Dreams & Conference – Day 1, dinner at Oceana
Dear diary, I am sitting in bed, listening to the waves crashing into the rocky hill and the sand, and thinking back on how Puerto Vallarta confuses and amuses us.
1. At custom they tell you to push a button, if it’s green, you go through, if it’s red, you gotta do some checking, and from what we can tell it’s completely random. But it seems there’s more green than red.
2. As soon as we walk out of custom with our luggage trailing behind, we enter the “shark tank”: forty or more men line up on both sides calling “senoritas” to hook us up with their taxi service, and we do what we know best (from months of practice with the homeless people on Shattuck): keep our eyes straight ahead and walk like we know where we’re going (even when we don’t).
3. The taxi driver will get you to the hotel by hook or by crook, even if it means squeezing between a stopping bus and the curb, or weaving in and out between a bus and another car. I swear I heard a “thump” once, but I didn’t check to see if there’s any dent to our left side. Now there are probably too many already to recognize, seeing that the streets have no lane and the drivers have no fear. And it was a manual car.
4. There’s a Walmart, and according to our fellow conference attenders, it sells no beef jerky.
5. The moment we step off the taxi in front of the hotel lobby at Dreams Puerto Vallarta, a man comes with wet lemongrass infused towels and champagne glasses for each guest. However, someone in our group came walking on foot with a backpack and received neither towel nor champagne.
6. For $140 per night per person (conference rate), you get a hotel room with ocean view, free room service, free food (all meals at all restaurants in the Dreams Resort and ordered to your room), free minibar in the fridge, however internet costs extra, and to really make a question mark pop, the bottle opener is a little steel thing built in to the counter near the bathroom sink.
By the time we finish checking in and waddling up to our room, there’s only 3 minutes left to the end of lunch, so we order a Vallarta pizza featuring shrimp with dapples of garlic, olive oil, basil and tomato sauce. When your stomach is hungry for hours, anything would hit the spot. But the shrimps, so juicy and plump and just slightly salty, kinda hold a special place in my mind, whether I’m full or not.
A few hours after sundown we meet up at seafood-specialized Oceana for the first (and last) proper meal of the day, and we go all out on three courses, starting with a shrimp spring roll served with a tangle of crunchy airy fried rice noodle, an ample drizzle of sweet mango sauce, and on the side stands endive and sesame sprout in nori wrap.
Victoria opts for a Saint Jacques scallop served in creamy cheesy sauce on a half shell.
The entrees come fluidly after: a generous portion of sea bass for Victoria and a salmon and scallop wellington for me. The fluff pastry is a bit too oily and chewy I can hardly saw off a polite bite with the knife, but the scallop cubes on the side and the mash potato under it all have just the right charred amount that helps retaining the suppleness of a calm, seasoned sea.
The banana tartine for dessert is a little sweeter than my expectation, although I don’t know why I would expect fried and caramelized banana mounted on a sugary brioche to be moderately plain. It must be the pristine night wind that numbs my senses. Bsides, when you cast your eyes out to the silver reflection of the moon on the ocean waves, the sea has captured you.
Oceana Seafood Restaurant –
Dreams Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa
Playa Las Estacas S/N
Carretera Barra de Navidad Km. 3.5
Puerto Vallarta, Jal. 48300 Mexico
I’ve recently started a site, the info you provide on this website has helped me tremendously. Thanks for all of your time & work.
1Fantastic goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just too wonderful. I actually like what you’ve obtained right here, really like what you’re stating and the best way wherein you assert it. You’re making it enjoyable and you continue to take care of to stay it wise. I can not wait to learn far more from you. That is actually a wonderful site.
2I’m not sure where you’re getting your information, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for magnificent information I was looking for this info for my mission.
3You got a very good website, Gladiolus I detected it through yahoo.
4This is really interesting, You’re a very skilled blogger. I’ve joined your rss feed and look forward to seeking more of your excellent post. Also, I’ve shared your web site in my social networks!
5Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You obviously know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your weblog when you could be giving us something enlightening to read?
6Have you ever thought about adding a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is important and everything. Nevertheless imagine if you added some great pictures or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with pics and video clips, this site could undeniably be one of the best in its niche. Superb blog!
7Good write-up, I’m normal visitor of one’s site, maintain up the nice operate, and It is going to be a regular visitor for a lengthy time.
8You have done a great job explaining this subject. Nice write-up, keep it up.
9I learned a few useful things from this post. Much appreciated!. Really appreciate the detailed explanation.
10Normally I do not read article on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very pressured me to take a look at and do so! Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thank you, very nice post.
11I am not sure where you are getting your information, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more. Thanks for wonderful info I was looking for this info for my mission.
12Thanx for the effort, keep up the good work Great work, I am going to start a small Blog Engine course work using your site I hope you enjoy blogging with the popular BlogEngine.net.Thethoughts you express are really awesome. Hope you will right some more posts.
13Hey very nice web site!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your website and take the feeds alsoKI’m satisfied to find numerous useful info right here within the post, we want work out extra techniques on this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .
14Fantastic post however , I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this subject? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Appreciate it!
15I also believe therefore, perfectly written post! .
16Good write-up, I’m regular visitor of one’s website, maintain up the excellent operate, and It is going to be a regular visitor for a long time.
17Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I found this post valuable. Great work, looking forward to more posts.
18Heya are using WordPress for your blog platform? I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and create my own. Do you need any html coding knowledge to make your own blog? Any help would be really appreciated!
19I enjoyed reading this blog. Keep up the excellent work!. Thanks for sharing this useful information.
20I went over this internet site and I think you have a lot of good info , bookmarked (:.
21I am often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new information.
22I got what you intend, regards for putting up.Woh I am thankful to find this website through google.
23Everyone loves what you guys are usually up too. This type of clever work and reporting! Keep up the superb works guys I’ve included you guys to blogroll.
24You have remarked very interesting points! ps decent internet site.
25Hello my friend! I wish to say that this article is amazing, nice written and include approximately all important infos. I’d like to peer more posts like this .
26I have recently started a web site, the information you provide on this site has helped me greatly. Thank you for all of your time & work. “Men must be taught as if you taught them not, And things unknown proposed as things forgot.” by Alexander Pope.
27Hi , I do believe this is an excellent blog. I stumbled upon it on Yahoo , i will come back once again. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and help other people.
28Hi there just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading properly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different web browsers and both show the same results.
29Really fantastic info can be found on blog. “You have to learn that if you start making sure you feel good, everything will be okay.” by Ruben Studdard.
30I am writing to let you know what a fine encounter our child enjoyed studying your web site. She figured out numerous things, which included what it’s like to possess an awesome giving style to get a number of people easily completely grasp certain extremely tough things. You undoubtedly surpassed people’s desires. Thanks for distributing these great, trustworthy, informative and as well as fun guidance on this topic to Lizeth.
31I think other website proprietors should take this website as an example , very clean and superb user pleasant pattern.
32Appreciate it for helping out, excellent info .
33구미오피는 이 페이지에서 구미의 오피스텔 형태 공간에서 일반 관리 서비스를 제공하는 곳을 뜻합니다. 프로그램 이름만 보고 결정하기 어렵다면 관리 항목과 실제
34구미오피는 이 페이지에서 구미의 오피스텔 형태 공간에서 일반 관리 서비스를 제공하는 곳을 뜻합니다. 프로그램 이름만 보고 결정하기 어렵다면 관리 항목과 실제
35This is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!
36Do you mind if I quote a few of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your website? My blog is in the very same area of interest as yours and my users would really benefit from a lot of the information you provide here. Please let me know if this alright with you. Thanks a lot!
37I like this web blog very much, Its a real nice situation to read and find info .
38Thanks for sharing this useful information. I will definitely visit again. This is exactly what I was looking for.
39A very good read. I look forward to seeing your future articles. Nice write-up, keep it up.
40Today, I went to the beachfront with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is completely off topic but I had to tell someone!
41