as “The Mosaic Park” because of its incredible tile work. Luis promised – and delivered – on a comprehensive and scrumptious eating, learning, drinking experience, as he took us to a variety of places, from holes in the wall to fine restaurants. It was a fantastic way to get to know Puerto Vallarta, feel connected to the culture, and get some restaurant recommendations.

Luis Alba, our tour guide, pours a sample

Luis Alba from Vallarta Food Tours

Drinks

Food

Tour Details

The tour is described on the website this way:

Enjoy 6 handcrafted cocktails and 6 food tastings!

Drink And Eat Your Way Through Downtown Vallarta. Tacos and Tequila are at the top of everyone’s list when they come to PV. This tour gives you both in one fun and food-filled evening. This 4 hours walking, drinking and eating tour has no less than 6 cocktails including tequila, pulque, mezcal and local agave spirit: racilla. Eat tacos, drink tequila, learn about the differences in the spirits, laugh and just have an amazing afternoon with a group of like-minded travelers on this insider experience around the Romanic zone!

Info:

Vallarta Mexology Tours/Food Tours
Our Tour
Starting Point, Lazaro Cardenas Par

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Messy Suitcase New Intro

We are so proud of this awesome new intro for Messy Suitcase videos that we simply HAVE to share it! It’s a collaboration between Hamburg, Germany-based musician/composer Patrick Hamm and Champlain College Filmmaking student Gavin Greenawalt.

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Dental Tourism in Mexico: A Great Excuse to Go on Vacation

Bob needed major dental work done, so we took a Mexican vacation!

Getting crowns and eating tacos may not go together in your mind, but here’s the dirt: Dental work is way cheaper in Mexico than in the United States. The dentists are just as qualified, often US-educated, and it’s easy to find one that speaks English.

We discovered this when we were living in Guanajuato, Mexico, in 2019 and the whole family needed our teeth cleaned. We went to an ex-pats’ Facebook page and discovered that Mexico has a thriving cottage industry of dental tourism. The cost for dental care is so much less than in the States, that you can use the money you save to enjoy a lovely holiday. If you’re going to endure the pain and stress of dental care, wouldn’t you prefer to spend the rest of the day lying on a beach or drinking tequila?

You can get your dental work done anywhere in Mexico. All it takes is a Google search to find a facility. There are countless choices. We chose Puerto Vallarta because it’s one of our favorite Mexican cities. Bob found PV Smile in a convenient residential neighborhood, on the route to the Romantic Zone from our resort. Over the course of four visits, he had four fillings, two crowns, and an inlay replaced. He was very pleased with the quality of the work and the professionalism of the office. Total cost was $1,856, plus a few taxi rides. Bob just used a credit card to pay, though if you are able to pay in Mexican pesos, you get a 10% discount.

The estimate to have the same work done at Allen Pond Dental in Rutland, VT, was $3,400. With almost 50% savings, we could spend a week in Mexico! Obviously, Lisa enjoyed it a little more than Bob, because she had more time free. But Bob still enjoyed himself, and we took advantage of the trips to the dentist to explore some new neighborhoods of the city. We spent the time Bob wasn’t lying back in a dental chair doing a food and drink tour of Puerto Vallarta, enjoying the resort where we stayed, and exploring the region.

INFO

PV Smile, Dr. Noel Rivas
Facts About Dental Tourism
Map

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A Day in Boston: Swan Boats and Flying Tea

On our way to Mexico last summer, we had a few hours to kill and spent them exploring Boston. Join us as Bob attempts to annoy everyone in Beantown with his observations about Sam Adams, Faneuil Hall, the original State House, Quincy Market, and even the Boston Tea Party. We’ll also take a stroll through Boston Public Garden, and Lisa finally gets to ride in a Swan Boat!

This video debuts our awesome new original theme music, The Messy Suitcase Theme, composed by Patrick Hamm, a guitar player/singer/composer based in Hamburg, Germany. Thank you, Pat! Check out his YouTube channel.

The new introduction was created by Gavin Greenawalt.

Photos

Info

Boston Tourism
Map

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La Playita: A Local Beach, a Hidden Gem

Looking for serenity? Or a party? Depending on the day, you can find either at La Playita, one of our favorite local beaches. La Playita, found at the end of a dirt road tucked among the mangroves near Puerto Real, is just a mile or two from our home in Cabo Rojo.

The beach can be completely deserted, offering a serenity that’s hard to find anywhere else. But a holiday weekend can bring entire families partying for the day, and even overnight campers, though there are no facilities.

This picturesque stretch of white sand offers shallow waters, palm trees, and mangroves. You’ll see fish and even rays jumping out of the water, pelicans flying by, and sand crabs scurrying around. Unfortunately, you will also encounter some trash, and maybe meet a stray dog or two. People park their cars right on the beach, so it’s not a bad place for people with accessibility issues. The water is calm, warm, and fairly shallow – perfect for swimming, splashing, lounging in the water sipping a drink, fishing, or kayaking.

Photos

So grab your beach chairs, pack a cooler with drinks and some frozen Gasolinas (party in a pouch!), stop into Mercado’s Bakery to get sandwiches and chips and use the bathroom– remember, no facilities – and settle on in under a sea grape tree with a good book. Enjoy!

Info

Map

Mercado’sBakery

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Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Playa Corcega in Rincon

We spent a sweet morning at a beach in south Rincon that is popular with local swimmers and snorkelers. It’s a quiet beach with soft golden sand, but not a lot of shade. A reef can be found about 50 meters from the coastline. Unfortunately, the water kicked up a bit and kept us out of the water. Next time!

There are no amenities and no services, but the village of Rincon is a couple of miles away. Bring a cooler and your lunch.

Info
Map

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