She Said...

There is something I forgot to mention in my column last week, which I really intended to share with you. When I was visiting the mezzanine / check-in level at the airport, I heard some beautiful music, which I recognized, one that I love. It was by that wonderful duo, “Arcano”, broadcast from a little stand with a screen showing their performance. A little group of people were standing around it, waiting to pay for the group’s CD, which a gentleman was selling. I went over to ask him WHERE the duo was playing, as I had not seen them anywhere for a while now. He told me that they’re at the sMall Vallarta shopping center downtown, just about every evening. So now you know too. (Unfortunately, the Department of Culture doesn’t even bother advertising them at all.) If you haven’t heard them yet, do give a listen. You might just fall in love with them and their music, like I did.

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 haven’t experienced - no matter how long we’ve been here.

A couple of days after moving down here from Montreal, some fourteen years ago, 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 where she 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 us laugh, 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 sometimes I don’t until “it” has already happened.

Example: As we were negotiating the Grand Slalom course along the infamous Libramiento (the one with the potholes described in last week’s cartoon) on our way to our last fabulous dinner at Barcelona Tapas -until it reopens in October- my friend who intends to settle in Vallarta casually ventured, “I don’t understand why they bother putting in all these speed bumps… What with all the potholes around, you would think that folks would be driving very carefully…” We both laughed. He’s got the right attitude.

Ah, yes, attitude. We see all kinds of ‘em in this town. This town has more interesting characters than a fiction writer could invent in his wildest dreams, and more tales to tell. It’s no wonder that so many books have been written about this place. I remember one acquaintance of mine who wanted to write his memoirs of life here (after only eleven years) and title it “The Last Resort”. For many it is.

By the time you read this, I will be getting ready to leave for my yearly week-long visit with my children up in the Great White North. This column will no longer be published in the Vallarta Tribune, so if you want to keep up with my weekly blather, you’ll just have to read it in this blog …for the time being.

About five years ago, the then President of the Tourism Commission at City Hall was wondering if “Vallarta was losing its magic…” Councilman Agustín Alvarez considered that the main problems that were beginning to damage the city were the deterioration of its image as a “typical pueblito”, public safety, and the tranquility that have all characterized it for so many years. “I think that when it comes to streets, we’ve already gone past the eleventh hour, we are way behind in matters of visual order and efficient transportation, for tourists and locals alike. They have managed to achieve this in other towns and we must preserve downtown Puerto Vallarta as our main attraction.”

Back then, he also qualified as “strange and inexplicable” the decision of the President of the Urban Development Commission of the LVII legislature, regarding the revocation of the license number 190/05, suspending the work, and totally demolishing the Grand Venetian development.

Five years have passed since then, and not much has been done in those respects. The Grand Venetian is just about completed, as are all the other humungous towers whose building permits were illegally acquired. The Mayor who issued them wasn’t even given a slap on the wrist, and neither were his cronies in the municipal government. So what else is new?

I came across a quote I find most appropriate at this time: “The best way to convince a fool that he is wrong is to let him have his own way.” ~ Josh Billings

Nevertheless, in spite and despite everything, we should consider ourselves lucky. Besides, our weather is a whole lot better than so many of the destinations with which Vallarta competes for the almighty tourist dollar, and we have so many more conveniences than they have - while still being a beach resort.

To all my readers, local and first-timers alike, I wish a wonderful stay in this very special place we like to call home. Enjoy yourselves, visit as many places and as many of our wonderful restaurants as you can (of the few that remain open this month), and if anyone asks you what time it is, just tell them that the time is NOW … none better than the moment itself. As my favorite late night talk show host likes to say: “tomorrow’s just a future yesterday.” So live today to the fullest ...and do take care of each other. Hasta luego.

Please note that I have a new email if you want to communicate with me: