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 Vallarta Living | April 2006 
Is Vallarta Bursting at the Seams?
 Margo Jodyne Dills - PVNN
| | A stroll along Los Muertos Beach on Good Friday afternoon conveyed a swelling mass of humanity, gathered together in the name of Holiness. |
I watched eleven people get into a Chevy Aveo. If you don't know what one looks like, think small, really compact. The group started on the sidewalk and maneuvered, packing seven young women into the back seat, two on the front passenger side with a toddler on their communal lap and the driver.
This is Semana Santa in Puerto Vallarta: each year more people, bigger cars and less parking spaces.
A stroll along Los Muertos Beach on Good Friday afternoon conveyed a swelling mass of humanity, gathered together in the name of Holiness. They didn't look very pious in my eye and there can be no doubt about it, most were taking a break from their routine lives. A vacation is defined as a period of time devoted to pleasure, rest and relaxation and Vallarta's visitors, as a rule, follow this description.
I cannot express the smells and sounds and it is doubtful any evening broadcast would cover this event, however newsworthy. Battling with transistor radios turned up full blast and quaking bass speakers in passing trucks are strolling mariachis. Taxis, beer trucks, tour buses and cars compete with transit police, honking horns and blasting sirens; babies squalling, children screaming, the tide rumbling in and out, and the general hum of laughter and excited voices.
The briny smell of the sea combined with shrimp, fish and chicken roasted over open fires, the smoke floating above the crowd. While walking down side streets toward the beach, the smell of stale urine, mixed with heaps of fruit rinds in piles on corners, waiting for garbage trucks to make their rounds.
This is Mexico and these are Mexicans having the most important holiday and the influx grows every year. For a small handful of days the city is nearly bursting at the seams.
When I began coming to Vallarta in the early 1980's I had never heard of Semana Santa (Holy Week). I became aware of a flood of people during this time and was duly enlightened. Now I have lived in Puerto Vallarta for a few years and have observed the expansion of both the city and the cherished holidays.
Puerto Vallarta is progressing geometrically and the North American colonization is not the only cause. Wealthy Mexicans are purchasing second homes at an equal pace and the presence of expensive SUV's and luxury cars with Mexican plates is a confirmation.
Puerto Vallarta has been a destination for many decades. Contrary to popular belief, John Huston's Night of the Iguana, produced in 1963, was not the only reason people have flocked to this resort. 1960 census records show a population of over 10,000. When Huston and crew arrived there were several hotels including Rosita, Tropicana, Océano, Paraíso and others.
The movie did provide a good deal of international exposure but airplanes had been flying in since 1931 and the first routes from the mountain villages of San Sebastián, Talpa and Mascota were built in 1956. The original highway connecting Vallarta to its neighbors north (Compostela) and south (Barra de Navidad) began construction in 1958.
Vallartenses have been extremely proud of the development of their city and tourism has long been the goal. Transplants are quick to criticize the local government but Puerto Vallarta is one the most progressive cities in the country, perhaps the continent. During the 1970's the government at both local and federal levels worked diligently to legalize the acquisition of land by foreign enterprises and individuals. This opened the door to hotel conglomerates, large corporations and also gave security to ex-patriots.
People are delighted by the appearance of Sam's Club, Soriana, Cinemark, Wal-Mart and other arrivals but then complain about the lack of items available, incorrect postings of movie times and traffic. They grumble about lack of parking but then protest the city's solutions. People, people, you must have patience.
Many establishments have been torn down over the decades, replaced by newer construction and newcomers are none the wiser. While perusing travel websites one finds praise for Vallarta's ability to maintain a modern façade while incorporating the feel of the past.
As an example, AllAboutPuertoVallarta.com states: Puerto Vallarta is one of the friendliest and most diverse beach destinations in the world. Once but a tiny fishing village, Puerto Vallarta is now a world class resort that has retained all of the quaint charms of the original village yet embodies all of the characteristics you've come to expect in a modern resort.
Politics and construction are an uneasy mix. NYC's rebuilding at Ground Zero is a fine example of how muddled things can become. Hizzoner Gustavo Gonzalez takes the praise and the criticism in equal doses depending on their origination. Some days he must feel like he is up to his rear in alligators when realizing he forgot to drain the swamp.
Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful city. She has sustained hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, the whims of politics and architecture and an influx of many tourists who decided to stay. If she is bursting at the seams, she surely will need a new pair of pants. The last thing we want the lady to do is go on a diet. |
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