Coconuts and Crocodiles

While in Nuevo Vallarta one of the things to do is to take a River Cruise. At the Paradise Village Hotel you can take either the hotel's tour or the privately owned African Queen. I would prefer the African Queen since the wee steam boat seems to be modeled after the one Hepburn and Bogie used in the film.

Luckily we had our dingy with us, which we decided to take up the river on our own little cruise (me as the navigator and my mother as the brave passenger).

The river itself is quite interesting because it beckons you with birds of paradise, real live crocodiles and coconuts.
The Jungle Cruise passes by a floating coconut.

I don't know what it is about coconuts in the water, but just seeing them float past made me very giddy. It really gives you that feeling that you are in a balmy, coco-scented paradise.
Yay a coconut! - Skirt: from Norway; Top: H&M; Sunglasses: Target; Bag: Mango

But enough with the coconuts, onto the jungle tour. The first part of our tour took us past expensive villas with river front views.

Wouldn't you like to live here?


Or here?


Or here?


We didn't see any crocodiles, which was dissapointing, although my mother was happy and she did point out that if the crocs wanted to they could easily puncture my dingy. I have piloted a small boat through croc-infested waters before (in fact it was the most crocodile infested river in the world, in Kakadu National Park in Australia) but that boat was made of metal. We did however, see someothing lurking underneath the murky water and shaking a submerged branch back and forth and that was enough for me to gun the engine and get the hell outta there

And whilst we didn't really see any birds of paradise, we did see a few of the usual herons...


And what made the trip all the worth while...a couple of Vultures, feasting on a dead animal carcass on shore.


Luckily before the vultures turned their eyes on us (the ones in Cabo were eyeing my mother on her birthday last week) we arrived back at the boat safe and sound.

If you wanna read about my recent trip to see Mount St. Helens, please visit my other blog HERE for some shots, history and of course FASHION!