Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – MiMi Bomba has been thinking about tourists lately. Not just the people who fly into Puerto Vallarta for a week in the sun, but everyone who comes here for a visit, spends the winter, seeks medical or dental care, or eventually decides to call Vallarta home. In her view, every one of them is a guest – and every guest has a responsibility to show some respect for the people who welcome them.
GOOD TOURISTS/BAD TOURISTS:
Those of us who come to Puerto Vallarta on vacation to visit, to take advantage of the dental/medical services, to stay during the winter months and avoid cold weather, or to stay and make PV our home – we are guests here. We are tourists, all of us.
Whether we are temporary residents, permanent residents, or here on a visa, we are all tourists. We are guests. We are welcomed by the people of Puerto Vallarta. They share their culture with us. They cook for us. They clean for us. They are kind and caring, and the minimum that they deserve from us is respect.
And that is what this column is all about. Respect. And the difference between Good Tourists and Bad Tourists.
HOW TO BE A GOOD TOURIST:
- TIP! Tip well, tip often, tip more than necessary! Many service workers in PV work for tips, without even minimum wage. And those who do earn hourly wages are not making much, which is why so many people here have more than one job. When you’re estimating how much to tip someone who has waited on you, brought you food and drinks, cleaned for you, driven for you, shopped for you, remember that a few pesos to you can be a lot to them. If someone does something for you, please tip them. In fact, over-tip them, please.
- Show Appreciation! See Bullet Point 1, Tip. Say Mil Gracias. Be patient. Learn to say Te lo agradezco! If you learn no other Spanish, at least learn to say “I appreciate you”.
- Buy stuff from children and old people who are selling things on the street. Give money to old ladies who are sitting on the street begging.
HOW TO BE A BAD TOURIST:
- Short list. Don’t do what good tourists do. Or some of it.
- Complain and flaunt your “privilege.”
- Be loud and disrespectful because you think the world revolves around you, and after all, you’re on vacation, Pendejo!
I do have a confession. Full disclosure, sometimes I take advantage of Uber drivers and taxi drivers by practicing my bad Spanish on them when they’re taking me someplace. I figure they are captive so they can’t do anything about it. However, it has always been helpful and fun, and we usually end up going back and forth in English and Spanish. I help them with English, and they help me with Spanish. They usually tell me that my Spanish is muy bueno, so I end up over-tipping them. So there’s that. Good tourist? Bad tourist? No lo se…
But what I do know is that I love Puerto Vallarta. I love Mexico. I love Mexicans. And I love all of you for reading my silly columns!
Hasta luego,
MiMi Bomba
Writing with warmth, wit, and a deep affection for Puerto Vallarta, MiMi Bomba draws inspiration from classic humorists while creating a style all her own. Her stories celebrate the people, places, and experiences that make life in Puerto Vallarta both unpredictable and rewarding. Click HERE to read more essays by MiMi Bomba.
