It’s weird to say it but it’s good to be back! It was a week of eating, sleeping, sunbathing, reading, eating, sightseeing, eating, walking, and did I mention eating? There was also some motion sickness but lets not think about that!
We boarded the Golden Princess on a gloomy day in LA and set sail for the Mexican Riviera, specifically to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas. Surprisingly the weather was a bit chilly for me – mid 70’s to 80’s. Never having been to Mexico in January I was expecting the hot humid days of spring.
The first two days were aboard the ship. It was nice to sleep in, mozy on up to the buffet for breakfast, lay out in the sun for a few hours, grab some lunch, retire to the cabin for a nap before heading out for the evening shows and dinner. And repeat!
What a treat it was to have daily turn down and maid service! This photo is of the nightly chocolates and our breakfast room service form.
This is our ship from the small boats that took us into Cabo San Lucas.
The first stop was in Puerto Vallarta. Having been there a few times already we decided to skip any tours and walk around downtown and have lunch on the beach. I have to say that weekends are much more festive. There are more market and food vendors, live music and many more locals out and about with their families. I would highly recommend going into downtown (the Malcacon Strip) on a Saturday or Sunday.
The next stop was in Mazatlan. The port area was beautiful with mountains in the background and colorful houses dotted along the hillsides. Here’s where we worked off the 24-hour buffet service by walking from the Golden Zone back to the ship, about 6 miles! It was a cloudy day and the walkway was located right next to the ocean so we had a great view. It was a little unfortunate that we were so tired by the time we reached Old Mazatlan because there is a church, market and some small shops that looked interesting.
Last up was Cabo San Lucas. We decided to sign up for a beach tour and got to spend the day lounging around at one of the resorts. It was the perfect sunny day. The beach is probably the best of the three cities we visited. The sand was smooth and the water clear. We drove through downtown and it looked very modern and lively.
These rocks are one of the highlights of Cabo. They call it Lovers Cove. We didn’t get to make it out there this time but I’m sure we will eventually. I love how this picture captures the rock formations and the many activities available.
After disembarking the ship we spent a day in LA before heading home. It was a nice way to wind down after the trip. A few hours in Chinatown to satisfy our cravings for Pho (Vietnamese soup) and then off to Little Saigon for rice and Vietnamese coffee.
Even with the motion sickness I will definitely cruise again (but will go see the doctor for the patch!). Next time maybe to the Caribbeans or even Europe!
