Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - As years go on in our residency of Puerto Vallarta, we've found it amazing how many people speak English; the waiters, the ladies at the lavanderia, bartenders, the veterinarian we take the pup to see for his yearly exam. Even some of the taxi and bus drivers.

It is an honor to live in a country where the locals have made it their business to learn our language so as to better serve us. In turn, we have worked hard to learn how to say some of the more difficult pronunciations, out of respect.

Even when we badly garble the Spanish and Nahuatl, we feel like we've at least tried and found locals cheerful and accepting of our solemn attempts. Nahuatl is a local tongue, spoken by many indigenous people, many of whom don't speak Spanish.

It causes us to chuckle sometimes, but we also feel a certain amount of frustration when we hear visitors, as well as some long-time residents in Puerto Vallarta, abbreviate some of the simplest pronunciations.

Basilio Badillo is a main street in Puerto Vallarta. Located on this street are entertainment venues, fine dining and taco stands, art galleries, boutiques, locally run shops and street vendors, and the path to the tunnels that lead out of town. As of late, we have heard it being referred to as "BB Street." Basilio Badillo is not difficult to wrap one's teeth around. The two L's make a Y, and the rest of it is completely phonetic, just like the Spanish alphabet.

Pitillal is not PTL, though surely anyone would know what you're talking about when you refer to it as such. PTL is often used for 'Praise The Lord,' and though there is a large church in the middle of town, there is no relation to any ministries, nor to 'Pushing The Limit,' another meaning for this acronym. We've also heard it pronounced "Pity-L." The correct way to say the name of this quaint little suburb of Puerto Vallarta is Pee-Tee-Yall.

Harder to pronounce perhaps, is La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, the name of anther town about 25 Km north of Puerto Vallarta. It's perfectly acceptable to simply say "La Cruz" (The Cross) but it's nice to know that Huanacaxtle is a type of wood found in the area, of which a cross is erected at the entrance of the village.

Cuates y Cuetes, often called "CYC" or "C-and-C," is a favorite watering-hole at the beach, next to the pier. It, too, can be easily pronounced, if one gets a handle of the Spanish alphabet and realizes that the language is amazingly phonetic, compared to English, and doesn't contain a lot of there/they're/there types of conundrums. Cuates y Cuetes is pronounced Coo-wátt-es E Coo-wét-us. Simply saying "Cuates" is considered entirely appropriate.

PV is probably the most annoying for locals. To them, it's a sign of gringos who are always in such a hurry they can't even take the time to learn how to pronounce the name of the town, Puerto Vallarta.

Que es cómo es.

---

The number one selling and listing agency in the greater Bay of Banderas region since 2011, Timothy Real Estate Group is a locally-owned and operated real estate brokerage with a strategic location in the city's Romantic Zone. Because the Puerto Vallarta area has varying neighborhood personalities, we practice localized real estate and, with 5 sales offices around the bay, we know our communities well. If you are looking to sell or purchase a property in the Banderas Bay area, please contact one of the Timothy Real Estate Group agents for the best experience in Puerto Vallarta real estate. For more information, visit TimothyRealEstateGroup.com.

Click HERE to learn more about Timothy Real Estate Group