Walking on Sunshine … and Cobblestone

It has been a month of relaxation and Puerto Vallarta was perfect for that. We've spent time here before, albeit years ago, so lots about PV is familiar and comfortable.

The usual chaos of PV airport greeted us upon arrival. It seemed less chaotic than on past arrivals, though that may be because of our increased tolerance for such things. Suffice it to say, we made it out without buying a timeshare. First success!

Puerto Vallarta, at its core, is a small town, charming in its 1950s and 60s imitation of old town style and its post-Night of the Iguana boom. The boom continues, and there is construction everywhere. Our apartment was in the 5th of December neighborhood, just north of Centro. That put all the in-town places within walking distance. The Malecón zone is iconic and inviting, and everything caters to the tourist. Which, despite the fact that it is off season, makes it sometimes crowded.  But it is level and with the occasional breeze, so it was often preferred. Just a few small blocks away from the water, the hilliness of PV starts, making any route uphill both ways.

August and September are low season, I think, mainly because the climate is punishingly humid. If you're outside, you're all perspiration and no evaporation, which, while lovely for the complexion, makes for a sweltering experience. Most of our explorations are on foot, and early in our visit, we decided to explore the hills behind our apartment. The route started with three blocks of stairs, followed by a lot of up and down. From the hillside, the views of the town and the sea are stunning. We saw plenty of condo buildings to which we said "We'd live here ... If we had a car." The condos quickly give way to lush, jungle-like greenery. Completely enchanting, probably even more so, when you're not panting, dripping, and generally overheating. That walk is now known as the "walk with which Michael tried to kill me." Luckily, we found a small cafe for a snack, some hydration, and very welcome AC. I survived.

We explored different parts of town, mainly on foot. Areas like the Marina are fun in their upscale contrast to the grittier feel of Centro. We traversed more far-flung, newer parts of town, where many of the newer residential areas are. Like many places, the better grocery stores (always an exploration of culture in their own right) are found in those areas. One of our sports is to go grocery shopping, with our backpacks, and lug our acquisitions home. Unless we buy too much and have to take a cab home. One of the demarcating features between the newer areas and the ‘original’ PV is the choice of street surface. Further out, the materials of choice are, unsurprisingly, asphalt and cement, making for a relatively smooth ride, even with the occasional speed bump. In town, the choice is cobble stone. Or, more accurately, river rock. That river rock, of many different shapes and sizes, is more or less permanently and securely set with interstitial concrete. Walking on those surfaces can be treacherous, especially when the setting concrete has taken its leave or the occasional rock is oversized. And, taking that occasional cab ride can make me fear for my dental fillings and would surely dislodge a kidney stone, if I had one.

PV is comfortable on many levels. There are the "things," including reasonable quality paper products (get me started on LatAm napkins and paper towels some day). While morally conflicting, experiencing the familiarity of offerings when walking through Walmart on the outskirts of town is oddly reassuring. What, however, makes for a lot of comfort are the social connections, made possible by being introduced to friends of friends. Having quick access to people with whom we can easily socialize, for conversation, dinner, or an outing is not something that we've experienced since leaving Manta (except for our US visits in July, of course). So, we met several people, some also visiting PV and others full-time residents, whom we hope to see again when we are here next.

One of our favorite excursions out of town was a visit to the Puerto Vallarta Botanical Garden. Opened in 2004, the garden is a 79-acre nature reserve, of which 73 acres are native forest. Focusing on local flora and dedicated to conservation, many interesting specimens are on display in the curated areas. David, a friend of a friend, took us there and was our local guide as he knows the place well. We managed the hike to the river through dense forest, which was an adventure. The reward at the end was a rest by the river, which was swollen (and turbid) from the rains of the season. The hike back, now uphill most of the way, was slower, but rewarded by a nice lunch (and plenty of liquids) at the Garden’s restaurant.

PV offers a variety of food options. Our fancy highlight was a tasting menu at Tintoque, a lauded restaurant with inspired and creative food, drawing on local traditional preparations and ingredients, as well as (to us) more recognizable ones. We had dinner on the patio, facing the Rio Cuale, the river that runs through PV, with a view of Gringo Gulch. Terribly romantic.

A different, and much more frequent, food experience that’s ubiquitous and tasty and much more affordable is, you guessed it, the taco. We had lots of tacos, which is delightful. Some places try to fancy them up, but the open “kitchen” establishments are the most enthralling. The large griddle preparing many different fillings and warming countless tortillas is a mainstay. And the guy (yes, apparently always a guy), skillfully carving ribbons of pastor from the spit right onto a tortilla and, with a flourish at the end, plopping a piece or two of warm pineapple sliced from the fruit at the top of the spit onto the taco, is fun to watch. And it is even more fun to eat.

Puerto Vallarta is a charming place. While the town is busy, even in off-season, most of the tourists are stored in the larger beach resorts north of town (which has its own purposes, not knocking it). There are still a lot of tourists in town, and lots of tourist activities are on offer. Excursions to zip lines, ATV rides, fishing, or parasailing, most with a side of tequila, are popular and look just exhausting. So, when, however, you’re not participating in those things, PV is also a quiet place of walks and explorations, conversations with those friends of friends, just spending time, and, of course, tacos. Hasta pronto!