Slap!!!

If you choose to travel much in life, there are going to be those times when "shit happens" No matter how well you've planned beforehand, no matter how skilled a traveler you may be... it happens, and it literally can knock the wind right out of your sails.
You see on the internet what you are meant to see. Reviews are not foolproof. Guidebooks and shows offer the authors experiences. All that you know and your predispositions can get in the way. Even your state of mind at the time, all, all can conspire against you and your enjoyment of the experience.
The real challenge here is how do you react. Do you stay miserable or leave all together? Suck it up and go with the flow? Or, do you think on your feet and "make it better". I have at one time or another found myself in each of these options.
Leaving Playa del Carmen, Sandy and I were both on an emotional high. It was easy to enjoy and we had enjoyed our time there immensely.
The flight to Puerto Vallarta via Mexico City had been uneventful, really quite pleasant. "second world airline"? Felt more professional and friendly than many of my "first world" flights to and from Europe.
Now, right off the bat. One thing I do not like at all is to arrive at a new destination after dark. It is very disorienting to me. Even the most beautiful and approachable city can often appear not so if you arrive in the dark.
Upon arrival at my intended hotel, the venerable but well located Playa los Arcos, I find myself with what can only be described as the "last room in the hotel". It was awful. I had booked a couple of months beforehand, confirmed, and it was not at all what I expected. It's late, we're tired and we're hungry. I think that Sandy would agree, at that moment we both felt like flat tires. A bite to eat, good nights sleep. I would fix it all tomorrow.
Good meal, horrible nights sleep, incident with stopped toilet, rip-off breakfast at hotel's beach side resturant and finally the himming and hawing over the availability of another room.
That's it!!! Time to take this bull by the horns. I never travel without copies of the crucial pages of my travel guides and my search info was bookmarked on my netbook. First order of business this morning, find a decent place to stay!
On the ground, everything is always different from the filtered view you receive from the internet, books, shows or even other people that you may know.
I have to stress at this point, your experience is going to be unique. Affected by all of the variables earlier mentioned and may not even be the same if you've been there before.
Well, first. Finding another place to stay would not be hard at all. An on the ground look at 3 nearby possibilities and we net a gem, the Hotel Eloisa. One block from the surf, a small family managed "Mexican style" hotel built around a central courtyard with a welcoming rooftop terrace with pool. A studio room with kitchenette, continental breakfast and... all for a lot less than the original room.
Perfect!! Feeling better already!
During our look around that morning, the contrast to Playa del Carmen is glaring. Firstly there's the beach. Well.... it sorta sucks. And the town, it's streets, it's a little overwhelming. PDC had been a slow down laid back little resort town. Puerto was bigger, older and with much hustle-bustle.
I have to say, it was a jarring experience for the two of us. There were second thoughts at this point, no doubt about it. Why did we leave Playa del Carmen?
But... wait just a minute. I.. and I think she, knew that things were going to be different here. After all, isn't that why we came here in the first place? I knew it was big and that it was old. Hadn't I placed us right in the heart of old town? And..
we both knew that the Pacific is not the Carribean. And... we have plenty of time before us to explore this new experience. I mean, so many people have come here for years for the Puerto Vallarta experience.
Just "shake-off" the recent unpleasantness and do what we do best.
Open our minds, explore and "live" what Puerto Vallarta has to offer. Seek it's "sense of place".
I know it's here, we're just momentarily distracted.

Day 1.....

To be continued.....