Monthly Archives: March 2020

It has been quite a season down here. Up until about March 1 everything was as usual – fun in the sun, family visit, great friends, good food, yoga and golf. Then we started to hear about the Corona virus. You know the rest – and we all have no idea where this will go next or when it will end.

We are safely home now two weeks early and glad off it. The declaration of the Global International Travel Advisory by Canada on March 13 triggered a 10 day clause in our travel insurance policy. Our coverage would be terminated on March 23. I won’t go into the mad scramble this caused as we all started searching for earlier flights home. Thank you Air Canada for enabling us to make the necessary arrangements on line – without the need to talk to an agent as phone queues were 24 hrs or more! However the price went up, up and up.

We are both fine, laying low and self-isolating indefinitely now. Thanks for your support, prayers and understanding. We are all journeying together during this pandemic. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Stay well!

A few pic highlights from our season until we meet again.

Update March 30 day 8. We are feeling fine. We are now officially “quarantined” until Apr 6 as the government upgraded its instructions to anyone returning from international travel within the past 14 days. Means we cannot go for walks or drives anymore. Indoor pacing will have to do. Can still go out in the backyard for fresh air. Stay healthy!

We have been home safely in Canada for a week now and in self-isolation. During our last week in Nuevo Vallarta we were self-isolating as were many others. It was quite easy to do there and not an imposition. Here are some pics of this. Enjoy your self-isolation too and stay healthy.

Update March 31. Received word from our next door neighbour in Nuevo Vallarta about the closure of Dreams Villamagna Hotel until June 1, the building of a wall along the beach front (hopefully temporary!) and how trying their return to Toronto was on March 21 at the PV airport. Click here for the story about similar chaos at the Cancun airport for Canadians trying to get home. Really feel for the laid off staff as many have little or no savings and there is little their government can do for them.

Marie in her research heard about this place, so we decided to go to San Pancho for the music festival. San Francisco, referred to as San Pancho by locals, is a sleepy little beach town about an hour north of our place here in Nuevo Vallarta.

We took an Uber to the Bucerias highway bus stop and then caught the Compostella bus to Sayulita Beach, the so called surf capital of Nayarit. We were dropped off downtown at the bus station and then walked down the busy street a few blocks to the beach. Wow, lot’s of surf, young surfers, not so young surfers, hotels, bars, restaurants, etc. Very nice but a bit on the busy side. After visiting the yummy outdoor food market, we took an Uber from there to San Pancho for $75MX ($6CDN).

San Pancho bills itself as the cultural capital of Nayarit. We were immediately impressed with its sleepiness and quiet streets. The beach has even bigger waves than Sayulita which can be somewhat dangerous with rip tides. White surf was everywhere and absolutely gorgeous sand with very few buildings around. We had time for some Pacifico before checking into the Pal.Mar boutique hotel. Our small room right beside the lobby was perfect. We relaxed in the pool a bit, sipping some more Pacificos – after all we are on the Pacific Ocean.

About 5PM, we wandered a block over to the Plaza do Sul where the (free) music festival took place. There were hundreds of smiling faces of all ages ready for a good time. We saw half a dozen talented bands from rock, to flamengo, to classical, jazz and finally traditional Mexican.

We sampled the delicious food – paella and tamales – yum. A few glasses of wine later we were ‎most satisfied. After carrot cake and coffee we called it a night – a great one for sure.

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Even the dogs here are happy and calm! They wander freely with their master everywhere and never act territorily. Kids are everywhere playing as their parents operate small shops. The hotel was absolutely superb – German owned – everything worked well and was in mint condition.

Only complaint – roosters calling out all night long in the street. We figure they were happy too.‎ We are coming back next year for sure but it’s a secret, don’t spread the word.