There are four phases to a successful adventure. The first phase is to plan and research your adventure. It is one of my favorite parts of going on a vacation. Googling your destination and reading about others advice is a great way to maximize your time on your adventure. But, going through the mountains of information on the internet can take hours and sometimes they aren't always honest reviews. How do you know which excursion company to trust and what adventure will help you make the most memories during your time?
Recently I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with my family. Releasing a turtle that had just hatched has been on my bucket list and I knew we were going to be there when the turtles would be hatching. So I researched companies to go with but none had very many reviews, so I reached out to the concierge at the property where we were staying and asked her about going to the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa to release baby turtles through their rescue and release program. The concierge said the Marriott was under construction so they were not allowing guests to participate in that program at this time but she said she would find somewhere for us to witness the tiny turtles making their way to the ocean.
Phase two is the exciting part of the trip where you get on your plane and anticipate your adventure. It is fun driving to our hotel and seeing where we are going to explore for the next few days. My favorite part is when we get to where we are staying and unpacking my suitcase. In the case of our trip to Puerto Vallarta, I was beyond excited when we got to our villa and the electric gate opened to reveal a cobblestone driveway with the concierge and maid standing on the doorstep with a beautiful huge wooden door waiting with fresh, cool towels for us to freshen up with after our long trip. The marble floors, the huge spiral staircase, the arched windows, the fountain with all the plants in foyer, and then out to the patio where there was another fountain, an infinity pool, a hot tub, fire cauldrons and a welcoming garden that over looked a beautiful beach. The ocean views were stunning - especially to watch the sunset. It truly was like a dream! Every bedroom was amazing and had the same stunning views of the bay. The Presidential Suite on the top floor even had an outdoor shower!
Next was phase three. This is the part of our adventure where we explored the cobblestone roads, bridges, little shops, and looked at the statues, artwork, and magical buildings of the Romantic zone. We swam for hours in the pools and I taught my granddaughters how to swim while our mixologist, Job, made us tropical drinks to our hearts desire. Every meal that our chef, Alexandro made was amazing! Our favorites were the Mexican soup, the steak with beans and rice and the creme brulee.
This was also the phase where we had our biggest adventure of all. We went to Camp Tortuguero in Puerto Vallarta but first we met at little shop near the marina for an environmental education talk and we learned about the life cycle of turtles. We loaded up into vans and drove to a nearby beach. It was definitely a once in a life time adventure, not just because we got to release the baby turtles - but the other factors that we were not warned about before we went.
It was still light as we walked along a beach with a tall sturdy fence past people openly using drugs, and homeless people. Then, we came to a spot where the big sturdy fence ended and a flimsy short fence replaced it with a sign that said, "Zona De Cocodrilos PRECAUCION." I don't need to read Spanish to know that the sign with a picture of a crocodile with it's mouth wide open meant beware, there are dangerous crocodiles there. Laying behind this fence was the biggest crocodile I have ever seen! Our guides, who were two short Mayan women, told us to stay together and keep walking and we would be fine. The one guide, who was the leader, had a big stick. A five foot woman with a stick was not going to be able to protect my family from a gigantic crocodile! And it was the other small woman's first day on the job and she was as visably nervous about the crocodile as I was!
As we got to the camp where the baby turtles were, we were each handed half of an empty coconut shell, then a tiny baby turtle was placed in the coconut. We were told to give our precious little turtles a name and wish as we released them onto the sand. It was so special as we watched our new little friends instinctively head toward the water as the sun was setting as they made their way into the water. I named my sweet little turtle Sallie and gave her a wish to live until she was one hundred and fifty years old to lay millions of eggs.
We were all sharing how wonderful our experience was as we walked along the beach back to where the vans were parked. The main guide had her phone flashlight on so we could see where to walk when she suddenly stopped and told us all to be very quiet. That is when we saw the giant, monster crocodile was laying on the sand blocking the way to the parking lot. Immediately everyone started turning their phone flashlights on surveying the area. That is when I saw not only the big monster crocodile in our way, but also five other sets of eyes of other crocodiles lined up behind him to go into the water. Panic spread through our group as we waited for the giant to move. While at the same time making sure there weren't other crocodiles surrounding us from behind or the sides. It was terrifying! My best friend and I said a little prayer and miraculously the giant slowly walked into the water after what seemed like hours. The guide told us to quietly walk slowly in between the giant in the water and the other crocodiles lining up to go into the water. My friend and I sprinted, there was no way I was going to stay in that area any longer that I had to! We made it safely back to the vans after we walked past the sketchy people on the beach. What an adventure and story we had to tell! I didn't even know they had crocodiles in Puerto Vallarta. Especially, salt water crocodiles that swam in the ocean in the bay where all of the hotels are! The next day when we were shopping in the Romantic Zona, we came across another crocodile laying on the bank of a canal that emptied into the bay. I absolutely decided I would not be swimming in the ocean in Puerto Vallarta anymore!
I share this adventure because it is important to research and find reputable companies to take you on excursions. Travel consultants are a wonderful source of information. Most of them love to travel and have explored the destinations you may be interested in so they can personally recommend the best things to do, see, eat and where to stay.
Phase four is the sad, but necessary last part of an adventure where you pack all of your treasures you found in the little shops and on the beach. Then you travel home to unpack and start dreaming about your next adventure so you can start phase one all over again.
Happy journeys!