Wednesday, February 18 -- Downtown!

Our goal today was to have lunch downtown at Molika, a restaurant recommended by the owner of our favorite restaurant in Puerto Vallerta, El Arrayan.

Last year we'd been in the area on a Sunday and the cafe was closed, but our front desk had called and assured us they were open during the week for lunch at noon.  Then we planned to find the distinctive handcrafts shop (Casa Etnika) we'd so enjoyed last year, maybe take in whatever the exhibit at the art museum, and gradually wander home.

Armed with the address for Molika and two commercial maps of the downtown area, we hopped on the Green Bus which took a familiar route to downtown (Centro).  We got off at the market, and with remarkable self-discipline, did NOT eat at any of the myriad food stalls offering enticing aromas there.  As we worked to navigate to the restaurant, it became clear that each of the maps had street names for about half of the streets ... and there was virtually NO overlap in which streets were named.  So corner by corner we compared our position to one or the other of the maps, finally finding the small street on which we were told we'd find the restaurant.

The address that was written was in the 400's and the nearest building was a 1400 address, so we turned left and started counting down.  Unfortunately, we got to the end of the street (and it was a quite warm and humid day) ... to discover no restaurant.  We thought to ask directions in an OXXO across the street (more or less a 7/11) but there was a steady stream of customers.  Finally we decided to hail a taxi, and a good thing it was.

I asked our driver to take us to Molika and showed him the address.  Sure enough, we went right down the same street that we'd recently trudged UP ... and sure enough, no "Molika" in sight.  He got onto his radio and (though this was all in rapid-fire Spanish) asked his mothership for help in locating the place.  Apparently they couldn't solve the mystery.  So now he pulls up beside a sidewalk cafe and asks someone enjoying lunch THERE where Molika may be.  He gets a fairly long answer, and asks hopefully if the gentleman could kindly explain it all to us in English.

Turns out we were about 20 yards away from what we were looking for ... it's just that the place had moved to a corner site and CHANGED ITS NAME to "Hector's Bistro."  Little wonder no one could locate it!  Our driver was still concerned that we would be happy to be delivered there, but we reassured him and left him a nice tip.

We were among the first customers of the day, and picked out a table toward the rear where we had plenty of room to toss our sunshades and carry bags.  The menu was not long, but the dishes were very enticing.  We ordered up a plate of roasted vegetables as a starter, which came on lettuce and with some very nice whole-grain bread.  Each of us enjoyed a salad:  Linda's with shrimp, Claudette's with a tuna steak, mine with grilled chicken breast.

In conversation with our waitress, it developed that this is the same place in that the kitchen team & ownership are the same.  But they wanted a bigger place, and decided to name it after the chef.  The food was locally-sourced and mostly organic, and quite delicious, though after our hot hike the beer was ALSO very well-appreciated.

After a leisurely meal (we had to remind ourselves to ASK for the check, or we might be there yet!) we set off for Casa Etnika, which was only a few blocks away.  We were in more familiar territory and found the shop without difficulty.  Again this year it offered a wide array of hand-made goods (each piece they sold was written down in a hard-cover diary so the relevant artisan would be properly paid); the handwork is just stunning.  Should you ever get down this way, be sure to stop by this shop!

Another couple of blocks and we were in the small square in front of the cultural center, where last year we'd enjoyed an interesting art exhibit.  But we were sadly reminded that the first time we'd tried to visit last year, the place was closed that day ... as it was again today.  We assuaged ourselves with an extended chat under the leafy arbor provided by the precisely-placed trees throughout the plaza.

Somewhat restored, we again tried to sort out street names and directions between the pair of maps.  Ultimately we did find the cross-street we were seeking, and ran into a local lady who told us the bus stop was about 4 blocks away.  We realized that put us right back at the Cathedral, so we felt confident that the return home was in sight.

The area where we waited for our bus was crowded, as it has been every time we've been there, as seemingly every bus in Mazatlan stops on that block.  While our bus to downtown had been new and air-conditioned, the first one marked "Centro" going back was well-worn and not air-conditioned.  AND, as we went further along, NOT following a familiar route.  Hmm!

It was well into afternoon by this time, so it was easy to keep track of the direction we were going by noting the position of the sun in the west.  One of the maps had tiny dashed colored lines to indicate bus routes, and after some twists and turns, this bus was again headed on a familiar route.

Linda, though, somehow realized that she'd better get up front and confirm with the driver that he'd be going all the way to our hotel.  NOT!  Turns out, the closest he'd get us was to drop us off at Walmart, and THAT was the very next stop.  Good catch!

Well, we were planning to augment our wine cabinet, so we trotted across the gargantuan parking lot and split up -- Linda to Sam's for red, Claudette and me to Walmart for white and some avocados & a couple tomatoes.  We were done first, and of course the taxi line was more than anxious to take us away.  I did manage to communicate that "mi amiga ... SAM'S" and the guys relaxed a little.  As Linda trundled her cart across the lot in a few minutes, we got packed in and shortly were on our way.

EXCEPT

that Linda was in the front seat, and the front door swung right open as the driver took a turn.  OOPS!
He was able to pull into a holding zone and secure it, and I was able to secure the loose bottles from Sam's (no bags there, remember) until we got back to the hotel.  We all waved our wristbands at the front-gate guard, who sternly admonished our un-vetted driver that he would NOT be picking up a return fare HERE.  Phew!






With some help from the bell staff and their remarkably utile Big Plastic Boxes, we dredged everything upstairs and SAT DOWN.  Well over 10,000 steps accomplished today.  After a little refresher, I did whip up Rick Bayless' guacamole, which is enriched with roasted poblano & garlic, and diced roasted tomatoes.  We enjoyed that light supper with corn chips and no one stayed up late.