Generally, when I travel, I post my trip report within a few days of my return. Upon returning from my most recent trip I fell into such a deep funk I found myself unable to write. But I have pulled myself together, and here’s my post.
If you’re of a certain age, you’ve seen the Love Boat TV
series, which stopped at numerous ports of call, including Puerto Vallarta
(often abbreviated as PV). That’s where
I first heard the name. But it wasn’t
until recently I felt the desire to go there – although I’ve been to Mexico
several times since I was a teenager, and Daniel and I visited Ensenada during
our 2017
cruise.
Puerto Vallarta has recently been dubbed the “San
Francisco of Mexico” – a double entendre as PV is not only dotted with hills
just as steep of those as the city to the north, but has also become a
destination of choice for LGBTQ+ travelers worldwide. As for the hills, worry less about your
footwear fashion sense and prioritize comfortable shoes – you’ll need them.
We initially planned to go to PV in March of 2020. COVID put the kibosh on that and the border
was closed just days before our trip.
Another attempt to visit fizzled out that September, as Dan & I
decided to keep our travel domestic until we were fully vaccinated. Finally, the stars aligned, and we were able
to visit for four all-too-brief days in the first week of December. It was a trip in which we had new experiences
and made new friends – and which left us with a desire to return soon.
Mexico’s currency is called the peso. Confusingly, the peso’s symbol is the same as
the US Dollar: $. For clarity, some
retailers will supplement the Dollar sign with MXN. The exchange rate varies but usually hovers
around 20 pesos to the dollar. While
larger retailers accept credit cards, there are often currency exchange fees
attached. To get the most bang for your
buck (or peso), I recommend changing currency at your local bank prior to
leaving. It’s best to do this no less
than one week prior to departure in case your bank needs to order pesos. Unless you’re a penny pincher, trade at least
$100 (American) per day you’ll be in Mexico.
You can always change pesos back when you return. Following this
procedure has the added benefit of allowing you to avoid changing currency at
the airport (more on that later).
Daniel and I flew to PV via American Airlines, connecting
at Dallas-Fort Worth airport. Although DFW is a very large airport, it’s
arranged in a manner that allows travelers to get from terminal to terminal
relatively easily. There are also plenty
of shops and restaurants in each terminal in case you have extra time and want
to grab a bite. As it was, our 1.5-hour
layover was more than adequate.
After landing at Aeropuerto
Internaccional Licenciado Gustavo (PVR), we deplaned
on the tarmac and entered one of three buses, which headed to border control,
which processed our line efficiently.
From there, we collected our baggage, make our way through customs, and
ran the gauntlet of time-share hucksters and the currency exchange to exit the
airport. I cannot emphasize this enough:
do not interact with time-share salespeople. They will make offers – including carrying
your bag, calling your taxi, or a bus ride to wherever you’re going – just to
rope you in. Ignore them, do not make
eye-contact, and proceed to the exit.
Once you exit the airport, you will see a line of white
taxis. Do your wallet a favor and skip
them. Turn left upon exiting, then left
at the end of the building, and take the pedestrian bridge that runs over
highway 200. Seek out the yellow cabs
and ask the cabbie how much it will cost to your desired location. Our trip to Zona Romantica (seven miles) amounted
to less than $15 American. Uber is also
available, but the yellow cab drivers, like their counterparts in London, have
“the
knowledge”.
They know how to get you where you want to go, and they often have great
stories to share. An added advantage of
the yellow cabs is that they’re to be found at nearly every intersection: when
it came time for us to return home, we just walked to the corner and a cab was
waiting for us.
Dan & I stayed at Hotel
Mercurio, less than two blocks from Los Muertos beach
and right in the middle of everything we wanted to do. Mercurio mostly caters to the older gay
community – we were about the youngest couple there. That’s fine with me as I had no desire to
spend my time with a bunch of selfie-taking “influencers” or middle-aged circuit
queens with Peter Pan syndrome. Most of
the clientele were just regular folks like Dan & me. The relaxed ambience at Mercurio was enhanced
by the bartenders and barbacks Jorge, Briam, and David, who were such a joy to
interact with. On Sunday, the relaxation
was cast aside for the weekly Beers, Boys, and Burgers party which was…well, I
won’t be able to post any photos here.
The lack of digestive issues was most welcome, as eat we
did, along with some drinking. Our first
stop after checking into our hotel was down Francisca Rodriquez at the
intersection of Olas Atlas at Café San Angel where I enjoyed a fine Blue Cheeseburger
with fries and Mexican Coke.
Our hotel included breakfast each morning – so we never
ventured out for an early meal.
Friday night we went Italian at Piazzetta, just
a block down and across the street from the burger place. The bruchetta appetizer was generously
proportioned, as was the fettucine Alfredo with chicken that was my main.
By Saturday, I’d realized we’d been in Mexico for two
days and hadn’t yet had any Mexican cuisine.
A gander to Tacos Revolución
(close enough to our hotel that we were in range of their wi-fi) was a welcome
dive into authenticity. We enjoyed
drinks, a large appetizer and three tacos each for less than $20 – including
tip.
We also sampled La
Romantica, a café that specialized in lighter fare,
including artfully prepared salads, milkshakes, and churros – a longtime
favorite of mine.
Unfortunately, we did not get around to trying out any
street food, but it’s on the agenda for our next trip there.
PV is rich in options for nightlife, from dive bars to
cabarets to more high energy spots.
Palm Cabaret hosted
my friend Tonny Kenneth in
his latest show, Disco Inferno. He and
the dancers gave lively, and often spicy, renditions of songs I grew up
with. It brought back memories of
watching my sisters try the latest dance routines during the 1970s.
Anonimo and One Six One, right next to each other on Calle
Rodolfo Gomez, are two bars catering to mixed crowd. Anonimo is on three floors, each with its own
ambiance: the 2nd floor has an outdoor patio, but don’t skip the
ground and 3rd floors which feature two of the nicest bartenders I’ve ever met:
David Mancilla and Miguel Ángel. David
carries a notepad, prepared to write down your favorite songs to add to the
video mix. One Six One is a bit more
upscale, with a quieter scene – a great place for an intimate conversation.
There are also flashier and wilder bars just north of
where we stayed, but I’m a bit long in the tooth for those places.
Not all is perfect in Puerto Vallarta. Lack of government regulations and zoning
enforcement in Mexico has led to overdevelopment in some areas, particularly in
Zona Romantica where one condo development not only collapsed during
pre-construction but almost took three other buildings with it. But the hilly, cobblestoned streets still
retain much of their charm – for now.
Returning to the US:
Dan and I learned of the new COVID testing requirements,
which require a test within one day of the return flight, during our first
night in Puerto Vallarta. Although
initially concerned, it turned out obtaining a test was simple and inexpensive thanks
to our hotel. Rapid result tests are
also available at the airport. We
recommend arriving at PV airport at least three hours prior to departure, and
allow yourself an extra hour if getting tested at the airport. Despite the airport’s relatively small size there
is a generous selection of duty free shops in which to spend your remaining
pesos.
Although I took Spanish in high school, and many of the
locals speak English, I realized during this trip that my knowledge of Spanish
has faded to the point where I had difficulty following conversations between
Dan & our new friends. Having to ask
him to translate was embarrassing for me.
So, I’ve downloaded an app and have begun refreshing my skills, as we
are most certainly travelling to Puerto Vallarta again – hopefully soon.
