Painted house in the Romantic Zone

Wouldn’t you know it? We leave for a week in glorious, temperate Puerto Vallarta and on the way home, our daughter calls to say that there was a 36 hour power outage so that we will need to empty the refrigerator and the freezer.

Sunset with golden path over the water

During our stay in Puerto Vallarta, the temperature varied during the day from 81 to 83 and was in the high 60’s at night. Sunsets were not as beautiful or long lasting as usual because of a cloud bank on the horizon. However, the one evening that was gorgeous we had a fascinating discussion with friends about the definition of gloaming. Turns out that it is the period between the sun disappearing and the arrival of darkness.

For the first time, we visited the Puerto Vallarta Botanical Garden, a 45 minute ride by taxi on a winding two lane road close enough to the Pacific to see the inlets and bays. I suspect that the terrain will change greatly in the next few years because so much of it is for sale.

Bougainvillea and Spanish moss

Massed neoregelias

The Garden is beautiful. There are Bougainvillea vines that have become trees and that have Spanish moss hanging down from them. Some of the beds are filled with masses of bromeliads, particularly neoregelias that are so colorful.

Aloe vera in bloom

You know that plant , Aloe vera, that we grow as a houseplant and use for cuts and burns? Here it is huge and the yellow blooms are spectacular.

Orange wall with containers of Burro’s Tail

There were several walls painted orange, as one might expect in a hot climate, and then decorated with plants in containers that had been attached to the wall.

Shade garden combination in colorful pot

One of my favorite containers was quite colorful and the plants in it, Alocasia amazonica and begonias, made a striking combination for a partly shaded area.

Jade Vine hanging from the ceiling of an arbor

Hibiscus iced tea with a sprig of Jade Vine

Jade Vine was probably the most unusual plant we saw. How can any plant be this color? It looks as though someone got out a paintbrush and dipped it into turquoise paint. A sprig of it was perched on the side of our hibiscus iced tea.

Unusual (to us) anthurium

We purchase anthuriums for their flowers but at the Garden, we saw Anthurium clarinervium, unlike any other with its beautifully variegated leaves. In the Rhododendron House (basically, an open-air arbor), there were several tropical rhododendrons in bloom, mostly shades of yellow and orange.

View of Botanic Garden from restaurant at Botanic Garden

The restaurant Hacienda de Oro is on the second floor of the visitor center/gift shop. The food and drink were excellent and the view overlooking the Garden is spectacular.

Chile en nogada, the Mexican national dish

Back in town, we had dinner three times at our favorite restaurant Repollo Rojo for incomparable Mexican food. Such items as peanut soup and Chile en Nogada may seem strange but I guarantee that they are delicious.

Naturally, as soon as came home, it started to snow.