We are so proud of this awesome new intro for Messy Suitcase videos that we simply HAVE to share it! It’s a collaboration between Hamburg, Germany-based musician/composer Patrick Hamm and Champlain College Filmmaking student Gavin Greenawalt.
Dental Tourism in Mexico: A Great Excuse to Go on Vacation
Bob needed major dental work done, so we took a Mexican vacation!
Getting crowns and eating tacos may not go together in your mind, but here’s the dirt: Dental work is way cheaper in Mexico than in the United States. The dentists are just as qualified, often US-educated, and it’s easy to find one that speaks English.
We discovered this when we were living in Guanajuato, Mexico, in 2019 and the whole family needed our teeth cleaned. We went to an ex-pats’ Facebook page and discovered that Mexico has a thriving cottage industry of dental tourism. The cost for dental care is so much less than in the States, that you can use the money you save to enjoy a lovely holiday. If you’re going to endure the pain and stress of dental care, wouldn’t you prefer to spend the rest of the day lying on a beach or drinking tequila?
You can get your dental work done anywhere in Mexico. All it takes is a Google search to find a facility. There are countless choices. We chose Puerto Vallarta because it’s one of our favorite Mexican cities. Bob found PV Smile in a convenient residential neighborhood, on the route to the Romantic Zone from our resort. Over the course of four visits, he had four fillings, two crowns, and an inlay replaced. He was very pleased with the quality of the work and the professionalism of the office. Total cost was $1,856, plus a few taxi rides. Bob just used a credit card to pay, though if you are able to pay in Mexican pesos, you get a 10% discount.
The estimate to have the same work done at Allen Pond Dental in Rutland, VT, was $3,400. With almost 50% savings, we could spend a week in Mexico! Obviously, Lisa enjoyed it a little more than Bob, because she had more time free. But Bob still enjoyed himself, and we took advantage of the trips to the dentist to explore some new neighborhoods of the city. We spent the time Bob wasn’t lying back in a dental chair doing a food and drink tour of Puerto Vallarta, enjoying the resort where we stayed, and exploring the region.
INFO
A Day in Boston: Swan Boats and Flying Tea
On our way to Mexico last summer, we had a few hours to kill and spent them exploring Boston. Join us as Bob attempts to annoy everyone in Beantown with his observations about Sam Adams, Faneuil Hall, the original State House, Quincy Market, and even the Boston Tea Party. We’ll also take a stroll through Boston Public Garden, and Lisa finally gets to ride in a Swan Boat!
This video debuts our awesome new original theme music, The Messy Suitcase Theme, composed by Patrick Hamm, a guitar player/singer/composer based in Hamburg, Germany. Thank you, Pat! Check out his YouTube channel.
The new introduction was created by Gavin Greenawalt.
Photos
Info
La Playita: A Local Beach, a Hidden Gem
Looking for serenity? Or a party? Depending on the day, you can find either at La Playita, one of our favorite local beaches. La Playita, found at the end of a dirt road tucked among the mangroves near Puerto Real, is just a mile or two from our home in Cabo Rojo.
The beach can be completely deserted, offering a serenity that’s hard to find anywhere else. But a holiday weekend can bring entire families partying for the day, and even overnight campers, though there are no facilities.
This picturesque stretch of white sand offers shallow waters, palm trees, and mangroves. You’ll see fish and even rays jumping out of the water, pelicans flying by, and sand crabs scurrying around. Unfortunately, you will also encounter some trash, and maybe meet a stray dog or two. People park their cars right on the beach, so it’s not a bad place for people with accessibility issues. The water is calm, warm, and fairly shallow – perfect for swimming, splashing, lounging in the water sipping a drink, fishing, or kayaking.
Photos
So grab your beach chairs, pack a cooler with drinks and some frozen Gasolinas (party in a pouch!), stop into Mercado’s Bakery to get sandwiches and chips and use the bathroom– remember, no facilities – and settle on in under a sea grape tree with a good book. Enjoy!
Messy Suitcase Mini-Tour: Playa Corcega in Rincon
We spent a sweet morning at a beach in south Rincon that is popular with local swimmers and snorkelers. It’s a quiet beach with soft golden sand, but not a lot of shade. A reef can be found about 50 meters from the coastline. Unfortunately, the water kicked up a bit and kept us out of the water. Next time!
There are no amenities and no services, but the village of Rincon is a couple of miles away. Bring a cooler and your lunch.
Sweet Orange Festival in Las Marias
The mountain village of Las Marias, Puerto Rico, throws a huge block party every March, the Festival de las Chinas Dulces, to celebrate the abundant variety of sweet oranges that grow on the island.
They call oranges “chinas” (pronounced CHEE-nahs) in Puerto Rico, though the Spanish word for “orange” is “naranja” (pronounced nah-RAHN-hah).
We spent a sweet afternoon drinking china coladas and orange juice, eating china bread and other Puerto Rican delicacies, sipping Puerto Rican coffee, learning about island agriculture, and perusing the products of myriad artisans. The music was traditional, colorful, and energetic, coming from two main bandstands, and the crowds extended for blocks in several directions. We even took home an orange tree to plant in our Cabo Rojo yard!
Birdwatching at Laguna Cartagena
The Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge bursts with birds year-round, but also offers hiking and mountain biking trails and some pretty spectacular scenery. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, this wetland is one of the most important freshwater habitats for migrating and resident aquatic birds in Puerto Rico.
Almost half the birds recorded in Puerto Rico have been observed in the lagoon and its nearby hills. Visitors have a good chance of seeing a Magnificent Frigatebird, several species of herons, smooth-billed ani, the common moorhen, and occasionally the yellow-shouldered blackbird. I even saw white egrets and an osprey.
So if you’re anywhere near the southwest coast of the island, you should put on your hiking shoes, grab a pair of binoculars, a bottle of water, and a good camera, and spend a morning watching the avian activity and enjoying the birdsongs.
The trails are closed during nesting season – early March to late August – so time your visit well.
Enjoy Photos!
Info:
Fish & Wildlife
Birdfinding.org (Laguna info)
Birdfinding.org (Caribbean bird index)
Mini-Tour: Bird’s-Eye View of Boquerón Beach
Balneario (Public Beach) Boquerón is one of our favorite beaches, and we showed it to you in an earlier video. But now Beto has a drone, and you’ll find the view is even better from the sky!
The view of the crystal-clear water and the reefs and rocks below is astounding, with the stunning mountains in the distance. And Boquerón, which is a national park, features many facilities you can’t see from the beach, including beach volleyball, a tennis court, a basketball court, a camping area (with cabins still being restored after damage from Hurricane Maria in 2018), and more.
INFO
Balneario Boquerón
Messy Suitcase Original Boquerón Beach Video
Hiking the Cliffs at Playa Sucia
You feel as though you’ve gone to the end of the earth when you stand atop the stunning cliffs rimming the peninsula beyond pristine Playa Sucia, the beach at the extreme southwest corner of Puerto Rico, and look out across the vast turquoise sea.
Most hikers who come here take the breathtaking 1 ½ mile trail that encircles the iconic lighthouse Los Morrillos. We did it, ourselves, a couple of years ago. (Here’s the video) It was amazing!
But if you sneak off to the very left side of Playa Sucia (also known as Playuela), you’ll find a billy goat trail of about 2 ½ miles that gives you devastating beautiful views of the lighthouse from across the bay, with waves crashing into the cliffs below. You’ll also take in the crescent beach and the vast ocean beyond. The area is called Acantilados de Cabo Rojo, which translates to the Cliffs of Cabo Rojo. If you’re afraid of heights, don’t go too close to the edge! Otherwise, prepare to be blown away, by both wind and natural beauty.
There’s no shade, so wear sunscreen and a sunhat, and bring water to drink. But the most important accessory is your camera! We suggest you drop your beach chairs and swimsuits under a seagrape tree on the beach before hiking so you can cool off afterward with a dip in the warm waves.
PHOTOS
INFO
Mini-Tour: Playa Tres Tubos
Playa Tres Tubos is a cozy neighborhood beach just a few short miles up the road from us in Joyuda, Cabo Rojo. There’s parking along the main road, but finding the pedestrian entryway was a bit of a challenge. The short path to the beach offered lovely mural art and shady trees.
Tres Tubos itself was a little gem of a beach, with soft sand; clear, calm water; but no shade. There are no facilities or shops nearby, so we brought our own lunch, and took the opportunity to test out our new shade tent for the beach.
INFO
Playa Tres Tubos – Sorry, no links to provide, there is no official info. Consider yourself scooped by an insider!
