Puerto Vallarta

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.

These pieces are made on carved wooden shapes which are then covered with wax. Next tiny chaquira beads are applied one by one to form designs. Very tedious, precise work. Here are examples:

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.