South of the Border,

Episode 8     Dec 27-31  

Puerto Vallarta- 1(CDMX-Gaudalajara-P Vallarta)

Long ago & far away………. was when I last wrote about our visit and a lot of water has flown under the proverbial bridge!! There have been a lot of happenings out here, (including my visit to Pune for some urgent issues), the degree of each, in terms of  awe, increasing with each, giving me the feeling that the best is yet to come! And on that “ummeed”, took each one, as it came. So, here goes!

As mentioned earlier, the Pais had come down from India via Dallas. On the 26^th, we were joined by Arindam & Sudipta, with their 2 boys, from Dallas, The quorum for our first beach resort trip was complete. All arrangements in terms of vehicle, logistics, timings had been worked out, so the men-folk proceeded to pick up the cars/vans whatever.

However, to prove that the best of plans can go awry, we were informed that the vehicles earlier allotted were not available then!! To cut a long story short, we finally got a 12 seater that looked more like a delivery van and the departure, planned for 10 am s-t-r-e-c-h-e-d to late afternoon!

With Arindam at the wheel & Kalpana as the navigator, we were soon out of the city limits and ‘winging’ our way on 150 (route). 

Of note, was the excellent roadway system, which, we were told, has been in place just under 10 years. Vast stretches of semi-urban landscapes, gradually becoming more ‘pastoral’, were all really a pleasure to behold.

There were the customary stops to relieve the drivers (as well as our ‘systems’) & to pick up some nourishment en route!  We saw large bodies of water, literally upto the horizon, but there was no way of finding out the source of water. Probably underground springs or plain rain water. There were the usual tolls,  mostly chip-activated, some manual & the odd petrol pump, all breaking the monotony of an otherwise superlative highway! There was one very interesting diversion, but we have not been able to decipher the acronym!!

To get back to the top of the page. Puerto Vallarta is a sea-side resort, about 900 kms, slightly North-West, in the State of Jalisco. Satish (Pai) had done the spadework of reservations, trip itinerary etc. at the Sunscape Resort & Spa. However, we were doing this in 2 phases, the 1^st being CDMX to Guadalajara & Guadalajara to Puerto V.

Without any incident, exciting or eventful, we reached The Hilton, G’jara just as night fell! After the check-in procedure (which did take its time) & getting our room keys, everybody trooped off for a quick wash, to catch the last dining slot! The dining room had all the necessary trappings, the cynosure being a huge showcase displaying various liquors (esp Tequilas) in bottles of varied shapes. 

Tequilas

Since it was also the year-end, the hotel had put up all the typical X’mas & NY decos. 

But the cottage &  Clock tower were truly a treat to watch… & eat, they being made of confectionery items. Unfortunately, these were to be cut on 31 Dec, to our bad luck! 

The food was very typical Mex, served with very volatile sauces/salsas. The Reds  were a good wash-down,  the  desserts being kind of so-so.

I would like to believe that this property was a franchisee of the Hiltons! I’ll leave it at that.

We were looking forward to an early start, as there was a hilly (mountainous) stretch to negotiate & traffic promised to be heavy!!  So, after a quick but sumptuous breakfast, off we went; but, again a catch! There was a unscheduled stop (they call it a “technical stop” in the Rlys!) at Walmarts, where the ladies wanted to lighten their purses! That over, we took the designated route to get back on the highway.

As expected, the roads were amazingly smooth & well maintained. The signage was very efficiently placed & of course, the traffic well behaved. 

A few miles out & the landscape gradually started changing and the flat open spaces soon turned into what is always referred to as “gently rolling’ hills. On the horizon, hills loomed large, adding a touch of green all over. The blue-green combination was constantly changing, due to the fickle cloud cover.  

We soon started passing small homesteads & clusters of houses, dotting the area. All of a sudden, there appeared neat blue-green patched of cultivation, which we soon discovered to be Agave! The tequila plant!! There were nurseries & nurseries of this plant & the fields were as though arranged according to the age/size of the plant. The town of Tequila was off this route & a mental note of the same was made by all!  

Almost as though on cue, the end of the Agave plantation gave way to a gradual climb and as the road assumed elevation, the green cover too became more pronounced.

Now, some very interesting sights appeared along the roads & if the language on the boards weren’t in Espanol/Ingles, I would have sworn that I was travelling into the Konkan Region of Maharashtra!! The houses too, bore a striking resemblance to the ones back home! And to complete the picture, were  the ubiquitous tyre (“punchur”) repairs a la Anna! ( see pic)

'Punchur' shop

I’ve made a mention somewhere earlier of a possible link in the (ancient) cultures of India & Mexico. More striking is the similarity of the flora, so obviously weather & soil conditions too! To stretch a point, it does not rule out the theory of the continents being fused, eons ago! There were orchards of Mango, Coconuts & Bananas, all over, with small shacks selling local produce. The Jackfruit,  is another favourite in this part of the State, including candies/sweets made from it. The coconuts were huge & so was the water content, which was equally sweet. Out here, after you’ve finished the water, the kernel is cut up in pieces & seasoned with sour lime juice & chilly powder!

As we moved along, the forests on either side became denser, providing a continuous shade to the travelers. I noticed an interesting feature of the road, in that, there were proper cemented slopes along the road edge that were part of channels, built to carry away rain water! Along with the forestry, the traffic too became denser. The only other thing I felt was, that the roads could have been broader. 

Perhaps the State gives priority to environment as against “progress”! Since there were settlements along the way (& obviously shops too), there were times when the traffic literally crawled. But, yes, but, in all this, not one vehicle tried to overtake the other or form a 2^nd lane! And no Cops in sight. (We are so “flexible” that our drivers convert a Three Lane road into a Five Lane one!). Yet, the slow pace was quite ok with most of us, especially me, as I could really take in the jungle. Surprisingly, there was no sign of any wildlife, especially birds. The odd Grackles & Sparrows we saw, we at the foothills.

We passed some shops (shacks) selling interesting things & made a mental note to stop by on the return. By now, the green cover had thinned somewhat & in the distance,  a  range of mountains came into focus. 

There was a distinct descent as we moved along and encountered small stand-alone restaurants, hotels & shops. And suddenly, Arindam announced,” your first view of the Pacific Ocean”. To the right, against the glare of the sun, made even harsher due to the reflective waters, was the Pacific Ocean. 

First glimpse of the Paci

There was a kind of excitement about it & I could relate to the explorers of yore, who discovered new lands (In this case, it was the reverse!)

As we entered the fag end of the journey, the Hotel seemed even further away, especially with heavy, holiday traffic all along. This was  so typical of the posters that one had seen. Hotels, Inns, Restos, people & more people.  As we took the detour to our destination, there was a sculpture of a Humpback Whale with a Pup! We were hoping to see these beautiful creatures in flesh! 

In the distance, I thought I saw what looked like a hotel with compact rooms, a few stories high. As we neared it, I realized it was a Cruise Ship (Carnival) that had berthed here. And just a bit away, was a Yacht, with a helicopter perched  on it. We were in the land & company of the rich & the famous!!

This excitement was heightened by our arrival at the Sunscape Resort! This was  huge & imposing, what with fountains, umbrellas, lounging sofas, the works, strewn all over, in a calculated  casual manner.  As though on cue ( of course well practiced!), the moment we stepped out, welcome drinks (Hibiscus Tea) were served all round, our bags were tagged………..& we had to wait for almost an hour for the rooms to be allotted! This was necessitated due to minor adjustments had to be carried out, some rooms weren’t ready etc! All in the game.

That over, we all trooped into the dining area, where after proving our bona fides, we all sat down for lunch. The  layout was quite typical as we find in resorts. The swimming pool was right in the centre of the premise, dining area all around, the beach within a holler & beyond, the big blue deep!! 

This could have been Goa, Miami or any other beach resort, the few changes being the cuisine & the  language. But, this is not what Puerto Vallarta was all about. The two adventures planned were, One, a visit to a private island, with all that goes with it (scuba, snorkeling & of course food) & Two, Whale watching!! Boy, this is what most of us were looking forward too!!

So, post lunch,  some swam , some sank   ( into the luxury beds) & others went exploring.

This was just getting from Point M to P! The real thing starts tomorrow! Till then, do try & find out the reasons of similarity in the landscape & flora. As regards the similarity in the ancient civilisations of the Two countries..........watch out for more on that subject later. Till then TC

Cheers

Hasta Manana

AshoKalpana