Wow! What a difference a day makes. No, Puerto has not changed, we had. We had put yesterday behind us. It is a cool crisp morning, bluest skies and sunny. This "perfect weather" would quickly spoil the both of us. Does it ever rain here?
As old town spreads out before us, a feast for the senses, we're ready. The sights and sounds, almost overwhelming at first. The smells, everywhere the smells of something wonderful cooking. The textures... the cobles, stucco, the uneven surfaces. It was all so very exciting.
Puerto arcs around the Bay of Banderas with the old town in the south and becomming more and more modern, American , as you move north. We weren't here for that though. We were here for old PV, As it had been for "Richard and Liz" over 50 years ago when they made it the reigning "hot spot".
Impossibly crowded against the base of the coastal mountians, old PV goes vertical almost immediately. Steep and narrow streets climbing into even steeper "stairstep streets" with seemingly unaccessable stepped condos climbing the palm covered mountian-sides even further above it all. It can be quite dizzying. My mind found this place to be European, immediately drawing parallels with Nice or old towns I had known along the Ligurian Coast of Italy.
But different. Maybe it's this "second world" thing? Not tarted-up, not sanitized for the tourists. A little faded perhaps. A layer of soot visible on the off-white, dog-earred and chipped stucco facades. That same soot, or grime if you will, leaving its tell tale signature on your footwear and clothing. A whiff of garbage on a street corner, where, yesterday it might have been picked-up. But because it hasn't rained here in weeks, the residue persists, because, water, it is too precious to waste on the unthinkable luxury of washing streets and sidewalks.
Yes. This place is real. And, we're chomping at the bit to dive right in.
It's not so big, quite walkable actually. Just watch out for the "rambo-busses" and the cars, no crosswalks in these parts. We walk, walk for blocks and blocks. Grid by grid. There's just so much and it's tough to take it all in. Especially due to the notoriously uneven sidewalks and sometimes "cliff-like" curbs. No OSHA or ADA here. And, I suspect, few liability lawyers.
Nope!!
There's not a chain store or resturant in sight. Just hundreds of little mom and pop resturants, corner groceries, tequila/beer/wine shops, pharmacies, hardware stores, schools, doctors, dentists, hairdressers, food carts/stands, phone shops, fish markets, butchers, fabric shops, tacky tourists shops, fine arts and crafts galleries, paint and decorating stores, furniture, artists supplies and on and on and on. But... most of all... I find myself a central market. A wonderful, lovely farmers market complete with artful mounds of fruit, vegitables, meats, fish... anything I might desire. If I only had a kitchen. We grab some fruit for breakfast and try to imagine the possibilities.
PV is a resort. Yes... but this part, the old town, it is real. It has real life in it. I see so much here of what I seek. She is a whitch, this PV, her spell beginning to slowly seep into our conciousness. A little more dis-armed... no charmed, at each turn of the block.
Playa was easy. It just washed right over you from the first. But Puerto... Puerto would be different. She would make you work for her rewards. With pleasure Madame!!
So many peoples, Mexican and Gringo having built a life here side by side. Rich, poor and those in the middle... it seems to work! The Gringoes, U.S. and Canadians, they've been comming here for decades, because... well... it's warm and sunny here, and... it aint back there. The Mexicans, they're here because of the Gringoes. Many work in service or in those mom and pop stores that service the community. But we... the Gringoes, are the natural resource. Oh yes... and the sun. But... as I said... it works! There's a seemingly wonderful co-existance going on here.
About the beach... well, it still sorta sucks. Just not as bad as maybe as we first thought. Seems our first day on the beach, near our hotel, a beachside cafe, a bucket of cold beers, 6 for US$10, not so much beach, steep shelf and... and, 10, 12 even 15 foot breakers. No, I'm not kiddin'. Good God, I've never seen waves this big. It was deafening. You could feel the relentless pounding as your toes dug into the warm sand. I don't mind admitting, it was a little intimidating. Mind you there were teenagers out there boogie-boardin' on these things. Well they would now, wouldn't they? We would later learn that we couldn't have picked a worst time and spot. It was the full moon with the moon closest to the earth with subsequently the highest tides of the season. There was a strong wind offshore whipping things up and the geography of this particular stretch of beach made the breakers all the worse.
Well that's all good to know, now isn't it?
We would find better beaches, both here and in nearby communities, but more on that later.
Oh... and... there's one more thing I forgot to mention. The Malecon (boardwalk/promenade). Take a particularly hideous stretch of beach right in the middle of town, pave it with 2.5 miles of brick/cobles. Add some resturants and cafes. And... how about throw in over two dozen contemporary bronze sculpture along this 2.5 mile stretch. And on evenings, particularly weekends, add food vendors, strolling locals, street performers and live music. Belive me, this town loves its arts, and nowhere does it show more than here on the Malecon.
Awesome!!!
Ok, so about now you're probably feelin' a little overwhelmed by all of this, right? Well how the hell do you think we felt? All of this in just a couple of days.
Whew!!!
So, I'll be back soon. And... we'll share some of our most memorable experiences here in PV with you. But right now... I gotta crash.
KC
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