IN PUERTO VALLARTA

Sorry to leave Mazatlan just before their massive, 600,000 visitor Carnaval Parade. But the town was sold out, no rooms within 16 kms. Overall impression: wide walking paths, proudly surviving historic centre, still lots of fishing and music. So we pinballed into Mexico City and out again to the Pacific coast.

Puerto Vallarta! As usual, a sleepy fishing port until visited by celebrities ----- the scandalous affair of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in 1964. Since then, sprawling growth along the shore and up the hills so that it’s now a diverse cultural and wintering destination. But it’s also high season here; only places left are wayyyy up steep slopes. Good thing we’re used to that at home. (Look for Pat in the yellow top on the middle balcony.) Pretty good kitchen, hot water, wifi to send this out. But the trek down and up to Centro is a sweaty huff-and-puff choice of long rough slope or 210 steps.

After a month on the road doing hand laundry we need some new duds. At a thrift shop that supports animal rescue, R unracks a cotton shirt and P finds a kicky dress.  Ready for Vogue?

Garden Girl got to watch palm potting on a tropical scale, across from our balcony. All manual labour as the dozen heavy palms, and then a truckload of bagged soil, were carried up through an apartment to the roof top plot. Note the blue plastic barrels instead of the terra cotta planters back home. Result? Mature shady greenery in a couple of days.  Oh-oh; now Pat’s got ideas…

Another exotic Bird Sighting! A red flash flickering a hundred feet away? It’s an aptly named Flame-Coloured Tanager. Red-white-and black ----- like Canada’s Olympic team uniforms. Hmmmm…

PV is very familiar after many trips here in the past. But the walks along the malecon always reveal more local culture. Musicians serenade on the beach --- but with amplifiers! Graduating high school kids mug for the camera. The inevitable Mayans-on-a-pole.

At sunset on the seashore, those costumes become Flyin’ Mayans. Clouds turn coral, pink, and aqua -- like 1950’s Pontiacs. Sunset is even wider up on our roof. Maybe we’ll stay a while?