Making Money in Paradise

1-23-13 – Paradise Village Marina, Nuevo Vallarta, MX

Who doesn't have 3 story tall Mayans
in their lobby?

We have left the cruising world for a short sabbatical into the world of resort living.  Recently we have finished with a round of parental visits, which they claim was just to say hi and have some fun in Mexico.  But we know that they really wanted to make sure we were still alive and not in the grips of the ever present drug wars so eloquently reported on in the States.  The foray into resort living started with our stay at the Grand Mayan Resort.  For the first time in more than seven months we left Autumn Wind for a night all by herself.  I’m guessing this is how mothers feel when they leave their new babies at daycare for the first time.  I kept telling myself it was just more convenient to spend a few days with Elizabeth’s parents at the Grand Mayan and that I would really rather be back on Autumn Wind; probably more for Autumn Wind’s sake than mine.  I mean who would want to spend four nights in an air conditioned suite at a five star resort, with a lazy river and a big water slide, a little personal pool on the patio and nice enough that you aren’t allowed to take your own bags up to your room?  When just across the 

Our very first non-floating bed in 7 months

harbor is your own little house with no AC, only a 5 minute walk to the bathroom and showers without warm water?  Honestly I did feel a little separation anxiety.  We fell into the tourist roll well; partaking in the Rhythms of the Night excursion aboard a big power cat out to an anchorage on the South side of Banderas Bay for a great dinner and show and then back to Nuevo Vallarta.  Free cocktails helped to ease my pain of not seeing Autumn Wind for that night.  A city tour on a large tour bus with a bunch of five day vacationers was a little bit of a let down as the tour guide counted everything that was bought at the stops to collect her cut of the kickbacks.  It was just too obvious to ignore.   It was tough but we floated around the lazy river a few times and rode the water slide a bunch of times; lounged around the pool (with our own beers from the Deposito of course, we are still cruisers at heart)  and played some ping pong; a luxury we just couldn't fit on Autumn Wind. 

Boat ride to the Rhythms of the Night show

No trip to Puerto Vallarta is complete without a walk down
the Malecon

After a few days of this my mother showed up and we moved back onto Autumn Wind and then she stayed at Paradise Village, basically looking down on the boat; also affording us the ability to continue our, now accustomed, resort lifestyle.  When we checked in to the marina at Paradise Village we were informed that while we have the ability to use all of the facilities at the resort, they were not able to give us towel privileges because apparently cruisers are just to hard on the beach towels; polishing stainless and cleaning boats with them.  We showed them and signed in under moms room number.  I almost washed the boat with a resort beach towel, but refrained because that seemed too much like work and we are resorters now.  We took full advantage of mom’s stay at Paradise Village as well.  

1.  They have a caged tiger at the resort
2. They have to tell you not to touch it
3.  maybe as a cruiser I'm used to a little more self preservation than
the average tourist

Sitting under the little beach palapas reading books and ordering drinks like blue margaritas and pina coladas from the waiter.  “charge it to the room” may be my new favorite saying.  I just wonder how long I can get away with that now that’s mom has left.  We watched a little playoff football in the hotel lobby bar with people who seem to have seen more than one football game this year and even attended an authentic Mexican fiesta complete with blanco tequila by the gallons (that’s actually the not so great tequila for those of you who haven’t spent time in Mexico refining your tequila knowledge; but tourists don’t know that) a tugboat race and some acrobatic pole walking for more free tequila. 

Fireworks are standard fare in Mexico

I almost made it

Mom and me on the beach before the fiesta

  That is what an authentic Mexican fiesta is all about right?  Either way we used our time in the resorts to it’s full advantage and had a great time visiting with the parents.  Now they know we are alive and safe.

Always time for a street taco

John, Susan and Elizabeth ready to ride ATV's
SMILE

To compliment our resort stays I even had the opportunity to make some money.  As I've previously stated, one of the hardest part of all this is watching hard earned money fly out of your accounts while there is nothing going in.  It is a very disconcerting feeling that makes you instantly super cheap about everything.  After innocently enough inquiring about an ATV tour we were signed up for a time share presentation at Paradise Village.  All we had to do is pretend that we were staying at the Grand Mayan (not on our boat in the marina at Paradise Village, because there is apparently much higher profits in stealing people from other resorts than from the resort they are staying at)

Ready to go.  Yep, on a city street in shorts
and flip flops (don't worry there was only
one tequila tasting during the ride)

say that we were employed and making 40k or more and pretend to honestly be interested in a timeshare property.  No problem we said.  For our 2.5 hours of attendance we would get $200 (yes US dollars) off the ATV trip and $800 pesos to spend at the grocery store.  We narrowly made it out of the presentation without taking advantage of the one day only special, deal of the century they offered us.  I was in, thankfully Elizabeth was sceptical of most everything so she drug me out without 2 weeks of great family vacations every other year at a greatly discounted price, that would last forever, and in fact is an investment for our unborn children.  So I made some money there, or at least spent less on the ATVs and made 70ish dollars for groceries.  Incidentally the ATV tour turned out to be a blast and one of the highlights of the week.  To complete my money making this week, at the Mexican Fiesta there were some high stakes betting as to who could reel in a plastic tugboat fastest across the pool.  We dug deep and put a 50 note down on number three….and doubled our money!  (did I mention it was $50 pesos, so we won about about 4 bucks) 

Making Money

 As you can see, hanging out in paradise has paid off for us. Unfortunately making 850 pesos every two weeks probably won’t keep the cruising dream alive very long.  Until a little better gig comes along I think we’ll keep looking for long term employment, using the free internet in the hotel lobby and be content knowing I could have used a hotel towel to clean my boat; they got off easy this time.