The hostel is located in a neighborhood called ¨Zona Romantica¨, half way up a street that you ascend on stairs. The beach is one and a half blocks from my doorstep, the same beach where I catch the boat for my tours to the Marieta Islands. Half a block away is the restaurant district with over a hundred restaurants within a mile. Puerto Vallata is known for having the haute cuisine of Mexico and annually hosts an international food festival. There are two ice cream shops and a chocolatier within a couple blocks and several dessert cafes. Food varies from taco carts to modern fusion to beachfront seafood dining. One and a half blocks away is a cougar bar with dancing every night. For those of you in Portland, think ¨The Candlelight Room¨.

I start off every morning with a walk to my favorite bakery. There are shelves upon shelves of delicious Mexican pastries and some from other parts of the world, like croissants and banana nut muffins. Everything in the cases costs between fifty cents and a dollar. Upon entering the bakery, I grab what looks like a small pizza pan and a set of tongs to begin my foraging. Pastry in hand, I head up one of the nearby hills, taking advantage of the cool morning temperatures to explore the maze winding cobblestone streets that never seem to end. Many times the houses will stop, and the road narrows to a path that continues into the hillside jungle where I encounter shacks walled with corrugated sheets of steel, covered with a tarp, and lines of laundry hanging among the trees. Everyday, my breath is taken away by some new discovery.

By afternoon, I return to the hostel as this is the warmest part of the day and the best time to enjoy a siesta in my air conditioned dorm room. My nap is usually followed by a stroll to the beach to enjoy the purifying effects of salt water upon my skin. I come back, shower, and work a few hours at the reception desk to cover the costs of my room. After my shift, I am ¨required¨ to take the hostel guests out for drinking at one of the local watering holes. I do put in an effort to take the guests to unique places within Puerto Vallarta. I spent a week walking every street in this part of the city, noting happy hours, live music, nice atmospheres, and good prices.

I have two other required stops every night on my way home: first is the ice cream store, where every time I get the same flavor dropped on top of a cone or mixed with milk and more chocolate into a shake. I sit on the pink cushioned sofa outside the store enjoying my favorite addiction and talking to some of the locals as they stroll by. Sugar high achieved, I head to the cougar bar for a couple of dances and maybe a late night cocktail. All my pleasures met for the the day, I head home to the hostel and read a chapter in my book before heading off to sleep.