We were picked up in the morning by Javier and Beny and together with Clay headed to the airport. We said out goodbyes to everyone and with Clay's margarita recipe in hand, headed to our gate. Our flight was a quick hour and a half. We had booked an online offer at a new resort, Paradise Village (paradisevillage.com) and were excited to get there, unpack and start our holiday. We were impressed as we arrived to be greeted by an employee of the Village and were taken to our awaiting car with VIP service. When we arrived, we were not disappointed....it was truly PARADISE.....situated on its own private peninsula, the resort was styled after the Mayan pyramids, with several pyramid-style buildings of rooms, pools complete with stone slides and hut tubs, a mini zoo with tigers,monkeys and parrots, restaurants, shopping center, golf course and spa. The beach itself was out of a vacation guide with tiki huts, never ending sand and bar service. With our package, was included a guided tour of the city, two of the festive evening 'theme' meals, two golf packages and two spa services. When we entered our room, we were speechless as we had been afforded a suite complete with balcony overlooking the yacht club, sitting area,state-of-the-art full kitchen and marble bathroom with sunken tub. WOW..... We quickly unpacked and headed for the grocery store to stock up on the essential, most importantly the ingredients for the margaritas. Once organized back in our room and with jug of margarita in hand, we headed for the beach and pool, stopping along the way at various areas to get ourselves acquainted with the area. We set up on the beach under what became "our" tiki hut for the remainder of the trip and took in all this beautiful idyllic spot had to offer. When suppertime arrived, we showered and changed as we had tickets to "Mexican Fiesta" night. We were not disappointed with what we were coming to expect, as the selection of Mexican dishes was endless and the event was further enhanced with live music.

Our days were an endless blend of relaxation and pampering with no deadlines or agendas. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Puerto Vallarta and downtown boardwalk area which further included a tour of a tequila manufacturing plant where we stopped for lunch and also to the market area where various crafts could be purchased for very good prices. We indulged ourselves with several trips to the spa...massages, pedicures, body wraps...we took advantage of all there was offered and soaked up the decadence of it all. Country and Western night was especially fun as following a fabulous meal of everything Western, entertainment was provided of several native dancers,singing and dancing for everyone and a chance to ride the mechanical bull. Definitely worth trying!

Probably our favorite foray was to an event called "Rhythms of the Night" Our adventure began with a scenic sunset cruise across Banderas Bay to the isolated cove of Las Caletas. Taken then to a theater area built directly into the jungle we were treated to a hypnotic performance that will kept us spellbound with stories of an ancient civilization revealed through musicand modern dance by one of Mexico's most innovative contemporary dance troupes. After the Show, we were taken along a candle and tiki lantern lit path to our own private beach where our table was awaiting on the sand. We watched the lights in the distance, listened to the drums and surf and had a delicious meal at probably one of the most romantic places on earth.

Our time in Puerto Vallarta was unforgettable and we reminisced on the wayhome, there was not one thing we wished we had not done, that it truly was Paradise and we were sorry to leave.

We arrived back in Mexico City, rested and relaxed and met Javier at the airport as we had an eight hour stop over and he had offered to spend the afternoon with us. He took us on a tour of the downtown area of Mexico City through the museums, churches and old historical area of the city. He found yet another incredible out-of-the-way spot for lunch, on top of a hotel that looked out over the vast square, once belonging to Royalty. We were happy to hear that his daughter Karina was able to meet us for supper later that evening and we all headed to a great spot with outdoor seating for a memorable meal with a man who had become much more than a host. We would thoroughly like to thank Javier, Beny, Jose Louis, Kena, Alfredo, Gloria, Luis and Maria of the Cero Cero Kennel Club for their outstanding hospitality and friendship. The care that was given to us to make us feel welcome and to ensure we had a memorable time was above and beyond what was expected. Thank you all.

The End