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 Vallarta Living | December 2005 
Vivendo en Mexico (Living in Mexico) 2
 Korah Winn - PVNN
I arrived in Puerto Vallarta completely safe and sound, much to my family's relief. This is really it. I am fortunate enough to have some wonderful amigos (friends) from back home that live in Puerto Vallarta during the invierno (winter). They worked things out so that I had someone to come pick me up at the airport.
I tend to be a pretty independent person and do not mind having to figure things out, but I cannot tell you how nice it was to have alguien (somebody) there to help me cut through all the confusion. They helped me exchange money at the best place and then they got a taxi so that we could go straight to the house.
If you have ever been on a big trip, you probably know the sense of relief you feel when you finally make it to your destination. You get to drop your bags on the piso (floor) and rest knowing that you are finally there.
After I got settled in a bit at the house, my new friend and her boyfriend asked me if I was hungry. Admittedly, I was not very hungry for comida (food), but I had been waiting so long to get here that I was ready to do some exploring. They took me to El Malecon, which is the name of a long stretch of walkway that runs alongside the Banderas Bay.
This part of town is called El Centro. It is basically a huge hot spot where local people and tourists gather. It is such an incredible gathering place because of the variety of what is offered. There are amazing restaurants and clubs that line the seaside. You can find galleries, clothing shops, and souvenir stores to buy all kinds of trinkets. There are street vendors in various locations selling everything from tuba (a native drink) to pictures made out of pieces of colored straw. It is an area that pulses with life because it is filled with people.
My new friends told me that this is actually the down season. Normally, when the weather is much nicer, El Malecon has so many people walking on it that you can barely pass through. I was warned that it is usually best to stay away during spring break unless I really like getting crushed in a throng of people.
For my first meal in México we went to an Italian restaurant. We stopped in at La Dolce Vita. I know, I know! Here I am in México and my first meal is Italian. Frankly, I think it is a testimony to global culture. Global culture fascinates me. It amazes me how different countries can have such a massive impact on other nations thousands of miles away.
Even Puerto Vallarta has been touched by the corporate giant that is known as Wal-mart. If I wanted to, I could easily trick myself into believing for a moment that the Wal-Mart Supercenter here is the same one from back in Sterling, sans the palm trees out front and the mountains in the back at the one here. Wal-mart keeps the structural design and color scheme pretty much the same in almost every city they plant a store. They still have the massive Wal-Mart sign outside and even have the word siempre (always) in giant letters hanging over your head as you walk through the door.
My first days in México have been spent noticing many of the similarities. I think that is natural right at the beginning. As time goes on though, and I get deeper into the culture, I will hopefully soon be able to tell you about the differences. ¡Salud! (Cheers/To you health).
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