Weekends have largely lost all meaning for me. As a freelancer, I work when I have work, not on a regular schedule, which means I am ruled by deadlines as opposed to a traditional workweek.
But this Sunday, I only had one deadline and I finished it early because ya gurl has BEACH PLANS with pals!
Last year, I taught theater/drama part-time for one of the local international schools here in Vallarta (I’m taking this year off due to the pandemic), and I was long overdue for some catching up with some awesome fellow teachers I met there. We’re meeting at Swell, my favorite beach spot, and since I live in Old Town I’m just walking over there to meet them. It’s a gorgeous day, so I’m masked up and taking my time strolling to the beach.
Emerging onto the Malecón, I am surprised to see so many rocks on the beach between Blue Shrimp and Daiquiri Dick’s. But then I remember that there have been a lot of really big waves lately; there’s sand and more rocks all over the Malecón to the north by Vitea, too.
Finally, I arrive at Swell, a margarita arrives at my table, and my friends arrive a few minutes later. We had a great afternoon chatting and laughing in the sun, people-watching, and greeting friends passing by. The school is still online, which I know is really difficult; my last few weeks of last year were also online, and it was twice as much work to revamp everything while keeping the students engaged. I can’t imagine having to do it for a full year. If you know any teachers, give them a safely distanced high-five and probably also a nice bottle of wine. This shit is HARD, and these folks are HEROES.
Due to the current Emergency Button restrictions, the beach bars have to close at 3PM, and sure enough, the staff at Swell begins packing up the tables and chairs at about 2:50. We’re technically inside, not on the beach, so we lingered for a few minutes more watching it all clear out, before leaving.
My friends had to head back to where they live in Nuevo, and I headed to another favorite spot in town to grab a beer or two or three with my fella. And not just any beer, delicious craft beers – in an extremely covid-safe environment – from Monzón Brewing Co!
We enjoyed a few beers and a plate of Monzón’s legendary tater tots. These are not your typical, Ore-Ida frozen bag of tots. These are more like croquettes: round, fried balls of potato, crispy on the outside and soft and almost creamy on the inside. They come with a little bowl of house-made chipotle sauce for dipping, and are one of the most satisfying small plates in town. You can also get them loaded up with nacho toppings, for a magical treat they call “totchos.”
After Monzón we headed home, planning to make some pierna (pork leg – great for tacos or pulled pork sammies, mmm!) in our instant pot, but by the time we got in, greeted & fed our dogs, and sat down, we just didn’t feel like cooking (or maybe it was those big tasty beers, hmmm), so we instead got a couple of liters of pozole from Cenaduria Celia, the best in the neighborhood!
I love this stuff so hard, guys. It’s a rich broth, just bursting with shredded pork and chewy hominy, that you customize to your exact liking by adding the “goodies” they give you in the accompanying bag: shredded cabbage, lime, onion, and a sauce that is very spicy, and very delicious. All for around 70 pesos! Once you doctor it up the way you like it, you can add some crushed tortilla chips for a bit of added crunch. Sometimes we like to add a little dollop of sour cream… especially if we got a little too enthusiastic with the hot sauce and need to balance it out with some creamy fat.
Pozole consumed, dogs walked, jammies on: time for dog snugs and Netflix. Perfect end to a nearly perfect day in PV. Buenas Noches, and see you next time!