Puerto Vallarta
I have often described or listed the many reasons for which I love Puerto Vallarta, and one of the most prevalent ones is the unpredictability of events in this town. We never know what will happen, but something always does, something new, something we’ve never experienced – no matter how long we’ve been here.
A couple of days after moving down here from Montreal, over eleven years ago, some friends and I were having dinner at La Palapa, on the beach, when one of those humongous sea turtles came up on the beach, right beside us, where she proceeded to dig a hole, and then laid her one hundred or so eggs. It was magical, like being on a natural set for a National Geographic documentary feature. As the years went by, I realized that some folks have lived here for much, much longer than I have, and yet have never been lucky enough to witness this awesome event.
I consider myself blessed. Never does a day go by that something, no matter how small, doesn’t happen to make me thank heavens for being here. Sometimes it’s pleasant and sometimes it’s not, but it’s always the kind of thing that would probably never happen in Montreal. And when it’s something unpleasant, it usually makes me laugh afterwards, or at least smile, which always reminds me of my friend Barry’s statement to me so many years ago: “You either laugh, or you leave.” So I’ve learned to laugh – even though I may not do so until after “it” has already happened.
The other day, as I was having a delicious whole red snapper for lunch at Langostinos on the beach, in the company of some good friends, a beautiful lady walked by, all dressed up in the traditional costume worn by folk dancers in Veracruz. She was carrying a small, square slab of wood under her arm. Behind her came a man carrying a guitar, and another with a harp. One of my friends asked if I had ever seen her dance on her little piece of wood. I hadn’t, so we called the trio back, and they performed for us. What an absolute delight! The dance was more of a tap dance (which is why she carried the wooden platform) to a song played by the two musicians, and sung by the guitar player. Now I ask you: do you really think that I have ever been entertained that way in Montreal? No, especially not on the beach, with the ocean and the big thunderclouds as a backdrop!
When those thunderclouds roll in during the late afternoon, and open up to dump their load of warm waters on us, the thunder claps reverberate against the mountains of the Sierra Madre that surround us, and the result is so loud that you can feel the vibrations in the marrow of your bones, especially if you live on one of the hillsides like I do. It is nothing short of awesome – and absolutely beautiful! I’ve grown to dread the upcoming end of the “rainy season”, despite the heat that accompanies it. My neighbor’s jasmine tree is in full bloom and as soon as the rain stops, the perfume of its flowers fills my place… my own aromatherapy sessions, in the comfort of my own home. You’ve gotta love it.
On the other hand, watching TV these past couple of weeks, and seeing the unimaginable destruction and human tragedy caused by Hurricane Katrina, I couldn’t help but note one particular point: the trees – the ones that remained standing throughout Katrina’s rage, the ones that saved so many lives of people and animals simply by being there, offering them a place to climb to in order to remain above the rising waters, and later offering shade against the sun and scorching high temperatures that followed in Katrina’s wake. In the meantime, here, around our beautiful Bay of Banderas, the authorities have already cut down more than 2,000 trees (and I’m not counting the thousands that have been illegally cut down, clear cut, just a little beyond the hills that surround us, where we cannot see the damage, but the planes flying overhead can, and have). And now they’re waiting for the parking facilities at what used to be Hidalgo Park to come on line before issuing a call for tenders so that they may cut down another 116 beautiful trees, some of them very old, at Lazaro Cardenas Park. What is it with us so-called humans? Hasn’t Mother Nature demonstrated her superiority to us often enough? What does she have to do for us to respect her in the manner she deserves? Her trees are our breathing apparatus, their roots hold together the thin mantle that covers her. Without them, we get landslides all around the globe, and then drought.
Our friend Vicky who just moved to Costa Rica after living in Puerto Vallarta for many, many years, wrote in to say, “If you don’t like the current Vallarta taxi fare increases – be happy they didn’t do what Costa Rica just did 2 weeks ago & will be adding to again in November. The combined increase implemented now and in November for the 1st kilometer went up 15.8%, but the rate for subsequent kilometers or parts thereof will increase about 87% total. And in rural areas, that total increase is about 100%! As we all know – gas has gone up a lot since the last increases, plus getting car parts in Mexico & Costa Rica can be very expensive, to say nothing about maintaining them (especially with the quaint yet horrible cobblestone streets in Vallarta…)” So, in spite and despite everything, we should consider ourselves lucky. Besides, our weather is a whole lot better than Costa Rica’s, and we have so many conveniences while still being a beach resort. The only place in CR where you can find everything we have here, is in the inland capital of San José.
And what other beach resort in Mexico has the plethora of restaurants that Vallarta can boast? I am looking forward to this week. El Arrayan is reopening, Bill is back at Barcelona Tapas, and Maximilian’s is featuring its special, traditional September menu in honor of Mexico’s Independence Day. If you haven’t visited these excellent restaurants yet, take advantage of the relative quiet in town (now that the kids have gone back to school) and enjoy some fabulous meals. Think about it: hot, sunny days, refreshing afternoon tropical downpours, superb food, what more can we ask for?
As I write this, I am not aware whether Kelly Trainor, our U.S. Consular Agent, is planning any kind of memorial event for this Sunday, September 11th, but regardless whether she is or not, I think we should all observe a moment of silence to remember all those who perished on that horrific day four years ago, as well as all the members of the coalition forces who have lost their lives in an effort to maintain -or bring- a modicum of civility to the countries where they were serving.
And I think we should also pray for all those who perished last week, victims of Hurricane Katrina’s wrath, as well as their friends and relatives and the hundreds of people who have to rebuild their lives now, after Mother Nature’s latest show of unstoppable force.
Be grateful for all your good fortune, dear readers, and do consider sharing it with the less fortunate. Until next week, take good care of each other. Hasta luego.
