#CoffeeWalkPuertoVallarta! To know me is to know I love this place. Over the years we've stayed in different areas all over town. Aside from beach front, the areas I find the most charming are in the hills even though that means a daily uphill slog to go home. I think of it as my leg-day program. This trip we are high above the city (3 full blocks of stairs up the steep hills), in what is sometimes referred to as Gringo Gulch. Though it might just be the gringos who call it that. Two different taxi drivers had never heard of it.
For today's Coffee Walk I wanted to go up to the mirador (viewpoint) above the city. I don't visit it every time we come because it's a super steep stair walk up the mountain, but today the conditions were just right, meaning I was up early enough that it wasn't too hot yet, and there was a nice breeze going. I had also seen on Google Maps that there's a coffee shop at the top! So here we go...
Walking through the neighborhood.Stopped here for coffee a few blocks from our place because I'm skeptical about the coffee at the mirador. My travel philosophy, which has rarely failed me, is to take the opportunities that are given to me.Cheers, Cafe Luslo.So since we already live in the hills, I got to skip the first several uphill blocks to get here. But this spot begins the much steeper climb. It's so steep the roads are built with thick grooves for better traction.This time of day, there were a lot of dogs out on the streets. I don't think they are strays. I think they are just allowed out during the day to live their best lives.Took a break to breathe. This is looking down hill, obviously. Is it interval training, if I stop for breaks?Now up a million steps. I was the only casual walker up here, with coffee cup in hand, lol. Everyone else was very hard core doing actual exercise climbing these things quickly and multiple times. Like doing laps.The final stair climb toward the mirador.Sunrise at the top.Looking east.From here you can see the giant Day of the Dead Katrina on the malecon (waterfront). It's the green speck on the left where the buildings meet the ocean.I knew it! Here's the so called Cafe Cerro de la Cruz, at the top. It was showing up as "open" on Google Maps. In my heart I knew it was too good to be true. Glad I got coffee earlier.Close up of the Katrina. And also, you might notice the tiny swimmers in the ocean out for their daily swim.Come for the nonexistent coffee, stay for the views. Still worth it. Time to head back down.This place on the left is for sale. It's a big hell no from me.Somehow missed seeing this on my way up. Probably because I was too busy suffering.Ahhhh. Back to flat roads and almost home.
