A Few "Lesser Known and Obscure" Facts I Learned While In Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Bottom line: Not all tequila tastes the same.

During a recent visit to Puerto Vallarta, in Jalisco, Mexico, as a member of the Santa Barbara-Puerto Vallarta Sister Cities 50th Anniversary delegation, I learned a few "lesser known and obscure" facts about the surrounding area, in addition to tequila, mescal and raicilla.

Puerto Vallarta resides on the tenth largest bay in the world, Bahia de Banderas.

The Sister Cities delegation toured sites around PV and visited past projects, renewed relationships, all in celebration of fifty years of friendship.

The mosaic in the PV central park celebrating the Sister Cities relationship.

The park contains many unique mosaic benches

such as these, as well as decorated columns.

Located on the Malecon (boardwalk), this PV dolphin

fountain is much like the one in Santa Barbara.

Don't let the piantwork in the Museum of Art pool confuse you!

(Hint: examine the center of the concentric rings.)

We visited the PV Botanical Garden. Here's the restaurant, which contains a great bar.

The twelve-day Christmas ritual, starting December 1, was in progress during our visit. Group participants walk several blocks to the Temple of Our Lady of Guadalupe, then enter and are blessed.

A portion of the Sister Cities delegation participated in the Christmas pilgrimage.

Dressed as an Aztec, I think she may have been the youngest participant

in the pilgrimage that evening, though I didn't see her march.

(Right to left) Along with Rotary friends E.Russell and Luz Maria,

Janet and I partake in a tequila/mescal/raicilla tasting.

Mescal and Tequila

1. It’s believed that mescal evolved from an fermented Aztec drink.

2. All tequila is mescal, but not all mescal is tequila.

3. Mescal can be made from any type of agave,

4. while, tequila can only be made with blue agave and,

5. under strict guidelines.

6. Tequila’s color and flavor is affected by its aging in oak barrels or vats,

7. which have often been used in prior fermentation of other spirits, such as whiskey, cognac and wine.

8. Blanco, bottled at the end of fermentation, is clear.

9. Reposado “rests” for six months.

10. Anejo is aged for at least one year.

11. Extra Anejo is aged longer than Anejo.

12. Added sugar leads to the creation of methanol.

13. Methanol creates foam when shaken, and burns when a flame is introduced.

14. Manufacturers add sugar to increase volume of product.

15. Tequila is made in five Mexican states,

16. primarily in Jalisco, where the town Tequila is located.

Raicilla

1. It’s history is murky.

2. Perhaps, it’s the precursor of mescal, or just it’s “shadowy” version,

3. as it was being distilled prior to the Spanish conquest,

4. and is referred to roughly as Mexican “moonshine.”

5. Unlike tequila, it is not made with blue agave.

6. It is less well known as mescal and tequila in the US.

7. It has a stronger taste than mescal and a higher alcohol content.

8. You won’t likely find any that has been aged to any degree.

I brought home two bottles of very smooth, slightly sweet Tres Tequila (brand name), suitable for sipping. No need to chase this stuff with salt and lime! (Note: You'll likely need to travel to Puerto Vallarta to find a supply of this, since it's made in limited quantity.)

Walk in beauty.

A Missing Link Completed (PCT)

Bottom line: I like to tidy up.

10/4/22, Day 0, “The Rendezvous”-

“Wrong-way” Mark and I met at Cajon Pass Inn, rehashed our trip’s hike plans over dinner, then settled into our respective motel rooms early in preparation for tomorrow.

We wanted to backtrack on the PCT and hike a section skipped earlier this year due to snow conditions. Though I’m not a purist, by any means, I’d told Mark I preferred to hike every mile of the PCT, within reason, to which he concurred, as we have the opportunity. Consider it a personal challenge, and paint me stubborn and a glutton for punishment. Most through-hikers, taking one shot at hiking the entire trail, choose one direction and “go for it.” However, many skip portions due to trail closures and weather conditions.

10/5/22, Day 1, “Southbound, Ho”-

Mark and I settled on a southbound hike along today’s section, which would provide us a predominately downhill experience. Who would argue?

After a McDonald’s take-out breakfast at 5:45AM, which provided my stomach something with which to occupy itself, we dropped Mark’s car on the rough, unpaved road 3N29, about one mile downhill from its junction with the PCT. From there we drove my car back through Wrightwood, continued up Hwy 2 to Inspiration Point where we turned left onto 3N26, then proceeded the six miles to Guffy Campground.

Under clear sky, temperature somewhere in the mid-60s, we enjoyed a comfortable start at 7:55AM.

Northward view towards the Mojave Desert environs.

Panoramic views came and went along the route. Thankfully, my feet tolerated the hike, though my sweat-fest began, spurred on by the rising temperature.

During a brief pause, Prim8 looks at the terrain ahead.

The ascent of Mt Baden-Powell awaiting us.

We completed our day’s objective, arriving at my car at 1:45PM.

Driving my car to Mark’s, we noted the air temperature to be 84 degrees. Meanwhile, I noted my feet and lower back complained, though both more as a nuisance than a hindrance.

So that I could purchase sunscreen, Mark and I drove our vehicles to Mountain Hardware in Wrightwood, the geographic center of town I’d estimate. By the time we'd arrived at the store, my leg muscles had stiffened, which didn't surprise me. Over the years, I've grown accustomed to the hiking aftermath of aches and pains.

In addition to sunscreen, I selected a tube of GU lime-flavored electrolyte tabs as we browsed. FYI, GU produces a range of edible supplements, including energy gel packs. I recommend the vanilla bean gel packs for a quick trail pick-me-up or after dinner dessert for those sugar-rush cravings. Yum!

"Wrong-way" weighs the utility of this culinary cookbook.

Our hike covered 16.7 miles, from mile-markers 364.4 to 347.3 (as measured northbound).

10/6/22, Day 2, “Adapt and overcome”-

Mark and I enjoyed a sit-down breakfast at the Village Grind & Wine Cellar in Wrightwood before we navigated the winding turns up Hwy 2 past Inspiration Point and onto Vincent Gap.

I parked my car in the paved parking area at the highway junction, and after a dusty, bumpy ride of six miles on the partially paved road, designated 3N26, to Guffy Campground, we left Mark’s car at 8:10AM.

The ~10-mile trail to my parked car provided continued panoramic views of the Mojave plains to the north.

Looking north towards the Mojave Desert plains.

The cool temperature again afforded us pleasant hiking conditions. The weather remained good, and my feet offered no major hindrance. Hour after hour we plodded onward, mostly down grade.

Afterward, like the day before, my car’s temperature gauge crept upward, though now it continued to climb as we crawled towards Guffy Campground. I speculated as to the cause, since I’d recently had a general maintenance done. Regardless, when the gauge neared the red zone and water vapor escaped from under the hood, we knew something was amiss. After I pulled over to access the problem and raised the hood, we could see that the engine was overheating. Steam hissed from the hose which was disconnected from the overflow reservoir.

No! Prim8 said.

We’ll just need to deal with it, guy. Adapt and overcome.

We continued a short distance, before the engine heated to the critical level again. Then, Mark volunteered to hike the remaining distance to his vehicle, perhaps three miles, providing me the opportunity to coax my car back to the junction at Hwy 2. If I could get my car there, I’d wait for Mark . . . or continue on into Wrightwood, depending on my assessment of the situation. Along the way, by chance, I paused at an overlook where I got internet and phone connection. I phoned Wrighwood Automotive Services and learned they’d be open until 5PM, and could probably do the necessary repair work the next day.

Yippee! Prim8 squealed.

Don’t hold your breath just yet, guy, I warned.

I also discovered a tow truck would need to come from Hesperia or Phelan.

Crap. No way a tow truck will get my car to Wrightwood by 5PM today.

I limped out to the Hwy 2 junction and waited. Once again, I had no phone service.

Again? Prim8 said.

Yep. No real surprise in these mountains.

I debated my next move. Drive my car to Wrightwood, all downhill? Wait for Mark? Arrange a tow? A tow would surely delay repairs and our trip schedule. Calculating that the downhill drive to Wrightwood wouldn’t be fatal for my car’s engine, I proceeded. I got my car to the repair shop at about 3:30PM without overheating, then left it in their hands to diagnosis the situation.

All the while I mulled various manners of repair outcomes intertwined with Mark’s and my hiking trip. When would my car be available to me again? Could we maintain our hike schedule or even complete our plans?

Previously, we'd planned to hike an additional section today from Islip Saddle, the 3rd trail crossing of Hwy 2 at mile-marker 386.0 to the 4th trail crossing of Hwy 2 at 389.3. Without a second car, but willing to hump the additional distance, we committed to hiking it anyway, by waking along Hwy 2 back to Mark’s car.

We left his car in the Islip Saddle parking lot at 4PM and made it to the 4th trail crossing of Hwy 2 at 6:15PM.

After the repair shop had closed, I arranged, via text messaging with Tom, one of their staff, for replacement of the water pump and timing belt. A relief to me, Tom indicated that the necessary repairs could likely be completed the next day. I gave the go-ahead for the recommended repairs.

At least, I could rest easier knowing my car would be fixed and I’d have it back by Saturday morning, latest, unless another problem was discovered. But down one car, Mark and I would need to “adapt and overcome” in order to salvage our original hiking schedule plans.

With the two sections hiked today, we notched an additional 12.7 miles to our trip hiking so far.

10/7/22, Day 3, “A Trail Angel Exercises Her Wings”-

Straight-away after breakfast and wanting to verify my car’s repair plan, Mark and I dropped by the auto repair shop.

Once I’d satisfied myself regarding the repair plan, Mark and I asked about potential rides to Hwy 2 junctions along the trail. All fingers pointed to the local hardware, which served as the town’s PCT hikers’ hub and where I was provided numerous trail angel phone numbers. First angel I phoned, Carol S, agreed to provide a shuttle ride for Mark and I from Islip Saddle to Vincent Gap.

Thanks to her assistance, hope flourished that we could maintain our trip schedule after all.

We bade goodbye to Carol at the Vincent Gap parking lot, providing her a pay-it-forward recompense for her time and trouble. Then, Mark and I started up Mt Baden-Powell’s flank at 10:45AM. Good weather, temperatures in 60’s-70’s, prevailed as we traversed switchbacks in the shade of conifers and scattered clouds.

A wizened trail-ridge local.

With steady progress along the sixteen-mile length of trail, we arrived at Mark’s car at 5PM.

Immediately, we proceeded to the auto repair shop in Wrightwood, arriving ~5:30P. Viola, my car repairs had been completed, so I reclaimed my car.

Yippee! Prim8 exclaimed.

Yeah, good fortune shines upon us, I replied.

My beer and sandwich at the Wrightwood Brew Company tasted especially delicious.

10/8/22, Day 4, “Those Frog Legs Ain’t For Eatin’”-

Northbound again, we got a 10AM start from mile-marker 389.3, Eagles Roost Picnic Area. Only a few yards off Hwy 2, we studied the detour sign directing that hikers use the alternate trail which by-passed the Mountain Yellow-legged Frog habitat. Hadn’t noticed that detour on the half-mile notes, but, sure enough, it was right there in print.

Yellow-legged frogs? Prim8 wondered.

Never heard of ‘em, fella, I said.

I surely didn’t want to step on a remaining specimen of endangered frog, yellow-legs or no, nor did Mark, so we followed the alternate route. Nor did we want to face a possible fine by ignoring the detour. The alternate route led us along Hwy 2, then via Buckhorn Campground along Burkhart Trail for 2.2 miles to rejoin the PCT.

At that juncture of trail we encountered signs warning of burn and snag hazards.

When Prim8 looked at the first sign, he asked, Loose and arm or leg?

Don't worry. That's referring to tree limbs, I said.

Mark passes warning signs.

I perspired profusely despite continued cooler temperatures, while clouds in the distance suggested possible rain. Humidity wasn’t doing me any favors, I guess.

We weren't snagged along the route, though our unplanned detour added ~1.5 miles to today’s overall distance. Nevertheless, we finished at 4:35PM for 13.9 miles of trail distance from mile-marker 389.3 to 403.1.

1/9/22, Day 5, “A Minor Victory”-

From Mark’s car at Three Points Trailhead at Hwy 2, mile-marker 403.1, we proceeded northbound at 8:30AM.

Partial cloud cover helped keep temperatures mild throughout the day. Welcomed cooling breezes, helped reduce, though didn’t prevent, my sweating. More than once I noted the accumulated salt-deposit build up on my hat and shirt.

As the day wore on, my feet complained with every step and my lower back ached, but I knew each step brought me closer to my car. The trail seemed to drag on, particularly after my car came into view in the distance.

Tiny, Prim8 noted.

“It’s the size of a flea,” I said to Mark.

Hurry up! Prim8 complained.

Keep putting one in front of the other, dude.

Rain fell over nearby mountains while thunder clapped as we finished another 15.7 miles of trail in dry conditions.

“We gained 1,900-foot-plus elevation for the day overall,” Mark reported.

Knackered, I said, “Certainly felt like it to me.”

Our tally this trip: mile-marker 347.3 (Swarthout Canyon Road) to 418.6 (Mill Creek Fire Station), covered the 71.3 miles by-passed earlier this year due to snow conditions.

Technically, I’ve hiked the PCT from the Mexican border to Hwy 58 junction at Tehachapi Pass, mile-marker 566.4. Though in 2017 I walked the detour route along Hwy 74 from Paradise Valley Cafe junction to Saddle Junction above Idllywild, mile-markers 151.9 to 179.4, I plan to hike that section of trail, which has since reopened.

Walk in beauty.

A Few "Lesser Known and Obscure" Facts I Learned While In Southern & Mediterranean Europe

Bottom line: Travel provides opportunity to open one's eyes to new and different ways of life.

When I travel, I always learn new things, some surprising. That's why I relish it, even when confronted with travel delays, exposure to disease, and theft of property. But I won't dwell on the negatives my wife and I encountered during our travel to parts of southern Europe recently.

Instead, I'll share a few things I didn't know before our trip, just to wet your wanderlust whistle, if nothing else.

1) Porto, Portugal - Located near the confluence of the Douro River and the Atlantic Ocean, Porto occupies the northern bank of the river, while Vila Nova de Gaia, or Porto Gaia, occupies the southern bank. And, as the Douro River Valley has been a major wine producing area for some centuries, Porto Gaia has been the hub for Portuguguese wine production and distribution.

After the British signed the Treaty of Windsor with Portugal in 1386, they imported Portuguese wine with enthusiasm, particularly as their wine source from the France had been stymied by hostilities. In addition, per the advantageous treaty terms, the British invested heavily in Portugal's vinification industry, such as the vineyards and processing facilities in Porto Gaia.

In the late 1600s CE, port wine was invented by adding a "grape brandy" to the wine, which helped preserve the product during shipping. Guess where it's name came from.

FYI, port wine isn't a favorite of mine.

No, that’s not a silhouette of Zorro! I'm posing next to the Sandeman wine logo.

2) Portugal - The combination of the two names Porto and Gaia provided Portugal it's name (Porto + Gaia). Pronounce those quickly and you may see how that happened, particularly when foreigners got involved.

A panoramic view at sunset of Porto (center), flanked by portions Porto Gaia on each side.

3) Lisbon, Portugal - The Portuguese language is difficult to learn, particularly for school children. In Portuguese, Lisbon is spelled Lisboa, and the "i" is pronounced more like a long "e," while the "s" is pronounced as "sh." Try pronouncing Cascais using those two rules!

The Portuguese love small custard tarts or cream pastries, which they call pasteis de nata. Delicious, their cream pastries are consumed in huge quantities by the population. First made about three hundred years ago in a monastery west of Lisbon, egg yolks are a prime ingredient. Be advised, sugar, in a copious amount, is another.

Portuguese pasteis de nata.

Photo Credit: pexels-Magda Ehlers

But, what to do with all that leftover albumen? Egg whites have been used as a binding agent in a variety of ways, including in artists' paints and as a starch to stiffen collars and cuffs.

The Portuguese refer to the conquest of the Americas as "the Age of Discovery." I'll say no more about that.

A Lisbon monument to the explorers during the Age of Discovery.

5) Barcelona, Spain - Antoni Gaudi, an architect, designed numerous buildings in Barcelona in the late 19th century and early 20th. His artist architectural designs demonstrate considerable innovation, even by today standards. However, his name did not generate the term "gaudy," though is commonly associated with the term as a result of his creations.

In 1884 Gaudi worked on redesigning the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona's giant basilica, which is still under construction!

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain. Note the signs of construction.

6) Madrid, Spain - Restaurant Botin, founded 1725 CE, holds the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest established restaurant in the world. The restaurant's forte is suckling pig.

Janet anticipates eating suckling pig.

Janet and I pose in front of Restaurant Botin.

Not the original building, I suspect!

Janet and I preferred the impressionist works at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum to the historic religious-oriented works in the Prado Museum.

Claude Monet, The Thaw at Vetbeuil, 1880.

7) Marseilles, France - The oldest city in France has retained relative independence since founded over twenty-five hundred years ago, including during Roman and Nazi German occupations.

Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, atop the hill, overlooks Marseille.

8) Monaco - This principality constitutes the second smallest country in Europe, and covers 499 acres or .75 square miles.

Citizens of Monaco, Monegasques, are forbidden to gamble in the casinos, though can enter one, if they work there.

Casino de Monte Carlo in Monaco, made more

famous by the James Bond movie, Casino Royale.

9) Pisa, Italy - The Campanile, aka bell tower or Leaning Tower of Pisa, has companion buildings. One, known as the Baptistery, also leans. There appears no danger of either toppling anytime soon, however.

The Baptistery (foreground) and Campanile (background).

10) Pompeii, Italy - The inhabitants, who hadn't already left when the heavy blanket of ash fell during the Vesuvius eruption of 79 CE, were suffocated and burned by a pyroclastic flow, a cloud of hot, noxious gas. Once the pyroclastic flow approached from Vesuvius, those remaining in Pompeii had insufficient time to outrun it, even if they’d seen it coming. What we see today of the victims--parts of Pompeii remain unexcavated for future archeologists--are the shapes of plaster casts of the hollows created by their bodies in the ash layer that covered them.

This victim has been identified as a pregnant female of about twenty years old.

11) Rome, Italy - Ancient Romans consumed parrots and flamingos, among other things, and ate while reclining. Perhaps, that's why they purged so much?

It's virtually impossible to look around the city of Rome without seeing a religious structure, such as a Roman temple or Catholic basilica.

Look closely, you’re bound to see a church or temple somewhere.

Vatican City, confined within the city of Rome, comprises the smallest country in Europe at 109 acres or .19 square miles.

Long lines dissuaded us from entering the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basillica.

12) The Straight of Messina, Italy – A swimmer could easily cross this gap if not for the strong currents, as it is only 1.9 miles wide. Would you guess that by examining a map?

Italian mainland (left) and Sardinia (right) separated by the Strait of Messina.

13) Corfu, Greece - The Byzantine Paleokastritsa Monastery, established in the 1220's CE and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, sits aside cliffs along a rugged coastline and overlooking clear, azure waters.

A view of the Mediterranean Sea, only steps away from the Paleokastritsa Monastery.

14) Korcula, Croatia - Some believe Marco Polo was born here, though others believe he was born in Venice. Note that Venice ruled Korcula at that time, and Marco Polo lived in Venice for a while, and so those two facts likely have confounded the issue.

Korcula, Croatia, a small, yet beautiful Adriatic Sea town.

The Adriatic Sea for all practical purposes is an extension of the Mediterranean Sea, but who’s quibbling?

15) Dubrovnik, Croatia - The city's history dates back about fourteen hundred years. The relatively unspoiled and rugged Dalmatian coastline near Dubrovnik meets pristine waters of the Adriatic Sea.

Dubrovnik, Croatia, with its old walled city (left) dating back to the Middle Ages.

16) Venice, Italy - The waters surrounding Venice are quite murky, partly due, I suspect, to the Venetian toilets that flush directly into it! So, I don't recommend swimming there.

The iconic view of St. Mark's Square, Venice, from the water.

Tourists swarmed the streets and popular sites of Venice like ants at a picnic. Venice is implementing a tourist surcharge starting January, 2023, as a result of the increased number of visitors.

Tourists on an adjacent bridge as seen from the Bridge of Sighs near St. Mark's Square.

A last view of Venice from the air.

My wife and I had a worthwhile adventure, to say the least.

The world awaits. Go forth on your own adventures and walk in beauty.