Aztec Trek - Part 3 - "Out" and About in Puerto Vallarta

I have to admit it was the lure of a few days by a beach which drew us next to the tourist resort of Puerto Vallarta, and not its fascinating history as the location of Richard Burton’s scandalous affair with Elizabeth Taylor, during the filming of “Night of the Iguana”.

Our apartment was in the “Zona Romantica”, which left our hearts racing – more due to the undulating cobbled streets, rather than any notions of a cozy getaway.  Breakfasting the next morning on our balcony with the ocean only a block away however, was rather nice and our accommodation did live up to its name: “Sound of the Waves”.  Due to the copious cobbles, we also heard the sound of vans and people trundling up and down the hill outside during the day, but it was a relaxing spot nonetheless. 

“PV” as the locals called it (maybe PVC would have been more apt, judging by the outfits in many of the gay boutiques here!) was one of the largest resorts along the West Pacific coast of Mexico, extremely LGBT friendly, and attracted mostly American and Canadian tourists by the planeload.  Backed by the Sierra Madre mountains, it held temperatures in the low-thirties year-round, and the string of beaches which lined the huge bay were impressive.

The main tourist centre and the Malecon (boardwalk) was full of bars, restaurants, souvenir shops and a striking array of art galleries. In the centre was a small park full of ceramic benches that would put Gaudi to shame.  It was a little too touristy for our liking, but had heaps of character and provided some great bars offering live music of an evening.

Ian had forgotten to pack his swimming shorts, so we walked into town the next morning to find some basic ones – not an easy task, with so many of the clothing shops catering to the LGBT community.  The attire on offer was, how can I put it, rather too flamboyant for his taste!! He did manage to find some at the local Walmart though, and we stocked up on provisions for the week. 

Joining the crowds strolling along the Malecon one morning, we were impressed with the huge Day of the Dead displays, including, allegedly “the world’s tallest Catrina”.

After a hectic week in Mexico City, and with the temperature rising, we decided to spend the next few days relaxing on the balcony and taking in the breezes by the rooftop pool, which had splendid views of the coastline.

We managed to summon up the energy for a snorkelling trip to the nearby Arcos Island Marine Park.  Sadly, we were just too early to catch the hump back whales as they migrated southwards, and the number and variety of fish were disappointing compared to Thailand. But these large rocks hosted a good variety of bird life, including roosting pelicans, frigate birds and blue-footed boobies (native only to this coast and the Galapagos).

We couldn’t resist the much hyped Sunday “Drag Brunch” at the adjacent Blue Chairs Resort. We could see the blue statue of Liberty which crowned the rooftop bar from our balcony and often heard the pumping tunes emanating from it. So with a little trepidation, we made our way up to the Cotton Candy Cocktail Lounge and settled down at our table, which we hoped was out of the way enough not to be “dragged” into the show!..

The “queen” was awesome, especially in those costumes, and in that heat!  Ian participated in the “birthday shots” (don’t ask!) and was swept off his feet by our charming and very funny waiter, and we spent an entertaining couple of hours watching the show, and taking in the views.

In search of something a little more “sophisticated” we tried the amazing cuisine at “Mezcal and Sal” the next evening, where Ian wolfed down his gastro nemesis of “aubergine” with a side serving of “grasshoppers” and bravely ate it all, with a smile on his face!  I played it safe with mushroom tacos and a fantastically presented mezcal cocktail served on a bed of flowers!  A truly unique experience.

On our final day, we trudged up and then down the hill to the neighbouring beach of Playa Conchas Chinas, which gave us a taste of what this coastline was like a few decades ago.  Made up of several peaceful sandy coves, we lay under the palms watching a variety of seabirds flying overhead. The Bay of Banderas (sadly no sign of Antonio) is one of the largest bays in North America and we would loved to have explored its diverse regions further, but the time had come to head back inland.

Next stop:  Guadalajara will do! (Brownie points for those who get the musical reference!)