Our first port of call is Puerto
Vallarta which is the center of the sweeping 25 mile wide Banderas Bay.
Once a little fishing village, it developed slowly until 1962
when director John Houston selected a secluded property on the southern side of
the bay as the natural set for his film of Tennessee Williams’ Night of the Iguana. Almost
in an instant, little PV (as it is sometimes called) was the focus of Hollywood
spotlights.
Burton and Taylor were enjoying a torrid romance, and people
were glued to the affair. Taylor moved to Mexico to be near her lover, and her
house, Casa Kimberly, is still one of PV’s biggest tourist draws.
One of the many things you can do here is walk along part of the
beautiful bay on the malecon (paved boardwalk).
There are several whimsical sculptures along the way, the most
famous of which is the boy riding the seahorse.
He shows up again on local telephone booths.
Speaking of art, Puerto Vallarta offers the best selection of
Huichol art in Mexico. Descendants of the Aztecs, the Huichol are one of the
last remaining indigenous cultures in the world, I was told, that has remained
true to its traditions, customs, language and habitat.
Huichol art falls into two main categories: yarn paintings and
beaded pieces. What I saw was this man working on beaded pieces.
PV’s main square, Plaza de Armas, marks the southern end of the
malecon and from it, you get your first view of the Church of Nuestra Senora de
Guadalupe.
Inside, the altar was decorated for Christmas with a massive
banner streaming from the ceiling, draping around the familiar image of Our
Lady of Guadalupe.
This short walking tour, we left PV to visit Hacienda Engracia…a
tourist place which showcases the other thing that this area is known
for—tequila.
After an explanation of the process of making tequila from the
agave plant, a tequila tasting ensued. I didn’t know there were so many kinds
of tequila and that most of the really good stuff doesn’t taste like kerosene.
After the tasting, a Mexican lunch was provided with a fiesta
out under the trees. We were entertained by folklorica and other dances.
These young women were so beautiful and the men were so handsome.
But what I liked best was the dancing horse. He really strut his
stuff and swung his rear and flipped his tail. I have a video of this, but
because of band-width, I will just post a photo now.
I experienced a lot more than what I briefly outlined here, and
I took many more photos of it all.
Example: an encounter with a macaw.
Observation of the wiring around town:
And I thought the wires under my desk were a mess!
It was a great day. Amazing how much you can do in five hours.
Tonight is Christmas Eve, of course. I will be joining some
folks for some singing of carols and Midnight Mass.
Your photos are beautiful. I'd forgotten how colorful Mexico is! The arts, the architecture and the people!
ReplyDeleteLove the "wiring" diagram! Makes you wonder, doesn't it?